Mahrree had worked herself into a near frenzy of fretting by the evening of the second debate. She fretted she might run into him, although she never went as far as the new fort. It was to the northeast, and the school and markets were to the south, so she couldn't think of a good reason to wander over there, even if she did care.
She fretted that he might have walked by her house again and she didn't notice.
And she fretted that she was fretting about nothing.
It was all so ridiculous, and so she fretted about her being ridiculous all the way up until the start of their second debate.
As she walked to the amphitheater she kept checking the color of the sky, just to have something else to think about. It had hints of purple by the time the debate began.
Half an hour later she didn't have to worry about blushing in his presence again, because the second debate was nothing like the first.
Hogal Densal had decided they should discuss some of the new educational 'suggestions' being tried in Idumea. One of the more controversial was holding school all day, instead of just in the mornings for younger children and in the afternoon for the older. Mahrree argued that removing the parents from their daily work and discussion time with their children could weaken their family connections.
But the captain retorted that having such a break from the children could be beneficial to the mental and financial welfare of the parents. Even with families limited to just two children-a law enforced more diligently in the past few decades-parenting was still a great strain. With the children in school all day, both parents could spend more time laboring.
The tension mounted when Mahrree insisted that the Creator had intended for the parents to educate the children, and the captain contended that there was nothing wrong with letting the Administrators be in charge.
That's when it erupted into a shouting match.
"The Writings, which you love to quote," he simpered, "say everyone has the right to choose for themselves, Miss Peto!"
"But The Writings also say we're accountable for those choices, Captain! And everyone suffers when someone makes a terrible choice. The Second and Third Queruls held us petrified that we would say the wrong thing. The Fourth made us suffer from rising foods costs because of his fear of the chicken pox. Then Oren-why, he was like a neglectful parent who cared for only himself. What if parents follow the same pattern and become neglectful themselves? How do we know our children won't suffer from another ghastly decision forced upon them by their government?"
"Are you implying that the Administrators will prove to be as incompetent as Oren?" he demanded.
She knew her position was akin to running toward a crevice near the edge of the forest, but she just couldn't stop herself. "Any parent who thinks of his desires first will have children that suffer. I don't believe the Administrators intentionally want parents to neglect their children, but someone should warn them of the possibility. Perhaps some professor at the university-"
"All of the Administrators are former university professors, Miss Peto," the captain said smugly. "And none of them have come to the same conclusions as you. I wonder why that is? Might they know something more than a simple school teacher at the Edge of the world?"
The entire audience-more than one thousand strong that night-sounded a warning of, "Ooooh!"
The captain's fierce glare wavered for half a moment as Mahrree puffed up her chest in fury. She would not be demeaned, ever.
She would be bold.
Just . . . not mention that fact.
"It has been my experience, Captain Shin," she seethed calmly, "that a collective of men frequently put forth their untested opinions as fact, especially when their egos are in question. Be that collective an army, a government, or a band of boys arguing about who got to the swimming hole first. The results are inevitably an embarrassing display of clenched fists, shouted words, and bloodied noses. And still nothing is resolved to anyone's satisfaction, thus leaving open yet another opportunity for a collective of men to put forth more useless ideas masquerading as something constructive!"
His eyes were like rock as she spewed her venom, but he didn't flinch. "Miss Peto, it's obvious you have very little experience with men."
Many male villagers were bold enough to chuckle in agreement.
Until Mahrree shot them a look.
"I have enough experience with arrogant, ignorant men who value no one's opinions but their own," she boiled. "I've been gaining a great deal of experience in the past few days, standing on this platform!"
Several women in the amphitheater giggled nervously, and a few more brave men chorused another round of, "Ooooh!"
Captain Shin remained emotionless, refusing to take her insult. "Miss Peto, you know nothing of the Administrators who are endeavoring to lead this world to greater heights-"
"I agree, I don't," she cut him off. "I don't even know if they hold to The Writings, because I've never heard any of it quoted in the weekly edicts they send to the villages."
The captain shrugged. "So what if they don't? Can't they make decisions on their own without referring to an old text from an older time?"
"An old text?" she wailed. "Older time? It's for our time! It's the basis for our village, our families, our lives! If we throw out the guiding principles, what will guide us then?"
"Isn't that where faith comes in, Miss Peto?" he pounced. "The Writings talk all about faith. So have some faith in the Administrators."
"Faith means having trust in someone else's decisions for us," she declared. "I have faith in the Creator, because I've seen how His choices have benefited my life."
"You've benefited from the Administrators' control over food production," the captain pointed out. "I've seen the markets; there's no lack. I know people here complained as much as anywhere when the management laws were installed, but a year later we see the results."
"But farmers and ranchers no longer have a say in what they grow or how much they produce!" she gestured wildly. "They might be doing better without the meddling, but we'll never know now. They've lost their freedom!"
He folded his arms. "If losing freedom means a healthier world, then what of it?"
She spluttered and guffawed before she could make her mouth form words. "That's precisely what happened under the kings. We lost freedom, and lives, and even your precious progress!"
The captain took an aggressive step toward her. "No one has lost their lives under the Administrators, Miss Peto."
"Not yet!"
There it was: the first shocked look on his face, but Mahrree was far too furious to gloat.
"How can I have faith in someone if I can't trust their decisions, Captain? For that matter, how can I trust you? What kind of influence will you have in Edge?"
He scoffed. "Who's to say that the Administrators aren't making the best choices? Or that I won't? You just admitted yourself you don't know anything about them, and you certainly don't know anything about me. I find that admission quite remarkable, by the way, since you seem to think you know it all!"
"I know enough!" she shouted back. "I know that we've been forced to accept a fort in our village. I know taxes rose last year again, but for what reason? To arm that fort no one wants? We're just supposed to trust your decisions? The Army of Idumea's? Even the Administrators, who we don't know? To what end? Complete, blind obedience? Willingly accept that the sky is blue, and never question what it might portend when it's red in the morning, or clouding in the afternoon? Should we never think for ourselves and just become dumb animals?"
He leaned toward her, his left hand clenched into a fist. "Your emotions are clouding your logic, and you're imagining scenarios that may not lead to each other. You're too closed-minded to think clearly."
She firmed her stance. "I'm suggesting only one of many outcomes, but we never know what will happen when we blindly submit to untested leadership, Captain. When Querul the First took the throne, no one then would have suspected that generations later would
have suffered from excessive control or be guided by idiots. I'm beginning to believe men simply can't handle so much power."
Captain Shin's mouth dropped open at her boldness. That was twice now. "So now you're insinuating the Administrators are no more trustworthy than the kings? I must warn you, Miss Peto, you are on very dangerous ground."
She knew it, but she stood firm even though she teetered on the edge. "What have they done to earn my trust? Kick out King Oren? What happened to him?"
"Died of a broken heart, from finally realizing how he neglected the world!" the captain retorted.
"So we've been told. But I've always wondered, just how many soldiers did it take to break that small, stupid heart, Captain?"
The captain's lips parted slightly, aghast at her presumption. Or maybe her insight. That was the third time.
She didn't care, but continued on. "Then the Administrators took over the city, and then the world. And what's next? For that matter, what have you done to earn my trust? Come to Edge with your arrogance to tell us we're closed-minded? Oh, well done!"
"Miss Peto," he said coolly, "if the Administrators were anything like Querul the Third, you wouldn't be allowed to say what you're saying tonight. You still have the freedom to express your mind, however emotional and illogical it may be, and no one is stopping you."
"Yet," she added coldly.
Why am I saying all of this? she wondered frantically, finally realizing just how close she was to disaster. Where is this coming from? As quickly as she could, she tried to backtrack from the crevice.
"Perhaps, Captain, we have nothing to fear from the Administrators, but I fear there may be a great deal to suspect about you."
She immediately realized that didn't sound like backtracking, but the words continued to pour uncontrollably from her mouth. "You have clearly demonstrated your arrogance and contempt for the 'simple' people of Edge. And you're our defense against the Guarders? Ha! I now fear greatly for all of us."
That's when Rector Densal jabbed the sides of the two large men sitting next to him. They jumped up and started for the platform.
The captain's face grew purple. "You fear for Edge-?!" he began as the men jogged the steps to the top of the platform. With big smiles, they stood between him and Mahrree.
It was like throwing water on fighting alley cats. They each stepped back but kept pacing and circling, waiting for an opening between the two large men standing there with fake grins plastered on their faces. The platform suddenly felt very crowded.
Mr. Metz, the personal assistant to Rector Densal and a large fellow, held up his hands and said in an excessively cheerful voice, "What wonderful words for us to consider! We thank Miss Peto and Captain Shin and invite everyone to stretch a moment before the musicians take to the stage."
Captain Shin was obviously not finished with her, but Mahrree wanted nothing more to do with him. To so easily dismiss The Writings showed his true nature, and it was ugly.
That had done it for her.
She didn't care about his accusing her of being a know-it-all-she'd heard that a dozen times before. But The Writings? Maybe he'd read them once or twice, as he claimed at the first debate, but he obviously cared nothing for the words of the Creator or the guides, which explained his ready devotion to the Administrators.
No matter how pleasant he appeared, his soul was grossly disfigured.
She stormed down the back stairs to her favorite tree, gave it a swift kick that she immediately regretted, and marched-or rather limped-back and forth trying to regain her composure. She considered soaking her throbbing foot it the warm spring, but couldn't imagine sitting long enough to do so.
She'd wanted to like him. She was afraid that some part of her already found him attractive, yet she needed solid reasons to feel anything for him. But now? There was nothing worthy in him.
She was also alarmed by her growing antagonism toward the Administrators. Where had that come from? Her father? Maybe his warning that the world was out to get her was his way of telling her a storm was approaching, but she didn't realize she'd be the storm!
She'd never before heard anyone say anything against the Administrators, but she'd spat accusations that she now realized had the possibility of reaching the ears of the Administrator of Loyalty. She'd also never heard of anyone in the remote northern villages ever catching his attention, but rumors abounded about his Querul-the-Third-tendencies down in Idumea. None of those rumors ever said Gadiman accomplished anything more beyond giving someone a threatening glare before another Administrator pulled him away. He was their token guard dog that no one really cared for, but needed to have around anyway, just in case.
Mahrree fretted all over again that she just might come across as the first real threat.
Until she remembered the captain's words: "a simple school teacher at the Edge of the world." Her worries vanished, replaced by livid fury.
A simple teacher, indeed!
Well, she had to admit as the pain in her foot forced her to calm down, she was a teacher. She'd never be fancy, so she was simple. And she was in Edge.
So while his words were accurate, his critical tone was meant to cut away all her confidence. But she wouldn't let it. She may be a simple school teacher, but simple things have a tendency to rise up in complex ways.
She felt enraged again, a raw emotion so powerful she didn't know what to do with it. Pacing wasn't enough. Maybe some trees somewhere needed all the bark peeled off.
She noticed someone standing in the shadows at the end of her pacing area, and he was wearing a blue uniform. Without thinking about the next move, she hobbled over to him. "Yes?" she asked, barely containing her disdain.
The captain's face was calm as he smiled, which made her all the more furious.
"Are you hurt?" He nodded at her foot.
"Only temporarily. Old debating injury," she explained bitterly.
To her surprise he grinned and held up his left hand. "I have one of those too." He made a fist with it.
It took all of Mahrree's remaining self-control to not make a match and show him what to do with it. His stomach was temptingly close.
His face sobered and he rubbed his forehead, near the scar above his eyebrow. "Look, I just want you to know that I feel awful about what happened up there," he said softly. "I lost my temper and I don't usually do that. Well, not with women. Something about . . ." His voice trailed off. He pressed his lips together before he tried again. "I just want you to know that your mind is much like mine. This got out of control. I am sorry."
Mahrree was stunned speechless, which was quite an accomplishment. She didn't expect any of that, so she had nothing to retort with. Later that evening she came up with a long list of responses, and even wrote them down. But all she could manage right then was a lame, "Thank you."
"I hope you feel better soon," he gestured to her foot. "Apparently we're on again in two nights."
Mahrree's eyes flared as he gave her a casual smile, put on his cap, and left quickly.
He'd been right, annoyingly. She had very little experience with men. They mystified her. She'd seen that behavior before in the little boys she taught. They'd have a terrible fight, hit and punch each other, then be friends again five minutes later as if the fight was part of the game.
Granted, the teenage girls were ridiculous too. They would just perceive an injustice and they'd give each other the silent treatment for an entire season.
But nothing was more astonishing than Captain Perrin Shin's casual smile and perplexing behavior. She had heard once of a man in the village of Moorland who thought he was two different people. He even went by two different names and carried on bizarre conversations that no one could follow.
"That must be it," Mahrree whispered to the air. "The man is not right in his mind. We are in trouble." She laughed weakly as she started to hobble for home.
It was better than crying.
---
The new lieu
tenant, a young man with dark brown hair, light reddish-brown skin, and a slight but muscular build, was disappointed the captain wasn't there to greet him. He was a bit anxious, and having the High General personally see him off yesterday morning didn't help ease his apprehension.
But for graduating top of his class at the Command School at the university, he was given the biggest responsibility available for graduating cadets: second in command of the new fort in Edge.
He'd heard the talk-it was only Edge. It was only the smallest fort in the world, likely to never see any action, and likely established only to give the High General's son an early command. But it was still a most coveted opportunity. He'd been studying for this assignment for the past six moons and was in frequent contact with the captain. Still, staring at the fort made it all a little overwhelming. He would've welcomed a familiar face.
Then again, he could hardly expect Shin to wait around on the off chance his lieutenant came a day early.
The master sergeant in charge of building, on loan from the fort at Rivers, assured him the captain would return after sunset. "He's doing what High General ordered him to do-winning over the hearts and minds of the people of Edge." Then he laughed at a joke the lieutenant seemed to have missed.
Lieutenant Brillen Karna set out to give himself a tour of the fort. The tall command tower provided unobstructed views of the forest and the mountains beyond to the north, and the village to the south. The large forward office with its vast windows and enormous desk would be an excellent planning area, and the adjoining office for the commanding officer held impressive views of the east, south, and west.
The officers' quarters and enlisted men's barracks were nearly completed, but the mess hall still needed a roof. The hospital wing was more progressive than any he'd seen, with thirty cots and dozens of dark colored bottles lining the shelves. The armory was waiting to be stocked with the swords, long knives, and bows and arrows that should arrive in the next week. The stables were nearly completed, the feed barns were already filled, and the wall that surrounded the entire compound would be finished in just a few days.
None of the land in the fort or the surrounding area showed evidence of danger. Just a few hundred paces to the north in the deep woods lay all kinds of traps-sink holes, small bubbling mud volcanoes, steam vents, and even occasional sprays of hot water.
Many of the recruits waiting to come from Idumea were already worried about living so close to the forests. Karna had assured them no one would enter the woods, but still the stories traveled faster than the wildfire that hit the forest several years ago. That the Guarders would have chosen such an inhospitable place to stage their new raids from was unfathomable to the lieutenant.
But in a way, Karna could understand the Guarders' warped wisdom. If the army dared to venture in the forest, they wouldn't escape without losing a horse or soldier to either the thin crust of the ground or a hiding Guarder. The army was limited to the open regions beyond the forest where they could sit and wait for the enemy. Until then, the soldiers would patrol the borders of the forest looking for signs from a people who never left any.
Karna turned from the noisy forest and admired the tall timbers that composed the outer walls of the compound. He was considering the captain's ingenuity to cut the tops into points when he saw someone in the distance walking with a determined gait to the fort. The sun was just setting, but the lieutenant was sure the large silhouetted figure was Shin. He followed quickly.
As Karna passed the stables, the sergeant inspecting them called out to him, "You just missed the captain, but you should be able to find him in his office."
The lieutenant made his way up the tall stairway of twenty steps that led to the command tower. Part way up he heard a splintering noise. He paused to work out from which direction it came.
When he heard no other sounds, he proceeded cautiously up the stairs. No one was in the forward office, so Karna ventured to the command office. The door was open and he saw Shin wrapping his left hand in white cloth.
"Captain?"
Captain Shin looked up at his lieutenant. "Karna! Good to see you again." He sounded slightly out of breath. "I didn't expect you until tomorrow, but I should have known you would be here early. Ever vigilant, ever ready," he said with a pained smile. "What do you think of the fort so far?"
Karna just stared at the cloth on Shin's hand which now had a splash of red emerging through it. "Uh, it's very impressive. The general should be pleased," he said. "Captain, are you injured?"
Shin's mouth twitched. "Not permanently, I hope. By the way," he said in an official tone, "be sure to tell the building sergeant that the quality of wood in this office shows evidence of structural inferiority."
The lieutenant then noticed a hole in the thin inner board that separated the office from the forward room. It was the size of a fist, and partly edged in blood.
Karna squinted and took a closer look.
"Something you want to say, Lieutenant?"
Karna swallowed hard and stood back up to face his new commander. "The reputation of the Shins is well known, sir. Stories abound about your-"
Shin held up his right hand to stop him. "I know what you're thinking."
Karna thought that was convenient, since he wasn't sure what it was himself, and didn't know where his nervous rambling was headed. All he could remember right then was how a shouting High General Shin could leave a class quaking in their boots. His son was more amiable, but evidently stronger and with an odd manner of testing the structural integrity of his office.
"Don't worry," Shin said. "I won't be requiring my number two man to practice his 'number two hand' hitting technique on the walls."
Karna noticed Shin's left hand was still in a fist, and growing redder.
"Mainly because I trust you only with a bow, anyway," Shin said with a hint of teasing. "This was entirely personal, Lieutenant. Not professional." Then muttering to himself he added, "Not in the least bit."
Karna dared to smile ever so slightly.
To his surprise, Shin grinned at him.
"Uh, sir? You may not be aware of this, but the hospital wagon arrived early as well. Two surgeons' assistants came with it and were hoping to surprise you by stocking the supply room before morning when they were to officially present themselves." Karna's eyes kept darting to the white cloth, now mostly red and occasionally dripping on the new wooden floor.
Shin didn't seem to notice the mess.
"Sir, perhaps it would be a good idea to go acquaint yourself with them right now. I'm sure they'll be quite eager to show off their skills in uh . . ."
Shin slapped him on the shoulder. "I see why my father recommended you. Observant, loyal, and with an eye for the obvious which is shockingly absent in most people. Perhaps I will go introduce myself before heading to bed. Claim your quarters tonight, Karna, get some sleep, and then be ready for tomorrow morning. We have an entire village to win over, and I seem to be making the job a bit harder each day."
Shin started out the door, but paused and put his good hand on the lieutenant's shoulder.
"And Karna, don't believe every story you hear about Shins."
---
The slender man in black chuckled to himself all the way back to the forest. It shouldn't be this easy. The targets shouldn't present themselves so obviously. He needed some challenge, didn't he?
Then again, maybe this was just the cosmos rewarding him for his decades of patience waiting for his skills to be required again. Not since the glory days of Querul the Third had he felt so alive.
It had been that stupid General Shin-the first one, appointed by Querul the Fourth-that cut his fledgling career short. And now, in the marvelous twists of fate only Nature could create, decades later he was called back into service.
If only General Relf Shin had a clue, he'd be riding his fastest horse to Edge, panicked.
The man in black quieted his chuckling. No sense in giving himself away al
ready.
---
Two men sat in the dark office of an unlit building.
"More reports are coming in," said the first older man. "A little spottier than I'd like, but not unexpected considering they have no idea to whom the reports go, or who's at the top. But so far I'm not displeased. However, I do have a question: why would he choose to stay in cold, dull Edge when he has the choice of any village? Coast. Waves. Flax. Somewhere warm that's far more interesting for a single man."
"Speculation," answered the second middle-aged man. "He's been ordered there. He upset the High General and now Father's banished him to the dreariest place in the world."
The first man shook his white head. "No, it seems he actually requested that posting. Now why would he do that?"
The second man shrugged. "Not enough evidence to form a proper speculation. But this development makes him far more intriguing. There's no obvious logic to it. Women in Edge wear far more clothing than they do in hot humid Waves," he said with a sly smile. "Maybe he doesn't know that."
The first man chuckled. "He does. He's one of the few that has been all over the world. But I agree-we don't have enough evidence."
"There's something more," his partner said. "According to the last report, he may also be interested in a woman."
"Oh, how lovely." The first older man smirked. "This wouldn't be the first time for him, you know."
"She's rather outspoken, too," the middle-aged man warned. "The report was that she's been quite vocal about the Administrators. Uh, in the negative."
But the older man shrugged that off. "Women have never posed a real problem."
"Tell that to the victims of Oren's grandmother," his companion reminded.
"She was an anomaly."
"So might be this teacher in Edge."
"No," the older man said confidently, "the only entanglement I foresee is the one she'll cause to Shin. She may make him softer than I was hoping, but that also may provide another level of observation. Will he behave more aggressively if he senses a threat to his latest interest?"
The second man pondered that. "But if he secures her as a mate, won't his responses to a threat be more pronounced?"
"Secures?" his companion cringed. "Are you talking about marriage? Do you know how old he is? I realize you know very little about him, but trust me: he's not the marrying kind. He's the womanizing kind. Stories about him have been floating around for years. Maybe that's why he went north-he upset too many women in his last posting in Vines and had to get away from them."
The second man shrugged. "We have a similar situation developing in Grasses. A lieutenant there has a young woman he's been seeing. Here's a suggestion: we first test him by utilizing her, and then we can see what Shin may be up to. Perhaps we should send another to watch him more closely, stay on top of developments?"
The first nodded. "A few messages have been received about that captain at Grasses. Complaints from his parents, actually. Administrator of Loyalty has been disturbed. Not that it takes much to disturb Gadiman," the older man sighed. "But some messages will be sent in response. Now as for Edge, we can check on Shin later when the fort is settled. Until then, we have enough eyes in the area. However, I see nothing wrong with sending that young woman a subtle warning."
The second man nodded. "Whatever you decide-it's your world."
"Yes it is."
---
The next day Captain Shin forced himself to stare into the forest to record every potential hazard. That's what a disciplined soldier does: ignores all distractions and focuses only on the threat at hand. As he remembered that, he began to progress again along the borders of the trees. But he never saw another living creature, except for the ground that bubbled and groaned and occasionally rumbled underfoot. Land tremors were common here, he reminded himself as the ground shifted under his feet three times that afternoon.
He had to find the Guarders-that was his purpose in life. Nothing else.
Besides, she hated him now. And why wouldn't she? He was starting to hate himself for the way he was treating her.
Chapter 7 ~ "You're just afraid of my blob and what it may represent."