03
We breakfasted on cold meat and rough textured bread before mounting the lopemounts once again. KaRaya and I were blindfolded, with apologies, though I believe Py was not, and led on the tethered lopemounts for what seemed more than an hour before our blindfolds were taken off on the edge of the Grimdar valley. We dismounted and continued on our way afoot across the rolling valley of the Grimdar March spreading out before us between the low peaks of the Horn Mountains. Here, the twilight in the shadows of the mountains was even dimmer than any of the other valleys we had called on. Ahead of us, beyond Grimdar Valley, the higher mountains and forests of the Daeri's Horn End began in earnest.
As we set out on foot, Py set out Clan Dere's case.
'It seems,' began Py, 'that the old Master of the Grimdar March was indeed, old, and had been old for ten thousand rounds and more, and died without any living offspring. A distant nephew, a merchant from Quandadar inherited Grimdar and has proceeded to instigate sweeping changes, including enclosing a large section of the common land to make, of all things, a vineyard, which is the main point of contention.
'DereKin claims that enclosing this common grazing land means that less livestock can be raised on the land, limiting the Grimdar clans' ability to earn income from the sale of wool, leather and meat to support themselves. He feels that as head of the march's leading clan, it is his duty to object to and resist this change in the ancient established order.
'One does not create a vineyard in a round or two, so this issue has been simmering for some time. I gather that Magistrate VanDian sided with the new Master, one BreyAntor, ruling that he was within his rights to enclose part of the common for his vineyard. DereKin disagrees, citing the ancient rights of the tenants to graze their livestock on the common without hindrance or imposed fees. He sees the vineyard as a hindrance to the tenant's right of grazing, and that it will reduce the livelihood of all the tenant clans.'
'Is he right?' I asked. 'About the law and the livelihood issue?'
'Without having the word of the law at hand to consult, I cannot say with absolute certainly. I told him, repeatedly, that Magistrate VanDian would've had the words at hand and would have decided the case based on those words, so that if she ruled in favor of the new Master, then he likely has the law on his side. DereKin insisted that VanDian interpreted the law in the new Master's favor, wishing to curry his favor. I told him that this could not've been the case, but I made no headway on that point, or indeed, on any point,' he added with a grin.
'So things don't look promising for DereKin,' I said, with a glance to him.
He shrugged. 'Our mission is to find a fair way to settle this dispute, within the law before more blood is shed or any lives lost.'
'How was blood shed?' asked KaRaya. 'What foolish action did DereKin take and what in the Name of the Great Way did he hope to achieve?'
'He was rather vague on the details. He said that in the lawful exercise of his grazing rights, he met with opposition from some of the Master's men. I gather a fight ensued in which wounds were inflicted, and DereKin's youngest son, a mere boy, was captured and is now being held captive in the Master's Tower. In response to this incident - I'll leave it to your imagination what exercising grazing rights means in regards to a vineyard - the Master has brought in mercenaries. They not only guard his "unlawful" vineyard, but seized the livestock of Clan Dere in another running battle. Part of this herd has already been sold, I assume to cover the cost of the damages to the vineyard, and the remainder is being kept under guard by these mercenaries. The clan's riders have taken to the woods to avoid more bloodshed, DereKin claims. But they have not given up the fight. Not by any means. He seems determined to take to the field against the Master, if need be.'
'If we're to trust Magistrate VanDian's rulings, it sounds like you'll have your hands full preventing that,' I said, 'DereKin struck me as a man who was quite full of himself and his position, and that having made up his mind, he's unlikely to change it. Though it sounds like he's up against an equally determined Master.'
'Who likely has the law behind him as well. The Master of the March owns the entire march, in theory, and I'm all but certain that the Master of the March has the right to enclose any part of the common area for his or her use. I questioned DereKin very closely on whether the Master seized any leasehold of the clans since the long-time tenants would have rights to those lands, so that seizing any of the clans' leasehold lands would be far more problematical...'
'And?'
'He was evasive, but I gather, not. All that was enclosed was a part of the common grazing land. And I suspect, not a large part either. DereKin talked more of principle - that this was only the beginning of the enclosures, and if not resisted, would eventually drive the herds and clans out of Grimdar.'
'And why are we doing this, if the outcome is so predictably inevitable?'
'Outside of the marches, and throughout the Saraime, the Teachers of Laeza are known as advocates for the common people. As I said before, poverty is the result of either natural disasters, or the greed of the powerful. It is the mission of the Order of Laeza that all people live with the bounty that the Way provides for the use of all. Sometimes that means resisting the powerful and greedy, be they owners of plantations, mills, factories, criminal gangs that prey on the meek, or the rulers of principalities, large and small. Not only do we advocate for them, but if necessary we fight for them as well. If this new Master of Grimdar is, as DereKin says, greedy and intent on taking for himself what should be shared, I have an obligation to convince him otherwise, and, if necessary, take the case to my masters in Cloud Home. On the other hand, if it is DereKin who is greedy, then I must convince him to abandon his opposition. What course I will take depends on what we find in Grimdar...'
'Which we are likely to discover, shortly,' said KaRaya, pointing to a band of riders, emerging from a shallow valley and bounding towards us on their lopemounts.
We stopped to await their arrival. There were a dozen riders, all neatly turned out in dark red jerkins and rich brown leather pants, with the usual belts, pouches, swords and long spring-charged air rifles slung across their backs. As they slowed to approach, the leader of the band, a lanky, pale feathered fellow deftly leaped from his mount and landing gracefully, hurried forward, cupping his hands and bowing, the customary greeting of a follower of the Way.
'Greetings, Teacher!' he cried.
'Greetings, brother. I am Magistrate LinPy.'
'Indeed! Why then we are well met! We have heard many good things about Magistrate Py. Grimdar is in need of your services, I fear.'
Magistrate Py bowed in return. 'So, I have heard. I have, in fact, been sought out and asked by Chief DereKin to try to settle the unfortunate affairs of this March.'
'I am BreyWeatin, the Master's cousin, come to help him with his troubles. So, the old rascal kidnapped you, did he, and sent you along to see us?' he laughed.
'He directed us here,' allowed Py.
'Well, I believe that is the first wise thing ol'DereKin has ever done in this matter. If you will excuse me for a moment, I'll contact my cousin and inform him of your arrival. I'm certain he will be delighted.'
He stepped over to his mount, and somewhat to my surprise, took out a small, boxy radio from his saddle pouch and after a minute or two, conversed with the Master. I'd known, of course, such technology existed within the Saraime. I'd seen samples of it in the Temtre trade goods - though they were no better than trinkets in their hands. It's just that I'd never seen much working evidence of it beyond the electric lights of the old Bird of Passage. But then, the new master was from Quandadar, so I suppose he'd brought familiar technology with him to these backward, twilight marches. That, in itself, might be some cause for resistance by the tenants who seemed to have been insulated from change for ages.
'He'll be here shortly,' said BreyWeatin, as he returned to us.
As we waited the March Master's arrival, BreyWeatin's riders dismounted
and gathered around us to take in the, perhaps, too famous, Magistrate Py and his peculiar band of followers. Hissi, with that cheerful egotism of Simla dragons, was in her glory, greeting each of the riders with a gracious touch of her talons to their hands - grasping her forearm would disarrange her feathers. We then told them about our encounter with Chief DereKin.
BreyWeatin shook his head as we related our story. 'I think you will find, Magistrate, that the faults lie with DereKin. But that is neither here nor there. Your task will be to find a way to smooth his feathers, and accept that the future will be slightly different from the past. No small task, I'm afraid, but you'll find that my cousin is also not one to be deterred. I'll say no more, since you must make your own judgment. I assure you, however, he is no tyrant and though he comes here from Quandadar, he and his family have been Masters of the LeBrey Marches on the far side of the island for as long as there have been Deres. He knows the marches, he knows the march people, and he knows the laws and customs of the marches. In short, Magistrate, he knows what he is doing.'
I had to admit, I had a feeling BreyWeatin was right.
More evidence of Master BreyAntor's up to date approach became evident when he arrived in a low flying vehicle, the first vehicle I'd seen in the marches that wasn't lopemount powered. It was what is called locally, a fan-car. It had four pitch adjustable enclosed fans on its corners and an enclosed passenger compartment. BreyAntor's model was a large one, with an open cargo deck in back as well. The fan-car's propellers were driven by electric motors powered by a bio-oil powered generator. In the light gravity, the fans provided both the lift, and when angled, the motive power as well. They are generally flown only several meters off the ground, but can be flown much higher for longer runs.
He jumped out of his fan-car as it settled to the ground, and hurried to join the gathering, beaming and greeting Py and the rest of us with great enthusiasm.
'You are very welcome here! I have considered appealing to Cloud Home directly to settle this, but I thought it might reflect badly on Magistrate VanDian. However, now that you are here, perhaps you can find a way to smooth things over. I'll call a formal hearing to discuss all that has occurred since Magistrate VanDian's last visit,' he quickly assured us. 'Chieftain DereKin and any who wish to accompany him will be free to attend and leave the hearing so that they might formally present their case, as I will mine.'
He smiled, and hurried on enthusiastically, 'I know change is hard for everyone, and for the march-men, steeped in tradition, harder still. It is, sometimes, necessary. And I can assure you, it is necessary for Grimdar. I'm afraid that my great uncle allowed the finances of Grimdar to deteriorate, and this touches all the clans of the march, though the Deres don't see it that way - which, between you and me, is why old Kin resists so hard. He and his clan had come to rule this march as its master, due to the weakness and inattention of my uncle, and he now resents a new Master with ideas, and a backbone. But enough of that. I have absolute confidence in the magistrates of Laeza, and in my case. I know what I can and cannot do, and I've done only what I can do, and only what is right for the long term good of my march,' he added with a smile, but with steel in his eyes.
Py smiled and nodded. 'I shall do my best.'
'Of course. Now, if you will allow me, I'll give you a lift to town. I think it best that you stay in the inn rather than in the Tower as customary, since old Kin would take residing in the Master's Tower as a sign of you taking my side right from the get-go.'
'I think that would be best. I must hear what everyone has to say if I'm to find a way to settle this to everyone's satisfaction.'
'Yes. Exactly. Climb on board,' he said with a wave of his hand towards the fan-car. And then turning to his cousin. 'Do you think, Weatin, you can find someone to take a message to dear ol'Kin that a truce has been declared and that he and his band are free to return without fearing molestation until a settlement has been reached?'
'I'll ask around town. I'm sure someone can find them. I'd rather not go to Dere Tower, they rather resent any approach by your people.'
'Exactly. We must do nothing to annoy the Deres. We must have a peaceful settlement.'