Read Online A Larger Universe by James L Gillaspy - Free Book Online
Authors: James L Gillaspy
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fifty-pound sack of feed from the wagon and heaved it at
the nearest boy with a pitchfork. The boy went down with a loud cry, his
pitchfork flying into the darkness behind him. Another turn and heave knocked
the second pitchfork wielder to the floor with the sack on his chest. Tommy
kept the third sack in his hands and charged the remaining three, knocking two
into the hay bales stacked by the entrance and chasing the third out the door.
Numbers three and four had disappeared when he returned, but
the first two sat on the floor, moaning.
"You broke my ribs," one of them said.
"And what were you planning to do to me with that
pitchfork?" Tommy said.
The other one rocked back and forth. "We was only
supposed to hurt you a little bit, not break your ribs."
"Who told you to hurt me?"
"The first Jack," the first one said.
Tommy squatted on his heels in front of them. "Did he
say why?"
"He says you don't belong here. He says it's not right
you're here."
"And if you hurt me a little bit? What good would that
do? Would that make me go away? To where? Are you sure you weren't supposed
to hurt me a lot?" He grabbed the second boy's tunic and jerked him
forward until their faces almost touched.
The boy pushed at Tommy's chest, but his face didn't move.
"It wasn't our idea. We was just doing what we was told."
Seeing the other boy getting up, Tommy released one hand and
grabbed, slamming the boy into the side of the one he already held. "I've
got a new idea for you and your friends. The next time any of you pick a fight
with me, someone will be seriously hurt, multiple broken bones hurt, and he
won't be me." He shook them both. "Maybe I should do some of that
hurting now."
Tommy stood up, effortlessly lifting the two boys to their
feet. They were standing flat-footed, and he was looking over their heads. They
are tiny , he thought. I could break their bones, but that would make me
just like them.
"Whatever Jack tells you to do, you'd best not do it if
it involves me. Do you understand?"
When both of them nodded, he shoved them back toward the
door and went back to his wheelbarrow. He had work to do, even if it was for
the first Jack.
# # #
The day after his fight with the boys, three farmers-- full-grown
men--waited for Tommy at the barn.
The man in the center was a little taller than the others
and not someone that Tommy knew. When the man opened his mouth, Tommy could
see a wide gap in his front teeth. "Gotten too big for the boys to handle,
have you?" the man said.
Tommy stopped well away from the barn door and put Potter
down at his feet. "I suppose." This doesn't look good! He
took a step back. "What can I do for you?"
The two men on the outside moved slowly to Tommy's left and right.
The gap-toothed man threw a futile kick at Potter as the cat
darted past into the open door of the barn.
Tommy had seen the man on the left before in the meal room.
He was scrawny, even for one of the farmers. "We're here to make you pay
for beating up on our kids, feral," the man said.
Tommy also knew the man on the right. He was one of the
animal handlers and was frequently called on to subdue angry livestock.
"And the sight of your lumpy body makes us sick," that man said.
"After we make you pay, we want you out of here,"
said the gap-toothed man still in front of him.
Tommy looked carefully back and forth at the men closing in
on him before answering. "Where do you expect me to go?" he said.
"We don't care," said the scrawny man on his
left. Maybe your priest friend will let you move in with him."
"And the lords?" asked Tommy, taking another step
back.
"The lords won't care as long as you're doing your work
with the priest," said the man in the middle.
They were about three arm lengths away.
"Who told you that?" asked Tommy.
The man's expression indicated he had revealed more than he
should. "That don't matter!" the man
the nearest boy with a pitchfork. The boy went down with a loud cry, his
pitchfork flying into the darkness behind him. Another turn and heave knocked
the second pitchfork wielder to the floor with the sack on his chest. Tommy
kept the third sack in his hands and charged the remaining three, knocking two
into the hay bales stacked by the entrance and chasing the third out the door.
Numbers three and four had disappeared when he returned, but
the first two sat on the floor, moaning.
"You broke my ribs," one of them said.
"And what were you planning to do to me with that
pitchfork?" Tommy said.
The other one rocked back and forth. "We was only
supposed to hurt you a little bit, not break your ribs."
"Who told you to hurt me?"
"The first Jack," the first one said.
Tommy squatted on his heels in front of them. "Did he
say why?"
"He says you don't belong here. He says it's not right
you're here."
"And if you hurt me a little bit? What good would that
do? Would that make me go away? To where? Are you sure you weren't supposed
to hurt me a lot?" He grabbed the second boy's tunic and jerked him
forward until their faces almost touched.
The boy pushed at Tommy's chest, but his face didn't move.
"It wasn't our idea. We was just doing what we was told."
Seeing the other boy getting up, Tommy released one hand and
grabbed, slamming the boy into the side of the one he already held. "I've
got a new idea for you and your friends. The next time any of you pick a fight
with me, someone will be seriously hurt, multiple broken bones hurt, and he
won't be me." He shook them both. "Maybe I should do some of that
hurting now."
Tommy stood up, effortlessly lifting the two boys to their
feet. They were standing flat-footed, and he was looking over their heads. They
are tiny , he thought. I could break their bones, but that would make me
just like them.
"Whatever Jack tells you to do, you'd best not do it if
it involves me. Do you understand?"
When both of them nodded, he shoved them back toward the
door and went back to his wheelbarrow. He had work to do, even if it was for
the first Jack.
# # #
The day after his fight with the boys, three farmers-- full-grown
men--waited for Tommy at the barn.
The man in the center was a little taller than the others
and not someone that Tommy knew. When the man opened his mouth, Tommy could
see a wide gap in his front teeth. "Gotten too big for the boys to handle,
have you?" the man said.
Tommy stopped well away from the barn door and put Potter
down at his feet. "I suppose." This doesn't look good! He
took a step back. "What can I do for you?"
The two men on the outside moved slowly to Tommy's left and right.
The gap-toothed man threw a futile kick at Potter as the cat
darted past into the open door of the barn.
Tommy had seen the man on the left before in the meal room.
He was scrawny, even for one of the farmers. "We're here to make you pay
for beating up on our kids, feral," the man said.
Tommy also knew the man on the right. He was one of the
animal handlers and was frequently called on to subdue angry livestock.
"And the sight of your lumpy body makes us sick," that man said.
"After we make you pay, we want you out of here,"
said the gap-toothed man still in front of him.
Tommy looked carefully back and forth at the men closing in
on him before answering. "Where do you expect me to go?" he said.
"We don't care," said the scrawny man on his
left. Maybe your priest friend will let you move in with him."
"And the lords?" asked Tommy, taking another step
back.
"The lords won't care as long as you're doing your work
with the priest," said the man in the middle.
They were about three arm lengths away.
"Who told you that?" asked Tommy.
The man's expression indicated he had revealed more than he
should. "That don't matter!" the man
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