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Authors: James L Gillaspy
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said.
Tommy cocked his head to one side. "What if I don't
want to move to the priest's deck?" Why did I say that? Of course I
want to quit shoveling shit, don't I?
"Then we'll have to convince you!" the man in the
middle shouted as he charged toward Tommy.
Tommy turned and launched his body, arms out and shoulder
down, toward the scrawny man to his left, striking him just below the rib
cage. The man collapsed, wheezing, across Tommy's back, where Tommy held him
as he whirled back toward his other attackers. His jump to the side had
spoiled their attack, leaving them well away from his new position.
"We won't fall for that again, feral," said the
gap-toothed man. He pulled a thick stick from underneath his tunic. The
animal handler produced a short knife. They charged again, side by side,
directly at him.
Tommy sidestepped, then grabbed the waistband of the man across
his back and spun, throwing the squealing man into the other two attackers. Well,
it works with more than feed sacks! All three went down in a heap with the
man he had thrown on top. Tommy added his weight to the pile, pinning them
down.
He disarmed them and fended off several blows. "Are you
sure you want to continue this?" he asked.
The three heaved up until Tommy cuffed each of them with the
back of his work-hardened hand, then placed his knee into the top man's back
and pressed down. This time the man's squeal was pure pain.
"Do you want more of that?" Tommy asked.
"No!" the man screamed.
"Did you do this on your own?" Tommy asked,
pressing down again.
"No! No! The first Jack told us to do it," the
man sobbed.
"Shut up, you idiot!" said one of the men on the
bottom.
Tommy stood up and stepped back. He watched warily as the
three got to their feet and whispered to each other.
"If Jack wants you do to this, why isn't he here to
help you?" Tommy asked.
Their answer was another assault. This one Tommy met with
his own rush, straight ahead. He cracked the man in the middle across the jaw
with his right elbow and shoved him aside, then spun in place, grabbed the
shirtsleeves of the two outside men, and pulled. The sound of their heads
striking each other echoed from the barn wall.
Tommy looked down at the unconscious men on the ground. What
have I done?
He turned toward a sound from behind. The first Jack stood
there, his neck red around the top of his tunic, his brown eyes almost hidden by
black pupils. When he spoke, he echoed Tommy's thoughts, "What have you
done?"
Tommy shook his head. "What have I done? What have you done? You sent them after me. I just defended myself."
Jack looked up at Tommy looming over him, then down again at
the three men lying on the ground. He raised his hands as if trying to fend
off an impending attack.
"Why did you send them to do this?" Tommy asked.
"Were you hoping they would kill me? You know I can't leave here until
the lords tell me to."
Jack crossed his arms tightly in front of his narrow body.
He looked again at the three unconscious bodies on the ground, then back at
Tommy. "This isn't over,” Jack said. He turned and stalked toward the
central column.
I suppose it's up to me to take care of these three.
He knelt and felt each man's pulse. A bucket of water from the horse trough
brought them to sputtering consciousness.
"Jack deserted you," Tommy said. "If you
don't have any work to do here, you might want to follow him. He's headed toward
the stairs."
# # #
On his next walk with Forset, Tommy said, "I once asked
someone why you are so small. He said the lords wanted it that way. Was he
right?"
They strolled that day on the horse trail Tommy and Jack had
followed that first day on the ship.
"Do you have some reason for asking that question?
Forset asked.
"I had a confrontation with some farmers
yesterday." Tommy said.
"Were you injured?"
"My size made a lot of difference," Tommy
Tommy cocked his head to one side. "What if I don't
want to move to the priest's deck?" Why did I say that? Of course I
want to quit shoveling shit, don't I?
"Then we'll have to convince you!" the man in the
middle shouted as he charged toward Tommy.
Tommy turned and launched his body, arms out and shoulder
down, toward the scrawny man to his left, striking him just below the rib
cage. The man collapsed, wheezing, across Tommy's back, where Tommy held him
as he whirled back toward his other attackers. His jump to the side had
spoiled their attack, leaving them well away from his new position.
"We won't fall for that again, feral," said the
gap-toothed man. He pulled a thick stick from underneath his tunic. The
animal handler produced a short knife. They charged again, side by side,
directly at him.
Tommy sidestepped, then grabbed the waistband of the man across
his back and spun, throwing the squealing man into the other two attackers. Well,
it works with more than feed sacks! All three went down in a heap with the
man he had thrown on top. Tommy added his weight to the pile, pinning them
down.
He disarmed them and fended off several blows. "Are you
sure you want to continue this?" he asked.
The three heaved up until Tommy cuffed each of them with the
back of his work-hardened hand, then placed his knee into the top man's back
and pressed down. This time the man's squeal was pure pain.
"Do you want more of that?" Tommy asked.
"No!" the man screamed.
"Did you do this on your own?" Tommy asked,
pressing down again.
"No! No! The first Jack told us to do it," the
man sobbed.
"Shut up, you idiot!" said one of the men on the
bottom.
Tommy stood up and stepped back. He watched warily as the
three got to their feet and whispered to each other.
"If Jack wants you do to this, why isn't he here to
help you?" Tommy asked.
Their answer was another assault. This one Tommy met with
his own rush, straight ahead. He cracked the man in the middle across the jaw
with his right elbow and shoved him aside, then spun in place, grabbed the
shirtsleeves of the two outside men, and pulled. The sound of their heads
striking each other echoed from the barn wall.
Tommy looked down at the unconscious men on the ground. What
have I done?
He turned toward a sound from behind. The first Jack stood
there, his neck red around the top of his tunic, his brown eyes almost hidden by
black pupils. When he spoke, he echoed Tommy's thoughts, "What have you
done?"
Tommy shook his head. "What have I done? What have you done? You sent them after me. I just defended myself."
Jack looked up at Tommy looming over him, then down again at
the three men lying on the ground. He raised his hands as if trying to fend
off an impending attack.
"Why did you send them to do this?" Tommy asked.
"Were you hoping they would kill me? You know I can't leave here until
the lords tell me to."
Jack crossed his arms tightly in front of his narrow body.
He looked again at the three unconscious bodies on the ground, then back at
Tommy. "This isn't over,” Jack said. He turned and stalked toward the
central column.
I suppose it's up to me to take care of these three.
He knelt and felt each man's pulse. A bucket of water from the horse trough
brought them to sputtering consciousness.
"Jack deserted you," Tommy said. "If you
don't have any work to do here, you might want to follow him. He's headed toward
the stairs."
# # #
On his next walk with Forset, Tommy said, "I once asked
someone why you are so small. He said the lords wanted it that way. Was he
right?"
They strolled that day on the horse trail Tommy and Jack had
followed that first day on the ship.
"Do you have some reason for asking that question?
Forset asked.
"I had a confrontation with some farmers
yesterday." Tommy said.
"Were you injured?"
"My size made a lot of difference," Tommy
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