Read Online A Larger Universe by James L Gillaspy - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: James L Gillaspy
Ads: Link
said.
"They were injured. I was not."
Forset made a show of looking at Tommy's body, as if he
were seeing it for the first time. "I suppose so," he said.
"We are inbred compared with you wild humans." He paused.
"Perhaps 'bred' would be a better word."
"What do you mean?" Tommy asked.
Forset walked quietly for a while before answering.
"Our ancestors were small when they were taken. Their children were
larger, and their grandchildren larger still. The lords said we grew because
we ate better and more regularly. In the third generation, the lords told us
who could marry whom, who could have children, and who could not.
"That led to the first and only revolt against the
lords on this ship. We might be serfs, that we understood, but God had granted
us the right to have children." He used the English word for God; Tommy
couldn't remember having been told the lords' word.
"Many humans died when the lords suppressed the
revolt. The lords fought for themselves, the only time they have, so far as I
know. After that, we married as the lords willed. We became smaller, both
farmer and artisan. Smaller and different. When the physical differences
between farmer and artisan were great enough, the lords separated us, as we are
now."
"Which are you?"
"I thought that would be obvious. I am a farmer. All
of the priests are farmers, except for our education. We are taken into the
priesthood at an early age and apprenticed to an older priest to learn the
lords' language. The lords think we have a calming effect on the crew. They
see no harm in the worship we lead, even though they long ago stopped us from
preaching at the service." He looked at Tommy. "They consider our
hopes for a savior to be unfounded and more than a little amusing."
# # #
After many rest days, Tommy arrived for his usual lesson to
find a small cake and drinks set up on Forset's desk.
"What is this about?" Tommy asked in the lords'
language.
"I could no longer give Lord Ull excuses for you to
continue in my class," Forset replied in English. "I've been
teaching you for almost two years. You’ll learn more, but you must do so on
your own. Your new assignment begins next week, after the rest day."
For the rest day, Forset asked Tommy to be at his cabin
before services. When he arrived, Tommy found Forset talking with his assistant,
who abruptly bowed to Forset and brushed past Tommy in the doorway.
"I've asked the fourth Forset to perform my service for
the farmers. It's time for you to meet the artisans, and rest day services
provide the means. I've arranged to take the place of their regular
priest."
As they walked to the stairwell, Tommy asked, "Why does
the fourth Forset dislike me?"
"I had no idea he did."
"Whenever I talk to him, he ignores me. I hoped I
could talk to him in the lords' language for practice, but he looks through me
as if I am invisible."
"Perhaps the fourth Forset resents the time you spend
with me," Forset said. "Until you came, I was his teacher as he was
my assistant. Now, I have time only for you, though that will soon
change."
Forset led Tommy down several decks to another large room
with a labyrinth painted on the floor. "You wait here and join the
service. I need a few minutes alone to prepare."
The artisans who filed in were, if anything, thinner than
the farmers, making the large size of their heads even more noticeable. They
were taller, too, though the tallest couldn't have been more than five feet
five inches. Instead of the drab shirts tucked into equally drab trousers
above sturdy boots of the farmers, the artisans wore colorful, short-sleeve
tunics to mid thigh over equally colorful, but often clashing, tight-fitting
pants and soft slippers. Also unlike the farmers, who entered the labyrinth
room quietly, the artisans entered chattering among themselves.
Tommy had placed his back to the
corner of the room closest to the door,
"They were injured. I was not."
Forset made a show of looking at Tommy's body, as if he
were seeing it for the first time. "I suppose so," he said.
"We are inbred compared with you wild humans." He paused.
"Perhaps 'bred' would be a better word."
"What do you mean?" Tommy asked.
Forset walked quietly for a while before answering.
"Our ancestors were small when they were taken. Their children were
larger, and their grandchildren larger still. The lords said we grew because
we ate better and more regularly. In the third generation, the lords told us
who could marry whom, who could have children, and who could not.
"That led to the first and only revolt against the
lords on this ship. We might be serfs, that we understood, but God had granted
us the right to have children." He used the English word for God; Tommy
couldn't remember having been told the lords' word.
"Many humans died when the lords suppressed the
revolt. The lords fought for themselves, the only time they have, so far as I
know. After that, we married as the lords willed. We became smaller, both
farmer and artisan. Smaller and different. When the physical differences
between farmer and artisan were great enough, the lords separated us, as we are
now."
"Which are you?"
"I thought that would be obvious. I am a farmer. All
of the priests are farmers, except for our education. We are taken into the
priesthood at an early age and apprenticed to an older priest to learn the
lords' language. The lords think we have a calming effect on the crew. They
see no harm in the worship we lead, even though they long ago stopped us from
preaching at the service." He looked at Tommy. "They consider our
hopes for a savior to be unfounded and more than a little amusing."
# # #
After many rest days, Tommy arrived for his usual lesson to
find a small cake and drinks set up on Forset's desk.
"What is this about?" Tommy asked in the lords'
language.
"I could no longer give Lord Ull excuses for you to
continue in my class," Forset replied in English. "I've been
teaching you for almost two years. You’ll learn more, but you must do so on
your own. Your new assignment begins next week, after the rest day."
For the rest day, Forset asked Tommy to be at his cabin
before services. When he arrived, Tommy found Forset talking with his assistant,
who abruptly bowed to Forset and brushed past Tommy in the doorway.
"I've asked the fourth Forset to perform my service for
the farmers. It's time for you to meet the artisans, and rest day services
provide the means. I've arranged to take the place of their regular
priest."
As they walked to the stairwell, Tommy asked, "Why does
the fourth Forset dislike me?"
"I had no idea he did."
"Whenever I talk to him, he ignores me. I hoped I
could talk to him in the lords' language for practice, but he looks through me
as if I am invisible."
"Perhaps the fourth Forset resents the time you spend
with me," Forset said. "Until you came, I was his teacher as he was
my assistant. Now, I have time only for you, though that will soon
change."
Forset led Tommy down several decks to another large room
with a labyrinth painted on the floor. "You wait here and join the
service. I need a few minutes alone to prepare."
The artisans who filed in were, if anything, thinner than
the farmers, making the large size of their heads even more noticeable. They
were taller, too, though the tallest couldn't have been more than five feet
five inches. Instead of the drab shirts tucked into equally drab trousers
above sturdy boots of the farmers, the artisans wore colorful, short-sleeve
tunics to mid thigh over equally colorful, but often clashing, tight-fitting
pants and soft slippers. Also unlike the farmers, who entered the labyrinth
room quietly, the artisans entered chattering among themselves.
Tommy had placed his back to the
corner of the room closest to the door,
Similar Books
