Read Online Charles Ingrid - marked man 02 The Last Recall by Charles Ingrid - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Charles Ingrid
Ads: Link
you, Clancy."
"You won't share dinner with us?"
He shook his head. "I have a long ride ahead of me." There wasn't much he could do immediately for the lot of the nesters, but he could and would bring pressure to bear against Boyd and Deigado. They had forced the nester into action that the community had found intolerable. Water poisoning was inexcusable. It was a fact of life that wells dried up or went bad. But it was a convenient fact of life for the cowmen who didn't want their herds straying into nester territory looking for water. As Thomas looked out over the camp population, he didn't see any evidence of beef-fed youngsters. These people were subsistence. How much beef could they have stolen?
Thomas had a lot of respect for Boyd, but he knew Boyd hated nesters. His own tailed ass made him more prejudiced than most. Blade would have to find a way to deal with him gracefully. A sense of failure stabbed through him. Was the man he executed innocent or guilty . . . and in this case, was there a truth to be found and Read, crystal clear, among all the events? Had he failed himself as well?
The sobbing woman reminded him that, as Lady had told him, he was found lacking and too late. Thomas took a deep breath. In the meantime. . . .
"Clancy, your middens are overflowing, your wells have gone dry. I suggest you find a new camp."
The nester nodded in agreement. "We will bury Kurt, then load the wagon. There is a well over the hill. It will last for a short while." He paused. "Pray for rain, Lord Protector."
That, and other miracles. Thomas did not respond aloud.
Clancy gave him a sharp look. "If we aren't given treaty water, there are those of us who will take it. In the north hills, there is a man ... a counties man ... he talks to us like you do."
Thomas' interest came back to him abruptly. He was not aware of anyone who worked with the nesters. "What can you tell me about him?"
The headman's expression became cagey. "I would not tell you, but you are Blade—and you had balls enough to bring Kurt's body back." He lowered his voice a little. "He was found near the ruins of the hidden people."
"What hidden people?" Thomas kept his voice even, but suspicion pricked at him.
' 'Where the big battle took place—about a year and a half ago. You and the desert chieftain fought together."
The College Vaults. Someone unaccounted for. "Tell me about this man."
Clancy shrugged. "He calls for strength out of weakness. I heard that he is a big man, massive . . . he's stolen a lot of beef.'' The nester grinned at that.
The Dean of the College Vaults had been a mountainous man, fat and unconditioned. "Does this county man have a name?"
"I haven't heard it. The northern clans say he does not like the Seven Counties. They are divided over him. Some say their totem, the Shastra, guided him to them. Others doubt it. He says they plan to steal all our water . . . and we should band together, under one headman. What do you think, Blade?"
Thomas wasn't familiar with any particular totem of the northern clans. But if it had been the dean they'd found, he had definite opinions on that. "I think this man sounds like trouble. I think your clan should think about it before they let another headman replace you. You've done well for them."
"That I have. You had better think on him, too. He's got a bounty on you." With that, Clancy left him and went to the sobbing woman who had unshrouded her husband.
Thomas stood, paralyzed by the implications. A nation of nesters could well bring the Seven Counties to their knees, particularly as divided as they were now in the absence of a DWP. It was not a threat any of them had thought they ever need to worry about. A nester was by nature antisocial and paranoid. It wouldn't be easy to band them together.
60 Charles Ingrid
If he had a bounty on his life, it had to be the dean. No one else knew him as well. It appeared the dean was going to try to finish what he had started. Perhaps it was time
"You won't share dinner with us?"
He shook his head. "I have a long ride ahead of me." There wasn't much he could do immediately for the lot of the nesters, but he could and would bring pressure to bear against Boyd and Deigado. They had forced the nester into action that the community had found intolerable. Water poisoning was inexcusable. It was a fact of life that wells dried up or went bad. But it was a convenient fact of life for the cowmen who didn't want their herds straying into nester territory looking for water. As Thomas looked out over the camp population, he didn't see any evidence of beef-fed youngsters. These people were subsistence. How much beef could they have stolen?
Thomas had a lot of respect for Boyd, but he knew Boyd hated nesters. His own tailed ass made him more prejudiced than most. Blade would have to find a way to deal with him gracefully. A sense of failure stabbed through him. Was the man he executed innocent or guilty . . . and in this case, was there a truth to be found and Read, crystal clear, among all the events? Had he failed himself as well?
The sobbing woman reminded him that, as Lady had told him, he was found lacking and too late. Thomas took a deep breath. In the meantime. . . .
"Clancy, your middens are overflowing, your wells have gone dry. I suggest you find a new camp."
The nester nodded in agreement. "We will bury Kurt, then load the wagon. There is a well over the hill. It will last for a short while." He paused. "Pray for rain, Lord Protector."
That, and other miracles. Thomas did not respond aloud.
Clancy gave him a sharp look. "If we aren't given treaty water, there are those of us who will take it. In the north hills, there is a man ... a counties man ... he talks to us like you do."
Thomas' interest came back to him abruptly. He was not aware of anyone who worked with the nesters. "What can you tell me about him?"
The headman's expression became cagey. "I would not tell you, but you are Blade—and you had balls enough to bring Kurt's body back." He lowered his voice a little. "He was found near the ruins of the hidden people."
"What hidden people?" Thomas kept his voice even, but suspicion pricked at him.
' 'Where the big battle took place—about a year and a half ago. You and the desert chieftain fought together."
The College Vaults. Someone unaccounted for. "Tell me about this man."
Clancy shrugged. "He calls for strength out of weakness. I heard that he is a big man, massive . . . he's stolen a lot of beef.'' The nester grinned at that.
The Dean of the College Vaults had been a mountainous man, fat and unconditioned. "Does this county man have a name?"
"I haven't heard it. The northern clans say he does not like the Seven Counties. They are divided over him. Some say their totem, the Shastra, guided him to them. Others doubt it. He says they plan to steal all our water . . . and we should band together, under one headman. What do you think, Blade?"
Thomas wasn't familiar with any particular totem of the northern clans. But if it had been the dean they'd found, he had definite opinions on that. "I think this man sounds like trouble. I think your clan should think about it before they let another headman replace you. You've done well for them."
"That I have. You had better think on him, too. He's got a bounty on you." With that, Clancy left him and went to the sobbing woman who had unshrouded her husband.
Thomas stood, paralyzed by the implications. A nation of nesters could well bring the Seven Counties to their knees, particularly as divided as they were now in the absence of a DWP. It was not a threat any of them had thought they ever need to worry about. A nester was by nature antisocial and paranoid. It wouldn't be easy to band them together.
60 Charles Ingrid
If he had a bounty on his life, it had to be the dean. No one else knew him as well. It appeared the dean was going to try to finish what he had started. Perhaps it was time
Similar Books
