Read Online The Foundling Saga: Revelation by S D Bowring - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: S D Bowring
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they valued children.
All of this was interesting, but other concerns drove this from the couple’s focus and nothing more was done. However, during a later visit to the Arpo, the Regent had spotted the woman again. He paid a little attention from afar but her trading was nothing of interest. However, he did notice the tall fair-haired lad in the background, who then spoke briefly to the woman whilst he rested nearby.
This was a young man who was clearly from different stock.
As far as any Regent was concerned the last twelve years had re-focussed the entire London population on sustainability of population. Healthy young men and women were the only mechanism for this sustainability when set against an ongoing low birth rate. The Outsiders suffered from a similar problem. However, their poorer health meant they weren’t of interest in the quest for population growth as they would ‘water down’ the general health of the city inhabitants over time, or so it was thought. A lack of purity was a constant concern in city states and for the off-world traders. They were paranoid in avoiding mixing with the Outsiders. If a city state relaxed their inter-breeding habits the Off-world traders could show their disgust of this so-called high-risk cross-breeding by trading elsewhere.
There was a general paranoia associated with retention of their trading status in London. It guaranteed that London’s control of the purity of its inhabitants ensured a much harder task for those tasked with population growth. However, it did allow them to make gains in applying more rigid control over the population and further imposition of powers in order to safeguard their aims and aspirations.
The Regent had called over the troopers and requested they covertly take some images of the Outsider and his companions. The troopers had weighed up the possibility of simply calling him over but the Regent was cautious that he may disappear completely.
He ordered that these Outsiders be tracked back to the where they came from. In the meantime, he would escalate his findings to the appropriate authorities who would later thank him for his diligence. The authorities passed the matter over to the mysterious ‘Scouts’ as they were known. The Scouts were a specially selected group of guardians who were trained in special assignments to protect the state. They were rightly considered the elite amongst their peers. They were a little irritated that they hadn’t been alerted earlier in the investigation, but the operation would now move on to a more clandestine one.
The relationship with Outsiders was normally a wary but respectful one for the Londoners. They didn’t want to alarm the rural trading population, since both parties benefited from the existing relationship. London would have difficulties without the ‘imports’ brought in from Outsiders at the various trading areas around the capital. The Arpo was one of only five trading points but it was the second most important with the largest being The Royal Arpo to the west of London.
And so the search began.
The Scouts went to work. They interviewed the two returning troopers, then thanked them for their assistance. The troopers had, in truth, done well to remain hidden in the area for a day and had at least identified the field. They noted that the teepees were marked with the three red rings. Within a day the Scouts had two undercover men gathering information; using directional sound tools around the field. They found it impossible to locate the young man more precisely after the decoy efforts of the families but were confident that this was a matter of time.
Over the next eight hours they picked up discussions and gossip that identified names such as Nola, Cormic, Keller and Ida. They had narrowed down the targets as being Cormic and Keller. The one named Cormic being an uncle, whether this was a true relative or otherwise was irrelevant. He was the protector. He was a man used to travelling
All of this was interesting, but other concerns drove this from the couple’s focus and nothing more was done. However, during a later visit to the Arpo, the Regent had spotted the woman again. He paid a little attention from afar but her trading was nothing of interest. However, he did notice the tall fair-haired lad in the background, who then spoke briefly to the woman whilst he rested nearby.
This was a young man who was clearly from different stock.
As far as any Regent was concerned the last twelve years had re-focussed the entire London population on sustainability of population. Healthy young men and women were the only mechanism for this sustainability when set against an ongoing low birth rate. The Outsiders suffered from a similar problem. However, their poorer health meant they weren’t of interest in the quest for population growth as they would ‘water down’ the general health of the city inhabitants over time, or so it was thought. A lack of purity was a constant concern in city states and for the off-world traders. They were paranoid in avoiding mixing with the Outsiders. If a city state relaxed their inter-breeding habits the Off-world traders could show their disgust of this so-called high-risk cross-breeding by trading elsewhere.
There was a general paranoia associated with retention of their trading status in London. It guaranteed that London’s control of the purity of its inhabitants ensured a much harder task for those tasked with population growth. However, it did allow them to make gains in applying more rigid control over the population and further imposition of powers in order to safeguard their aims and aspirations.
The Regent had called over the troopers and requested they covertly take some images of the Outsider and his companions. The troopers had weighed up the possibility of simply calling him over but the Regent was cautious that he may disappear completely.
He ordered that these Outsiders be tracked back to the where they came from. In the meantime, he would escalate his findings to the appropriate authorities who would later thank him for his diligence. The authorities passed the matter over to the mysterious ‘Scouts’ as they were known. The Scouts were a specially selected group of guardians who were trained in special assignments to protect the state. They were rightly considered the elite amongst their peers. They were a little irritated that they hadn’t been alerted earlier in the investigation, but the operation would now move on to a more clandestine one.
The relationship with Outsiders was normally a wary but respectful one for the Londoners. They didn’t want to alarm the rural trading population, since both parties benefited from the existing relationship. London would have difficulties without the ‘imports’ brought in from Outsiders at the various trading areas around the capital. The Arpo was one of only five trading points but it was the second most important with the largest being The Royal Arpo to the west of London.
And so the search began.
The Scouts went to work. They interviewed the two returning troopers, then thanked them for their assistance. The troopers had, in truth, done well to remain hidden in the area for a day and had at least identified the field. They noted that the teepees were marked with the three red rings. Within a day the Scouts had two undercover men gathering information; using directional sound tools around the field. They found it impossible to locate the young man more precisely after the decoy efforts of the families but were confident that this was a matter of time.
Over the next eight hours they picked up discussions and gossip that identified names such as Nola, Cormic, Keller and Ida. They had narrowed down the targets as being Cormic and Keller. The one named Cormic being an uncle, whether this was a true relative or otherwise was irrelevant. He was the protector. He was a man used to travelling
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