A shorter chapter to wind up the Racism arc: Dawn.

Stone

Chapter 34 – Judgment

The first thing that was done at dawn was to send a message to the wagon train, who would have expected the caravans to catch up to them by the night camp. Rayla wrote a note on a sheet of paper that said: “Delayed. Continue into Three Rivers/Sarn. Will catch up tomorrow.” The note was tied to Arthur’s leg, with a string he could pluck with his beak, so it would fall to be seen by the wagoneers.

With that done, the caravans headed to Greenford, carrying a few extra guests. The egg boys and their wares were carefully packed in the body of one of the caravans, and they got a free ride into town. They set up, with Jason joining his friend Korry and the other boys.

Looking down the road, Rayla noticed Kali walking down the street from an ornate house. God, the woman oozes sexuality just in her walk, Rayla thought as she approached.

“Is it true?” Kali asked the white woman. “Everyone in town was shocked over what happened last night. They say that Vilmer died before he got to the healer from blood loss. That means that Willy will inherit the mill, and we can get married.”

“I think you might keep your affair secret for a little while longer,” Stone said. “Make sure that Willy gets his inheritance secured and solidified before saying anything.”

“Oh dear, I guess that would be smart,” Kali said. “But I already gave my notice to the madam. She was not pleased. I can’t go back there.”

“You don’t need to,” Rayla said. “Your sister Konna is starting up a Kithren Kitchen at the hatchery. But we think she will want to move out to apprentice to Old Missa, the healer. You and your younger sisters could run the new restaurant. It won’t equal the money you make now, but if you can earn a few silvers a week, it will keep the family in cash.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Kali said. “Anything is better than working in the house. So many men think they can abuse a woman who is black.”

“Stick around,” Rayla said. “Stone thinks we will be done by noon, and then you can ride home with us. The egg boys came out with us, so they have no cart.”

As Kali was talking, a group appeared a bit down the street. The soldiers were there: only six as two had worked over 24 hours the day before. They guarded 14 men who had been at the hatchery the prior night. Stone also saw the weedy looking major, and several of the town council. Stone rode up to the mayor, who flinched, but did not run.

“Three townspeople died at your hand last night,” the mayor said in a quavering voice. “The mill owner, his foreman, and a farmer. Two of those were council members.”

“And all of them were headed to the hatchery carrying torches and claiming they intended to burn the hatchery and kill all the people. My actions were justified to save those people.”

“Also, there is a jurisdictional problem here,” the mayor said. “The attack, and the deaths occurred outside of the town limits. We have no rights to try these men, or you. Normally the Duke of Sarn would try them, but he is gone.”

“And I have taken on most of his duties, but I am apparently accused of a crime. So it would be unfair for me to judge them and pass sentences. Would you take on that chore? I do warn you that my magic sword will determine the truth of any statements. It also occasionally will pass judgment on it’s own, usually by removing a part of the accused’s body.”

“Okay,” the mayor said, sounding more confident. “We will try you first. You are accused of murder of three persons. How do you plead?”

“Not guilty,” Stone said, “for the reasons I previously stated. Stone then described the events of the prior night, only omitting that it was Jason, and not him who killed the final victim.”

Stone then took Pate out and made a small slit on his wrist. “This allows the sword to judge my testimony as true or false. It tells me. I don’t know how to convince you that what I report is true.”

Suddenly there was a musical series of notes from the sword. Pate sang aloud for the first time: “What the man says is true, but not complete.”

“What is needed to make your testimony complete?” the mayor asked.

Stone hesitated for a moment, then confessed that Jason had made the third killing, in self-defense.

The fact that Pate had forced Stone to complete his story made the spectators more confident that the sword was honest and reliable. Stone then picked one of the men from the prisoners at random, and had him give testimony from the point of view of the mob. He confirmed most of what Stone had said, and pointed out that Vilmer was the instigator of the mob, and that most of the men were from his mill workforce, which was a hotbed of racism in the town.

The man bravely allowed Stone to nick his wrist and Pate sang out. “All evidence given is true.

With that the mayor declared the trial over, and Stone, and his son, innocent of any wrongdoing in the deaths.

Next Stone began calling on each of the other prisoners. He pointed out that he would end each man’s testimony by asking if they would cease being racist against the Kithrens. Lying to that statement would be reported by Pate.

Of the 14 men, 11 testified, and all agreed that they would treat Kithrens with kindness and respect in the future. Apparently most of them had acted racist because it was the way to get ahead at the mill.

Three refused to testify or be judged. Stone suggested that they be expelled from the town. The mayor agreed.

With that the mayor declared the trials over. The 11 men audibly sighed in relief, astounded that they would face no further punishment. The banned men were less happy, and headed to their homes to pack up.

“You have two vacancies on the council,” Stone noted to the mayor.

“Yes, and we will need to appoint replacements soon. With only five we will not have a quorum if more than one man in absent,” the mayor said. “I know you have suggested we do elections, but I don’t think we have time for that.”

“I suggest you consider, William Zepher to fill his father’s position. And the other member I would suggest is the baker. I have had several dealings with him and he seems to be a sensible man.”

“Good suggestions, and I will mention them to the council when we decide,” the mayor said.

Stone turned back to where his caravans were. The egg boys had sold out, and Kali and Rayla were chatting on the bench at the front of one caravan, with O’Breyne beside driving. Kalosun was at the front of the other wagon, with its driver. The egg boys, and Jason were in the back, while in Rayla’s caravan Sissy and Emily were playing with their dolls, all of which had clothes now.

Just prior to noon the two vehicles headed out of town, and were soon back at the hatchery. The younger girls had a lunch ready, and all got out and ate. Then the boys went out foraging: while Kalosun was staying at the hatchery, he had taken the boys out into the surrounding bush, and taught them to find many edible things that the boys realized would cut the bill for supplies, especially with the Restaurant starting. They found wild onions, wild carrots, tubers, berries and edible mushrooms: all items that went into Kithren cuisine.

After lunch they headed to the healers, with the mother riding the caravan with Rayla this time: Kali and the other girls stayed behind to start an evening meal. The baker and one other couple had booked a meal with the egg boys. Konna rode the wagon with Rayla and her mother, who dearly wanted to visit her injured son Kinny at the healer’s.

Jason and Kalosun only rode half way to the healer’s. Then they got out and foraged during the walk in, getting both herbs and edibles for Old Missa. When they arrived at the small hut, they found that Konna was already tending Kinny, while their mother wailed about the injuries her boy had suffered.

Rayla was talking to Missa, making the suggestion that Missa take Konna on as an apprentice healer. “She says she can make traps to snare rabbits, which will be a change to your diet of chickens and eggs,” Rayla said. “The hatchery will increase the number of eggs and hens they give you to make up for the additional food you need. And the girl will need no pay: the knowledge you give her will be payment enough.”

“Mmmm, rabbits,” Missa replied. “I have a potion that will attract rabbits to her traps. I have another for deer, but they are difficult to trap.”

“She has a bow and arrows, and I have given her some tips on bowmanship,” Rayla said. “If your potion will attract a deer, she will be able to shoot it. Do you like venison?”

“Oh yes,” Missa said. “And when I have people in my care, feeding them meat speeds the healing. That boy in there is still on broth, but soon he will need something more substantial.”

“Perhaps this will help,” Stone said, placing a gold on the table next to the crone. “Consider it payment for teaching Konna.”

Missa looked at the coin as if she hadn’t seen one before, which may well be the case. “I don’t know if I need that. Just having someone to help me will be a blessing. Of course, if you do want to leave money, silvers would be better: changing a gold will be difficult for me.”

Stone picked up the gold and doled out 20 silvers in its place. Meanwhile Rayla and Missa went into the hut, and found Konna gently wetting her brother’s forehead with a damp cloth, while their mother just held the boy’s hand.

“She will do,” Missa pronounced. “I will have to get another bed made. She can sleep on one of the patient’s cots until I do.”

“My boys are pretty good building things,” the mother said. “They will build a bed immediately, and after that they will come and look at building an addition to this hut.”

“Do you own the woods around here?” Stone asked.

“Own them? No you cannot own trees or the land. You can use them though. If the boys plant saplings when they take down a mature tree, that will work,” Missa said.

Shortly thereafter the caravans headed out. The mother would walk home after helping feed broth to her son. Konna would stay permanently and immediately started preparing a meal with the items Kalosun and Jason had found, while Missa started putting the herbs and medicinal plants into their proper places.

The caravans headed out, eventually picking up the trail of the wagon trains. They found the camp the wagons had spent the night at, and then got an early start to try and catch up. Stone didn’t expect to catch them though. Two thirds of the coal had been sold, and the remaining bags were distributed into the empty wagons, so that the plodding pace they had set leaving Greenstone was now much faster with the lighter wagons.

It was midnight when the caravans reached the camp outside of Three Rivers. Travelling in the dark could be dangerous, but they had Arthur sitting on the roof of the first caravan, and his night vision was able to alert Doug of potholes and possible problems. Rayla communicated the same information to O’Breyne on the second wagon, and they were able to keep going at a pace almost as fast as during daylight.

They roused the wagoneers, who were happy to enjoy a second dinner.

The next morning they took the coal to the lumber yard to be resold, while Stone walked through the town, pleased to see it looking less depressed than in the past. It would never regain its status as the main town in the former duchy, but the streets were clean now, and businesses looked more vibrant with only the small taxes that the town council levied, compared to the onerous ones the former Duke had levied.