“What’s your name and where are we?” Ryan called.
“Hamlet of Shersville, friend. Name’s Nathan Free-man. Sec head of our small ville. That’s ‘nough talk. Old man first.”
The search was thorough, and sec men found the knives that Ryan, J.B. and Jak carried, but missed the sword-stick that belonged to Doc Tanner.
“Seems okay,” Freeman said, still keeping cautiously out of sight. “You can pick up the blasters and come with us. Stay in Shersville a day or two. Then be on your way.”
A skinny hunched man called from the other side of the clearing. “Gotta let baron know. Strangers, Nate. Gotta tell him.”
172
“Baron wants to know any danger, Tom. These six won’t topple Front Royal. I believe what they say. Let ’em be.”
“Cause trouble, Nate. Trouble for you is trouble for Shersville. Trouble for one is trouble for all.”
“Damn that fear, Tom!” the leader shouted, suddenly vehement. “The shadow is fucking long. All knows that. But it’s not forever. One day there’ll be change.”
“You speak treason, Nathan,” came another voice, older and calmer. “There’s many loves you but there’s those in Shersville’d see you fall and the chance of wolfs-head jack from th’Baron.”
“Shersville don’t need such as them. One day we can stand and fall as we are. Not ’cause of fear of the baron and that sluttish…”
“Nate!” Tom shouted. “Watch your tongue, you stupe. Or we’ll all dance on cold air for it.”
Ryan found the conversation utterly fascinating. There was obviously some deep-rooted and bitter feelings against his brother and Lady Rachel. But there was also intense fear of the chilling power of the ville. The barons Cawdor of Front Royal had always had long arms.
“Said we should report strangers, Nate.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah! I hear you. I say let ’em have their blasters and come with us. Day Shersville can’t offer shelter and food to lost strangers is the day Shersville loses all it ever had.”
“We are obliged to you, young man,” Doc Tanner said as courteous as ever. His hand moved to his sparse silver locks to sweep the stovepipe hat off in an elegant bow, but he let it fall again to his side as he remembered that the ancient hat was now part of the flotsam and jetsam off the New Jersey shore.
173
“Yeah, we’re grateful, Master Freeman,” Ryan said. “From what we heard, it sounds like there could be trou-ble from this baron if you give us shelter. Wouldn’t want that.”
“Tom speaks over the top. Baron demands we watch the borders for muties and hire-killers. You aren’t the first. As for the second… Like I said, six won’t take Front Royal. So what’s to tell the good Baron Cawdor?”
Nathan Freeman turned and led the way through the bright silvered night, following the trail as it gradually became broader, blending with other tracks until they were on a well-preserved blacktop.
The rest of the villagers straggled along in the rear, talking quietly and urgently together.
“You worried them,” Ryan said.
Freeman shook his head. “My mother used to say something about dying on your feet mebbe being better than living on your belly. The ville’s been too powerful for too long since Baron Harvey stole it.”
“Stole?” J.B. asked.
“Long story. I wasn’t even born when it began. We’ll get to Shersville and get some food down you. Then I’ll tell you.”
Ryan had noticed that the man had been staring curi-ously at his eye patch. When the question finally came, he was ready for it.
“Best I know your names,” Freeman said, “so’s I can say I made proper inquiries. And I wonder ’bout that wound to your face.”
“I’m Floyd Thursby. This is J. B. Dix, Krysty Wroth, Lori Quint, Doc Tanner and Jak Lauren. This?” He lifted a hand to touch the leather patch over his left eye. “Don’t much like talking about it. Double-stupe way to lose half your sight.”
174
“How?”
“Rabbit.”
“How’s that?”
“I was in my twentieth summer, out west, where I was born. Been trapping with my uncle. Both my parents died when I was three. There was a big buck caught in a snare around its foreleg. The wire had bitten deep to the bone and the creature seemed like it was nearly chilled.”