Table of Contents – (spoilers)
When Bob left the firepit, Choke and Peep stayed as they were to have a quick word about everything. Mostly, they just went over the conversation and plans once more to make sure they both understood everything.
“So, about Butters: yar sure yar okay with me just disappearing him?” Peep asked.
“Well, I wouldn’t have said so otherwise. What else is there to do?”
“Well, when he shows up at Big Rock, we could just arrest him. Then we can have Barrelmender put him on trial and put on a show of executing him,” Peep said.
“And completely fuck Bob over in the process,” Choke said.
“Yeah. Just checking if ye don’t wanna go that route. If that riles up the Outfit cats enough that they move on him for payback, maybe that’ll flush them out for us. Could be a play.”
“Yes… But at the expense of breaking our word to Bob, and then getting no more help from him,” Choke said.
“For sure. Just checking, boss. We’ll disappear him. About that, though. I never seen him. So, I’m gonna need at least one of ye along with me that did. So’s we can be sure,” Peep said.
“You didn’t see him?” Choke asked thoughtfully. “Oh, that’s right. He was in the fort’s loading bay when Knuckle and I went to get the scourge for whipping the men. On our first day in the fort.”
“Well, shit. That means I gotta take Knuckle along?”
“Well, I had the interaction with him. So I should go with you.”
“No. That aint gonna work. Yar our officer. That kinda dodgy shit aint what ye should be doing. Ye need to keep yar hands clean,” Peep said.
“Sending you to kill someone for me does not do that.”
“No, yar wrong. That’s exactly what it does. And if shit goes wrong somehow and he gets away, or we get spotted, then ye can always say we were acting on our own. And if yar in town minding the boys, people will be less likely to wonder where we’re off to. Right?”
“I suppose so,” Choke sighed.
“Look, man, if ye really have a hard-on to kill this guy yarself, then go ahead. I mean, he did shoot ye. So I get it. Yar the boss. But, I think it’s a dumb move.”
“No, you are right about everything. And I don’t want to kill him myself. But if he has to die, I really ought to be the one taking responsibility for it.”
Peep shrugged. “I dunno. Fuck, whatever. It aint yar style. I’ll get it done. Just a pain that I gotta bring Knuckle along. He’s about as stealthy as a fuckin cow with a bell.”
“Well… maybe we can…” Choke said, drifting off into thought.
“No. Fuck it. I’ll make it work. But I’ll want Pinch along, too, just in case. If I can’t be solo, may as well do it right.”
Choke was silent for a while. Then he reached out and patted Peep on the shoulder.
“I’m proud of you, Peep. You’ve just shown some real growth as a person,” he said.
“The fuck you talking about?”
“Well, I think that the Peep of old wouldn’t care that much about checking the target correctly. You’d just kill the man, and then show the corpse to Knuckle to confirm the kill.”
“Fuck. Yar right. I’m slipping. That’s totally what we should do!” Peep exclaimed.
Choke stared at her in the light of the lantern until she finally cracked her crooked grin.
“You’re taking Knuckle and Pinch,” he said.
“Well, fine. I haven’t murdered anyone with them yet, so that’ll be fun.”
“I am sure. All right, then. That’s that, is it?”
“Yup. That’s that. We just gotta keep Saturday morning’s schedule clear. And don’t ye talk to Knuckle or Pinch about it. I’ll handle the organization on this one. Ye take a step back. Like I said: ye gotta keep yar hands clean if yar gonna make rank,” Peep said as she stood up and twirled her shortbow into her carrying grip.
Choke paused.
“Peep, why are you talking about me making rank? That’s not the sort of thing you worry about.”
“It aint, that’s true,” Peep answered. “But Father M talked to me about it for a good bit. He wants ye to make rank. He said for that to happen, we gotta be a squad that gets shit done. But, because of what ye are, a jink and all, ye gotta keep a squeaky-clean face on it. Otherwise, yar gonna just be a dirty work lieutenant for yar whole career.”
“Oh. Well… alright then. I suppose,” Choke said quietly, deeply perturbed.
“Yeah. So, I gotta be the one to handle the ill shit that needs doing. That way, as a unit, we get it done. Everyone that matters knows we can get it done. But yar the orphan savage that’s been civilized into the Stronian golden boy by the light of our faith. Father M says that’s an angle that could work real good for ye.”
“Father Morrenthall said that?”
“What, ye think I come up with it? All right, let’s go get that beer from Babs. Today’s been long enough already. No need to drag it out even more for this shit,” Peep said as she left the campsite, heading down the short trail to Babs’ cottage.
In the cottage’s yard, there was a little two-wheeled cart hitched up to a mule. An ale barrel was already loaded up. Peep gave a little whistle as she and Choke came down into the yard, and Babs and Gabe came out of the cottage.
“Everything okay?” Babs asked.
“Yup. We cleared the air just fine,” Peep answered. “Bob’s as ornery a prick as ever, but I don’t think he’s working with them that mean us harm. He’s fine to sit this one out. We’ll leave him be.”
“Well, that’s a relief, then. Good to know,” Babs said.
“No doubt. We might want another word like this with him from time to time, though. So we’ll let ye know if we do.”
“Of course. Always glad to help. And we can work out compensation on the ale at a later time. This is on the army’s tab, right?”
“Yes, that’s right, Babs. And thank you for everything. You and your family’s help has been invaluable to us. Truly. Stron bless you all for it,” Choke said.
“Like I said, it’s our pleasure. Always happy to help. Alright, ye best get going. Gabe’ll bring that ale up with ye. It aint all that strong, which is what I reckon ye’d want with yar soldier boys there.”
“No doubt! Good thinking, Babs!” Peep smiled.
“Indeed. And, like I said,” Choke cleared his throat significantly at Peep, “may Stron bless you for your help.”
“Huh?” Peep said. “Oh, right. Yeah, sure.” She raised her palm up in front of Babs’ face. “Stron, bless this woman for all her help. Thank you!”
Peep pressed her palm down upon Babs’s face with a little shudder. Babs tensed and then relaxed.
“Okay, then. Thank ye. Praise Stron,” Babs said. She was silent for another few seconds before shaking her head and blinking rapidly. “Yeah. Alright. Ye’d better get!” Babs said, waving goodbye to them before going back inside her cottage.
***
The ale was well appreciated by men who received their pint ration right after Peep, Choke, and Gabe arrived with it. Of course, the men to be on night watch were not allowed to drink, but would receive a double ration the next day. That night, it was to be Peep’s squad on night watch. Once again, the night passed uneventfully.
The original four of Choke, Pinch, Knuckle, and Peep had breakfast together in the small dining room, having trusted Corporals Dom and Lenny to supervise the men at their breakfast. While they ate, Peep and Choke explained the broad strokes of their meeting with Bob the night before.
“So we’re gonna clip Butters? Fuckin-A! I’m fucking going! Ye better believe that!” Knuckle exclaimed happily.
“Keep yar fuckin voice down!” Peep snapped. “This is hush-hush shit, right? And of course yar fuckin going. We need ye to make sure it’s the right guy.”
“Huh?” Knuckle’s face slackened into confusion.
“Oh, right. Of course,” Pinch said. “You and Choke are the only ones who met Butters face-to-face. So that means… ye aint riding out on this, are ye, Choke?”
“No,” Peep answered for him. “We’re doing this for him. He’s gonna be sitting nice and tall in the saddle in town here for all to see. And Butters disappears quiet as a mouse.”
“I am going with you on this,” Pinch said emphatically.
“Yeah. For sure,” Peep said.
“When’s this going down?” Knuckle asked.
“Saturday. Mid-morning.”
“Saturday? And what fuckin day is it now?”
“It’s Tuesday, dumbass,” Pinch said.
“So, what, we’re waiting a fuckin week to get this guy? Why not go right away?”
Peep answered this:
“Because, Knucklehead, doing that will take a day of scouting, at least, and then who-knows-how-the-fuck-long for us to execute. And that’ll get noticed. If we’re gonna disappear him, this is the way.”
“Well, alright, then. But, fuck… giving me blue balls over here with this shit,” Knuckle muttered.
Peep and Pinch had a laugh at this while Choke suppressed a smile.
“Okay, so that’s enough said about that until it’s go time. So, what’s the plan for today, boss?” Peep asked Choke.
“As to the men, twofold,” Choke said. “I want another patrol, this one larger and up Bristle Hollow to Bristlenook. And we need to start clearing the forest away from the palisade to the north here. In doing so, we’ll harvest what lumber we can to repair the palisade. Peep, you and your squad should get to bed. Then you’re on light duty this afternoon.”
“Well, I won’t say no to rest, but if there’s gonna be a patrol to Bristlenook, then I should be with it,” Peep said. “We all need to stick together on that. It’s hot country up that way. We gotta watch ourselves.”
“This is a good point. The patrol should be done in force. How about in the afternoon? You can join, Peep, and your squad can take light duty minding the town. How does that sound?”
“Fine. We can leave Hardmod in charge of them,” Peep said, referring to her head slinger who she had made a permanent member of the squad. “He seems solid. When we need another corporal, he’d be my choice.”
“Okay. Good. We’ll see about the promotion after some more time. As for tomorrow’s watch here while we patrol, Peep, you organize that. Your squad can take an ale now, if they wish, and go to bed. In the afternoon, all of us, minus Hardmod and the men on watch last night, will patrol in force up to Bristlenook. This will be as much a training exercise as a patrol. I want it conducted as though we are in hostile country. Which we basically are.”
“Sounds good,” Peep said.
Pinch and Knuckle both nodded.
Choke continued: “This morning everyone else should get to work clearing the woods. Pinch: did you get enough tools for that?”
“Oh yeah. The one thing this fuckin place aint short on is lumbering tools. We’re sorted.”
“Excellent. Thank you. Pinch and Knuckle, you both supervise that. Everyone works. I am going to have a word with Brother Barrelmender and see if I can’t figure out what is going on with Shasta and the church’s properties. Peep’s followers need to be put to proper work. There must be something useful they can be doing.”
“Sounds like a plan. Let’s get on it!” Knuckle said, draining his stugroot mug before belching a loud, “Fuck yeah!”
“Good. Thank you,” Choke said. “Knuckle, you get that started. Pinch, before you join them, can you ride to the freight yard and give Bob the letters to Captain Edison and Father Morrenthall? Tell them they should go out on the next secure caravan, or whatever.”
“Yeah, okay,” Pinch sighed.
“What’s got up yar ass?” Peep asked him.
“Nothing. It’s just… going to the freight yard solo, is all. Feels like I’m sticking my neck out,” said Pinch.
“Pussy,” muttered Knuckle.
“Look!” Choke interjected before Pinch could respond to Knuckle’s gibe. “I know it, Pinch. But those letters are important. To Bob as well as us. I shouldn’t trust it to anyone but one of us. And, we are meant to be the authority here in town. How is it going to look if we have to go everywhere together? Not taking the risk could cost us in the long run, in terms of commanding the respect we require from the folk around here.”
“Yeah, I know. I get it. I just… no, it’s fine.”
“Listen, if you’re that worried about it, I’ll go myself,” Choke said.
“No! It’s fine! I’ll do it!” Pinch snapped.
“Okay, then. Besides which, if you’re setting yourself up as our quartermaster, you’ll need to be getting comfortable with the freight yard and its creatures,” Choke said.
“Setting yarself up as what?” Knuckle said, his grin fading to a suspicious glower Pinch’s way.
“Yeah. It’s like that, fuckwit. Ye just keep thumping on them, Knucklehead,” Pinch muttered back.
“Okay! Are we done? Good. Get on it,” Choke snapped.
“Yes, sir,” both Pinch and Knuckle said as they continued to glare at each other.
Peep chuckled to herself as she slipped out to gather her boys for their morning beer.
Choke left his people to execute his orders, and walked down to the Church. There, he found it in much better condition than it had been just two days before, when they had arrived. Some of Peep’s followers were scrubbing the stone steps, and more were weeding in the adjacent graveyard.
There was no one in the church itself, so Choke knocked at the open door into the kitchen at the back. Through the kitchen, the back door was open, and Brother Barrelmender was standing in the back yard, watching the people working in the graveyard. In his black robes, with his stout walking staff in hand, the tall, sinewy man was standing stock still as he stared at them unwaveringly.
Choke cleared his throat as he stepped out into the yard from the church’s kitchen.
“Good morning, Brother. I hope you are well,” Choke said, dipping his head in a deep nod as Brother Barrelmender turned to him.
“Well enough, I suppose. It is good that you are here. We have things to discuss,” Barrelmender said.
Choke was able to agree with him, at least: he did seem well enough. His eyes were clear and he did not seem at all confused or deranged.
“Yes, Brother. I agree. Shall we—” Choke began.
“Woman!” Barrelmender bellowed at the people working in the graveyard.
Mariola rose up and looked his way expectantly.
“Stugroot for my guest and myself! We have matters to discuss!” Barrelmender barked at her.
“Yes, Brother,” Mariola said as she bowed her head and hurried past them into the kitchen to stoke up the stove and put on a fresh pot.
“The shed,” Brother Barrelmender said to Choke as he pointed it out.
Choke paused, waiting for Barrelmender to continue his thought. When he did not, Choke asked:
“Ahm. What about it, Brother?”
“You and your lot left a heap of your personal belongings in the kitchen when you left. Cluttering it up. Some saddles, along with weapons, I believe. I’ve had it all moved into the shed. Along with the deliveries for you that have been arriving every couple of days.”
“Oh, yes. Thank you, Brother. My apologies for bothering you with it. And, ahh… but, deliveries you say?” Choke asked, completely perplexed.
“Yes!” Barrelmender snapped. “Bundles of arrows, man! Did you not contract some fletcher to deliver you arrows?”
“That’s right. We did. With everything else that went on right after that, I completely forgot about it. Thank you, Brother. Again, I apologize—”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Barrelmender waived Choke off irritably.
Barrelmender brushed past Choke and into the kitchen where he leaned his staff in a corner and sat down at the table. He gestured for Choke to do the same as he followed. The two sat in silence for a while, then. Brother Barrelmender was staring at Mariola as she worked on the pot of stugroot, scooping the black roasted grounds of the root into a large kettle. Choke glanced over at her himself, and could not help but notice her attractiveness. Peep had told him next to nothing about her, so he was not even sure of her name. Even so, he had worked out the likely role Mariola had played for Peep in her stalking and killing of the teamster boss, Wes.
“She is a good one, this,” Barrelmender said, flicking his index finger Mariola’s way.
Choke nodded as he struggled to think of something to say in response.
“She manages the others well,” Barrelmender went on. “Clearly the only one of them with a brain in her head. All the others cannot get it through their skulls to call me, ‘Brother.’ All of them, with their bleating, ‘Father, this,’ and ‘Father, that!’ Get it through your heads, you worthless apes!” Barrelmender flared up in his chair to bellow out the open kitchen door. “I am a monk! Father to none! Brother, you call me! Brother!”
Brother Barrelmender settled down and gestured back at Mariola, who had startled only a little at his sudden tirade.
“She is the only one that remembered it. And she does a well enough job keeping them clear of me. As best she can, of course. A capable women. A good find. Well done.”
“Well, uhm.. I don’t know that—” Choke started.
“I think a good replacement. Yes?” Barrelmender interrupted, looking to Choke expectantly.
“Replacement, Brother?”
“Yes. For the other one.”
“The other… Oh. Yes,” Choke said, as he realized what was on Barrelmender’s mind.
“Yes. Well, we are short a housekeeper and property manager here, aren’t we? Although there is no reason to get into the details of all that at the moment. Mariola here has been very kind to me in my difficulties these last weeks. Doing what needs doing. Cooking my meals. Managing the halfwits swarming around the place. What say you to that, Mariola?” Brother Barrelmender asked her, his tone now quite gentle.
“I’m sorry, Brother? Oh. The stugroot will just be a few minutes now. We just need to let it come to a boil.”
“Not the stugroot, child. Although, it is set up properly, is it? Yes. Yes, it is. Good. So, come, have a seat with us. Yes. Yes. Don’t look so frightened! We won’t burn you as a heretic! Sit!”
Mariola did indeed look frightened as she moved around the table to take a seat equidistant from both Barrelmender and Choke. Then she hunched down to stare into her lap.
“Don’t slouch so. Sit up straight now. You are a handsome woman! Nothing wrong in that. Show some pride in yourself! Up! Yes. That’s it. Much better. Now, look at me, woman. Good. So… what say you, Mariola?”
“I don’t know, Brother. Say about what?”
“About what we discussed,” Brother Barrelmender said patiently.
“I don’t know what you mean by that, Brother. Do you mean the stugroot?”
“No. What we discussed concerning my offer of employment to you as my housekeeper and the property manager of this parish. Have you given it any thought?” Barrelmender asked, his frustration beginning to crack through his veneer of pleasantness.
“Oh. I see. But, Brother, we haven’t discussed this before. This is the first I’ve heard of it,” Mariola said.
“Is it really? Shocking. Are you hard of hearing?”
“No, Brother.”
“Well… that is a puzzle, isn’t it…” Barrelmender drifted off, looking haunted. “I suppose I might have dreamed it. But I could have sworn we sat right here at this table and discussed it. And you’re saying that definitely has not happened.”
“That’s right, Brother.”
“Well, I am sure you would remember it. You are, after all, a very intelligent person. And I am a complete wreck. But it is of no matter. You have heard the offer now. So, what say you?” Barrelmender attempted a smile at Mariola as he finished.
Mariola looked between Barrelmender and Choke several times with an expression like a trapped animal.
“Brother,” interjected Choke, “I think we might be moving a bit quickly with all this. Perhaps you and I have related matters we should discuss privately first, before you make this offer to Mariola. As worthy as she is of it.”
“I do not think we have any related matters to discuss. I have a vacancy. I need it filled. And we need to find all these wretches here something more productive to do. I’m sick of having them underfoot constantly. Not a moment to myself, these days.”
“It is exactly this I came to talk to you about, Brother. So why don’t we do that?” Choke asked, his voice now quite firm.
Brother Barrelmender glared at him for a moment before shrugging and collapsing listlessly back into his chair.
Choke looked to Mariola.
“Thank you for making us the stugroot, ma’am. I think now the lieutenant and I should speak privately. Thank you,” Choke said, as he stood up and nodded to her.
“Thank you, sir. Brother,” Mariola nodded deeply to them in turn. Then she hurried from the kitchen’s rear door, closing it behind her.
Choke moved to close the door into the church proper, checking that it was still empty as he did. Them he took his seat again.
“Truly, how are you, Brother?” Choke asked, his voice still firm.
“Just how you find me: a broken shell. I cannot even rise to the task of filling this pathetic little church for Sunday Mass. And I cannot negotiate the retention of a housekeeper without interference from the likes of you. So, Lieutenant, just how do you think I am?”
“Just as you say, Brother. You have a good sense of yourself, at least. Now, how about we work on improving things?”
“Do as you will. You needn’t patronize me while doing so.”
Choke opened his mouth to respond, but the kettle chose this moment to start boiling. He stood up to bring it to the table with a pair of wooden mugs which he then filled for them.
“All right, then, Brother. I won’t patronize you,” Choke said as he set Barrelmender’s mug down in front of him. “You are the magistrate here, and I am your apparitor. But, given the circumstances, no one in Spitzer expects this arrangement to be normal. They were set to discard you, but Otilla spoke up for you. She did so because she has a feeling about you. And my number one priority in this world, above my oath to the King and any other worldly matter, is to support her in whatever she feels must be done. You understand this. You felt her brand.”
Barrelmender raised his hand to his cheek where Peep has burned him with a slap from the brand. The mark of it was no longer visible, but it was clear from the way he touched his skin, Barrelmender was still deeply affected by the experience.
“So, Brother, I ask you now in all earnestness: are you still willing to help us? Are you willing to try?”
“Yes. I shall. I shall try, at least,” Barrelmender said very quietly.
“Good. Now, are you capable of it? I am sorry to be blunt, Brother, but I need to know. Can you still cast spells?”
Barrelmender closed his eyes and sighed deeply before replying: “Yes. I can cast spells. But it pains me to do so. I do not feel worthy of it. Further, when the… the undead got hold of me. The one… it drained me of my life force. It consumed part of my soul. My ability with spells was greatly diminished. I can no longer cast anything above tier three.”
“Well, that is far better than nothing, Brother. Perhaps in doing so in a righteous cause, you can reclaim some of your vigor and skill. We shall pray for you and do our best together. Stron cannot ask any more of you than that,” Choke said.
“Oh, yes he can. And he has,” Barrelmender said very quietly, his voice deep in a very dark place.
“We discussed something of that on Sunday evening when I arrived here, Brother,” Choke said gently. “I cannot imagine what it is you have gone through. But I do believe, in my heart, that Otilla being here as she is, is a chance for you. You have a chance to redeem yourself.”
“I will settle for not sinking any further. So, tell me what you need of me and I shall oblige as much as I can.”
“I appreciate that, Brother. Now, I am sorry, but I do need to know. Have you been drinking lately?”
“No. Not since you left with Dixon. I have been damnably sober this entire time.”
“Well, that is good, Brother. And I am sure the longer you stay sober, the better you shall feel about it.”
“Hogwash. It is a torment.”
“That is may be. For now. But I do ask that you do your best not to drink. You are no good to anyone when you are drunk. You know this, I am sure. Now, just one more intrusive question, Brother. Before when you were talking about Mariola taking care of you, you said that she had been doing so for weeks. You are aware that it has only been two nights and a day that we’ve been here,” Choke said, staring across the table at Barrelmender intently, expecting some manner of outburst.
“I was being arch, you pedant. The true torment of this hell is in the full cognition of time that I suffer. I count the seconds, and the hours crush me like a glacier sliding over rock. There is no relief. No blessed oblivion to be found.”
“Yes, you have my sympathies,” Choke cut in very unsympathetically as Barrelmender was drawing a long breath to continue, earning a wounded look from him.
“Now, as to the matters at hand,” Choke plowed on, pointedly ignoring Barrelmender, “you said you no longer want Shasta to be your housekeeper. I quite agree with you. She should not be.”
“I don’t need your agreement in the matter. The slattern is out!” Barrelmender slammed his hand down on the table.
“Indeed. But what of your children with her? What is to become of them?” Choke asked, his tone sharp.
“My…” Barrelmender started, before his voice cracked. She choked down a sob. “It is regrettable that they must suffer for the sins of their father. But that is the way of it. I must bear the weight of that.”
“You must bear it?” Choke asked, his ire rising. “You are the one to bear it? Here in your church, with folk supporting you with their rent and tithes? I think you have the wrong end of it, Brother. The children are the ones set to bear it. To bear the hardship of poverty. Of whatever situation their desperate mother puts them in.”
“I take your point, you harping scold! But what am I to do about it? Their very existence is a sin! I must sever myself from them!”
“Nonsense, Brother!” Choke returned with heat. “Nonsense! The acts that created them were sinful, yes. But they are human beings the same as all of us. They shall negotiate their own paths through this world, whether they be to Altas or to hell. And to cast them out into the cold world beyond your guidance and protection would be a further sin. And a much graver one, I think!” Choke finished, now slamming his own hand down on the table as his rage rose hot up in him.
Barrelmender and Choke sat in silence for a while. Eventually, they each took a sip of their stugroot.
“You see? She does it well,” Barrelmender said. “I want her as my housekeeper.”
“We can discuss that. I’ll bring it up to Otilla. If she agrees, then she can discuss it with the woman. Then it shall be her choice. But I cannot stress this enough. She is to be your housekeeper, and only your housekeeper. This is not going to be what you had going on before. I won’t tolerate it,” Choke said.
“Oh, please! Do you really think I want more of that in my life?” Barrelmender shouted.
“I have no idea what you might want. But we can leave it at that. As to the role of property manager, I do not think her suitable. She is no farmer. And she has no sense of how things have been running. You need someone experienced doing that.”
Choke let this notion sit between them for a while.
“And your children need a stable situation,” he went on.
“Yes, yes. I do see where you are going with this.”
“That was my intention. And with them close within the fold of this church, you need not be a father to those children to see to it that they are kept safe and educated properly. That is, after all, your role as their parish priest. Is it not, Brother?”
“It is.”
“Well, then. I think we have come to an agreement about matters, don’t you?” Choke asked.
“We may have, but there is another party who has a tendency of being an erratic vector in all situations. And I shall not suffer speaking to her again for some time. I shall not! You, Bartholomew, must bring the slattern to heel. And you must keep her in line. I can’t do it. I shall surely slay her where she stands the next time she opens her mouth towards me.”
“Well, we don’t want that. I agree, Brother. I’ll go and talk to her and take care of this. You just worry about resting, getting better, and preparing your next sermon.”
“This community has no need of a magistrate then, does it?” Barrelmender asked acerbically.
“It’s been getting along without for this long. When I have need of one, I’ll let you know.”
“Yes. Wonderful,” Barrelmender said morosely.
“Look, Brother, I am sorry for the attitude I have taken with you today. I am. But you need to understand that you have set the bar of my expectations of you exceedingly low. And for you to be useful for us, and this community, you need to rise to a level quite above that bar. You oscillate like a madman between equally disagreeable extremes. So you must pardon me if I have been short with you, but I no longer have time to placate your misplaced sensibilities about yourself. In all truthfulness, though, I do want to work with you. We need you. This community needs you. Possibly Stroniandom does. Time will tell on that, though. However it turns out to be, let’s do this together, shall we?”
Barrelmender stared expressionlessly at Choke for a while before he finally answered:
“Yes. Let’s.”
“Good. Now, there is actually something you can help with today. I am taking almost the full platoon on a patrol to Bristlenook this afternoon. We shall be leaving six men here on watch. Unfortunately, they are all barely more than press-ganged recruits. They may run off and desert, for all I know. If you feel up to it, you could pop out and see how they are doing,” Choke said.
“Very well. This afternoon, you say?”
“Yes, Brother. Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. And it is morning now?”
“Yes, Brother. We will go on patrol immediately after lunch. If you hear Burkhard’s bandit horn to the north, that is us signaling peril,” Choke said.
“Ah. So that was you this morning. Very well. Happy hunting.”
“Thank you, Brother,” Choke said, as he stood up from the table.
“Oh. One thing,” Barrelmender raised his index finger. “So long as you’re arranging matters, with the slattern, I don’t want all these wretched followers of Otila’s cluttering up the place any longer than necessary. Tell her to install them on the old Wilson property. They can get that up and running again,” Barrelmender said, his pompousness beginning to marshal itself.
“Right. Thank you, Brother. With everything else, I forgot to get that settled. The Wilson property, you say? That sounds like a very good idea. I shall tell her to do so. Have a good day, Brother!” Choke said with forced cheerfulness as he left the kitchen through the back door.
Muse Vassal 