Barren

Lucik Boggin stiffened, eyes flicking to Beni. He turned back to Garric, eyes alight, but Jeph stayed him with a hand. Never a brave man, Jeph moved purposefully down the porch steps towards Garric, and the crowd fell back, clearing a path between the two men.

‘Jeph Bales, you get back on this porch!’ Selia snapped.

‘You may be Town Speaker, but this is my borough and my property, Selia.’ Jeph never took his eyes off Garric. ‘Thank you to keep out of this.’

Jeorje thumped his cane. ‘Men have a right to satisfaction.’ The words were neutral so that whatever the outcome, Jeorje could support it as his own – or the Creator’s – judgement.

Jeph kept a firm stride, but Garric, taller and heavier, stood his ground. ‘Say that again,’ Jeph growled when they were nose to nose.

Garric shrank back at the words, but Selia could see him dropping his shoulder and setting his feet.

She tensed, ready to cry out or leap from the porch, but something in Jeph’s posture stayed her. Her father used to teach boxing to the children in Town Square, and Jeph seemed to remember his lessons. When Garric swung his roundhouse punch, Jeph caught the blow on his curled left arm and then jabbed, stunning the Fisher while a right cross crumpled his nose.

Garric stumbled back but kept his feet. He might have remained in the fight, but Jeph stayed on the attack, stepping in and adding hooks to Garric’s body that folded him over and blasted the wind from his lungs. Garric lunged forward, wrapping his meaty arms around Jeph and attempting to twist him to the ground, but Jeph planted his left foot, stopping them cold, and used Garric’s hold against him, keeping the Fisher in place to take Jeph’s right knee to the chest.

Jeph shoved Garric back and heel-kicked him into the crowd of Fishers surrounding their fighting space. He kept his fists up, but Garric was either unable or unwilling to rise. Jeorje, no doubt hoping for a very different outcome, gave a slight shake of his head.

Coline Trigg ran from the porch, shoving past him to tend to Garric. His broken nose was bleeding freely and had already begun to swell.

‘Core’s gotten into you, Jeph Bales?’ Coline shrieked. ‘So ashamed of your cowardice you need to act like a demon?’

‘Ent a coreling, but I’m through bein’ a coward.’ Jeph raised a finger at Coline. ‘And you ent got a right to talk down. Known your gatherin’ half as well as you claim, my Silvy would’ve lived and none of this happened.’

‘That ent fair,’ Coline said.

‘Ay,’ Jeph said loudly. ‘Life ent fair sometimes. Wern’t fair to my family, or to Cobie Fisher. Ent been fair to the Tanner girls – but that ends tonight. Any that don’t like it can get off my property.’

‘Sayin’ your son’s the Deliverer?’ Raddock moved to stand over Coline and Garric, keeping the crowd’s eyes on his injured kin. ‘Left Fishing Hole behind on purpose?’

‘No one’s sayin’ anything of the sort,’ Selia cut in. ‘Fishers left yourselves behind when you set a girl out to be cored without so much as letting her say her piece. Ent too late to see that and go back to the ways things used to be.’

Raddock glared at her. ‘Ent the first time folk’ve been divided over a girl gettin’ cored, is it, Speaker?’

Selia stiffened at the words.

‘Yet here you are, right in the middle of it again.’ Raddock glanced at Selia’s militia. ‘Wonder whose life you’ll ruin this time?’

Selia clenched a fist, and it was all she could do not to wade in and pummel the old man much as Jeph had Garric. Her militia, too young to know what Raddock was talking about, looked at each other in confusion, but Selia wasn’t fooled. Raddock hadn’t been looking at all the fighters – just the women.

‘Ask your elders!’ Raddock shouted as Garric was put on a stretcher and the Fishers took their leave.

Jeorje threw Selia a look that was part disgust and partly a deeper hatred. She readied herself, but he said nothing, brushing past her to lead the Watches and Marshes down the road after the Fishers.

Others lingered on Jeph’s property, but they kept their distance as the remaining Speakers gathered.

Meada laid a hand on Selia’s arm. ‘Wern’t your fault, Selia, no matter what Lawry says.’

‘What’d he mean, ask your elders?’ Jeph said.

Selia sighed. ‘You ent the only coward with a secret, Jeph Bales. They ever talk about the Square Girls’ Club in the schoolyard when you were a boy?’

Jeph blushed. ‘Ay, but what’s that got to—’

‘I was the one started it.’

2 (#ulink_a208a34e-d6a5-5b1b-90eb-6d9401022482)

The Square Girls’ Club (#ulink_a208a34e-d6a5-5b1b-90eb-6d9401022482)

284 AR

The sun had chased the demons away, but it was still dark in the shadows under the picnic awning behind the schoolhouse. Selia pressed Deardra Fisher against the wall, kissing her hungrily.

Deardra, more than willing, gripped Selia’s hair, threatening to pull the pins free. Selia’s heart beat like the feet of schoolchildren at afternoon bell. These stolen moments were what she lived for. Her hand slid down Deardra’s back, gripping her bottom through her skirts and pulling her even closer.

‘We—’ Deardra gasped between kisses. ‘We need to calm down. Bell’s going to ring any moment, and Raddock will come looking if we’re not there.’

‘Let him look,’ Selia said.

Deardra put her hands on Selia’s breasts. Selia tried to lean in, but Deardra pushed her back instead. ‘Fine sight that would be, his sister out behind the school kissing his promised.’

Selia crossed her arms. ‘Raddock and I ent promised.’

‘Good as,’ Deardra said. ‘Da’s going to ask Edwar any day now.’

Selia felt a talon in her gut, like a demon trying to claw its way free. ‘Don’t want to marry Raddock.’

‘Creator, why not?’ Deardra asked. ‘He’s sure to be Speaker for Fishing Hole when Da retires. Ent a man in the Brook with better prospects.’

‘Got prospects of my own.’ Selia smiled, leaning back in for another kiss. ‘Don’t need a man. Got Deardra Fisher.’

Deardra pulled away. ‘Night, Selia. Square Girls’ Club is fun, but it’s just till we find husbands. Ent got but two members anyway.’

Selia gave a tight smile, trying to hide how the words stung.

Deardra reached out, stroking Selia’s arm. ‘Din’t mean—’

Her words broke off as both girls started from the sound of the great bell atop the schoolhouse.

There was a sound of scrabbling feet on the gravel of the yard – young Harl Tanner running barefoot past them and into the school.

Deardra’s eyes went wide. ‘You don’t think …’

‘What’s it matter?’ Selia pulled free of Deardra’s grasp and smoothed her dress. ‘Just fun till we find husbands, ay?’

‘Creator, Selia,’ Deardra snapped. ‘You know what—’

‘Harl Tanner ent been on time for school a day in his life.’ Selia turned to head for the door. ‘Ent no way he got here early enough to peep on us.’