Mother Lode

by E. Rose Sabin

  She hadn’t yet found any trace of a power net in Marquez, and now doubted that one could be found here. Why shouldn’t she travel on to the shrine to learn whether Oryon had arrived there safely? Hillcross, where it was located, wasn’t that far from Marquez, and going there would give some purpose to this otherwise useless trip insofar as her primary intention in coming had not borne fruit.

  She could not, would not be stuck in this desert city, saddled with the care of sixteen orphans. For the present, though, the challenge of freeing the children still held by the miners and seeing them safe and the miners brought to justice appealed to her. She thrived on excitement, even on danger. Once the danger was over and the excitement subsided, she would want to move on.

  For now, she had to consider how to guard both the house and the entrance to the mine to prevent the miners from attacking the house or merely sneaking out of the mine during the night with the children still in their power and going into hiding somewhere. The uncomfortable truth she had to face was that she and her cohorts were all weary and there were simply not enough of them to guard both the house and the mine. They faced grave danger, and she saw no way to avert it. She dropped into a chair as she though about all this and almost fell asleep while trying to come up with a plan.

  She would have, had she not been jerked back to alertness by the sound of a motor vehicle pulling up in front of the house. She rushed to a window and cautiously peered out.

  A long black car had stopped, and its occupants opened the doors and were emerging. Alighting from the front seat was Mistress Metheny. Her companions were four men in Peace Officer uniforms. Mistress Metheny carried Cara in her arms.

  “Ah, my dear wife must have known I needed her.”

  Startled, Lina turned her head to see Doctor Metheny step up beside her. “You don’t think they’ve arrested her and are after us?”

  “No, not at all. Look, she’s smiling. She sees us.” The doctor waved at his wife, and she returned his wave and hurried toward the front door.

  Doctor Metheny went to the door and swung it open. Mistress Metheny stepped inside and set Cara on her feet. The child spotted Lina and ran to her, while Mistress Metheny and her husband embraced and kissed.

  “Miss Lina, look what Mistress Metheny gave me!” Cara held up a rag doll in a pretty gingham dress. “Her name’s Sara. Isn’t she pretty? I love her.”

  “Yes, she’s very nice,” Lina said while looking at the peacekeepers gathered in the doorway, four of them, peering inside but not entering. Waiting, apparently for Mistress Metheny to beckon them in, because on her signal all four stepped inside.

  “I had a strong feeling that I was needed here,” Mistress Metheny said, walking toward Lina. “I have these presentiments from time to time, and I’ve learned to take them seriously. I sensed that you were in danger, so I persuaded these gentlemen to come with me. Was I wrong in thinking not all has gone as you planned?

  “It went well up to a point,” Lina said, frowning as she considered how much of what happened she dared reveal to the Peace Officers. “We got control of this house, but we were only able to rescue three of the orphans. The miners escaped into the mine with the rest.”

  “Oh, dear,” was Mistress Metheny’s distressed response. “How many orphans does that leave in the miners’ hands? We must get them all.”

  “If they’re all still alive, they have ten,” Lina said. “It wasn’t safe to go into the mine after them. Not with so few of us.”

  “And the three they did rescue needed medical attention,” Doctor Metheny put in. “Those brutes used bullwhips on them. Two eight-year-olds, a boy and a girl, plus a twelve-year-old girl.” He shook his head. “We gave them the first decent meal they’ve had in the gods know how long. Then I cleaned and bandaged their wounds, and they’re sleeping now, wrapped in blankets to keep them warm.” He glared at the peacekeepers. “You people are supposed to prevent that kind of cruelty. Where were you when these children were being worked to death and beaten and nearly starved?”

  “Sir, we didn’t know about all this.” The Peace Officer who spoke looked quite young, barely out of his teens. He also looked scared. How much help would he be? One of the others looked only slightly older and only a bit less frightened, but the other two were older and doubtless more experienced.

  One of the older men, looking grim, said, “We peacekeepers were led to believe that orphans were being housed, fed, and well cared for here. I’m a father. I have three children, and I certainly don’t condone mistreatment of children. This lady,” he nodded toward Mistress Metheny, “persuaded us to come to check on what has been happening here. We came without clearing it with our supervisor.”

  “I’m sure he would approve our coming if he knew what was happening. But we have to have proof.” This was the other young man.

  The fourth, an older man, had not spoken but had been looking all around. Lina was hardly surprised when he, the senior member of the squad, asked the question she’d been dreading. “Where is the woman they call Mother Cooper? We need to talk with her.”

  “I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” Lina stated. “Mistress Cooper and her son are no longer in this house. We chased them from it after one of our number, a young boy named Teddy, an orphan resident, had his hand cut off by a meat cleaver Mistress Cooper threw at me. I would have been killed if Teddy hadn’t raised his arm in time to take the blow meant for me.”

  “Oh, the poor boy!” Mistress Metheny exclaimed. “How is he? May I see him?”

  “I gave him something to help him sleep, and I don’t want him disturbed until morning.” Her husband had put on his doctor voice. “He’ll be all right, but he’s quite upset about the loss of his hand. He’ll need time to adjust.”

  “And you say Mistress Cooper did this by throwing a cleaver?” the older peacekeeper asked. “We’ll want to bring her to justice.”

  “That’s a concern for later,” Lina snapped. “The immediate need is to set a guard so the miners can’t leave the mine and hide somewhere with the remaining orphans. In case they do leave the mine, this house will need to be guarded against them, so we’ll be ready if they try to attack us and take back the house and the rescued orphans.”

  “We’ll see about doing those things once we’re convinced they’re necessary.” The older Peace Officer had definitely taken charge. “Show us the rescued orphans. Let’s see these wounds you say were inflicted with a whip.”

  “A bullwhip, sir,” the doctor said. “Come with me, then. I don’t want to wake them, but I think I can show you—”

  “I’ll show them my scars. And Cara’s.” Nia walked forward, her eyes blazing. How long had she been in the room or listening at the door? “And I’ll tell them what we had for breakfast and for supper the last days before I got away. For breakfast we had watery milk and a small scoop of porridge. That’s all. We worked all day after that, with no break for lunch. We never got lunch. And for supper we had boiled potatoes. And not much of those. And I can tell you how many children died of that kind of treatment since Cara and I came here. Five. That’s how many. They died of the beatings and of not getting enough to eat. While Mother Cooper and her son and the guards had roast and vegetables and pie. They laughed at us while they feasted and we all went to bed hungry.”

  “Now, young miss, I’m sure it hasn’t been just what you expected,” the squad leader soothed.

  Nia spun around and lifted her shirt, exposing her back and on it the scars and scabs and angry gashes that still hadn’t completely closed. Ignoring the gasps of the younger peacekeepers, she said, “I didn’t expect all the beatings. I didn’t expect to go to bed hungry every night and cry myself to sleep huddling under a thin blanket that didn’t keep out the cold. And worrying myself sick about my little sister.”

  She pulled her shirt back down and turned to face the peacekeepers. She beckoned to Cara, and when sister came to her, she continued relentlessly, “Look how thin she is. Look at her hands.” She ope
ned one and then the other as Cara shifted her prized doll from hand to hand while Nia continued, fury flaming in every word out of her mouth. “Look how badly scratched they are from picking sharp rocks up off the floor, the rejects that no one found gems in. And look at her back from being beaten when she didn’t work fast enough to suit them.” She lifted the little girl’s shirt, exposing her scarred and scabbed back. Dropping the shirt back into place, Nia concluded, “She’s only six years old, the youngest child here. And that’s the treatment she’s had to endure. Can you imagine how the older ones have been treated?”

  The two younger peacekeepers hung their heads; the one who’d spoken about his children shuddered. The leader was the only one who spoke. “We’ll set a guard on the mine. And we’ll request reinforcements for going in tomorrow to rescue the orphans.” He turned to his men. “Two of us will guard the mine, and the other two with help from the people here will guard the house. I’ll take the mine. Officer Shuer, you’re with me. Officers Sagist and Puckley, you’ll stay here and guard the house.”

  The youngest of the four stepped up beside the leader. He had to be Officer Shuer. So Officers Sagist and Puckley were apparently the other young man and the man who’d identified himself as a father of three but Lina still had no idea which was which.

  Nia’s outburst had at least temporarily diverted the peacekeepers’ attention from questions about Mother Cooper and her son to the plight of the captive children. Whether the girl had done so deliberately didn’t matter. Nia’s indignation was wholly genuine, and Lina was grateful that it had convinced their leader of the need for action. Now she and her crew just had to find ways to keep the peacekeepers’ attention focused on the plight of the orphans rather than on the whereabouts of the Coopers.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  TRAPPED

  After a restless night, Bryte rose early to see what could be found for breakfast. Mostly, though, she wanted to see Teddy, to learn how he’d handle the loss of his lower arm and hand. He was in what must have been Vee and Emmy Cooper’s room, judging by the closet that held both a man’s and a woman’s clothing, the latter not of a size that could have been worn by Mother Cooper.

  Dr. Metheny had settled Teddy in the bed and then dragged in a cot to share the room and check on him during the night. The doctor told Bryte, when she stuck her head in the door, that Teddy was still sleeping. He promised to let her know when the boy awoke. So she went to the kitchen to take inventory of the available food and list what they would need.

  Lina and Master Wilcom shared guard duty with the two peacekeepers ordered by their leader to guard the house through the night. Bryte had declared herself willing to help, but Lina refused her offer. “We may well need you rested and in full power tomorrow,” she’d said. When Bryte responded that Lina needed rest just as badly, she’d been curtly rebuked. “Do as I say, and don’t argue,” Lina snapped.

  Hurt by Lina’s brusque manner, Bryte had stalked off and found a bed in the children’s ward. Wrapped in two of the thin blankets there, she’d tried to sleep. She’d been more tired than she’d realized, but despite that, her sleep had been fitful and haunted by disturbing dreams.

  After eating a quick breakfast in the kitchen, she set to work inventorying the foodstuffs. She’d scarcely begun that task when Mistress Metheny joined her.

  “I sent Officer Sagist to the mine to check on Officers Kirsky and Schuer,” Mistress Metheny informed her. “Officer Jobon Kirsky is the squad leader. Torby Schuer is the young one. I hope he’s all right. I don’t think he’s ever had a dangerous assignment such as this may turn out to be.”

  Bryte hadn’t learned the names of the peacekeepers who went to the mine. She had been introduced to the two who remained to guard the house: Officer Beckwith Sagist, known as Beck, and Officer Bo Puckley. She’d taken an immediate liking to “Beck and Bo.” Bo was the older, the one who’d identified himself as the father of three children. He had a bit of a paunch, a receding hair line, and a direct, open gaze that Bryte liked. Beck was young, though older than Torby Shuer, the youngest of the peacekeepers. Probably in his early twenties, Beck was the tallest of the four men, and though not truly handsome, had a pleasant face and a warm, friendly smile. Both men seemed genuinely concerned about the orphans and eager to help get them all to safety.

  When Bryte told Mistress Metheny what she was doing, the doctor’s wife set to work assisting her. They soon saw that they would need a large supply of food, as the decent food available had clearly been intended for the Coopers and miners’ use and would not be enough for the orphans, assuming they rescued the ten the miners took back into the mine.

  What condition would those ten be in when they were rescued? Would they be rescued? The questions gnawed at Bryte. They should already be mounting an attempt at rescue, now that daylight was returning. But until Lina got the report from the peacekeepers who’d guarded the mine and plans were made, Bryte could only keep herself occupied and try not to fret over the unknown fate of the captive orphans.

  Nia came in with the welcome news that Teddy was awake. She offered to take Bryte’s place in the kitchen so Bryte could pay him a visit. Bryte handed Nia the list she’d been making and rushed to Teddy’s room.

  She found him sitting up in bed staring glumly at the stump just above where his wrist had been. “Teddy, good morning. How do you feel?”

  He looked up. “I’d feel a lot better if I still had two hands to feel with,” he grumbled. “The doctor keeps saying I should be glad it’s my left hand and I’m right-handed, but I don’t feel glad. I keep thinking of all the things I use two hands to do. Like tie my shoes. Button my shirt. Cut meat.”

  “But what you did was so brave! Teddy, you saved Lina’s life.”

  “And almost lost my own.”

  “Not when Doctor Metheny was right there and knew just what to do. He didn’t waste any time getting a tourniquet on your arm to slow the bleeding. So Mother Cooper and her nasty son are dead, and you are alive and so is Lina.”

  “Yeah. Hurray. Sorry I’m not real thrilled the way things turned out. And we didn’t even manage to get all the orphans, Nia told me. So it’s not over yet. We still have a lot to do, and what good can I be, without my hand?”

  “Did Nia tell you about the peacekeepers who came to help us?”

  “Yes. I don’t trust peacekeepers. I told you how the miners bribe them.”

  “Well, these seem nice enough. They say they didn’t know how bad things were for the orphans.”

  “And you believe them?”

  “They seem sincere. They really were horrified to see the healing scars on Nia and Cara. One of them says he has three children, and he can’t stand the thought of anybody abusing children like that.”

  Teddy’s response was a skeptical grunt. Bryte heard Lina call her and felt relief at having an excuse to leave.

  She hurried into the front room as Torby Shuer, the young peacekeeper, reported, “The miners got away, but we got the orphans.” He panted as he spoke. He must have run the entire distance. “The miners shoved them out in front of them. They used them as shields. When some of them fell and one girl fainted, we went to help them, and the miners ran. Officer Kirsky fired his pistol, but I don’t think he hit anyone. They were ducking behind boulders and dodging around outcrops, and Kirsky said we better let them go so we could help the orphans. He sent me back to get help. For the orphans. They’re in bad shape. Especially the little ones. They’ll need to be carried.”

  “We can’t all go,” Lina declared as Doctor Metheny headed for the door, his wife and Nia following him. “We can’t leave the house unguarded. That’s probably just what the miners are hoping we’ll do.”

  Torby’s already flushed face reddened even more. “Oh. Uh, I already sent Beck and Bo to help.”

  “In that case,” Lina said, “you stay here with Bryte and me. We’ll stand guard.” She called out to the Methenys, “Get the orphans back here as quick as you can.”

 
The doctor had already headed for the path to the mine, but Nia called back, “We will.”

  Disappointed at being kept from going with them, Bryte turned to Lina. “What can we do to protect ourselves if the miners come here?”

  “Master Wilcom and I will patrol the grounds around the house. You and Mistress Wilcom will watch from inside, and also do what you can to get ready for the orphans.”

  “Is that all?” Bryte demanded sarcastically.

  “No. Find me something to eat. And I imagine Torby is hungry, too.”

  The young Peacekeeper spoke up, “Yes, ma’am, I am, but I can get by if rations are short.”

  Bryte couldn’t keep from smiling at his addressing Lina as “ma’am.” Lina hated that.

  But Lina cast a glare in her direction that wiped the smile from her face. “How’s Teddy?” she demanded. “Is he able to be up? If so, we’ll need him.”

  “He’s awake, sitting up, and feeling sorry for himself,” Bryte said. “I doubt if he’ll be any help. He is weak. He lost a lot of blood, you know.”

  “Shape-shifters heal fast,” Lina snapped. “I’ll go check on him.” She stalked from the room.

  She returned a few minutes later. “Mistress Wilcom is doing what she can about breakfast for the orphans. She could use your help,” she snapped on her way to the door. “I’ve sent Master Wilcom to patrol the rear of the house. I’m taking the front. You were right about Teddy. Go help in the kitchen, but listen for any sign of trouble.”

  That meant she wanted Bryte to focus on her special hearing while at work in the kitchen. She headed there as Lina slammed out the front door.

  She heard Torby, who had not received any instructions, trail after her. “Whew! That one’s a real fireball,” he muttered.