The Mansions of Idumea (Book 3 Forest at the Edge series)

by Trish Mercer

  “Come now,” said Mrs. Cush, her several chins jiggling. “Look at them over there. You come back to Idumea and that sweet little thing will have her pick of husbands! And I can think of a perfect pick already,” she giggled.

  “Now, Mother,” Versula said reprovingly, “it’s not our place to interfere. To suggest and give ideas, yes, but full-out interference? No!” The women laughed together in a practiced chorus, but Mahrree just put on a polite smile.

  Perrin let out a small groan only his wife heard and released his hold on her. “If you’ll excuse me ladies, gentlemen, I’ve yet to meet a few people tonight.”

  He strode to the food table as the Cush women giggled in unison. The four young men quickly got to their feet and faced the colonel. Annoyed, Jaytsy put her hands on her hips.

  General Cush chuckled. “Mahrree, think you should go rescue those poor boys? If anyone can handle young men, I understand it’s you.”

  Mahrree shook her head. “This is a father’s domain, General. Perrin has it well in hand.”

  They were out of earshot, but Perrin seemed to be introducing himself. As he shook the hand of one boy, his left hand caught another by the shoulder as the young man tried to make a less-than-subtle exit. Jaytsy was insulted, embarrassed, and furious.

  Lemuel Thorne had jumped from his chair and stood at attention, and the other young officer, still in the clutches of the colonel, realized too late that he should’ve done the same thing.

  Colonel Thorne stepped away from his wife and in-laws to watch his son. He nodded slightly to Lemuel and his son returned it. Perrin was too busy trying to meet the third boy while holding on to the other two to notice the Thornes’ silent communication. But Mahrree saw it and wondered what the message may have been.

  She was aware of the other couple nearing as she watched her husband, but didn’t think much of them until she heard, “Mrs. Shin, I’m Doctor Brisack, Administrator of Family Life.”

  Every muscle in Mahrree’s body tensed.

  “I spent a most entertaining afternoon with your husband last week, and of course saw you when we presented you with that certificate, but I haven’t yet had the pleasure of formally meeting you.”

  Mahrree forced her attention away from her husband’s show and turned, with her Dinner smile in place.

  She knew who this was: the doctor who perfected The Drink. The man who improved the means to deny her and thousands of other women a dozen children.

  She analyzed him, expecting to see a monster, but his pale blue eyes were gentle, and the wrinkles around them reminded her of Hogal Densal. Something in his expression twinkled with a genuinely pleasant demeanor.

  “And this is my wife,” he added as an afterthought, not bothering to mention her name. “Mrs. Shin, we were wondering, why did General Cush call you an authority on young men?”

  His wife had a sweet smile on her wrinkling face. “I’m having difficulty picturing it, I must admit.”

  They weren’t what Mahrree expected at all. They could have been Hogal and Tabbit Densal’s friends in another time and place. “I’m not a real authority, sir. But I teach some of the troubled teenage boys in Edge,” she explained. “It seems I’m responsible for them during the day, and the colonel is responsible for them in the evening and night. We have a bit of a theft problem.”

  The Administrator nodded sadly. “As do we.”

  His wife elbowed him. “Maybe the Shins could help write up your new parenting guide, after the emergency guide is completed.”

  Administrator Brisack nodded again, thoughtfully. “Well, I’ve only asked doctors for their input, but the Shins might have some interesting tips.”

  “A guide?” Mahrree asked.

  “We seem to have a whole new generation of parents who know nothing of parenting,” Doctor Brisack said, his voice full of concern. “Since we have only one or two children—”

  Whose fault is that? Mahrree thought bitterly. She was getting better as saying these things in her head and trapping them there. She couldn’t remember one potentially libelous thing she had said all night, and she wasn’t about to start now that it was ending.

  Strangely, she began to feel calmer. This man didn’t invent The Drink. He just made is safer and less painful. He wasn’t the mastermind behind the idea. But still, he contributed—

  Mahrree heard him continue.

  “—then don’t see grandchildren for another twenty to thirty years, we older generations don’t seem to remember any wisdom to pass down from our parenting days.”

  “The lieutenant’s wife—the mother of that baby Perrin held this evening—she didn’t seem to know anything about cutting teeth,” Mahrree told him. “I learned that from the mothers who came to visit me right after I had my babies. And I learned everything else on Holy Days after the meetings. We shared midday meals, and everyone sat around and talked about parenting successes and disasters.” Her voice faded as she felt a sudden sting of homesickness. Tonight Edge seemed a thousand miles away, and a hundred years ago, and she yearned to be there again right now.

  The Administrator nodded at her with only partial understanding. “Whatever method you have in Edge for communicating how to parent, we no longer have in Idumea.”

  “And not so much in Edge anymore, either,” Mahrree said, surprised at how tears were springing to her eyes. She fought them down.

  “That’s why we need a guide,” Doctor Brisack said. “I’ve been—”

  Giggles from Mrs. Thorne and the Cushes drew their attention. They were fully involved in watching Perrin sit down the boys to give them an impromptu speech. None of them looked too happy about it, but none were about to walk out on the colonel.

  Jaytsy had stormed off to appeal to her grandmother, who was gently pushing her aside to speak to another woman. General Shin sat on the sofa in conversation with an older man by the front door, glancing periodically over at his son with a wry smile. Colonel Thorne continued to observe Lemuel’s every movement, most likely to give his son a review later.

  Perrin was now making large gesturing movements. One looked suspiciously like a vicious cutting motion which made all four young men flinch in unison. Mrs. Thorne and the Cushes tried to suppress laughter as each of the wide-eyed young men quickly shook their heads at whatever Colonel Shin had just told them, and their mouths all said, “No, sir!”

  Brisack chuckled. “Now he’s surprising me at every turn,” he muttered under his breath. In a louder voice, he said to Mahrree, “I realize you’re very busy, but perhaps it’s not such a bad idea. If you and the colonel remember any of that great advice you learned, could you write it up and send it to me some time? We’re seasons away from anything ready for distributing, but—”

  “We’d be happy to help, Dr. Brisack,” Mahrree told him, wondering what was ‘surprising’ the doctor about her husband. “Curious, though, that you’d assume that doctors are the best authorities on child rearing. Their perceptions would likely be only medical, maybe developmental, but certainly not emotional. Unless you live day in and day out with a child, you simply wouldn’t know. I’d assume the best way to learn how to handle a two-year-old is to ask the parents of a three-year-old.”

  Mrs. Brisack nudged her husband in the ribs, likely because she’d suggested the same thing.

  But if her husband noticed, he didn’t indicate it. Instead, he looked at Mahrree with an earnestness that she could only have labeled as adoration, although that was ridiculous. Why would an old Administrator regard her in such an inappropriate way?

  Unsettled by Brisack’s odd reaction, she continued on, unthinkingly. “I must admit I’m sad that such information no longer comes from families and congregations, but has to come instead from the government.”

  She should’ve recognized right then that what she said was potentially libelous, but her mind had been in another direction and not in step with her words. And she’d been doing so well that evening, too . . .

  “And what’s wrong with the gov
ernment giving direction on families?” a loud voice rose up behind Mahrree.

  She held her chest as she turned around. A tall man with slicked dark hair, weasel-like eyes and a face in a fixed scowl stared hard at her.

  Administrator Brisack sighed. “I heard you were expected to be here tonight, but I hadn’t seen you anywhere. The Chairman will be pleased to hear you made it after all. Mrs. Shin, may I present Mr. Gadiman.”

  Mahrree, taken aback by the man’s sudden appearance, didn’t fully hear his name as she dutifully went to take his hand. Perrin, returning from his lecture, must have seen her expression when Doctor Brisack finished the introduction.

  “—Administrator of Loyalty.”

  She heard that part. The polite smile Mahrree had practiced all night now froze in terror on her face.

  Administrator of Loyalty.

  The most formidable man in the world, standing right in front of her, and grasping her fingers.

  Gadiman separated his lips in an awkward snarl that was probably intended to be a smile.

  In just a fraction of a second Colonel Shin stepped between Gadiman and Mahrree, and somehow managed to slip his hand into Gadiman’s instead.

  “We haven’t been formally introduced. I’m Colonel Perrin Shin, and I’m happy you were able to make it tonight.” It was fortunate that he’d practiced that line over three hundred times, because now it actually sounded natural.

  Mahrree found herself staring thankfully at the back of her husband and wondered if anyone would notice her slinking away. She took a step back right into Mrs. Brisack.

  Startled, she spun around to hear, “As my husband was saying, Mrs. Shin, the idea would be to distribute this information as soon as babies are delivered, to help the new parents know what to anticipate in the future.”

  Mahrree stared at the woman for a moment, trying to regain her composure. She was vaguely aware that Perrin was talking to Gadiman about something trivial as a diversion. As the words from Mrs. Brisack settled on her brain, Mahrree nodded and something came out of her mouth that she hoped later made sense.

  “Yes, yes, good idea. Maybe even before the babies are born, to give parents something to read in those dull weeks before the baby comes. There’s little time for reading afterward. Perhaps the midwives could give some information too, for what to expect in birthing.”

  Administrator Brisack smiled. “Already interviewing some. I’m even considering having government-certified midwives, as we do with teachers, to make sure all are giving the same information.”

  Mahrree’s mind was still on the man behind her, whose presence made her forehead bead with sweat. “As long as it’s the very best information, that should be a good idea,” she said hesitantly.

  A swift movement to the side of her caused her to jump. “And what do you mean by that, Mrs. Shin? The very best information?” Gadiman asked severely.

  Mahrree’s eyes widened and she suddenly understood what a worm feels like when it stares up at a bird. For some reason she’d always thought a man like Gadiman in the position he held would be subtle, maybe even terrifyingly calm. But he was a starving gull, squawking and demanding.

  Instinctively she was struck with the desire to kick it away, but instead she said sweetly, “I mean nothing at all, sir. I have every confidence in the good doctor that he’ll do an excellent job.” Keep the rest of the words in your head, she chanted to herself. Keep the rest of the words in your head.

  Gadiman’s mouth twitched, as if he was waiting for something more. Perrin moved behind his wife and put a protective hand on her shoulder. She waited to feel his finger in her back.

  “Is that all you have to say?” Gadiman probed.

  Perrin squeezed his wife’s shoulder, but she needed no guidance tonight, especially since she remembered her father-in-law’s advice.

  “Yes Administrator, I believe that’s about all I have to say. I’m rather tired from talking all night! But did you get anything to eat, Mr. Gadiman? There are still quite a few selections on the table over there. May I help you get a plate?”

  Gadiman’s jaw shifted. “No, thank you. I’ve had enough. It was—” He visibly struggled to find a suitable word. “—nice to meet you this evening. Good night.” He stepped away toward the front doors, nodded brusquely to the High General, and left.

  When Mahrree finally breathed out, it was louder than she intended.

  “Do you know much about dogs, Mrs. Shin?” Doctor Brisack asked her, pulling her eyes away from the door.

  She’d completely forgotten that another Administrator was standing next to her, but there was nothing threatening in his expression. Quite the contrary; he seemed to be as relieved as she was that Gadiman was gone.

  “Unfortunately, yes,” she said, surprised at the change of topic.

  Brisack smiled kindly at her. “Some dogs are all bark and snarl, and you put up with it because, well, there has to be a dog somewhere,” he said meaningfully.

  Mahrree smiled. Brisack was certainly worth more than a slip of silver. She likely misread his earlier expression.

  “You don’t like dogs, Administrator?” Perrin asked.

  Doctor Brisack winced. “Not since my wife had this little snippy thing—”

  “She was a wonderful animal!” Mrs. Brisack interrupted. “She just hated you!”

  Mahrree, grateful for the lighter moment, laughed at the good-natured sneer Doctor Brisack sent his wife. “I’m a cat person myself,” she said, “but my husband isn’t.”

  The Administrator cringed. “Oh, the only thing worse than a dog is a cat! Most temperamental, unpredictable animals in the world. Now, the kind of animal to have around is a fish. Preferably one you pull out of the river and fry along the bank.”

  Everyone laughed, and Mahrree marveled that she was actually enjoying the company of an Administrator.

  “You’d enjoy the fishing in Edge, Brisack,” Perrin told him. “By the beginning of the Harvest Season, you can feed an entire family for two days on just one fish. The warm waters from the forest grow them to the size of an average dog.”

  “Spoken like someone who’s spent time in the rivers, I see,” Dr. Brisack chuckled.

  “Come up some time,” Perrin said, “and I’ll show you my son and mine’s favorite spot.”

  Brisack smiled at the invitation. “I’ve been meaning to get up there. Several of us doctors who used to work with the university are doing experiments with the products from the mud volcanoes. While many are lethal, some combinations are proving to have greater medical uses than we ever realized. I wanted to get some new specimens in large amounts, especially sulfur, and no area is more active than the forests near Edge. Except for now maybe Moorland,” he added thoughtfully. “Might as well bring my fishing pole, too!”

  A quick whistle from the front door turned Perrin around, and his father motioned for him to join him. Standing next to his sofa was a thick-set man that appeared to be made of one continuous muscle.

  “Excuse me, please, Doctor and Mrs. Brisack,” Perrin said to his guests. “It seems there’s someone else I haven’t met yet.”

  “Looks like the director of the kickball league,” Doctor Brisack told Mahrree as his wife drifted away to croon at an older woman she obviously was friends with. “Everyone wants to meet your husband, it seems.”

  “I suppose so.” Mahrree was about to make her excuses to the Administrator when he gently took her arm.

  “I wanted a moment with you, Mrs. Shin,” he said in hushed tones. “I couldn’t help notice that tonight you were . . . rather much quieter than last week.”

  She chuckled a bit uncertainly. “Oh, I just had nothing to—”

  “During dinner,” he interrupted, firming his grip on her, “you hardly said two words, and while I agree that the Administrator of Science is less interesting that the soil he collects, I would have expected you may have had something to say to him.”

  Mahrree blinked. “I, uh . . . You weren’t even at my table,
Doctor Brisack.”

  “But I had a clear view of you from mine.” He looked deep into her eyes, searching for something. “I’m just concerned,” he said quietly, “that perhaps you were told to keep quiet tonight.”

  She was mystified. “By who?”

  “By someone who wasn’t too pleased with your performance in front of the Administrators the other morning. By someone who was jabbing your back so excessively that you likely bruised.”

  Mahrree’s mouth fell open in surprise. “How did you know about that?”

  “My life’s sole aim is to analyze the human condition, Mrs. Shin. I’m fascinated by pain, and watch for it in everyone I meet.” In a worried whisper he added, “Has he hurt you? Threatened you?”

  Mahrree’s shoulders sagged as she understood. “Doctor Brisack, no! My husband is the most wonderful man I could ever have hoped for.”

  Brisack wasn’t convinced. “Is he really, or has he conditioned you to believe that he is?”

  Mahrree watched her husband at the front door. He respectfully nodded to the kickball director and then, noticing one of his young audience members trying to sneak out the door behind him, abruptly turned to grab his hand and pump it more enthusiastically than necessary.

  Jaytsy put her hands on her hips again, and the young man sent only a fleeting glance at her before he rushed out the door.

  Mahrree noticed that Brisack was watching Perrin too, as if analyzing him.

  Suddenly Mahrree had an idea, something that could fix much of what she did last week. “Doctor Brisack, I realize you know nothing about my husband—”

  He grunted at that as if nothing could be further from the truth.

  “—but while he may appear to be a bear of a man, he’s truly gentle and loving. You saw him with that baby tonight. That wasn’t an act, Doctor; that’s how he genuinely is. Compassionate, and also very concerned with the human condition, in his own way. I’m reluctant to confess something so intimate, but I want to allay your concern: he quite adores me, and I him. What happened last week in front of the Administrators—that was more of a . . . a misunderstanding than anything else. We were both rather nervous to be there, as you can imagine, and since he was standing behind me, he didn’t hear clearly what I was saying. He misheard some things, and worried that some Administrators would mishear as well.” She looked into Doctor Brisack’s inquisitive gaze. “He just wanted to make sure I represented everything appropriately.”