Zenos abruptly went back to standing at attention. But his face wouldn’t obey. His eyes grew wet and his smooth chin trembled. “I would give my life for Mrs. Shin, sir. And even her mother. All I do is to save lives, sir.”
“Corporal Zenos,” the major’s voice was menacingly unemotional, “there were three groups of Guarders that left the forest that night. You noticed the first one, approximately twenty, by your count, who ran on foot. You were on horseback, yet didn’t catch up to them until the village, where you abandoned your horse and pursued on foot. Why?”
Zenos’s jaw shifted. “I was watching for the different directions they went, Major Shin. So I could report their progress to the other soldiers. And I did, sir. Remember, I told you that I reported the movements to the soldiers coming home from your debate before I followed the intruders to the Arky house. So that the other soldiers could be in pursuit as well. Sir.” He swallowed hard again.
“There’s something else that has troubled me, Zenos,” Major Shin said, maintaining his glare. “When you were in the Arky home you didn’t draw your sword. Three witnesses said you fought the Guarder, but you didn’t use any weapon. Why is that, soldier?”
“All I do is to save lives, sir,” he repeated.
“That’s not good enough!” the major yelled. “Being in the army means taking lives when necessary, Corporal! You’ve been trained, you were in a deadly situation wherein you nearly lost your life. There was a very real possibility that the intruder could have taken the lives of three Edge citizens because YOU failed to do your DUTY! Two other soldiers had to complete the job you refused to do. Why did you refuse to do it, Zenos?!”
Zenos couldn’t answer. He gulped and shook his head.
The major considered him for a moment. Zenos had remarkable access to Edge. His natural charm and cheerful face seemed to get him anywhere, even in the butcher’s before it opened and the bakery after it closed.
Even into the very home of the commanding officer of Edge, unsupervised, and with completely unrestricted access.
The major scolded himself for such carelessness, such unmitigated trust in someone barely older than a boy. The major half closed his eyes when he considered how often he had left his own children in Zenos’s care. How often he sent him to his wife, alone. He’d had his suspicions, but he’d decided to ignore them because he liked the boy. He had trusted his family completely in the hands of . . .
Shin shook his head slightly. “Corporal Shem Zenos, I expect an honest answer: Are you a Guarder?”
The answer was swift and loud, “No sir!”
“Corporal Shem Zenos, where is the spy you used to feed in the forest?!”
“Gone, sir! Three seasons ago. Remember, sir, we both looked for him. I haven’t seen him since, sir!”
“Corporal Shem Zenos, are you that Guarder spy?!” Shin yelled.
“No sir!” Zenos shouted louder.
“Corporal Shem Zenos, can you prove it?!” Shin bellowed in his face.
Zenos’s breathing became more shallow and rapid. A disobedient tear slipped down his cheek. “I . . . I don’t know how to, sir!”
“You could have proved it by drawing your sword!” Major Shin stared at him until Zenos began to tremble. “Or were you afraid of hurting one of your friends?”
Zenos quaked. “Permission to speak freely, sir?”
“Granted.”
Zenos’s eyes darted to see his accuser, but the rest of his body continued to face forward. “I can’t prove anything to you. All I can say is, you must have faith in me. Sir, have I ever, ever done anything you couldn’t trust?”
“No, Zenos, you haven’t,” the major admitted. “But I want further proof!”
Zenos slowly shook his head. “I have nothing to offer. But sir, there’s one way for you to know. Ask the Creator. He can tell you if I should be trusted. And sir, if I may be so bold, I believe He already has.”
“That is too bold, Zenos!” Major Shin shouted.
The tension was so thick even a sword didn’t have a chance to ding it. The air sat heavily around the two men, threatening to swallow them.
“And so what’s the answer, sir?” Zenos asked courageously.
“You are brash, soldier!” Shin shouted.
The major growled under his breath in aggravation. Neither spoke for several moments as the air in the command office squeezed them.
Shin stared at Zenos.
Zenos stared straight ahead and trembled.
Perrin couldn’t fight the feeling anymore. How it came to him, he wasn’t entirely sure, but it was everything that was Hogal Densal, and it was something he’d heard before.
My boy, trust this boy.
The words came with softness and warmth. Perrin’s suspicions, in contrast, always came in cold darkness. Those suspicions, he realized now, came from someone other than the Creator. But Perrin could always trust Hogal, who suddenly seemed so close that Perrin could almost feel his eyebrows waggling in encouragement.
In a voice barely above a whisper Perrin said, “Zenos, sometimes I think you are the only man I can trust. I wished I knew why.”
“Thank you, sir!” Zenos exhaled in relief, his shoulders sagging as he forgot about standing at attention. “You can, sir, with anything.”
“Then, Shem,” Perrin asked quietly, “why didn’t you draw your sword?”
Zenos’s face contorted. “I’m sorry, sir. The truth is, I didn’t want to. I never believed in taking a life. I was sure I could stop him some other way. But sir, I’ve never encountered someone so violent before. I misjudged the danger.” He firmed his stance. “It won’t happen again, sir. I see now too much is at stake. In the future I’ll draw my sword, and even use it.”
“Shem,” Perrin said gently, “you don’t have to kill the man. Only disable him. Give him something to remember you by.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll remember that, sir.”
Major Shin moved over to sit at his desk. He gestured to the chair across from him and Zenos sat down, looking ill and pale.
In a barely audible voice Perrin said, “I’m sorry, Shem. I had to eliminate the idea. I know you’re not a spy, but I had to be sure.”
“I understand, sir,” Shem’s trembling diminished to a minor tremor. “Sir, is there really someone here targeting your family?”
“I don’t know,” the major sighed. “I have so many questions. They knew which houses contained my family, almost as if they had a map. But when we can’t capture any Guarders alive to interrogate, we get no answers. Rather efficient process they have—commit suicide before questioning. Almost admirable if it weren’t so depraved . . .”
Major Shin sat thinking about that for so long that the corporal became visibly uncomfortable.
“Hmm,” the major finally broke the silence. “Zenos, can you do something for me?”
“Yes sir, anything!”
“Would you deliver a message to my home?” Major Shin began to smile.
Zenos burst into a relieved grin. “I live to serve, sir!”
“Just tell her the storm has yet to pass, to keep her eye on the horizon and watch the color of the sky. She’ll know what it means. Then you take a thorough look around the area, to appease me, and report back.”
Zenos nodded and stood up to leave.
“And Zenos,” the major added, “I’m going to tell her that you called her by her first name. I may require an explanation about that later.”
Zenos grinned. “Yes sir!”
Perrin sat back in his chair as Shem closed the door.
“So Hogal,” he whispered to the room, “who wants to destroy my family? I could really use your insight right about now.”
His office answered him nothing.
---
Mahrree watched Shem walk up the alley and back down again for the fifth time, after he circled the house four times. She’d kept track of his patrolling as she cleaned up her children’s efforts to rearrange every item in the house located waist-
high and lower. There were no creatures in the world quite so good at hiding things as toddlers. Mahrree was just replacing in the kitchen a pair of tongs—scrubbed clean—that she found in the washing room behind the privy, when she spotted Shem again from her window. He didn’t notice her watching him, but when she stepped out on to the back porch, he glanced over and nodded formally.
“Corporal,” she waved him over.
He shook his head.
Mahrree put her hands on her waist and raised her eyebrows in reprimand.
The corporal sighed and hopped over the fence. Barker came out of his house to greet him, and Shem petted him on the head half-heartedly. Slowly he walked up to the back porch.
“Ma’am?”
Mahrree rolled her eyes. “Something’s up besides a storm report. You’re going to talk. Now get in here, Shem!”
She didn’t know why he looked so gray as he obediently walked into the house and went to the gathering room, but she had a suspicion. The surgeon had declared him fit for duty only a few days ago, but Mahrree thought the surgeon would clear a dying man too, simply to improve his turnaround numbers.
“Are you feeling all right?” she asked, reaching up to gently touch the healing scar at his hairline. “It’s too soon for you to be patrolling again, I know it. You look terrible.”
Corporal Zenos tensed at her touch. He shook his head slightly and stood at attention. “I’m fine, ma’am.”
“Oh, stop that!” she smacked his arm. “We’re alone. Even the children are napping. Now, what have I told you? You’ve been doing it so well, too. No one’s around. Come on, Shem, you can do it.”
“Sorry . . . Mahrree.” He winced as he said her first name.
She nodded and grinned. “Much better. See? That’s not so hard. Now, what’s going on? My little brother doesn’t keep secrets from me now, does he?”
Shem exhaled and relaxed his stance. “Um, your husband . . . he, uh . . . thought I was . . .”
Mahrree took his arm. “Perrin thought what, Shem?”
He shuddered. “Do you have any idea how frightening he can be, Mahrree?”
She smiled in sympathy. She knew more than anyone. “A bit, yes. He’s been rather bear-like for the past few weeks. The children and I have been staying well out of his way.”
“Someone told him someone in Edge was behind the attacks,” Shem blurted. “And the first person he questioned was me!”
Mahrree’s mouth dropped open in shock. “No! How dare he?! Why, why, you of all people? You . . . you’re here all the time! You take care of our children! You even come for dinner and sit with us at the congregational meetings! You’re our favorite soldier—”
She stopped, but kept her hand on his arm.
“Which, if you were a spy, would give you remarkable access and knowledge about our family.” She looked at the floor, lost in thought. “Hmm.”
Shem made a choking noise in his throat. “But I’m not one of them! Please, Mahrree!”
She snapped out of her thoughts. “Oh, Shem—of course you aren’t! I just can see how someone might think that. No, no . . . you’re Uncle Shem!” She gave him a one-armed hug and pushed him gently to sit down on the sofa.
“He scared me near to death, Mahrree,” he stared at the wall as he remembered it. “He apologized afterwards, but I’ve never seen his eyes so hard. I don’t think he entirely believed me.”
Mahrree sat next to him. “Ever since he lost Hogal and Tabbit he hasn’t quite been himself. Give him some time.”
Shem nodded. “I miss them, too. Rector Densal had a great way of explaining things. In fact, there are a few things I wished I could ask him about.”
Mahrree patted his shoulder. “Hogal really liked you, you know. He wanted us to keep you close. Told us several times that you were a most exceptional young man.”
Shem turned pink. “That’s only because I’m the only other soldier in the entire fort that went on Holy Days.”
“It was much more than that, Shem. Don’t worry too much about Perrin. I think once he sets his new plans in motion, he’ll become easier again. He’s taking all of this very personally and snapping at everyone.”
He’d even barked at Barker, which amazed Mahrree, but only made the black beast blink.
Shem nodded. “That’s what Lieutenant Karna told me, after. That even Cockalorum and Curglaff said the attacks were ‘convenient’ for the major.”
Mahrree cringed. And she was just beginning to hope he was softening again. “Oh, he’s not going to be much fun tonight. I was thinking of having you over for dinner,” she patted his leg, “but—”
“I’m on duty until midnight, anyway.” He stood up abruptly, pushing her hand away. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be doing this, sitting and talking with you like this. I’m on duty right now!”
The poor boy, Mahrree thought. Perrin really had him shaken.
“Part of your duty is informing me of what’s going on at the fort, especially with my husband!” Mahrree winked at him. “You are a spy, and with more than one commander. Don’t you realize that?”
Shem turned pink again. “Yes, I’m well aware of that, ma’am. Mahrree,” he corrected himself.
“Tomorrow night then, Shem. You come over for dinner. I don’t want you going home for leave without the two of you on better terms. He’s only doing his duty—it’s not about you. Tomorrow he’ll be better. If not,” she bobbed her head back and forth, “I’ll let you know.”
Corporal Zenos took a more formal stance. “Yes, ma’am! I best get back to the fort. This house is secure. I’ll make my report to the major.” Shem paled a little at the thought.
Mahrree chuckled. “Chin up, soldier! You’re a hero, remember?”
Shem looked positively wretched.
Chapter 14 ~ “Shem, I don’t know if you realize what you’re asking.”
The Administrator of Loyalty sat in his office late at night reading again. Gadiman’s office used more candles than the entire floor combined. Across his desk came news from all over the world. And there was no better way to spend his days, evenings, and nights than making sure he was aware of every incident in Idumea and beyond. Nothing could be more important.
His wife never understood that, and now he was no longer burdened with trying to make her understand. In fact, he wasn’t entirely sure exactly when she left. He noticed a few weeks ago that the shelves were getting dusty and bare of food, the dishes overflowing in the basin hadn’t been washed, and that his house had been pleasantly silent for at least a moon’s full phase, maybe even two.
He turned the pages of the file secretly retrieved from the garrison after the High General of Idumea had left for the evening. The full report contained the details of each of the raids and the aftermath. Now every village without a fort was clamoring for increased speed in constructing theirs, and those with forts wanted reinforcements. The three villages targeted would receive fifty more men, and the other forts an additional twenty-five until recruitment numbers could be increased. And now, Chairman Mal—and General Relf Shin—were receiving stacks of letters from citizens praising their “forward thinking” in giving so much power to the commanders.
Gadiman seethed.
It was his idea! All of it!
Well, most of it, about giving more power to the commanders.
But he told it to Mal, and Mal shared his idea with that worm of a man, Doctor Brisack. Brisack didn’t deserve to have that other chair! He didn’t deserve to be Mal’s left hand. That was Gadiman’s position!
But since Gadiman was only a law assessor, not some heady scientist who conducted experiments with grass and bark and sulfur, he wasn’t “good enough.”
Oh, he was good enough to judge the loyalty of the world, to identify which citizens were getting just a bit full of themselves and needed to be knocked down a notch or two. Mal depended heavily on his reports, but still Brisack sat in his chair. How much longer would Mal put up with him?
Gadiman quickly—
but precisely—jotted down numbers and names and locations for his own comprehensive report. So many dead, and not the correct ones. If Gadiman had been in charge, there’d be no Shins left alive! He would’ve seen to that.
Brisack, what did he do? Gave vague messages, obscure suggestions, and hoped everyone did everything right. He couldn’t even make contact with their so-called Quiet Man. In the last three incidents, Shin wasn’t hurt beyond a scratch on his back.
That was Brisack’s failure. And Gadiman was keeping track of all the good doctor’s failures. Every last number and detail.
Gadiman wouldn’t fail.
He knew precisely what to do, and that lieutenant he was training was hungry enough to follow Gadiman’s every command. He could pull this off. He’d succeed where the others failed.
Gadiman only had to wait for Mal to finally be fed up. And he would be, probably by tomorrow. And then the Administrator of Loyalty would demonstrate his immense loyalty by presenting the ultimate plan for destroying Shin.
Whichever Shin Mal wanted destroyed.
---
“Finally!” a large man in dark mottled green and brown clothing breathed as he saw the lone figure walking up to the hot spring. He rushed over to the young soldier and embraced him. “You have no idea the worry you’ve caused.”
The young man chuckled and sat down on the log. “Nice to see you again too! I am sorry, but I haven’t been able to leave before now.”
“Understandable.” His companion sat next to him. “We had assurances you would recover, but still—” He took the corporal’s head and looked at the scar healing on his forehead. “I suppose that’s the best they could do. At least it’s at the hairline.”
“So it won’t ruin my boyish good looks?” the young man grinned.
The large man shook his head. “No, no you haven’t changed a bit. Feeling all right?”
He sighed. “Yes. Bit of a difficult day with Major Shin, but I think we’ll come out of it all right.”
“So you still want to continue? We can pull you out—”
Soldier at the Door (Forest at the Edge) Page 34