in the lords’ language.
"All of the farmers, priests, and artisans on this ship
are descendents of the population of a single village and its surrounding lands
in England," Forset told him. "The shopkeepers, the farmers, the
village squire, and the clergy in the church went to sleep one night and woke
the next morning in this ship." He rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"They took our livestock. They took our tools. They took the books from
the church. That was over four hundred years ago. Our English has changed
little since, so you were able to understand us."
"I had a hard time, at first," Tommy said,
"but your English is not so different from how some people speak in parts
of America, in the mountains. I just had to listen carefully."
Forset squatted by the stream and let the water pour over
his hands. "English has served the ship well, at least as far as Earth is
concerned. The spread of the British Empire on Earth gave our people the
ability to communicate and trade almost anywhere they landed. Other ships that
go to Earth made poorer choices of crew."
Tommy looked around the Commons. "Other ships? Other
ships like this one?"
"You thought this is the only ship? The lords have
many ships, and, of those, many stop to trade at Earth. Whether they are like
this one, I couldn't say."
"Kidnapping the inhabitants of a town doesn't sound
like trade to me. As for that, kidnapping me isn't trade either."
Forset splashed water on his face. "They take
sometimes; they trade almost always. Your own ancestors were enslaving others
at the time my ancestors were stolen. For manufactured or farm products, they
almost always find trading easier than stealing, as long as the lords have
something that is wanted in return."
"What do the lords offer on Earth?"
Forset laughed. "Earth's inhabitants are especially
easy, I'm told. The lords have maintained relationships with families there
for many generations, and all feral humans want is gold and, for the last few
trips, boxes of strangely decorated pieces of paper with your symbol for one
hundred printed on them. The lords took a sample, and the artisans produced
them by the thousands. The gold is gotten with little effort from your own
comet cloud when we first arrive in-system."
"What do the lords get in return?"
Forset stood and continued walking. "Organics. Art.
Animals. This past landing, no doubt some things that require your
services."
Tommy's next question got only a blank expression at first.
"Why do women only work at cooking and serving in the meal room and hoeing
weeds?"
Finally, Forset replied, "That is the way it has always
been. How would you have it?"
"In my time, on my Earth, at least in the United
States, women are allowed to do anything a man can do," Tommy said.
"That makes no sense," Forset replied.
"Everyone knows women are inferior. Requiring more of them would be
harmful."
"My mom would strongly disagree with you," Tommy
said.
They had reached the end of their walk and were back at
Forset's cabin. "Perhaps you could help me with a trade item I do know
of. The artisans gave me a wonderfully tiny knife with many blades obtained
from Earth."
Forset produced a small box containing a four-bladed safety
razor. "I bloodied my finger on the blades, but I cannot imagine what is
meant to be cut by them."
# # #
On one walk through the Commons, Tommy asked about the parts
of the ship he hadn't seen.
"I am told the ship is a gigantic sphere, compressed
slightly from top to bottom," Forset said. "I haven't seen the ship
from the outside, but the artisans and warriors who ride in the landers give
that description. My world inside the ship is not so much different from your
world. The place I meet with the lords, you have not seen, and I have led the
artisans' services in places you have not been, but our walks have taken you to
most of the other places I know. I believe
"All of the farmers, priests, and artisans on this ship
are descendents of the population of a single village and its surrounding lands
in England," Forset told him. "The shopkeepers, the farmers, the
village squire, and the clergy in the church went to sleep one night and woke
the next morning in this ship." He rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"They took our livestock. They took our tools. They took the books from
the church. That was over four hundred years ago. Our English has changed
little since, so you were able to understand us."
"I had a hard time, at first," Tommy said,
"but your English is not so different from how some people speak in parts
of America, in the mountains. I just had to listen carefully."
Forset squatted by the stream and let the water pour over
his hands. "English has served the ship well, at least as far as Earth is
concerned. The spread of the British Empire on Earth gave our people the
ability to communicate and trade almost anywhere they landed. Other ships that
go to Earth made poorer choices of crew."
Tommy looked around the Commons. "Other ships? Other
ships like this one?"
"You thought this is the only ship? The lords have
many ships, and, of those, many stop to trade at Earth. Whether they are like
this one, I couldn't say."
"Kidnapping the inhabitants of a town doesn't sound
like trade to me. As for that, kidnapping me isn't trade either."
Forset splashed water on his face. "They take
sometimes; they trade almost always. Your own ancestors were enslaving others
at the time my ancestors were stolen. For manufactured or farm products, they
almost always find trading easier than stealing, as long as the lords have
something that is wanted in return."
"What do the lords offer on Earth?"
Forset laughed. "Earth's inhabitants are especially
easy, I'm told. The lords have maintained relationships with families there
for many generations, and all feral humans want is gold and, for the last few
trips, boxes of strangely decorated pieces of paper with your symbol for one
hundred printed on them. The lords took a sample, and the artisans produced
them by the thousands. The gold is gotten with little effort from your own
comet cloud when we first arrive in-system."
"What do the lords get in return?"
Forset stood and continued walking. "Organics. Art.
Animals. This past landing, no doubt some things that require your
services."
Tommy's next question got only a blank expression at first.
"Why do women only work at cooking and serving in the meal room and hoeing
weeds?"
Finally, Forset replied, "That is the way it has always
been. How would you have it?"
"In my time, on my Earth, at least in the United
States, women are allowed to do anything a man can do," Tommy said.
"That makes no sense," Forset replied.
"Everyone knows women are inferior. Requiring more of them would be
harmful."
"My mom would strongly disagree with you," Tommy
said.
They had reached the end of their walk and were back at
Forset's cabin. "Perhaps you could help me with a trade item I do know
of. The artisans gave me a wonderfully tiny knife with many blades obtained
from Earth."
Forset produced a small box containing a four-bladed safety
razor. "I bloodied my finger on the blades, but I cannot imagine what is
meant to be cut by them."
# # #
On one walk through the Commons, Tommy asked about the parts
of the ship he hadn't seen.
"I am told the ship is a gigantic sphere, compressed
slightly from top to bottom," Forset said. "I haven't seen the ship
from the outside, but the artisans and warriors who ride in the landers give
that description. My world inside the ship is not so much different from your
world. The place I meet with the lords, you have not seen, and I have led the
artisans' services in places you have not been, but our walks have taken you to
most of the other places I know. I believe
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