happy.”
“I’d never heard of Eraranat until three days ago.” Elarn finished sealing the arm, then stepped around to the side and examined the scalp wound.
“Well, I suppose you must be a man of note yourself. Where I come from, Healers command respect from every quarter. Sagio , we call the best of them. Mind you, they do tend to do more healing and less harming. Where I come from, that is.”
Ama stood to one side, watching the exchange. A small crowd had joined her.
“I was a raider med, six years,” Elarn said. “Cure or karg, pay is pay.” He slathered a foul-smelling astringent into Viren’s scalp wound. The raw acridness of the scent repelled even the hardened crowd nearby.
Viren maintained his grin, though his eyes watered. “Yes, yes, coin!” He slapped a hand on the table for emphasis. “That’s what it comes down to, doesn’t it? It’s good to know there are still men who will sell their souls. Helps me sleep at night.” He cast an eye at Cerd, who had also joined the crowd.
“Are you done?” Ama asked Elarn.
“Just giving him his money’s worth.” Elarn jabbed a needle probe into Viren’s shoulder. He selected a symbol Ama couldn’t see and let the machine go to work.
“YES!” Viren gritted his teeth into a forced smile. “Good work.”
It was obvious neither man would back down from this small battle, but as much Ama wanted to stop this she didn’t want one of hers to lose face.
Elarn watched the results as they scrolled by on the screen. “Bit of a drinker, I see.”
“A nip here and there, good for the digestion.” Viren patted his stomach. “Nasty cough you have, by the way. Couldn’t help noticing.”
“Also, you have one latent venereal disease that would eventually rot your brain. Literally.” He tapped the control. “Taking care of that now.”
“The ladies, they’re always all over me. It’s a curse, I swear.”
Ama rolled her eyes; several of the men chuckled.
“How about you, Healer? Married? Must be, smooth talking fellow such as yourself. Can’t imagine you going home alone.”
Elarn pulled out the needle. “I go home and put your mother to scrubbing my floor, same as every night.”
He closed the kit and packed up once more. The men dispersed again but Ama stayed near.
Viren leaned in, keeping a safe distance from Elarn but close enough that the others couldn’t hear. “I let you live for Eraranat. Remember that. You owe him.” He sat up, rubbed the sealed cut, and smiled for the crowd. “Good as new and handsome as ever! Let’s give the healer our thanks!”
The men cheered. Ama did not join in.
When the gray bag was packed, Elarn turned stiffly and marched to the door. Ama followed, mouthing to Viren to stay put.
“Whatever you think of us, these men deserved better than that,” Ama told Elarn. “I will tell Seg what you did here. He won’t be pleased.”
Elarn turned to look down at her and she thought she saw, for a second, a crack in the façade. Was he scared or … ?
“I saved their lives. And yours. You’ve gotten better than any other Outers who just came across.”
“The best of bad is still bad. I won’t risk having you near these men again.”
Elarn stopped and glared. “The Outer with the big mouth attacked me. By rights, I could have this entire group sent to the ponds, including you. They don’t have medical at the ponds, and the dead feed the huchacks. Talk if you want.”
Ama stood her ground but didn’t answer. She knew a little of the toxic huchack ponds, and she knew a lot about the lack of rights granted to Outers. She couldn’t be certain if this man could follow through on his threat or not, but she suspected he could. And would.
“Viren’s wrong. You have no soul to sell.”
Elarn walked out without a word. Ama was glad to see the shadow disappear.
Safely deposited at the door of his residence, Seg followed the lights of Jarin’s trans as it pulled away. The street was well lit, even
“I’d never heard of Eraranat until three days ago.” Elarn finished sealing the arm, then stepped around to the side and examined the scalp wound.
“Well, I suppose you must be a man of note yourself. Where I come from, Healers command respect from every quarter. Sagio , we call the best of them. Mind you, they do tend to do more healing and less harming. Where I come from, that is.”
Ama stood to one side, watching the exchange. A small crowd had joined her.
“I was a raider med, six years,” Elarn said. “Cure or karg, pay is pay.” He slathered a foul-smelling astringent into Viren’s scalp wound. The raw acridness of the scent repelled even the hardened crowd nearby.
Viren maintained his grin, though his eyes watered. “Yes, yes, coin!” He slapped a hand on the table for emphasis. “That’s what it comes down to, doesn’t it? It’s good to know there are still men who will sell their souls. Helps me sleep at night.” He cast an eye at Cerd, who had also joined the crowd.
“Are you done?” Ama asked Elarn.
“Just giving him his money’s worth.” Elarn jabbed a needle probe into Viren’s shoulder. He selected a symbol Ama couldn’t see and let the machine go to work.
“YES!” Viren gritted his teeth into a forced smile. “Good work.”
It was obvious neither man would back down from this small battle, but as much Ama wanted to stop this she didn’t want one of hers to lose face.
Elarn watched the results as they scrolled by on the screen. “Bit of a drinker, I see.”
“A nip here and there, good for the digestion.” Viren patted his stomach. “Nasty cough you have, by the way. Couldn’t help noticing.”
“Also, you have one latent venereal disease that would eventually rot your brain. Literally.” He tapped the control. “Taking care of that now.”
“The ladies, they’re always all over me. It’s a curse, I swear.”
Ama rolled her eyes; several of the men chuckled.
“How about you, Healer? Married? Must be, smooth talking fellow such as yourself. Can’t imagine you going home alone.”
Elarn pulled out the needle. “I go home and put your mother to scrubbing my floor, same as every night.”
He closed the kit and packed up once more. The men dispersed again but Ama stayed near.
Viren leaned in, keeping a safe distance from Elarn but close enough that the others couldn’t hear. “I let you live for Eraranat. Remember that. You owe him.” He sat up, rubbed the sealed cut, and smiled for the crowd. “Good as new and handsome as ever! Let’s give the healer our thanks!”
The men cheered. Ama did not join in.
When the gray bag was packed, Elarn turned stiffly and marched to the door. Ama followed, mouthing to Viren to stay put.
“Whatever you think of us, these men deserved better than that,” Ama told Elarn. “I will tell Seg what you did here. He won’t be pleased.”
Elarn turned to look down at her and she thought she saw, for a second, a crack in the façade. Was he scared or … ?
“I saved their lives. And yours. You’ve gotten better than any other Outers who just came across.”
“The best of bad is still bad. I won’t risk having you near these men again.”
Elarn stopped and glared. “The Outer with the big mouth attacked me. By rights, I could have this entire group sent to the ponds, including you. They don’t have medical at the ponds, and the dead feed the huchacks. Talk if you want.”
Ama stood her ground but didn’t answer. She knew a little of the toxic huchack ponds, and she knew a lot about the lack of rights granted to Outers. She couldn’t be certain if this man could follow through on his threat or not, but she suspected he could. And would.
“Viren’s wrong. You have no soul to sell.”
Elarn walked out without a word. Ama was glad to see the shadow disappear.
Safely deposited at the door of his residence, Seg followed the lights of Jarin’s trans as it pulled away. The street was well lit, even
Similar Books
