Off Center (The Lament) Read Online Free

air-rifles like she and Paul had just weren't
that dangerous. It had been enough to get the men to stop, which was the real point.
She'd have felt bad if they'd really been hurt.
    As
it was she still felt kind of crummy as the older man limped away, clutching his
middle. Doctor Millis called her over from the back of the wagon, then waved at
Roy.
    "If
you two could help me move Mr. Butcher into the Lament? It would be a great aid
to me." He smiled, looking like an old, but gentle man from a play, and fussed
with his string tie. Normally that was a ribbon, but he'd changed it today for some
reason. This looked more manly, she realized. Still nice, but not fancy ,
which fit the situation a bit better.
    "Yeah."
Roy used a ground tie, which was just a weight with a rope, to hold the two horses
in place for the moment, and then clambered up into the back of the wooden wagon
like a monkey. He had big ears and a face that fit that image too well, but was
young and fit at the same time.
    Pran
had seen him without a shirt on several times, and it wasn't a horrible view at
all. Thinking that, and not letting it show on her face, she moved to help Will
shuffle to the edge, wondering the whole time if he was really the kind of man that
would touch little girls, like the towns people thought.
    Worse,
what if he wasn't?
    If
that was the case, then there was going to be a lot of hard feelings over this,
weren't there?
     
    Chapter two
     
     
     
     
     
    Judge
Claire didn't even bother trying to read the injured man, "there isn't much
point to it, given that he's not going to be able to show the signs of either truth
or lie for a while. The shadow in front of my eyes wouldn't help either, but I might
be able to manage it, if I tried. Given everything, I can't recommend it. Perhaps
in a few days?" She looked at the poor man, an expression of empathy on her
rather stately light skinned features. Her blonde hair was put back with a green
ribbon tying it loosely in place, and she was wearing all white. That was the uniform,
Pran knew, but this wasn't a real robe of office. It seemed more like a heavy outdoor
dress. "He needs to be sedated, doesn't he doctor? That would be enough to
skew things anyway."
    The
old man winked at her and smiled, his wrinkled face not exactly happy, but kind
enough.
    "I
already have him on poppy tincture. A fairly strong blend too. They weren't planning
on keeping him alive much longer, I don't think." There was no comment about
why that was, but he sighed and shook his head, standing back then.
    Judge
Claire nodded in agreement.
    "That
does seem to be the case. We need to ensure that no further harm comes to him. Will
keeping him on the ship be enough?" This was directed at Clark, but it was
Mara, who was by the door of the sick room, who answered, her voice nearly cheery
sounding.
    "Most
likely. I hate to lose the travel time, but justice demands to be served. Can you
head into town tomorrow? It sounds like there are a few others that might benefit
from your services there. I hate these little backwaters sometimes. They're so far
from everything that they think the law is more of a suggestion than a rule. Speaking
of that, any signs of cult activity?" She was clearly asking Clark, who shook
his head.
    Not
that they had to worry about the man in front of them on the cot waking up.
    "No.
Nothing at all. They're a bit run down here, but otherwise seem a wealthy enough
community. The people aren't fat, but they have enough on them to help through winter.
This is going to tear at them for a while, no matter what. If we have to ship off
ten percent of their men, that isn't going to help, not with the cold weather coming."
    At
first Pran thought he might actually be engaging in idle speculation, talking about
things that weren't their business, but Mara started nodding over by her place at
the entrance.
    "Pran
and I will go and check their food and energy stores in the morning. I can manage
that, I think. We should let