Fable by Peter David

Author:Peter David
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2010-09-07T04:00:00+00:00

JAMES SAID VERY LITTLE AFTER HE AND Thomas took their leave of the small blacksmith shop. Any questions or attempts at casual conversation resulted in only short, barely articulate grunts. Even Poxy could discern that there had been a change in her master’s demeanor, and she stayed close by his side and whimpered every so often to make her concern known.

With the sun lowering and no inns in sight, they made camp just off the road, at which point Thomas could stand the silence no longer. “You are upset,” he said.

“That’s ridiculous. I have no right to be upset,” said James. He sat a short distance away, his legs curled up and his chin resting upon his knees. “Where does it say I’m entitled to have opinions? Only what you say matters.”

“Stop it. You’re being ridiculous.”

“I’m ridiculous!” It had not taken much prodding on Thomas’s part to spur James to vent his frustration. “You believed everything they said! Everything!”

“You saw the marks on the girl. Their story made sense.”

“Their story was just that: A story! But you, you’re so damned trusting, you just accepted everything they said at face value! What if the mother isn’t the brute they say she is? That the father just decided he could do better elsewhere, and the daughter and her lover went along with it?”

“Come on, James. You saw that woman. She would have beaten us to death, given half a chance.”

“She didn’t know who we were! And what about the pig farmer! He promised us a reward if we could point him to the one who stole his pig. Which we can do now, except . . .”

“Except I gave my word—”

“Your word, not mine. Or are we back to insisting that I’ve no say in it? Besides,” he added before Thomas could respond, “you only promised not to rat them out to the mother. You didn’t say anything about the pig farmer. Let Samuel deal with the consequences of his actions instead of us always struggling to keep our purses and bellies filled.”

“There are more important things than money, James.”

“Isn’t it funny how people who have money always say that?”

“James—”

James put up a hand, and said brusquely, “Forget it, okay? Just forget it.” He added in a formal tone, “You have made the decision and I, your humble servant, will abide by it.”

Thomas was hurt by James’s reaction. “James . . . come on. You know you’ve always been a good friend, not just a servant.”

“All I know is that I’m tired of talking about these things, okay?”

That was most definitely not how Thomas wished to leave the matter, but it was clear that James was in no mood to continue the discussion. So Thomas lay out his bedroll and rested himself upon the ground, James following suit, pointedly lying with his back to Thomas. Thomas shrugged, hoping that James would be in a better mood upon the rising of the sun and that matters between them could return to normal.

He drifted to sleep and, for the first time in a while, the balverines came to him in his slumber.

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