The Bastard Heirs by Helen Rygh-Pedersen

Author:Helen Rygh-Pedersen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Helen Rygh-Pedersen
Published: 2024-02-24T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

The tales we tell children

The dust that had coated the quarry and the throats of those who worked there had turned to a black, unforgiving mud in the first of the winter storms. There was no need for nasa masks now, unless the volcano erupted that very moment. Now, in the light of the grey day that followed, Raydock and the overseer could see that even with the Blooded slaves, this was going to be a problem.

“Just look at them, slipping and sliding all over the place!” The overseer held out his hands in disbelief as a group of slaves and their Cherufi handlers made their way inelegantly across the yard. One of them leaned forward too far and was thrown off balance, landing in the mud with a loud squelch. The Cherufi tried to help them but ended up following the slave down, cursing and yelling as he did so. Those around them were trying not to laugh at the spectacle of slave and master, both trying to right themselves and help the other, slipping and falling over and over. They’d be beaten if they did laugh, yet Raydock didn’t begrudge them the smirks that escaped. It was a particularly amusing sight, and he himself was finding it hard not to chuckle.

The overseer caught him and crossed his hands crossly. “Oh, you may well laugh sire, but look at those fellows over there.” He pointed to a group of slaves trying to push loaded wheelbarrows through the sludge and up the ramp. The coated wheels slid ominously on the thin gangway. Any wrong move and it would propel itself and its cargo over the edge, most likely taking the driver with it, too. Raydock followed the line of fall and tsked as he saw half of the quarry slaves at work underneath. No, that wouldn’t be good.

“Well, we will just have to slow the pace down to match the conditions. Cher knows” — Raydock raised a finger from his own crossed arms to stroke the beads around his muscle — “if we try to keep going at the pace we have been when it’s like this, there will be accidents, and it will delay work even more.”

The slave master grunted, not happy about the conclusion he’d already drawn but pleased to see that the prince had the same sense. He scratched his stubbly chin, about to speak, when a deafening rumble boomed. At the same time, the ground began to shake violently.

“Into the open!” yelled the overseer to the wide-eyed workers and Cherufi guards reaching for their pouches. “Damn the ash, get out!” They couldn’t hear a word he said, but as he grabbed hold of Raydock and dragged him to open ground, they followed suit. Those on ladders and gangways simply had to hold on for dear life as the structures around them shook, rocks falling from above, smashing into everything in their path.

The prince grasped the overseer’s arm as they made their way across the trembling, mud-soaked ground to the centre of the quarry.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.