The River Horses by Allen Steele

Author:Allen Steele
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Published: 2018-02-14T16:00:00+00:00

Lars didn’t take Marie seriously at first. Even when she climbed aboard the skimmer to throw his belongings on the beach, he seemed to think she was simply having a fit; he stood nearby with his arms crossed, a knowing smirk on his face. It was not until Missus Smith told him to pick up his gear and carry it to the closer of the two keelboats that he realized this wasn’t a joke. He was being expelled, along with the New Boston colonists who’d been at last night’s drinking party.

His disbelief quickly turned to anger, as did everyone else’s being forced to leave. Yet Missus Smith had the upper hand; she’d already spread the word to all those in camp who were tired of being bullied by James and his cronies, and they’d decided the time had come to stand up for themselves. They’d showed up with guns, machetes, tree branches, anything that could be used as a weapon. Seeing that he and his pals were outnumbered, James tried to bargain with her, making promises that they’d behave from now on, but Missus Smith remained firm. James’s group would be given one of the boats and a fair share of the supplies, including a couple of flechette rifles and a satphone in case of an emergency. They could take the rest of the ale and bearshine, too. Yet there was no question that they were being sent their own way, or that Lars was going with them.

Lars became ugly. Red-faced, stamping at the ground like a petulant child, he heaped foul words upon Marie, calling her things that, until now, she’d never imagined that he could think about her. Perhaps it was only the heat of the moment, but it was then that she realized for the first time that he’d never really loved her; she’d been little more than a toy he’d found, useful for sex and little else. Truth be told, she’d felt much the same way about him, too; the events of the past several days, though, had shown her that Lars was only a mannish boy who thought of no one but himself.

Nonetheless, his last words to her stung the most. “You can’t get along without me,” he said as he bent down to pick up his sleeping bag. “You know it, too.”

“Yes, I can.” She fought to keep her expression stolid, yet tears welled in the corners of her eyes. “I don’t need you.”

“Yeah, you do. You’d be dead by now if it wasn’t for me.” He looked past her toward Manny. The savant stood a few yards away, carbine in his hands. “Who you gonna depend on now, that thing? Hell, it ain’t nothing more’n a two-legged can opener.”

“He saved my life. And he didn’t try to trade me for a jug of booze. More than I can say for you.”

“No?” Lars slung the pack over his shoulder, tucked the bag under his arm. “Let’s see him keep you warm at night, then.” An ill-humored grin split his face.

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