The Mansions of Idumea (Book 3 Forest at the Edge series) (40 page)

“You realize,” she said hesitantly, “that he
still doesn’t want to be a soldier. I know there’s the tradition,
but right now he’s—”

“I know, and that’s all right,” Relf said.
“He needs to make his own decisions. I won’t pressure him.”

Mahrree nodded, and feeling the opportunity
was right, decided to push it. She put her hand on top of his. “I’m
glad you feel that way about your grandson. Now General—Relf—could
you feel that way about your son?”

He laid his head back on the pillows and
closed his eyes. “Mahrree, you don’t know what you’re asking.
Perrin’s different. Perrin has a destiny.”

“We all have a destiny,” Mahrree said. “The
Creator has a plan for each of us, but sometimes we ignore it
because we want our own will even more.”

He opened his eyes and regarded her with a
level of thoughtfulness she’d never seen in him before. “I’ve been
reading about that in The Writings lately. Hogal would be proud of
me,” he added with a small smile. “Sometimes we don’t even
understand the plan until the plan’s at its end. Faith, Mahrree,
right? That’s what we go on until we see the solution. Well, I have
faith in my son’s destiny. The Creator has a plan for him.”

Mahrree would marvel at this discussion
later, when she’d whisper it to Hogal and hope he was in her part
of Paradise to hear that Relf Shin was voluntarily reading The
Writings. She could already hear Hogal Densal’s cheerful chuckle,
I knew that boy would come around some day
!

She leaned forward and said, “But do you know
what that plan is, Relf?”

“Yes,” he said plainly.

Mahrree was startled by that. “Well then, can
you tell me what it is?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Mahrree,” he pulled his hand from under hers
and placed it on top. He grasped her fingers firmly, and she fought
wincing as she realized where Perrin had learned to grip a woman’s
hand like the hilt of a sword. “Just take care of my son. Promise
me. He’s a special man—”

“You told me something like the first time I
met you. And you’re right—”

Relf shook his head. “It’s much more than you
think. He can do great things he can’t even imagine right now. But
he must,
must
stay in the army. Promise me you’ll help
him.”

It wasn’t the High General of Idumea ordering
her; it was a father asking for her help. She remembered the first
time she saw High General Shin and how intimidated she’d been. She
could hardly string more than a couple of sentences together in his
presence. Over the years she began to know him a little better, but
it wasn’t until this trip that she saw him as something much more
than just the General.

She closed her other hand on top of his.
“I’ll do all I can to support him,” she promised.

He clenched his teeth. “There’s that
avoidance tactic again. Why is it I can never get a straight answer
from either of you?”

“Because you ask such hard things!” Mahrree
grinned at him. “But I do promise.”

His face softened. “One more thing, if you
will?”

“I will, if you make it an easier
request.”

He chuckled. “Make sure he does his duty at
The Dinner.”

“Ooh.” She sighed. “This is going to be a
disappointing week for you, isn’t it?”

---

Two men sat in the dark office of an unlit
building.

“Wasn’t she remarkable?”

Chairman Mal opened his mouth to answer, but
Brisack answered himself. He’d been waiting all day to speak to
Nicko. Several times in the halls Brisack beamed at him with the
excitement of a boy on his birthday, knowing that later there’d be
pie and presents and maybe even a pony, and could he have it now?
Twice that afternoon the good doctor had stood in the waiting room
of Mal’s office, checking his schedule to see if there was an
opening, but both times Nicko sent him a warning squint, reminding
him that such matters are never discussed except in a certain room
and at a certain time, such as now—

“I mean, I expected a certain level of poise,
but she was completely unflappable! From my vantage point, Shin was
stabbing her so hard in the back she’ll undoubtedly have a series
of bruises there, but still she rallied on!”

Mal took a breath, but was again cut off
before he could begin.

“I mean, I, I, I was completely stunned.
She’s in her forties? Looked barely thirty, didn’t she? The only
giveaway to her age were a few gray hairs, and she certainly
doesn’t look like someone who’s been ravaged by two expectings,
does she? Over the years I’ve imagined what she may have looked
like—just for a point of reference, mind you—but I wasn’t expecting
someone so dainty, so charming—But her eyes . . . oh they weren’t
dainty, were they? Like fires raging in them!”

Mal didn’t even try to interject his
thoughts. He just sat back with his hands clasped on his lap while
the good doctor plowed on with a faraway look in his eyes.

“Not that we have many citizens who stand
before us, but I’ve rarely seen such composure in officers! She
knew exactly what she wanted to say, and nothing was going to stop
her. Remarkable. What an interesting woman.”

Mal waited a moment before attempting to
speak. “So . . . are you about finished with your gushing about
Mahrree Shin?”

Brisack blushed. “I’m, I’m sorry. Didn’t
realize I was—”

“Gushing, yes. A man of your age, stature,
and
married status
, gushing about some villager from the
north.”

Dr. Brisack swallowed.

“So,” Mal began, “quite a performance put on
by the Shins this morning, was what I was going to say.”

Brisack nodded, but remained silent.

“From some of my sources, Colonel Shin wasn’t
as pleased with his wife’s presentation as you were, my good
doctor. He forced her down to Gadiman’s office, pushed her up
against the wall, and said something threatening to her before
marching her out of the building. They said the look on his face
was positively murderous.”

Brisack swallowed again. “He wouldn’t hurt
her, I’m sure of it. He was probably just as surprised by her as I
was. That’s all. I’m sure he’s over it.”

“Bears don’t easily calm down, Doctor.”

“He’s not a bear,” Brisack said. “He’s a
man.”

“Men are worse, Doctor.”

“Not him,” Brisack said solidly. “I looked
him in the eyes. Not him.” But something suggested he was now
worried about the possibility.

Mal smiled thinly. “Gadiman was in earlier.
Brought me her letters to review again. I get the impression we’ve
been underestimating her. She hasn’t gone silent like so many of
her fellow detractors have over the years. Instead, she’s been
ripening like cheese, becoming stronger and sharper with age. She
has great potential, this one. Great potential to do us great harm,
if she doesn’t feel any fear of retribution or consequences.”

Brisack shook his head. “All she said today
was teach the people how to take care of themselves. Even the
Administrator of Education said he could think of a few ways to
implement strategies to teach people how to look at a situation,
put it in one of several categories, then see what kind of
possibilities exist to—”

Mal sighed loudly to stop the dull drivel.
“That’s not thinking. That’s plugging numbers into a formula. And
that’s not what Mrs. Shin was saying. I know you heard it, too. She
hasn’t come around, and she has the ear of the future High General
of the world? You experiment with concoctions—do you realize what a
volatile mix that could create?”

Brisack blinked. “So you’ve already decided
about the High Generalship? But there have been promises
made
.
I thought you were going to—”

“We need to keep a closer eye on her. And
it’s going to happen here.”

“What about the Quiet Man? What about your
plans for him to—”

Mal shook his head. “I still haven’t found a
way to get in contact with him. We may have to conclude he’s gone
as well. Fourteen years was too long for any man. No, Colonel Shin
will be receiving yet another promotion, one that he cannot
refuse.”

Brisack rubbed his chin. “I really don’t
think that’s going to work. Shin doesn’t want to be here. And if
his wife—”

“—finds herself enjoying Idumea,” Mal smiled,
“she just may be the key to getting them both here.”

Brisack shrugged. “Perhaps. I don’t see how
we can influence that though.”

“There are ways. The Dinner will show us how.
Brilliant stroke of luck to still have that this year, with them in
attendance. Let Mrs. Shin see what Idumea has to offer, what her
husband means to the city, then you can gauge her responses and go
from there.”

“Wait,
me
?” Brisack made a face.

“You’re going, Doctor. You and your wife.
Tradition, you know. I realize you don’t enjoy these things, but it
is
your turn this year. Go to observe her. And Gadiman.”

Brisack barked a laugh. “Gadiman? He’s
going?”

“I ordered him to. You can give me a report
on how both of them behave that night. Many decisions about their
futures will be made based on what you see.”

Brisack nodded once. “Then I’ll be sure to be
most thorough, Nicko.”

“I’m expecting you to bring back something
tasty, Doctor.”

“Of course. Full reports on all of them.”

“Actually, I was thinking along the lines of
cake, my good doctor. Bring me back a slice.”

---

The Duty of The Dinner lessons began the next
morning. With only seven days left to prepare, Mahrree was feeling
even more Edgy as she sat at the breakfast table with the
family.

But her mother-in-law wasn’t worried.
“Delegation, dear. That’s how I handle the pressure—I simply don’t.
I shift it to others, spread it around. I organize and assign and
check on others to make sure they do
their
duty. I learned
that from the army. Otherwise, how could I feed and entertain over
three hundred people in this house?”

“So you won’t need me after all?” Perrin
asked hopefully as he took another bite of breakfast.

His mother glared at him. “You’re part of the
delegation, Perrin, and no one in Idumea wants to disappoint
Joriana Shin. Besides, with the news that all is well in Edge, you
can focus on your efforts here.”

Perrin grunted quietly. “Not
completely
well.”

Mahrree smiled encouragingly at him, but he
didn’t return it.

The messenger had arrived last night after
dinner with news from Major Karna. He reported that reconstruction
was going well, no more dead had been uncovered, and no one else
was missing. The first of the peas and lettuces were beginning to
sprout, even in the old catapult fields. Food stores were being
rationed and the fort was allocating all available grain to the
villagers.

That last sentence had bothered Perrin the
most. By his calculations, there were still a couple of weeks where
there might not be enough food. He had sent back another message
that the grain be given out in as small as amounts as possible,
just to make sure it would last.

Mahrree looked down at her eggs, ham, toast
and beans, and felt guilty that they were eating so well while Edge
wasn’t.

Perrin sighed at his plate, likely thinking
the same thing. He stood up and picked up his cap.

“Where are you off to?” his mother demanded.
“I have the dance instructor coming.”

Perrin stopped. “What?”

“You need to learn the new dances! Mahrree
and Jaytsy, too. Peto’s still too young—”

“Ah, that’s too bad,” Peto said with a broad
grin which his father envied.

Mahrree gulped, wondering if she could claim
she was too young as well.

“No, Mother,” Perrin said firmly. “I’m going
to the garrison, remember? Discussing response times and recovery
methods are far more important than learning how to dance,” he said
with a slight shudder. “Besides, Father will be exhausted after his
morning at the garrison, and I’ll need to put him on the carriage
to come back home.”

Joriana shook her head. “But you have to
prove you’re civilized! Not one of those wild men from the
north—”

“But I
am
a wild man from the north,”
he grinned.

“You know what I mean!” his mother
snipped.

“I’ll find another way to show my civility,
all right?” he promised. “Who do you have coming anyway?”

“Kuman. The cook’s older brother? He’s been
teaching people to dance for over ten years now.”

Perrin shook his head. “I’m supposed to learn
civility from the cook’s brother? What else does he do?”

Her gaze turned crisp. “He’s a dressmaker,
too.”

Perrin burst out laughing. “A
dressmaker?”

“Yes! And his wife has the loveliest clothes
you’ve ever seen. He’s a clever man. Used to make suits, but
realized women go through dresses much more quickly, so he changed
his business. Then he realized these women wear his dresses to
dances, so he became a dance instructor to further his name.”

“I almost want to meet this man. Certainly
opportunistic and resourceful, I must admit. But,” he continued in
feigned grief, “the safety of Edge is more important. The
Administrator of Security will be expecting me in about an hour,
and I have all of Mahrree’s notes to deliver.”

Joriana scowled. “Oh, that’s so convenient,
isn’t it, Perrin?”

Perrin came over to kiss his mother on the
forehead. “Doing my duty? Absolutely!”

He leaned over and kissed his wife briefly on
the lips, paused, then dove in for a proper goodbye. At least that
part of Perrin was still recognizable in Idumea, Mahrree thought as
she thoroughly enjoyed his extended kiss.

Peto groaned. “There’s your civilization,
Grandmother. He does this to me all the time. And Uncle Shem isn’t
even here. Look at them, all slobbery and—augh, I’m still trying to
eat here, parents!”