Quester amongst the flowers 23

 

Chapter 23

 

Erman spent the day sorting out his affairs for an extended absence; he was thrilled to learn more from Quester, having had his first taste of the closest he had ever been to family life amongst Quester’s assistants and colleagues. He returned with a youth who Kiliana later described as a mini Burdock.  Mini was a relative term; he was already half a head taller than Quester.

“Bugloss!” roared Burdock. “You scrawny little runt!”

Bugloss ran to his brother who easily picked him up and swung him round.

“Careful, Burdock,” said Kiliana. “If he’s your new weapon there are rules about weapons of mass destruction.”

Burdock cheerfully knuckled her head.

“Who’s that, Bro, your breakfast?” quipped Bugloss.

Introductions were made all round.

“Bugloss is my full brother; we share a ma as well as a da,” said Burdock. “Our other full brothers are Borage and Buckwheat, and our sister is Begonia.” He considered. “Boss, can Purity and me adopt the kids if we can find them?”

“I don’t know; but I could take them into my household.  I want them given proper schooling. You learn fast, Burdock, but they should have proper lessons,” said Quester.

“You can’t send them to school, Leo,” said Kiliana. “The other kids would be on their case and bullying them, and it only takes one loss of temper, one thump to a bully which becomes accidental homicide, and that doesn’t only cause a tragedy for Burdock’s family but likely a backlash against all Ogroids.”

“Yeah,” said Burdock.

“I’m afraid Kiliana’s right,” said Purity. “I started at school after I was Unchosen, and it’s bad enough for us. I just flunked out and took a job. I couldn’t take the jibes, and the nips and pinches  and the boys were worse in a way because I developed a very full bosom.  And I was terrified of killing one of them by accident.”

“Well then! We shall have to have a tutor,” said Quester.

“Pick one very carefully; an unkind tutor can make life a living hell, especialy if they sneer at Ogroids to start with, and do not give them a chance,” said Erman.

“My lord,” said Villnew, “I’m going nowhere fast as a Jurisprudentor. I’ve had the same education you have, as you know, that I did not make the grade to be a Justiciar.  If you will employ me to teach Burdock’s siblings, I will do so.”

“You will? Splendid!” said Quester, beaming on him. “See about getting the apartment on long term lease, they can live there. Both floors.  Buy it if you can. Erman, you know where you acquired Bugloss, see to getting the others.”

“You trust me to do so, my lord?”

“Absolutely,” said Quester. “I see the affection you show Bugloss and that you look on him as a person. His siblings will be the same, I hope.”

“Me lud, thank you,” said Burdock, embracing Quester. Quester returned the embrace, as far as he could reach.

“Air an issue, my friend,” he gasped.

“Sorry, me lud,” said Burdock, sheepishly.

“I could find the half-siblings too, if you wanted,” said Erman, unwontedly diffidently. “My family was a rocket-cursed fuck up because of government policy and the failure of my parents to get along, and at that, I was lucky to have a loving father. I can’t love Ambria; I am sorry, but I can’t.  But it’s important that families should not be broken up.”

“The spirit of Abe is in you,” said Quester, softly, smiling warmly on Erman. “And I fancy that you may learn to love Ambria when she, too, has learned more.  You felt compassion for her mother, and that is but a step from love, if the conditions are right.”

“You are right; and I will try,” said Erman. “After all, I infected her with the ideas I had grown up with and it must have been traumatic for her to be called on thoughts she grew up with as normal. I hope she can learn to believe and be happy; I’m still afraid to give too much faith in case it turns out to be as I was brought up believing.”

“Your bravery in acknowledging that does you credit,” said Quester. “Which of us has not doubted at times? I grew up with a family of strong faith, and this was helped by my mentor, but I have wavered, I confess. There was a time when I wondered how political our Judiciary had become when it seemed that I had been set up to go and execute my own father. But Abe gave me signs from the unlikely seeming person of a Buckyhare, who was commissioned to transport me, a relatively honest man for that bunch of rogues in traders’ costume. The Blessed Abe has always supported me when I falter.”

 

oOoOo

 

“Zadok has agreed to run the service for the school tomorrow on Abesday,” said Quester. “The prisoners will be permitted to attend, in leg-binders, with lictors. We, however, have been invited to join the Winged Hussars on their war Zeppelin, and I highly recommend it. They are men of simple but devout faith, and their artwork is a treat to see, and brings alive the lives of the saints.”

“Oh, that will be lovely!” said Kiliana, her eyes shining.

“Red-splendid,” murmured Burdock. “All kinds of splendid, really.”

“How do you do it?” asked Kiliana. Burdock did not pretend to misunderstand.

“I lets my mind sort of run like an autogyro falling off a cliff,” he said. “And let words associate themselves.  People don’t get nasty if the stupid oaf gets words wrong, see? But Lord Quester sussed me out. Even Major Clintwood never sussed it out, though he was good to me,” he named the murdered officer to whom he had been bodyguard before Quester. “And now I does it to amuse me lud.”

“And I also know you can speak without any accent, because I heard you doing an impression of Senior Lictor Oran to amuse Purity,” said Quester.

“Only if I holds my nose and pulls in my belly, though,” said Burdock, without blinking.

“I’ll not argue,” sighed Quester. “You have a reprehensible sense of humour, Burdock.”

“Thank the Blessed Abe,” said Burdock.

“Truth; thank the Blessed Abe,” agreed Quester.

“May Jessica come?” asked Kiliana.

“Yes, certainly,” said Quester.

 

oOoOo

 

Jessica and Kiliana rose early as usual, and went with Marilyn put together a meal from the cold viands left out, since Abesday was a day of no work.

“You’re going to catch it,” said Lutsilla, nastily. “Breaking rules all the time.”

“Don’t be a little fool,” said Kiliana.

They were leaving the building when Miz Brossa and a security guard stepped out from behind a colonade to confront them, the music teacher’s arm outflung as she pointed.

“That girl was right! Curfew-breaking, stealing food, and trying to avoid the Abesday service!  Well, there’s a Justiciar here, investigating heretics!” she was gleeful.

“Are you a complete idiot?” asked Kiliana.

“How dare you speak to me like that! Apologise, immediately!” shrieked Brossa.

“Why? I asked a valid question,” said Kiliana. “A reasonable one under the circumstances since your accusations are ridiculous.”

“I am a teacher! You will apologise!” cried Brossa. “Taser them!” she demanded of the guard, who got out his taser.

“Soldier, stand down, and arrest this fool woman for interfering with the Justiciar,” snapped Kiliana.

The guard raised his taser, and Kiliana dived under it to knock him off his feet.

Quester, Eusebius, and Lukas arrived at the run. Kiliana’s fury and frustration had been a palpable wave.

“Killie! What’s going on?” demanded Quester.  Lukas seized Miz Brossa, and Eusebius seized the guard.

“This bloody woman told him to tase me because I was bringing over breakfast for us before going to the service on the ship.  She told lies and said I was breaking curfew.”

“You are,as it happens, Miz Antillus,” said Hawlus, coming out of the school in a dressing-gown over pyjamas.

“Huh? It isn’t nearly bedtime,” said Kiliana.

“You are supposed to stay in bed until the rising bell, at the seventh hour,” said Hawlus.

“Well, that’s stupid,” said Kiliana. “I always rise early, and I need to feed  my Justiciar. You know what? You can take your stupid school full of childish or perverted teachers and stick it. I was going to hang on until we moved on, but I can’t take this stupid rules for time any longer. It’s ridiculous. Be here, now! Be there next! Like a prison. Even the military isn’t so obsessed with time.”

“My dear girl, the rules are there for your protection, to make sure you are kept safe....”

“The only people I need to be kept safe from are the teachers,” interrupted Kiliana. “Leo, I’m going to stay on the ship; perhaps Marilyn will pack my clothes to bring up to me.”

“I want to go to the school with the Ogroids, Uncle Quester,” said Jessica. “May I? Please?”

“I suppose so; you’ll only be bullied by fools if I leave you here,” sighed Quester.

“School for Ogroids?” asked Eusebius.

“We’re expecting Burdock’s siblings,” said Quester. “I want them properly educated. Mr. Villnew volunteered to teach them in the apartment I haven’t been occupying.”

“Why not have them join us? They wouldn’t have to worry about hurting us,” said Eusebius.

“It’s a generous offer, and I’d like to think they were safe, but I wanted to extend the school for those Unchosen like Purity, who drop out of school once discarded by the regiment, because they are picked on for their size and, I suspect, for being what normal children would consider failures.”

Lukas and Eusebius exchanged looks.

“Plainly the regiment has failed those of our children who do not join the militia with us,” Eusebius said. “I tell you what, Leo, suppose you use this apartment, but we give visits; and I’ll find a couple of retired Highbred as well to help teach, and we share the funding, and we’ll winnow through the Unchosen, and put those who seem more academic in this school.”

“And those who are worthy into the Academy for Justiciars; where they will have to survive as best they might if they have what it takes,” said Quester.

“Yes, it would be a shame to waste the best, just because their best is in a different field,” said Eusebius.  “And I’d like to place Ambria there, as well, when she has learned enough to overcome her early life.”

“I will try to be kind to her,” said Jessica. “It will be hard, but I guess she deserves me to try.”

“Good girl,” said Lukas.  “She is much chastened.”

“Very well,” said Quester. “Hawlus, Kiliana and my ward will be using quarters in the prison bloc whilst I sort out the remaining logistical nightmares of the prisoners; we will doubtless be leaving late tomorrow. Kiliana’s maid is to have unhindered access to their belongings to pack them. I do not want to have to deal with any more of your puerile and incompetent staff, is that quite clear?  You may tell Miz Peta that I am sorry, but she has lost Kiliana from the swimming and diving team.”

“I am sorry that Miz Antillus feels this way,” said Hawlus. “It works well enough for the other girls.”

“Yes, but they’re little kids,” said Kiliana.

“They are the same age as you,” said Hawlus.

“I haven’t been a little kid since I was orphaned,” said Kiliana. “I’ve done an adult’s day’s work in the regimental kitchens since I was eight.”

“I suppose you are not used to thinking of yourself  as a child, my poor child,” said Hawlus, sadly. “And I cannot guarantee that Miz Vanrensula will not be bullied for befriending you.”

“Then consider them withdrawn. They will be attending the service, with me, on the ‘Sword of Sarmatia.’ You are a better principal than Rubia by far, but your staff have taken their mood from her,” said Quester.

Hawlus bowed his head.

“Yes, my lord,” he said.

 

oOoOo

 

Kiliana and Quester found their equanimity restored in the simple, moving service of the Hussars, and Quester discovered he was holding Kiliana’s hand in the beautifully painted chapel.

Eusebius wound up his short address.

“Our friend and little brother, Justiciar Quester, is getting married shortly to Kiliana, and Burdock is marrying Purity; hands together for them, my brothers, and then Quester will doubtless oblige us with another address.”

The Highbred and their marines applauded, and Quester, rather red in the face, went to the front of the chapel.

“Brothers, I won’t impose too much on you, but I cannot achieve the brevity of my last talk and prayer, because I want to sound off about many things I have found to be a problem in our Empire, which I am sure were never intended by the Blessed Abe, and which stem from mortal men making laws.  And I want to run my ideas past you before I run my head into a noose out there.”

There was a ripple of cynical amusement,

“You are not blameless,” said Quester.  “My assistant, Purity, whom you all know, dropped out of school for fear of accidentally killing school fellows for bullying her.  More provision should be made for the Unchosen.  Not your problem is that Ogroids are not all stupid, as those of you who know Burdock are aware. And yet, they are treated like slaves, and sold into service with their... protectors. I have never thought of the Constitution in such light before, seeing it as protecting those who need to be treated as children, but who would sell their children?  I do not know if this extends to the treatment of other semi-humans. But I need to find out.  And another thing; as I have found out over the last... Great Abe, is it only a week?... the marriage law for the Elite Xk has wrought more havoc than a few miserable posh families.  Many of them lost their faith, and have been rearing subsequent generations to laugh at faith, and to call Abe a construct to keep the lower classes in line. And well might you gasp!” he added as there was a collective intake of breath. “This is intolerable! And it is not their fault.  We have to help them.  And, really, that was all I wanted to say, and to tell you that one day I purpose to use any position I might gain to try to address these wrongs, and to keep talking to people about them.  I’ll listen to any suggestions. In the meantime, let us pray.”

He held out his hands in the blessing eagle and murmured a brief prayer; and the hussars resoundingly called out, ‘In Your Name’ to answer his own.

 

I can probably be talked into a weekend bonus chapter for the last chapter