The sun is high above our heads, and the day is bright—and incredibly, almost unbearably hot.
Putting up the shade sails was a great idea. I have to learn to listen to my mate more.
I chuckle as I cross the huge green field in the center of the botanical gardens, laughing at my own stupid joke. I listen to Alisha as religiously as the faithful listen for the word of God.
It’s the day of Eccles’s first market fair, held in the massive garden that has been under Grace’s care for so many years. The main party is spread out here, in the vast open plain in the center that leads out into the wilderness, but there are games and stalls set up in almost all the smaller courtyards, too.
I take my time walking around the stalls, talking to all the people who brought their wares, both from Eccles and Rose Hollow. People from Eccles didn’t have much to bring, but Rose Hollow outdid themselves, as usual.
Poor folk from our lower quarter are gathered at the far end of the park, a lot of them looking like they don’t have the right to be there. I spend some time with them, eating and drinking with the adults as well as playing kickball with the kids, some of whom are flying kites and throwing frisbees.
They need to be convinced of their own value before they can contribute to the pack. The upper class has held them back for far too long.
It’s amazing to me that Scarlett held her own in this town at all, without any support. I’ve heard a condensed version from her, but much more from Gen.
Speak of the devil.
Gen waves to me from the balloon stand, and I hurry over to her. She has Hazel attempting to fill balloons from a compressed air tank, and seeing the usually composed and well-put-together older lady swearing at the tank valve with a red face and tangled hair does good things to my soul.
Lower quarter just needs to get a bit cleaner—and these guys are a whole lot dirtier. Then we’ll have balance.
“Hello, Gen,” I say, approaching the stall. “How are things?”
“Good,” she answers, giggling. “Hazel is doing brilliantly.”
“Is that supposed to be a joke?” Hazel mutters. “How does this thing even work?”
“I told you a million times!” Gen laughs. “The balloon has to be sealed onto the end, then you turn the nozzle—”
Hazel attempts to do just that, but lets go of the balloon, and the deflated ribbon hurls itself into the waiting crowd of children. They shriek with laughter at the fart noise and start jumping around as if their blood sugar level is higher than one hundred pints of ice cream.
Not far from the truth, thanks to the ice cream lady.
Most of the stall holders were giving away their stock today, and that’s just how Rose Hollow does things. Their market fairs very rarely involve money. It’s all about trade and advertising their goods, as well as making people happy.
Something Eccles hasn’t caught on to yet.
“Did any of the others show up, Gen?” I ask tactfully.
She shakes her head. “I’m sorry. I tried.”
I nod, giving her a firm look. I don’t want to talk about it here and ruin everyone’s day, but I will have words to say to the first families.
This is complete disrespect, not showing up to this event.
Before my mood can be completely ruined, I turn and jog across the oval, again blessing the huge shade sails covering it from one end to the other. Alisha predicted that the day of the fair was going to be blistering hot, and no one would have fun if we didn’t take precautions. It took every able-bodied man in town to set up the sails, but the result is more than worth it.
A day we really could have used the resources from Wolf’s Shadow.
A few weeks after our last incursion, the military unit received new orders. The rock remained dead and cold, and not a single heat signature flickered in the mountains. There were other missions around the world that needed attending, and all the Shadows pulled out of our territory. For the retired men, it was a little shocking—the first time we’d ever been without the backup of armed units.
When I retired, the full contingent was here. I never realized how naked I’d feel without them.
Sloan said the higher-ups felt the risk was manageable, mostly because some of their most reliable Shadows had retired here. Even though we’re still technically considered civilians, we are tasked to keep watch on the situation and report back with any changes.
They may have pulled out to see if the snake was waiting for them to leave.
It’s a valid reason for them to remove their presence, but if it was a tactic, it didn’t work. The great snake hasn’t been seenor heard since he gave Grace a long, sly look and slithered right out of town.
