Chapter 9

I told everyone to go home and heal up. I was very concerned that there might be more trouble from a bigger group of soldiers.

As magistrate I appointed three of the best riders in the community to be scouts. They were to work together and let us know if there were any more incursions by the army. I was not sure that the last attack was actually a true government backed army, or just a warlord that saw a vacuum he might be able to fill.

Over the next three months we began to see an influx of people who came to our district to begin to farm and raise their families. The immigrants were both Tik and Grest. Our guard units continued to train and the immigrants joined up along with every one else to protect our families. I still had not had to convene court.

My term passed with only having to convene court one time for a misdemeanor charge against two men who got into a fight over a very pretty girl.

My family grew and prospered. Our farm continued to produce well for us, and our livestock flourished. Billy and Nita were both very smart and active. I told them stories, and taught them things they could do. Verine and Erma were very happy. Our bond was so strong that I could point at them at any time. They still came up to me several times a day just to touch me and press their skin to mine. I really didn't mind it and had gotten used to the touching. I had gotten in the habit of holding them whenever we were sitting together in the evening talking about things.

The time came to elect a new magistrate. Calvin Cob, a Tik farmer was elected to be the new magistrate and he appointed me to be the head of the home guard unit. I accepted, because I knew someone had to do it and I had some military experience.

Our guard unit had grown to 135 members. During our training I had tried to move the biggest men to the swordsman's walls and the smaller men to be in the missile troops. I had upped the number of slingers in the squads to four, so the squads now consisted of 12 men.

We had added an additional squad and some additional men to the archer company.

A small contingent of Tik troops came to our district to collect the annual taxes. They were paid and after giving a receipt to the tax collector headed out of town.

The next week I had a chance to talk to the tax collector. I asked him how the troops had acted, especially the officer. He told me that the officer had seemed surprised to find him as the magistrate. I asked that the word be passed that I needed a meeting with the guard units and police in ten days. Mr. Cob agreed.

The ten days passed quickly and I called the meeting to order and explained that I was very concerned that we would be in for another fight due to the fact that the officer in our tax collection troop acted very surprised to see us still ruling ourselves. That made me think that he knew about the attempt to take our land over again.

One of the new men in the unit asked why we were surprised about the repeated attempts to take our land over.

I told him that I was new to this land and did not know how the government worked above our local level.

The Tik government, he explained, is ruled over by the king, but local warlords actually ran things. The lord of this area is going to continue to send war bands to try to suppress the "uprising" here.

"Are there ever warlords who are deposed?" I asked him. "How do you know these things, by the way?"

"Yes, they are deposed all the time. I know this because my father was a merchant who supplied many things for the lord where I grew up."

"Is he also the lord of this district?" I asked.

"No, he was killed several years ago."

"Men, we will continue to train, and prepare for the expected next attack."

We went home and I lay awake most of the night. Verine and Erma were worried about me. I guess they could feel my worry.

In the morning, Verine walked up to me as I was sitting at the table and said, "Don't you do anything stupid. I can feel you getting ready to do something."

"Can you read my mind now?" I asked with a smile.

"No, Bill, but I can feel it when you are worried about something."

"Come here, we need to talk about something," I said.

They both came and sat on my lap. I caressed them, and we talked about our feelings about our life and the people who lived here.

I told them that I wanted to go to see the warlord and try to convince him to leave us in peace.

Erma said, "I know that you will do this, but you have to take us with you. I was getting sick when you left last time."

Instead of arguing to keep me from going they had decided that they needed to go with me. I tried to talk them out of it, but it was useless.

We made plans and arrangements to have the farm taken care of while we were gone. We packed up the wagon and the family and off we went. As usual, the girls had their guns in the foot of the wagon seat. I had a rifle behind the seat with me pistol and sword on my belt.

I had gotten directions from the tax collector, and we left early. We traveled for most of the day, but took a long break for lunch to let the children run around, and let the mules rest.

The tax collector had said that he thought it would take us seven or eight days to make the trip. We camped out the first two nights and then stayed in an inn the third night.

I found out that we were about five more days from the lord's town.

We were able to stay in inns the rest of the way, since the communities were more frequently spaced. We encountered a good bit of prejudice the closer we got to the lord's town. The people thought we were wrong to have an interracial marriage, but I didn't have to fight anyone to protect my family.

We finally made the lord's town and found a place to stay and a stable for our wagon and stock. We rested for a day, then I went to make an appointment with the lord of this district.

We had a discussion about whether or not I should take them with me to the appointment, armed. I decided that I would meet him first and see what I could negotiate. They reluctantly agreed.

I went to the lord's house and met with his secretary. An appointment was made for two days from now.

We looked around the town the next day and I purchased new clothes and shoes for my family and had some new clothes and shoes made for myself.

My wives made a good argument that I should take one of their guns and an extra magazine with me to the interview to keep them from just overpowering me if the lord saw fit. They both wanted that badly, so I acquiesced.

I went to my meeting wearing my sword and pistol and carrying my pack and an Uzi with two spare magazines in my belt. I made my girls promise to stay in our room while I was gone. They promised to keep a gun handy, just in case.