Healers by Laurence Dahners Page A

The laws are posted by the gate and change from time to time. Remember, violations of their laws are punished by enslavement. Periods of enslavement can range from a few hours for minor infractions to the rest of your life ! If you get enslaved for a few months, the caravan can’t stay here waiting for you.
    “Now, this means you need to know what their laws are, especially when you go into town. They’re posted beside the main gate, so I’ll be going over there to check them now. I’ll read them aloud, so those of you who can’t read, please come and listen.”
    Tarc hadn’t considered the possibility that some of the people in the caravan might not be able to read. He turned to Kazy with a sudden worry, “Can you read?”
    She rolled her eyes, “Of course . My mom and dad were really big on the importance of reading, writing, and arithmetic. My grandma taught my brothers and me in the evenings.”
    Tarc turned to watch as a lot of the caravaners followed Norton over to the main gate. He hoped most of them actually could read for themselves, but were just going along to be companionable. Eva said, “Come on kids. We need to get started on cooking dinner for those folks. Let’s do beans and roast pork. If a lot of them decide to eat in town we’ll be able to simmer it overnight and serve it tomorrow.”
     
    The Hyllises sold out of their spiced beans and roast pork that evening. It seemed most of the caravaners had decided not to go into Realth in the evening, opting to go in groups during the day instead. That evening, as the Hyllises baked rounds for pizza the next day and started another large pot of beans to cook overnight, they discussed their plans for the next day.
    “Tarc,” Eva began, “I’m not comfortable with you going to the market alone in this place.”
    Tarc shrugged, “I’m not happy about it either. But we have to have supplies. It doesn’t seem to me like having someone with me would protect me from breaking their laws.”
    “Maybe not,” Daum said, “but at least we’d all know what had happened. Presumably they have some kind of legal system and we could hire someone to represent you if we knew about it.”
    “What if we both get arrested?! Then the problem would be even worse!” He shrugged, “It seems to me the most important part of avoiding arrest is carefully reading this list of laws they have.”
    “Still,” Eva said, “I’m going to go with you this first time.”
    Daussie said, “You! Why not dad?”
    “He needs to stay with you and Kazy.”
    Daussie blinked, “Why couldn’t you stay with us?”
    “When we split up…” Eva said slowly, “One of the men needs to be with each group… to protect…” She trailed off, never quite specifying what would be protected.
    Kazy’s eyes flicked back and forth amongst the people of her new family. She considers Tarc to be a man? Surely he’s not ready to fight off attackers? Then she remembered Daussie’s strange assurance that Tarc could protect them from the highwaymen. He hadn’t had to because the wasp stung the man’s horse, but Daussie had seemed to think he could . She looked at Tarc with an appraising eye. His arms are muscular, probably from hauling all those straps of wood, slabs of bacon, buckets of water, and so on. But strong isn’t all there is to a fight. He doesn’t even carry a sword!
    ***
    In the morning, the Hyllises cooked a breakfast heavy in bacon, using the leftover bacon to flavor beans again. Once they had served the caravan, the family went to the gate to read Realth’s laws for themselves.
    They were somewhat reassured to realize most of the laws were common sense rules that were obeyed by good people everywhere. You shouldn’t steal, drink to excess, get in fights or otherwise injure others. You must obey the guards when they commanded you and you must use the outhouses. There was to be no urinating or defecating in the street. The most frightening rule for the Hyllises had to do