their faces wild with fury beneath flaxen locks; Harm stepped aside the first, placed a hand behind his head, and shoved him forcefully to the ground, then moved back as the second youth leapt awkwardly to avoid tripping over the first; the youth quickly turned to renew his charge, but Harm had already set upon him, gripping him by the face and throwing him over backwards.
Harm went to the side door and opened it for Erin as the youths climbed to their feet. Seeing her alarmed expression, he reassured her.
“My nephews,” he said, then directed his attention to the boys.
“Strength with poor timing is weakness. How many times do I have to throw you?”
As the older of the two dusted himself off, the younger crouched and moved towards Harm.
“Genug!” Harm said firmly. “You have guests.”
The boy relented and watched with curiosity as Erin climbed out of the car. Meanwhile a man in his late forties, wearing olive-green work clothes, came from around the corner of the barn pushing a flatbed wheelbarrow; it was loaded heavily with bushel baskets of bundled kale, chicory, lettuce and chard. He was smaller in stature than the youths, had a weathered face, and his shaggy hair and beard were gray; he approached quietly, greeted Harm with only a nod, then set the barrow down.
“Saved from the clutches of the empire,” he said, watching as Erin lifted Hughie from the car. “So now what?”
“I'm working on it,” Harm answered. “Thanks for letting us come here.”
“You can have whatever you need from us, you know that.” He caught Erin's eye as she studied him. “My name is Oscar, I’m Harm’s brother-in-law. These feral young men are my sons, Herman and Rudy.”
“Nice to meet you,” she said. “Thank you all for having us.”
“We should get them out of view,” he said calmly to Harm. “We’re due for one of those unannounced government inspections. They like to make sure all the baby animals are documented, taxed, and microchipped.”
Harm nodded. “I have Erbstauden in the back here, they need to be planted out.”
“You look tired, Harm. Go and rest. I'll have the boys unload them and set them in a shady spot. You can all go later to the far end and find good spots for them.”
Harm hesitated. Oscar insisted.
“Help this poor lady and her child to the house. They've been through quite an ordeal. Go introduce her to your sister. And Hilda will be glad to see you, she's always worried about you.”
“Freilich,” Harm said begrudgingly, then retrieved the luggage from the car. “Come on,” he said to her, “let’s go to the house.”
“See you later, Mrs. Gordon,” Oscar said as he lifted the wheelbarrow. “I have to get these out to the road. The English are buying as fast as I can cut.”
Oscar went up the grade towards the road, while Erin followed Harm across the driveway - where they were kept from view of the road by the slope into which the barn was built - to the backyard of the house. Two straw-headed children scurried away, giggling, and made their way under laden clotheslines, then into the house just ahead of them.
“Follow them,” Harm said, and held open the door.
Chapter 20
They entered a bright, clean kitchen with white wainscoting on the lower half of the walls, and blue-and-white striped wallpaper above; a large wood-fired cook stove was across the room, and a modern saddle sink to her right. A tall, sturdy woman stood while she folded laundry at the table; her gray-blond hair was pulled back in a pony tail, she wore blue jeans and a red flannel shirt, and her eyes were gray like Harm’s. The two children, a girl and boy, hid under the table, while a plump old woman with a stern face, a brown dress, and a matching scarf on her head, sat at the far end peeling rutabagas.
“Well, hello there,” the tall woman said with a soft but assertive voice. “You must be Mrs. Gordon. Welcome to our home. I'm Harm’s sister,
Harm went to the side door and opened it for Erin as the youths climbed to their feet. Seeing her alarmed expression, he reassured her.
“My nephews,” he said, then directed his attention to the boys.
“Strength with poor timing is weakness. How many times do I have to throw you?”
As the older of the two dusted himself off, the younger crouched and moved towards Harm.
“Genug!” Harm said firmly. “You have guests.”
The boy relented and watched with curiosity as Erin climbed out of the car. Meanwhile a man in his late forties, wearing olive-green work clothes, came from around the corner of the barn pushing a flatbed wheelbarrow; it was loaded heavily with bushel baskets of bundled kale, chicory, lettuce and chard. He was smaller in stature than the youths, had a weathered face, and his shaggy hair and beard were gray; he approached quietly, greeted Harm with only a nod, then set the barrow down.
“Saved from the clutches of the empire,” he said, watching as Erin lifted Hughie from the car. “So now what?”
“I'm working on it,” Harm answered. “Thanks for letting us come here.”
“You can have whatever you need from us, you know that.” He caught Erin's eye as she studied him. “My name is Oscar, I’m Harm’s brother-in-law. These feral young men are my sons, Herman and Rudy.”
“Nice to meet you,” she said. “Thank you all for having us.”
“We should get them out of view,” he said calmly to Harm. “We’re due for one of those unannounced government inspections. They like to make sure all the baby animals are documented, taxed, and microchipped.”
Harm nodded. “I have Erbstauden in the back here, they need to be planted out.”
“You look tired, Harm. Go and rest. I'll have the boys unload them and set them in a shady spot. You can all go later to the far end and find good spots for them.”
Harm hesitated. Oscar insisted.
“Help this poor lady and her child to the house. They've been through quite an ordeal. Go introduce her to your sister. And Hilda will be glad to see you, she's always worried about you.”
“Freilich,” Harm said begrudgingly, then retrieved the luggage from the car. “Come on,” he said to her, “let’s go to the house.”
“See you later, Mrs. Gordon,” Oscar said as he lifted the wheelbarrow. “I have to get these out to the road. The English are buying as fast as I can cut.”
Oscar went up the grade towards the road, while Erin followed Harm across the driveway - where they were kept from view of the road by the slope into which the barn was built - to the backyard of the house. Two straw-headed children scurried away, giggling, and made their way under laden clotheslines, then into the house just ahead of them.
“Follow them,” Harm said, and held open the door.
Chapter 20
They entered a bright, clean kitchen with white wainscoting on the lower half of the walls, and blue-and-white striped wallpaper above; a large wood-fired cook stove was across the room, and a modern saddle sink to her right. A tall, sturdy woman stood while she folded laundry at the table; her gray-blond hair was pulled back in a pony tail, she wore blue jeans and a red flannel shirt, and her eyes were gray like Harm’s. The two children, a girl and boy, hid under the table, while a plump old woman with a stern face, a brown dress, and a matching scarf on her head, sat at the far end peeling rutabagas.
“Well, hello there,” the tall woman said with a soft but assertive voice. “You must be Mrs. Gordon. Welcome to our home. I'm Harm’s sister,
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