on Simâs temple, and the small iron sphere that rolled from the manâs fallen body. A good throw, that was all.
Sim tried to stand, but before he could the Major reached him, lifted him, struck him across the face with a mailed fist. Sim spun, gained balance, tried to tackle the Majorâbut that junk-metal armor didnât seem to slow the man. Sim slipped on the iron ball and fell face-first. The Major pressed his knee between Simâs shoulder blades and twisted the manâs left arm up behind him. Armored fingers probed Simâs sleeve.
Temoc advanced. âWhat are you doing?â
âTemoc.â Again the dark, heavy voice. âIâm saving you trouble.â
âI donât understand.â
âBring me meat,â the Major told Kapania Kemal.
âExcuse me?â
âMeat!â
And she moved.
âSim and I,â the Major said, âhave a history, donât we, Sim? If thatâs your name.â Sim cursed, then screamed when the Major jerked his arm. The Major found what he sought in the sleeve: a small phial that shimmered before Elayneâs closed eyes. âDockworkerâs strike last year, at the solstice, when the bosses were about to cave, this man visited our food tent. Half the camp took sick two days after. We turned on each other, and the Wardens came. Hard to put a protest back together after that, isnât it, Sim?â The fallen man groaned. âDidnât think youâd be dumb enough to try the same trick twice. Whereâs that meat?â
Bill brought it from the tent: a handful of raw ground beef. The Major uncorked the phial and poured its shimmering contents onto the meat. Elayne watched the transformation with clinical interest: the accelerated putrescence, the maggots that took writhing shape within the flesh. Basic decay agentânot over-the-shelf, but hardly traceable. Some in the audience retched. Chel staggered, and Elayne steadied her.
âThat,â the Major said, âis what happens when I pour so much onto so little. Spread through an entire stew this would sour the taste slowlyâand tonight thereâd be sickness all through camp. Just like last time.â The Major drew his weighted pipe from its makeshift scabbard. Sim whimpered. âNot again.â The Major raised the pipe.
âStop,â Temoc said.
The Major did. âWhy?â
Temoc pointed up. The dark eyes behind the mask glittered as they peered into the blue, where Wardens circled.
âIf sneaks try to break us, shouldnât we break them back?â
âWe canât beat Wardens in a fight,â Temoc said. âWe are strong in peace.â
âIâve seen the strength of peace fail.â
âIf you want to give them an excuse to come for us,â Temoc said, âyouâre no better than the man beneath you. And I will stop you.â
The moment wobbled like a spinning top, and Elayne could not tell which way it would fall.
The Major let Sim go, and stood. Sim gasped and flopped on the stone like a landed fish. He rose slowly onto his hands and knees. Temoc and the Major stared at one another.
âGo,â the Major said. âBefore I change my mind.â
Sim ran. The crowd parted for him, and followed him with their eyes as he hobbled to the edge of the Square. Elayne ignored Sim; she and Temoc watched the Major retreat toward the fountain.
Temoc almost followed, but walked away instead.
âNot a rival,â Elayne said when she caught up. âI see.â
âWhat do you want from me, Elayne?â
âThe same thing you want. Peace. These people need someone to bring them to the table.â
âCome home with me,â he said.
She looked at him with mild disbelief: they were not what they once were, but time had refined them both. Still, there were some lines one did not cross.
âTemoc,â she replied, and pondered her next words.
He almost succeeded at
Aziz Ansari, Eric Klinenberg