The Great Bazaar and Other Stories (9 page)

"Because Evin
didn't want him," Leesha said.

"That's
putting it light," Mairy agreed. "Neither one was expecting the child.
Brianne used to go to Bruna for pomm tea, but with you around... she said she
couldn't bear the shame."

"She was one
of the first to turn to Darsy," Leesha said.

"Only Darsy
won't make the tea," Mairy said. "She says it's sinful, and told the
Tender on the wives who'd been taking it. He gave a big sermon about our duty
to procreate."

"I
remember," Leesha said. Tender Michel had railed against Pomm tea, but he
had been careful not to say an ill word towards Bruna, lest the town learn how
personally he took his duty.

"Well, that
explains why Darsy is so busy as a midwife," Leesha said. "Those that
go to her are a lot more apt to need it."

"It's just as
well," Mairy said. "There's few enough of us in Cutter's Hollow as
is."

"Just as
well, so long as she lets no more be born still," Leesha said.

"Brianne
blames you, sometimes," Mairy blurted.

"Me?"
Leesha asked. "What did I do?"

"Made her
feel too shamed to get her pomm tea," Mairy said. "Made Evin have to
marry her against his will. Made every day what's been bad since then."

"That isn't
fair," Leesha said. "I was the one publicly humiliated because of
her."

"Because of
Gared," Mairy corrected.

"And Brianne
got pregnant because of Evin, not me!" Leesha retorted.

Mairy nodded.
"So maybe its time to stop taking it out on each other," she said.

Leesha was quiet a
long while. "I will if she will," she conceded at last.

"One of you
has to be first," Mairy said.

Leesha stopped
short. "Brianne doesn't know I'm coming," she said. When Mairy made
no reply, she grinned. "Aren't you quite the little manipulator these
days?" she accused.

"I get it
from being a mum," Mairy confided with a giggle.

Mairy took a
deep
breath and knocked on the door. There was noise from inside, but no one
answered. Mairy knocked again.

"Who's that?"
Evin cried.

"Mairy!"
Mairy shouted.

There was a some
shouting inside. "Get it, yurself!" they heard Evin bark.

"Just come
in!" Brianne called. "It ent barred!"

Mairy opened the
door to reveal a squalid cabin. Two wolfhounds ran freely about the main room,
and much of the furniture was gnawed upon. Evin sat with his muddy boots up on
the supper table, whittling. The floor around him was covered in curls of wood.
Brianne had her back to the door, chopping vegetables on the counter by the
fire that served as her kitchen. Callen, six years old and tousle-haired, clung
to her skirt with one hand. With the other, he rooted about one of his nostrils
for some elusive prey.

"Sorry for
the door, Mair," Brianne said without turning. "Creator forbid Evin
fall behind at whittling useless sticks."

"Maybe a walk
to the door once in a while would sweat off a few pounds," Evin muttered.
"Whattaya want, anyway?" he asked, looking up and seeing Leesha
enter.

"Well,
well," he said, devouring Leesha with his eyes as he stood up suddenly,
brushing the wood shavings from his clothes, "welcome to our humble
home."

Brianne turned and
saw her husband leering. She saw Leesha, and her face darkened.

"What is SHE
doing here?!" Brianne demanded angrily, coming over with the chopping knife
still in her hand.

"I thought
she might be able to help with your pain," Mairy said.

"I didn't ask
for any help," Brianne snarled. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

"I can see
you're not," Leesha said. "Your coloring is off, you're breathing's
out of rhythm, and you grit your teeth when you walk."

"She said
it's nothing," Evin said.

"Please,"
Mairy said. "Let her take a look. If not for you, think of the little
one."

"The baby is
fine," Evin said.

"Leave,"
Brianne said.

"Brianne..."
Leesha began.

"Are you deaf?"
Evin asked. "She said..."

"No,"
Brianne cut him off. "You. Leave."

"This is my
house...!" Evin sputtered, storming towards them, but Leesha put a hand in
the pocket of her apron, and he noted the move, pulling up short.

"GET
OUT!" Brianne screamed, throwing the knife at him. Evin ducked the missile
and scowled, but he eyed Leesha's hand in her pocket, and headed for the door.
Callen began to cry.

"And take
those damn dogs with ya!" Brianne cried. "I'm tired of cleaning their
shit off the floor!" Evin clicked his tongue, and both animals followed
him out of the cabin.

Brianne seemed to
deflate as he left. She knelt in front of Callen, but grimaced in pain as she
did. She lifted a corner of her apron to dry his tears.

"There,
there, baby," she said. "It's all right. Run along and play with yur
logs." She hugged him, and the boy ran over to the far corner of the room,
where a pile of tiny sticks had been laid to form a crude miniature cabin.

Brianne stood,
wincing again. Her face was ashen. "I suppose it makes ya feel good to see
me like this," she told Leesha, "fat and miserable, while ya walk
through town singing to the birds on yur shoulder and turning every man's head
as ya go."

Leesha killed an
angry retort before it reached her lips. "No one's suffering makes me feel
good," she said. "Take a seat and let me have a look at you."

Brianne didn't
argue, pain flashing across her face again as she sat. Leesha looked in her
eyes and mouth, feeling her forehead for a fever and checking the pulse in her
wrist.

"Let me know
if anything I touch hurts," she said, and Brianne nodded. Leesha began to
probe with sensitive fingers, watching Brianne's eyes the whole time. She
already had her suspicions as to the cause of Brianne's pain.

"Aaah!"
Brianne cried as Leesha pressed at her ribs.

"Take off
your blouse," Leesha said.

"Is that
really necessary?" Brianne asked.

"You were
never shy about being naked back when we were friends," Leesha said.

"I was pretty
then," Brianne shot back.

"Off with
it," Leesha ordered. "Mairy, help me."

Brianne did not
resist as the two pulled the blouse over her head. Mairy gasped at the yellowed
bruises that covered Brianne's arms and back, and the black one, about as big
as a palm-sized stone, on her ribs.

"It's just as
I thought," Leesha said. "Two of your ribs are broken. You're lucky
you didn't pop your lung."

"Can ya fix
them?" Brianne asked.

Leesha shook her
head. "There's not much to do for ribs but let them heal. I'll bind them
so they heal straight and don't grind when you move, but you'll have to limit
yourself for some time. Best altogether if you stay abed."

"Some
time?" Brianne asked.

"Weeks,"
Leesha said, and she caught Brianne's look. "No arguing," she
snapped. "We'll send someone to help you with Callen and around the house.
You're lucky it's not worse."

"Creator!"
Mairy said. "What happened, Bri?"

"I was
standing on the woodpile, holding the paint can while Evin touched up the wards
on the roof," Brianne said. "I slipped, and half the pile came down
on me."

"Night!"
Mairy exclaimed. "Why didn't you say something?"

"I thought I
was fine," Brianne said.

"Look, I've
got things here, Mair," Leesha said. "Why don't you get on home
before the little ones get themselves into trouble?"

Mairy glanced at
Brianne, who nodded her assent, and left.

"Demonshit,"
Leesha said when they were alone. "That son of a coreling beat you, and
don't you think me stupid enough to believe any other tampweed tale you pull
from your arse."

Brianne looked at
her in shock. "Living with Bruna taught ya to curse," she said with a
pained laugh. "Proper li'l Leesha I knew wun't have known what them words
meant."

"Don't try to
change the subject, either," Leesha said.

Brianne looked at
her in fear. "What're ya gonna do?"

"Bind these
ribs, to start," Leesha said. She took a roll of white cloth from her
basket, and began wrapping it around Brianne's midsection, just below her
breasts.

"Ahhh! Night,
that stings!" Brianne gasped.

"Not half so
much as the breaking itself, I'll wager," Leesha said. "Brianne, you
have to tell someone. This can't go on."

"It was just
the once," Brianne said.

Leesha snorted.
"I don't believe that anymore than the woodpile tale," she said.
"A man who'll hit a pregnant woman isn't new to the deed. Does Darsy
know?"

Brianne shook her
head. "No one knows. I never needed a Gatherer before."

"We have to
put a stop to this before you need a Tender and a gravedigger," Leesha
said.

"What would
ya have me do?" Brianne demanded. "Tell my da? He and my brothers
would kill Evin for this. They'd kill him for real, and be put out of the
village at night for it. Callen would lose every man in his life over it, and
where would I be?"

"Then tell
Smitt," Leesha said. "Let the council handle it."

Brianne shook her
head. "Da would still find out," she said, "and that would be
that."

"So
what?" Leesha demanded. "You let this go on until he does permanent
harm to you or your unborn? Or Callen?"

"It won't
happen again, Leesh," Brianne said, squeezing her hand, "he promised.
Ya have to swear not to tell."

"Brianne..."
Leesha began.

"Swear!"
Brianne demanded, cutting her off. "Remember yur oath!"

Leesha's eyes
narrowed, but she was trapped, and she knew it. Images flashed in her mind of
Elona's belt, and how the pain had always seemed less than the shame of
telling. "I swear," she said at last, grinding her teeth as she did.

She finished
binding Brianne's ribs, and selected a handful of roots, holding them out.
"Chew these for the pain," she said. "Only one a day, and no
more, or the little one," she stroked Brianne's belly, "will make you
regret it."

"Will the
baby be all right?" Brianne asked, near tears.

"This
time," Leesha said. "But if this happens again, who knows?"

"It won't, I
swear," Brianne said.

"I don't
think it's up to you," Leesha said.

Evin was in
the yard
when Leesha left. His eyes stroked her body, but he was wary, too. On impulse,
Leesha went to him, putting an extra snap to the natural sway of her round
hips.

"She's going
to be fine," Leesha said. "That fall from the woodpile broke a couple
of ribs, but they'll heal if she gets enough rest."

"The...
woodpile," Evin began slowly, quickly gaining confidence as he caught on,
"right. Awful spill. I told her to fetch a Gatherer, but ya know
Brianne."

Leesha flashed him
a bright smile. "I do at that," she said.

Evin returned the
smile. "Yur looking good these days, Leesh," he breathed.

Leesha looked
around. Seeing they were alone, she moved closer, standing on tiptoe so her hps
practically touched his ear. "Come around the side of the house," she
whispered. "I want to show you something."

Evin's grin split
his face, and he grabbed her hand, practically dragging her along.

When they were
alone, he was on her in an instant, kissing her hard and pawing her breasts. He
didn't notice the needle in Leesha's hand until she stuck it in his neck.

"What
the...!" Evin exclaimed, pulling away and slapping at the puncture.
Already, he was starting to sway.

"The poison
works fast," Leesha told him, straightening her blouse.

"Pois..?"
Evin started to ask, but then his feet went from under him, and he collapsed to
the dirt, spasming erratically on his stomach.

"You feel
that?" Leesha asked, kneeling beside him as his seizure began in earnest.
"The horrid cramps and pain? Your limbs just twitching despite your
commands for them to move?"