![]() ![]() Last night, when he had lamented the situation to his father, the man had been singularly unsympathetic to his view. Bingtown would never be restored to what it was. Former slaves, fishermen, and newcomers were mingling with the Traders now. And Sedric was still not sure he agreed with the Council’s decision to allow so many non-Traders to share power and decisions in the rebuilding process. But the new buildings going up seemed to have less character than the old ones, for they were built with haste rather than deliberation, and many looked almost identical. People felt it was safe now to rebuild, and with limited trade resuming, some had the resources to do so. It was better now, for the Traders’ Council had finally resumed its authority and enforced the laws. When those had finally been resolved, the rebuilding had seemed slow and dispirited. In the aftermath of the Chalcedean raids, the various factions of Bingtown had turned on one another to settle old scores. Lately he felt as if the whole city was eroding away everything that had made him so proud to be the son of a Bingtown Trader was now broken or tarnished or changed. By the time they got around to them again, there would be a whole season of repairs to be done. Bingtown had focused its efforts on rebuilding burned and vandalized buildings and neglected maintenance of the existing roads. He pushed the thought aside and busied himself guiding the horse around the worst of the potholes. He’d been thinking of how he could keep that life intact and still advance his friend’s ambitions for himself. He’d been thinking of himself, and how pleasant life was at the side of Hest Finbok. What had he been thinking, the night her name had rolled off his drunken tongue? He knew the guilty answer to that. He tried not to think of his role in Hest’s scheme he felt sullied by it now. Turned the whole situation around for me, it did.” And I should let you know that you were precisely correct on that! I thought the whole game was lost, until I trotted out that scroll. And you’ve been instrumental to the whole plan! You picked her out, you even told me what gift, exactly, might warm her toward me. “You’ve been by my side for most of my courtship of her. “Oh, of course you did!” Hest was heartless in his accusation. When I suggested she’d make you a fine, undemanding wife, I never thought you would actually propose to her.” Not that I know her well now-I don’t-just well enough to know that she was nice and had a good mind, if not a pretty face or a fortune.” Sedric shook his head unhappily, and then pushed his unruly hair back from his eyes. “My ‘spots’ were more than a phase they seemed to last a lifetime! So her kindness, her willingness to be my partner at cards or to sit beside me at the table when she stayed for luncheon was important to me. “She probably thought you’d keep your spots and they’d match her freckles.” His green eyes danced mischievously. I’d forgotten that spotty phase you went through,” Hest needled him merrily. She was kind to me during a time when most girls treated me as if I had some sort of a disease.” She used to come visit my sisters when we were younger. If you want to be happy, marry an ugly woman and live with a grateful wife.” Then he admitted uncomfortably, “I was in my cups when I made the suggestion to you and feeling a bit morose about my own situation. ![]() That he had done so slightly undercut his admiration for the man. He hadn’t, truly, expected that Hest would follow up on his cynical suggestion. After a moment, Hest asked defensively, “Why did you put the idea in my head, if you didn’t intend me to act on it?” Sedric found he could not frame a reply to that. Why, if we imposed honesty on Bingtown in general, all the Traders would be paupers by next week.” “You, my friend, are too prone to sentiment. ![]()
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