“That was amazing,” he said finally.
“I liked it,” she said, still looking at him with an odd expression in her eye. “But when you were listening to it, you looked really weird.”
Herzer thought about that for a second then nodded, a muscle working in his jaw.
“Somebody told me once that we all wear masks,” he said quietly. “I think that song just strips some of mine away.”
Edmund had mounted the stage by then. He looked at the minstrel and nodded in approval then raised his hands above his head for quiet.
“OYEZ! OYEZ!” some of the people in the crowd shouted. Then in the back of the crowd there was a stentorian bellow of: “AT EASE!”
“Thank you, Gunny,” Edmund said to some scattered chuckles. “I have some announcements to make, a couple of things to cover. And I’d like thank these, uhm… players here for getting everyone’s attention for me.” Over the scattered laughter Herzer considered not so much what Edmund was saying but how. The crowd was large and not entirely silent. Furthermore there were no acoustical effects to assist him. But he somehow pitched his voice to carry all the way to the rear of the crowd. Herzer wasn’t sure how he had done it, but it was a darn good trick.
“Many of you are in the familiarization program also called the apprenticeship program,” Talbot said. “The final schedules for that have been determined and posted. They cover all except for the last two weeks, which are going to be military training, including familiarization with longbow and other weapons. This will be in the last two weeks of training, at the end of which you will be given your final scores for the courses, and masters from some of the crafts will accept applications from those of you who they feel have some talent in the craft. Also at that time applications will be taken for the Raven’s Mill Defense Force and persons who have shown aptitude in that area can apply.
“For everyone who is in the apprentice courses or not, you should be aware that the portion of the agreement that everyone made when arriving at Raven’s Mill relating to defense of Raven’s Mill was not just lip service. One of the things that the smiths are working on very hard right now is the production of defense weapons, primarily spears. Over the last two weeks the town council has been working on a charter for Raven’s Mill and it will be presented next week. But one of the features of the charter that everyone should be aware of is a requirement that a person be skilled in one or more weapons of defense in order to be an eligible voter.” At that there was a burst of surprised talking, although not as much as Herzer expected. It was pretty clear that many people either knew of the rule or expected it to be included. Edmund raised his hands to call for silence and waited until most of the talking had died down.
“The only exception to this are those who can show that they have clear philosophical or religious objections to violence. In which case they will be required to take training in the care of combat casualties. Everyone in this town will be prepared to defend it. Many of you had things taken from you by force when you were traveling here. Others still worse problems,” he said, gazing from person to person in the crowd.
“Historically once bandits find that the pickings are slim on roads, they begin attacking towns. We will be prepared to defend this town. To emphasize this, Sheida Ghorbani is calling a constitutional convention with the intent to reconstitute the North American Union. It is my strongly held opinion, supported by Sheida and other council members, that this requirement, to be capable of defending one’s self and the community, be a universal requirement within the North American Union.”
“The fact is that we are in the midst of a civil war. It seems right now that we are not, but just as we are recovering and preparing, Paul and his faction are recovering and preparing. At the moment, the Council is fighting the Council, but that battle is effectively stalemated. So, in time, they will come for us. And we will be prepared. You have all gone through much hardship and these may seem somber thoughts for a day devoted to celebration. But they are important thoughts, things that we should all be thinking and talking about. And making our personal decisions. So that when the time comes for you to vote on these questions, you can vote with understanding and knowledge.
“And to tell you the truth I think that’s enough to put on your plate for now. You should have plenty to talk about,” he ended with a smile. “So as soon as these… uh… players get their breath back, you all go back to having a good time. Take care.” He waved again and started to step down from the stage but turned back and raised his arms. “Oh, by the way, this requirement extends to minstrels!” At that there was a general laugh.
“Yeah? Well I swing a mean fiddle case,” the redhead replied, swinging the case of her violin around her head.
“Well, we’ll just see how you do with an axe,” Edmund replied and stepped down from the stage.
A crowd had already gathered around Edmund so Herzer didn’t feel it was the time to ask his questions. Instead he and Morgen wandered back to the patch by the stream that had been claimed by their group.
“He’s right, that is a lot to talk about,” Courtney said, flopping to the ground and leaning back against the balks of timber.
“Oof! North American Union!” was all Cruz said, shaking his head.
“Yeah, that’s some deep stuff,” Mike agreed.
“Well I don’t think that it’s right that everyone should have to use weapons,” Morgen said angrily. “I don’t have any interest in killing people. Or even hurting them.”
“What if they are interested in hurting you?” Shilan asked quietly.
“Why would they hurt me?” Morgen challenged. “What have I done to them? If everyone starts getting ready for a fight, sooner or later you’re going to have one!”
“People don’t have to have a reason to hurt other people,” Herzer said. “They just have to be the kind of people that enjoy it.”
Shilan looked at him oddly for a moment then nodded.
“Listen to Herzer,” she said.
“I take it you had trouble on the trip?” Courtney asked.
“Yeah,” Shilan replied, sharply.
“What happened?” Morgen asked.
“I do not choose to discuss it,” Shilan said. She wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling them tight to her and looking into the distance.
Cruz’s face tightened as a muscle worked in his jaw. Then he looked off to the side.
“I’m sorry, Shilan,” Morgen said. “I’m sorry for whatever happened to you. But I still don’t agree. Violence never settles anything.”
Herzer snorted and tried unsuccessfully to turn it into a laugh.
“What?” Morgen snapped.
“Sorry… sorry…” he said, still trying not to laugh. “I was just… thinking. Maybe you ought to ask the Melcon AI if violence ever settles anything. Or the Carthaginian Senate or the Islamic Jihad.”
“What are you talking about?” Morgen asked.
“Have you ever heard of the Melcon AI?”
“Yes, I’ve heard of the Melcon AI.”
“Does it still exist?” Herzer asked with a smile.
“No. It was destroyed in the AI wars,” Morgen said, standing up and putting her hands on her hips. “But this is the forty-first century not the thirty-first! Surely we’ve risen above that, wrestling in wars like boys on a playground!”
“This we defend,” Herzer said, shaking his head. “Or not, as the case may be,” he continued, looking at Shilan.