Lise, DM Arnold [bearly read books .TXT] 📗

They can't afford that. They'll ignore us.”

“I'm beginning to understand,” Bryce said. “When we're done we'll have eliminated five thousand unregistereds living off scraps and have replaced them with five thousand functioning, contributing members of society.”

“Five thousand functioning, contributing members of society who are living a free lifestyle, Bryce. In a couple generations that number could swell to twenty thousand; and in a few more could approach a hundred. THEN, we'll have established a green lifestyle the other urban novonids can and will wish to emulate. The pressure will be on to expand novonid rights, at least in the cities.”

“Now we're talking about a green strike with some teeth.”

“I would hope it won't come to conflict,” she replied.

“Evolution, not revolution,” Bryce said. “What looks to the city as a charitable effort to clean up the Zone is in reality the seeds of a new order.”

“We don't set out to change society,” she replied. “We use society and it changes itself. This will be Thom's true legacy. That was his other mistake -- he was too impatient. The Bromen fortune has been amassing for generations. Now is the time to put it to use. It's the right thing to do. I'm sure of it. It's just like when I had thirty units in my pocket and wanted to buy a mediascreen for my mother. It was a fortune to me then, Bryce.” She looked in his eyes. “As a white, doesn't this frighten you?”

“Not in the least, Lise -- it delights me. I'm as fond of your kind as Thom was -- or else I wouldn't be associated with Novonid Rescue. When my wife and I are ready to start a family, it's our intention to adopt a novonid baby. We'll register the child with Novonid Rescue and raise him alongside our own as siblings.”

Lise looked at him, her eyes welling. “You'd do that? You're braver than I thought.” She held out her palm. Bryce pressed his to hers and they locked fingers. She squeezed his hand; then, embraced him. “You're a good man, Bryce. It won't be easy for you...”

Leah entered the library. “Excuse me, mam,” she said.

“Yes, Leah?”

“I've finished filing. Is there anything else?”

“No, Leah -- you may call it a day.”

“Thank you, mam.” The girl turned and left.

“She's a nice girl,” Lise said to Bryce.

“I'm surprised you didn't hire a novonid as an intern.”

“I would have, but I couldn't find one who reads well enough,” Lise replied. “Leah reads better than I do.” She bit her lip. Bryce put his hand on her shoulder. “I'm sorry, Bryce. I was having a moment of white envy.”

“There's no shame in what you're doing, Lise. Once the school Thom founded starts graduating students -- we'll have plenty of novonid interns.”

“I know. It all reminded me of how far we have to go yet. Leah's what... two years younger than I? I was just thinking what I was doing two years ago.” She pulled her shoulder blades together and stretched. “It's been a long day for me and probably you, too. See you tomorrow, Bryce.”

“I have a little work to finish before I go.” He headed back to his office.

Lise left the library and stepped onto the terrace. She approached a section where planters had been arranged in a sort of shrine. Two urns sat in it -- one labeled Tagg and the other Thom. She poured water from a can onto the plants and began picking off spent blossoms and flicking off maturing seeds.

A hand rested on her shoulder. She turned and saw Rayla. “I can understand why you honor Tagg,” her mother said. “But, why Thom Bromen? Why after all the trouble he caused us?”

“Thom did much good work, too,” Lise replied. “He was a good man.”

“Then, why did he do what he did?”

“No good man is completely good ... and no bad man completely evil. It's important his good works are carried forward.”

“I'm proud of you, Lise,” her mother said. “I can't believe how well you're doing.”

“I have you to thank, Mother. You taught me to read and to do sums. I couldn't have taken this on without that.”

“It goes beyond reading and writing,” Rayla replied.

“I have a good mentor in Bryce. He keeps telling me success is more courage than skill.”

“Courage is something you have in abundance.”

Lise grasped her mother's hand and they laced fingers. The two women walked to a table where Grott was sitting and joined him.

“You're looking glum,” Lise said to her stepfather.

“What is that on your face?” he asked.

She removed the eyeglasses. “I wear these to make me appear more mature.”

“No. This...” He tapped his face near his right eye.

“Just some color.”

“What's the point of it? And, what's the point of the costume you're wearing? Are you ashamed to show your green skin?”

“Father -- I have to deal with business people. Business people who are accustomed to dealing with other business people. White business people. I discovered they take me more seriously if I look a bit more like they do.”

“Why don't you paint your face white and put a wig on, then?” Grott made the guttural growl he reserved for ultimate contempt. “There is nothing to do here.”

“That's not true. There's plenty that needs doing. These gardens are all wild pomma. It needs cultivation just like the food crop. You're more than welcome to do whatever you think needs done.”

Grott growled again.

“Father -- if you'd really rather be back on the farm picking pomma... Well, I'll just tell Bryce to buy a pomma farm and you can go pick to your heart's content. Or -- go back to your construction job. I thought you hated it, though.”

“I was happy to quit working for the laundry,” Rayla said.

“Both of you -- you should enjoy your freedom. You've certainly worked hard enough up to now. Are we ready to feed?”

“I am,” Rayla replied. Grott grunted.

Lise poked a key on her mediascreen. “Marta, please bring our meals.”

An older novonid woman pushed a cart onto the terrace. She set before them three bowls of brownish strands covered with multi-colored sprinkles.

“Thank you, Marta,” Lise said.

“That's another thing,” Grott added. “I don't like being waited on by another novonid.”

“Would you rather be waited on by a white?” Lise asked.

“Maybe I would.”

“It gives Marta work,” Rayla replied. “That's a good thing.”

Bryce approached. “Beg pardon, Lise. I'm sorry to interrupt your family meal.”

“What is it, Bryce?”

“I received a call from Prefect Ogan's office. He would like to schedule a meeting in the next day or so to discuss your Green Zone proposals.”

“You have my calendar. I'm free tomorrow and the next day, late afternoons.”

“The prefect would rather meet in the morning.”

“I have a commitment mornings -- my babysitting job.”

“That's what I wanted to discuss. You could be more effective if you didn't have that ... obligation. You don't need the money. Why do you insist on keeping that job?”

“Because I entered into an agreement with Megan to do it and that agreement pre-dates any of my commitments here. It doesn't matter if it's Klarissa and Geddes or the prime minister himself. A prior commitment is a prior commitment.”

“Certainly you could hire someone to...”

“Megan doesn't want someone. She wants me. I promised her and I'm keeping my promise. I want those children to grow up knowing when a novonid gives her word it's her bond.”

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Publication Date: 07-08-2015

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