Page 54 of Circle of Days
The world was better off without him, Seft thought. “He was a cruel and brutal man,” he said. “I’m glad he’s gone.”
Olf said: “I’m not.”
Cam swallowed what remained of his hare’s ear and said: “Nor me.”
Seft said: “I hated him.” But there was an unexpected tear in his eye. He brushed it away impatiently. “I hated him with good reason.”
Neen said: “But Seft, he was your father.”
That was it. Cog’s malice and violence were not everything. He had filled the space in Seft’s soul marked “father,” and now the space was empty, and would remain so forevermore. A sense of loss took hold of Seft. This is bereavement, he thought. This is grief.
He said: “How did he die?”
“He died working,” said Olf.
“That’s right,” said Cam. “He carried a basket of flints up the climbing pole to the surface, and put them down, then he stood upright and said: ‘I think I need a rest,’ and fell flat on the ground. By the time we got to him he had stopped breathing.”
Seft said: “When was this?”
Cam answered. “About a year ago.”
So, Seft thought, you didn’t come here to give me the news. Something else has happened. He was about to ask when Neen said: “Let’s have something to eat.” The sun was high: it was time for the midday meal. “There’s not a lot,” she said.
Ilian fetched bowls and spoons. Neen doled out small portions from the pot on the fire.
Olf said: “Is this all?”
“Yes,” Seft said firmly.
“It’s not enough for me.”
“If you’re dissatisfied, go and get your dinner somewhere else.”
Neen said: “We have a rationing system here. Each family gets only what it needs. So we’re sharing our rations with you.”
Olf shut up and began to eat. He disposed of his share in a few mouthfuls and looked sulky.
Cam explained: “We haven’t had a decent meal for weeks. We’ve no food and nothing to trade.” He scraped his bowl with his spoon.
“And why is that?” Seft asked. “You’re miners, and people will still give food for the flints they need.”
Cam put down his empty bowl. “After Dadda died, we carried on in the pit until the seam ran out.”
“And then you dug another pit, I presume.”
“Yes, but it was a dud. No flint seam. So we dug another pit. Same result.”
Seft said: “Did Dadda never show you how to find a flint-bearing seam?”
Cam shook his head from side to side.
How did I learn? Seft wondered. I think I just watched as my father looked at locations and chose one, and perhaps I heard him muttering to himself as he did so. Anyway, it’s quite simple. But clearly these two paid no attention until it was too late.
He said: “You could work for another miner—like Wun, for example.”
“We asked him. He refused. We tried others, too, but they seemed to be prejudiced against us.”
They know what you’re like, Seft thought. The mining community is small, and word gets around.
