Page 60 of Kiss of Ice

“This inequality is barbaric.”

“There are always solutions.”

Kam cocked an eyebrow.

“And I expect you have one all worked out.”

“It’s easy. Impose a tithe on the big landowners. Make them give a percentage of their grain to farmers who have none.”

“Tithes are unpopular.”

“Only for the rich. And anyway, this one has a twist. As more and more farmers are able to get back on the ladder, the tithe will decrease because there’ll be fewer farmers in need. Do you see?”

Grudgingly, Kam had to admit the plan had merit.

“I’ll think about it.”

“That’s all I ask.”

Kam regarded her curiously.

“Tell me, have you ever talked about your ideas with your father?”

“No. He doesn’t discuss politics with me.” Ren looked away. “He’s always super busy, he doesn’t have time to think about every little thing.”

“Things like equality and social justice, you mean?”

He hadn’t meant to sound so mocking but Ren’s eyes flashed.

“I know what you think of him. That all he cares about is power. But he had half the realm supporting him, Kam. Half the realm! It was only when the Vetali sided against him that the numbers tipped out of his favour. That has to mean something.”

“It means he’s really good at campaigning, nothing more.”

“Oh, fuck you.”

Kam sighed.

“I’m simply making the point that you have some good ideas, Ren. Great ideas. Yet you never raised them with your father, not even when you thought he might end up as Emperor. Did he really not have time to discuss them with you? Or did you know he just didn’t care?”

Ren didn’t answer. After a while she climbed to the front of the cart to talk to the driver. She didn’t want to think about what Kam had said.

Twenty Four

Coppertown was one of the larger towns a few miles outside Arjhan. The streets were narrow and filthy, and stray dogs wandered down them pawing at the rubbish. The area had been named for the copper mines that once made it wealthy. But the mines had long since closed.

Ren led Kam to a home that looked smaller than his bedchamber. It was identical to the rest of the hovels in the street but Kam saw the step was freshly swept and the windows were gleaming. Ren knocked on the door.

“Remember,” she said. “Keep conversation to a minimum. And try not to get annoyed.”

“Why would I get annoyed?” he asked, mystified.

The door opened and Kam had to look down to see the householder. It was a dwarven woman, her stout little body barely reaching above his knees. She looked at him suspiciously but broke into a beaming smile when she saw Ren.

“Child, it’s been too long. Come in, come in.”

They followed the woman into the living room. Kam saw that while the windows and doors were proportionate to the size of the house, the furniture was all smaller and lower. Better suited for the occupants. And all handmade. Someone had crafted them with a fair degree of skill.

He glanced at a chair and then over to Ren. She nodded and he lowered himself gingerly into the seat. He needn’t have worried. It was perfectly able to take his weight.

---