48 lines
2.2 KiB
Plaintext
48 lines
2.2 KiB
Plaintext
Kral hadn't spent a lot of time by the South Shore, and he didn't enjoy it.
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The houses towered over him in a way the dense housing in the Barns didn't, wide and ornate as if to deliberately waste space.
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_Notice the smell_, he heard the Meadowlark say.
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Kral took a deep breath in.
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There was a sweet, green smell, delicious but very faint.
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Walled off.
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They would have small greens inside, but the footprints of the large buildings cut off how much land they could actually use for cultivation.
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Kral heard Sepp before he saw him down the street, stone hooves tapping against the hardened earth under the tramway.
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—Ho, Kral! Sepp called. I see you got my message!
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—I did indeed. All well? How'd you get the Garrison to release you?
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—We were on the right side, Kral.
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They saw that soon enough.
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But don't worry about it, the Garrison's not important.
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I'm glad you're here.
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—Just here to give thanks for the help, I still believe in the Guard.
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—Of course, of course.
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But that shouldn't stop you from following your beliefs outside that.
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You're allowed to join a Flock, right?
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Anyway, just meet them, let them give you the pitch.
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Sepp led him into a tall house, where an older yak welcomed the pair in.
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He seemed very well groomed, wearing a long, elegant dressing gown, smoking from a pipe.
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Once the welcomes gave way to a conversation between Sepp and their host, who introduced himself as Bromley, Kral took in the house around him.
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The entrance was brightly lit, an electric chandelier overhead.
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Electric lights were still rare in the Barns, and Kral felt his stomach sinking.
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—Come now, both of you.
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Kral, I've heard quite a bit about you.
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I saw you yesterday with the Guard.
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Such a shame to see what the President was doing, condoning the Old Meadowlark like that.
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He ordered you to stay out of uniform, right?
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Kral felt warm with Bromley's expectation for an answer.
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—Well, that is, I can't really say—
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—Ah yes, yes, you are loyal to the Guard.
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I won't tell, I won't tell.
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But confirmation then that Calvin is scared to oppose the Hierarch, no matter how much he preaches about the poor refugees in the Barns.
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He turned away and continued further into the house as though he had no further interest in talking to
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