2639 peered at her
closely but no spark of recognition showed in his eyes.
He addressed 2711:
little brother, your daughter asked how much this granite anvil weighs. It was
brought here by our great, great grandfather and a hundred men. Nobody knows
how much it weighs.
He laughed loudly and
the other men in the compound paused and laughed with him. 9001 fumed.
Her father said, older
brother, we have travelled a long way. Come, show us some hospitality and we
will talk.
2639 nodded and pulled
up his leather apron and tossed it onto a wooden stool. He said, yes, come,
brother and niece. We will share butter tea.
They went out to a
smaller wooden hut near the compound on the same side of the road they had
travelled. 2639’s wife greeted them as they entered and immediately set to
preparing tea and a meal. Arranged on a low table were fruits, nuts, and
several spices for snacking. The visitors sat at the table and nibbled politely
while 2639 moved about the hut, arranging things this way and that. 2711 and
his brother exchanged pleasantries while he did this, saying, how is the
weather; what is the work like; how is the family; and so forth.
Finally, 2639 sat down
cross legged and 9001 realised how much of a hulk of a man her uncle was.
2639 clasped his beard
and said, brother.
2711 nodded and raised
his tea cup. He said, brother.
They all slurped the
savoury drinks in silence for a while.
Finally, 2711 produced
his rondel blade and presented it sideways to his brother across the table.
He said, I have
brought the iron blade we made together when I was here last. You can see that
it has several nicks and streaks of patina. It also has not retained its edge
well. Please help me sharpen and restore the blade again.
His brother took the
blade and peered at it closely. He said, I see. Yes, it has some patina, and
the blade is not sharp. But I have something better for you. Even better than
this one. I have been working on the formulary for this new material.
He waved his massive right
arm in the direction of the bloomeries. He said, my men are the only ones in
the whole of Bactria who are producing iron weapons. And we have the best
quality blades and tools available.
2711 waved his hands
in dissent. He said, no brother, with respect. This blade has been with me for
a decade, and it has served me well. I would not like to change it when I am in
the midst of a…
Here he glanced at his
daughter quickly, then away. He continued, I am in the midst of a mission in
the city and I would like to take the tools that have been proven.
2639 chuckled, then
laughed. He handed back the blade, rondel first, as was the custom. He said
with great mirth, brother, brother brother. I’m on a mission… Of great
importance…
2711 objected, but
2639 cut him off. He continued, no don’t be upset. It is I who am offended. I
am the best Miner in all of the land, and your bigger brother. I have been
working on the design and formula for these blades for 600 weeks and you do not
believe that I have a better tool for your precious mission than the one that
we made as interns back then.
2711 nodded and said,
I see. Older brother, forgive me then. I accept your _spenta_ offering.
2639 said, as you
should. I see that your daughter – what’s her name? – has the bronze training
blade you made yourself.
He motioned to see it,
and 9001 produced it sideways, and flat on both hands. Her uncle peered at it
even closer than the iron rondel. He nodded finally, and muttered something.
Then, 2639 said, as
for your mission (he could barely contain his derision), you are still intent
on finding _him_ after all your silly visions and misguided thoughts that got
you excommunicated?
2711 nodded firmly. I
will seek him out and I have been training with my daughter. We are ready to bring
him the Healing that he deserves.
2639 asked, she does
not know though?
2711 said, she will be
by my side. That is good enough.
The smoke in the hut
and the dust outside made 9001 sneeze loudly. Then she sneezed again.
2711 turned bright red
and 2639 stared at her incredulously. 2639’s wife stopped what she was
preparing and turned to stare in wonder.
Eventually, 2711
stammered and tried to recover, saying, but… the thing is… as you know… well,
and yes… about the blade.
2639 focused back on
his younger brother. He slapped his thigh and said, I have a new blade for your
purpose. I already finished it but did not know when you would return. Or if
you would return. I will change out both of your weapons and you will be able
to serve Ahura.
9001 objected. She
said, uncle, I do not need a new blade. I have trained with this one since I
was a child. I do not know any other blades, so I cannot perform the rituals
with anything else.
2711 smoothed over her
impertinence. He said, what she means is that she does not feel worth of your
gift and couldn’t accept it because it is too generous. As her father, I agree
and feel that you should not waste your talent on us. We just wish for a quick
sharpening and cleaning possibly so that we can move on without too much
intrusion.
2639 waved over his
wife, who prepared the meal. He said, let’s eat.
They ate in silence
for a while. While they ate, 9001 noticed more than once that her uncle leered
at her while he chewed. She avoided his gaze, but the pressure was intense. She
glanced at her father who seemed not to notice. He was wrapped up in eating the
food and looked neither right nor left.
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