Faith of the Fallen (Sword of Truth 6)

He looked up in confusion. “But the Order says such thoughts are a crime because I am putting my wants before the needs of others. Why are their needs more important than mine? Why?

“I went to ask for a permit to buy a cart. They say I cannot have one because it would put the cart drivers out of work. They said I was greedy for wanting to put people out of work. They called me selfish for having such thoughts.”

“That’s wrong,” Richard said in quiet assurance. “Your thoughts are not a crime, nor are they evil. It’s your life, Faval—you should be able to live it as you see fit. You should be able to buy your cart and work hard and make the best of your life for you and your family.”

Faval chortled. “You sound like a revolutionary, Richard Cypher.”

Richard sighed, thinking about how useless the whole thing was. “No, Faval.”

Faval appraised him in the moonlight for a time. “It has already started, Richard Cypher. The revolt. It has begun.”

“I have charcoal to deliver.” Richard went around the back of the wagon and hoisted a basket up onto the wagon bed.

Faval helped with the next basket. “You should join them, Richard Cypher. You are a smart man. They could use your help.”

“Why?” Richard wondered if he dared get his hopes up. “What do they have planned? What are they going to do with this revolt?”

Faval giggled. “Why, they are marching in the streets, tomorrow. They are going to demand changes.”

“What changes?”

“Well, I think they want to be able to work. They are going to demand they be allowed to do what they want.” He giggled. “Maybe, I can get a cart? Do you think, Richard Cypher? Do you think that when they have this revolt I can get a cart and deliver my charcoal? I could make more charcoal, then.”

“But what do they plan to do? How are they going to change anything if the Order says no?—Which they will.”

“Do? Why, I think they will be very angry if the Order tells them no. They may not go back to their jobs. Some say they will break into the stores and take the bread.”

Richard’s hopes faded back into the shadows.

The man clutched at Richard’s sleeve. “What should I do, Richard Cypher? Should I join the revolt? Tell me.”

“Faval, you should not ask anyone else what you should do about something like this. How can you endanger your life, the lives of your family, on what a man with a wagon says?”

“But you are a smart man, Richard Cypher. I am not so smart as you.”

Richard tapped his finger against the man’s forehead. “Faval, in here, in your head, you are smart enough to know what you must do. You have already told me why the Order can never help people have better lives by telling them how they must live. You figured that out all on your own. You, Faval the charcoal maker, are smarter than the Order.”

Faval beamed. “You think so, Richard Cypher? No one ever told me before that I was smart.”

“You’re smart enough to decide for yourself how much it means to you and what you want to do about it.”

“I fear for my wife, and my brother’s wife, and all our children. I don’t want the Order, but I’m afraid for them if I am arrested. How would they live?”

Richard heaved another basket into the wagon. “Faval, listen to me. Revolt is the kind of thing you must be sure of. It’s dangerous business. If you are going to join a revolt, you have to be sure enough of what you want to do to be ready to lay down your life for your freedom.”

“Really? You think so, Richard Cypher?”

The spark of hope was gone.

“Faval, you stay here and make charcoal. Priska needs charcoal. The Order will arrest those people, and then that will be the end of it. You’re a good man. I don’t want to see you arrested.”

Faval grinned. “All right, Richard Cypher. If you say so, I will stay here and make charcoal.”

“Good. I’ll be back tomorrow night. But Faval, if there is still trouble, I may not make it tomorrow night. If there is still marching going on and the streets and roads are blocked, I may not be able to make it out here.”

“I understand. You will be back as soon as you can. I trust you, Richard Cypher. You never let me down.”

Richard smiled. “Look, if they are having a revolt tomorrow, and I can’t make it out here right away, here’s the money for the next load.” He handed the man another silver mark. “I don’t want those loggers to stop getting wood for you. The foundries need charcoal.”

Faval giggled in genuine delight. He kissed the silver mark and slipped it down his boot. “The charcoal will be ready. Now, let me help you load your wagon.”

Faval was only one of the charcoal makers with whom Richard dealt. He had a whole string of them he kept going so the foundries could have charcoal. They were all humble people just trying to get along in life. They did the best they could under the yoke of the Order.

Richard made a little profit selling the charcoal to the foundries, but he made more selling iron and steel he bought from them. Charcoal was just a small sideline to help fill his nights, as long as he was out with his wagon. What he made from the charcoal covered the bribes, mostly. He made a good bit more hauling the odd load of ore, clay, lead, quicksilver, antimony, salt, molding powders, and a variety of other things the foundries needed but couldn’t get permits for or get transported when they needed them. There was as much of that business as Richard could want. It paid for the care of his team with some profit left over. The iron and steel was pure profit.

By the time he made it to the foundry with the load of charcoal, Priska, the hulking foundry master, was pacing. His powerful hands grabbed the side of the wagon. He peered in.

“About time.”

“I had to wait for an hour after I came from Faval’s while the city guards inspected the load.”

Priska waved his beefy arms. “Those bastards!”

“It’s all right—calm down. They didn’t take any. I have it all.”

The man sighed. “I tell you, Richard, it’s a wonder I’ve kept my furnaces going.”

Richard ventured a da

ngerous question. “You’re not involved with the…trouble, in the city, are you?”

In the light coming from his office window—really no more than a hut—Priska appraised Richard for a time. “Richard, change is coming. Change for the better.”

“What change?”

“A revolt has begun.”

Richard felt the spark of hope grow anew, but stronger this time—not so much for himself, his chains held him too tenaciously, but for the people who yearned to be free. Faval was a kind man, a hardworking man, but he was not the clever man, the resourceful man, that Priska was. Priska was a man who knew more than it would seem possible for him to know. Priska had given Richard the names of all the officials who could be bribed for papers, and advised him how much to offer.

“A revolt?” Richard asked “A revolt for what?”

“For us—for the people who want to be able to live our lives as we wish. The new beginning is starting. Tonight. In fact, it has already begun.” He turned to his building and pulled open the doors. “When you get to Victor’s, you must wait for him, Richard. He must speak with you.”

“About what?”

Priska waved dismissively. “Come, give me my charcoal and then load your steel. Victor will bite my head off if I keep you.”

Richard pulled the first basket out of the wagon and carried it to the side, where Priska added another.

“What have these people who starting the revolt done? What are their plans?”

Priska leaned close as Richard dragged another basket to the rear of the wagon. “They have captured a number of officials of the Order. High officials.”

“Have they killed them, yet?”

“Killed them! Are you crazy? They aren’t going to harm them. They will be held until they agree to loosen the rules, satisfy the demands of the people.”