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But there wouldn't be any attack. ITD was not interested in killing or converting the people of
Godsworld, but only in buying and selling. Odd, John thought, how very similar the strategies might be.
What about the other villages in these hills around us Isachar, they're called? Blessing asked.
Yes, Isachar. Probably not worth bothering with, actually, John said without thinking. Too many of
them, too small, all independent of each other. It would take years to pick them all up piecemeal. That's
why nobody ever conquered them too much time and trouble for little gain."
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Ah. Small markets, then. We'll send out a few people to see what they have to offer, but I'd prefer
something larger for our major campaign. What about this city-state here doesn't it have something of
an empire of its own? And trade, as well? He pointed to a dot that John realized must represent Spiritus
Sancti.
That's the Realm of the Chosen of the Holy Ghost, John said. They're big and rich, all right, with a
good location protected on two sides but open to the western plain but I don't think you'll be able to
trade with them."
Why not?"
Because it's ruled by a man called the Anointed of God who doesn't trust Earthers. I tried to get him to
invite you here, but he threw me out, and I wound up in Savior's Grace instead."
Oh. Blessing looked at the map. It's too good to pass up, though. We'll have to offer this Anointed of
God a deal he can't refuse. Either that, or depose him somehow. He gazed thoughtfully at the map.
John, too, stared at it. Depose the Anointed? These Earthers might be merchants, not killers, but they
had possibilities after all. Blessing was a pervert, by Godsworld standards, corrupting his own flesh with
steel, but he had drive and intelligence; he was not wholly decadent, not a simple thrill-seeker like
Tuesday Ikeya.
John wondered for a moment whether his rewiring included an empathy spike, but thrust the question
aside as irrelevant.
This campaign, he thought, was going to be interesting. How would you do that? he asked.
Oh, there are ways but let's hope it doesn't come to that. Why doesn't this Anointed person like
Terrans? I mean, Earthers?"
John described his last meeting with the Anointed, and told the story of Stephen Christ-is-Risen as he
understood it.
Blessing frowned as he listened; when John had finished he thought silently for a moment. This
Stephen Christ-is-Risen, he asked finally, do you think Bechtel-Rand really sent him off-planet?"
John floundered for a moment, then looked at Kwamé.
I think they did, Kwamé said.
Then I don't think we need to worry about protests to the CRA if we depose the Anointed, Blessing
said, though I still hope it won't come to that. We can make anything we do to the Anointed look like
what they did to Christ-is-Risen. I like that. He paused. It shouldn't be necessary, though. John, you've
talked with this person, so I'll be sending you along, but you won't be speaking on our behalf if anyone
asks you're just along as a guide. I know just the person to send to talk to this Anointed. He smiled, and
one of his three floaters did a slow roll in mid-air.
Chapter Twenty-Two
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And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him ... " Esther 2:9
* * * *
The woman let out another little startled yip, and again John glanced sideways at her in disbelief. Even
riding astride at a slow walk she was obviously having trouble staying in the saddle. John knew
perfectly well that horses were extinct back on Earth or nearly so, anyway but he had not realized
anyone, even a woman who had never seen a horse before, could have quite so much trouble riding one.
This woman, however, was doing just that. Three times now the entire expedition John, the woman,
and an escort of four of the Free People and two ITD employees had come to a halt while John
adjusted her saddle and boosted her up until she was reasonably steady once more. The stirrups had been
shortened almost as far as they would go, the cinch-strap pulled so tight the horse was visibly
uncomfortable; fortunately, the beast found for her was so placid it made no protest, but merely walked
all the more slowly and gingerly.
John had great difficulty in believing that this tiny, frail, clumsy woman was Premosila Kim, the
incredible salesperson that Gamaliel Blessing had been so proud of. She was less than five feet tall a
meter and a half, she said by far the shortest Earther John had yet encountered, with black curling hair
and big dark eyes, but flat-chested and scrawny. She did, he had to admit, have a delightful smile she
had used it on him when they were introduced but it would take more than a smile to win over the
Anointed.
She gasped suddenly as she slipped sideways; she caught herself with both hands grabbing the pommel,
but her riding skirt fell away.
After spending as much time as he had among Earthers John was no longer shocked or intrigued by the
sight of a woman's legs, particularly legs as thin as these; he simply reined in his mount, slid to the
ground, and walked back to recover the skirt. It would not do to let her be seen bare-legged by any of the
Chosen.
Two of the men from Savior's Grace were staring, while the other two averted their eyes; John shook his
head in disgust. Their reactions would be different a year from now, he told himself, when the Earthers
had been around their village for awhile. The other two ITD people were not staring, but simply
watching calmly and casually but then, one of them was a woman herself. The other claimed to be
from someplace called Groombridgiana, which he insisted was not on Earth at all, and for all John knew
the women in Groombridgiana ran around stark naked.
He threw the skirt across the horse's back behind her, and stood by as she tugged it into place again.
Thank you, she said, smiling at him for the second time.
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