| I.1.008 |
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The result of young Carl's transgression was that his father felt that he was not growing up
to be worthy of him. Despite the ten lashes inflicted by the Magistrate the Shopkeeper
would have punished his son more but his wife would not allow it. Becky was full of
indignation at what had happened. 'Carl, I just can't understand it. How could you let them treat you son like that and get away with it? He's only a boy. They have used him to attack you and now you want to punish him some more.' The situation was exacerbated by the approach of another pregnancy. Becky's last child had been stillborn the year before. In her youth Becky had been radiant and beautiful and the Shopkeeper, when he courted her had been lost in an agony of love which transcended all thoughts of who she was or what her origins might be. When she accepted his proposal his joy knew no bounds. The night of their marriage was the greatest mystery of all and at her touch he melted away and long afterwards still saw her enveloped in a misty halo wherein the slightest movement gave him passion. Though he had never ceased to love her and depend upon her, her beauty had been drained by bearing children. Now the Shopkeeper feared the worst: with each passing birth the dawning of inevitable death for his wife and his fear was tinged with guilt when the nagging question of her origins occurred to him and the impact that these might have had upon the behavior of his children. 'Leave the child' she said, sitting in the firelight, rocking. 'He's suffered enough.' The Shopkeeper sat across from her, sulking and sullen but he had no alternative but to give in. The boy, though, was undaunted by what had happened. At school, the Sisters, determined that the other children would appreciate the stigma against the sinner in the community, treated him roughly at first but the memory of his beating soon faded. He had learned that if you are caught you will be punished but also that there were limits to the punishment of one who was his father's son. He was not about to forgo his search for knowledge or his favorite haunts. Also, there was the question of the Keeper of the Catalogues. 'Forget the old man,' said his father angrily when he mentioned old Thomas. 'If you don't stick to your schoolwork and keep bothering your head with things that don't concern you one day your going to find that it's been knocked off!' Becky's attitude was the same. 'Fancy! Parading him before the town like that!' She shuddered in disgust and when he pursued the subject further she would only say 'those people! They make me ill to look at them! And you shouldn't be asking any more questions you young scamp! You've done enough damage as it is!' For some time thereafter at the meetings of the Council meeting the Shopkeeper felt that he was still being ridiculed and could hardly bring himself to look the other councilors in the face. The Sheriff, even though he was a man of much less unpleasant disposition than his deputy was not above trying to rub the incident in, catching the Shopkeeper's eye with a knowing wink and a pleasant smile. And weeks later when he encountered the Shopkeeper on the track to the enclave of the 'Men Apart' he approached him eagerly: 'Hey, Carl, how's that young rascal of yours doing? Has he learned himself a few things yet or are we going to have to chase him up some more?' By then the Sheriff knew from his informants that the Shopkeeper's son's behavior had not altered in the least, but he was a politician and knew also there were future favors to be won. |
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