Shattered Shields - eARC by Jennifer Brozek, Bryan Thomas Schmidt Read Free Book Online Page B

pets, when the time comes.”
    There was a constant low level of noise in the bunkhouse, as was bound to happen when you packed over two dozen casteless men, women, and children into one shack, so they weren’t too worried about being overheard. There were many other bunkhouses just like this one on the master’s lands, and each one had its own conspirators as well.
    “When the time comes? We keep talking about that like it’s the return of the Forgotten.” Baldev was casual about his blasphemy. “If this Protector is on his way because of us, the time needs to be now. We need to strike soon. ”
    The dirt floor was covered in straw. Everyone slept on top of their personal belongings to keep them from getting stolen during the night. Keta rolled over on his meat cutter’s apron to stare at his friend. “Are you mad? We’re not ready. There aren’t enough of us.”
    “The master’s house only has a hundred warriors. We’ve got twice that now.”
    “Have you been out in the sun too long, Govind?” Keta was actually surprised the fisherman could count that high. “Your duty is to mend the nets. That’s all you do. Sleep, eat, shit, screw, and mend nets, and then complain about mending nets to us before you repeat it all the next day. Your whole life you’ve worked on nets. How good are you at mending nets?”
    “I’m really good at mending nets.”
    “So, if I grabbed any two men here, and sent them to the beach tomorrow, they together would be able to handle nets as good as you by yourself?”
    “Of course not. It takes time.”
    “Exactly, stupid. The warrior caste’s only duty is to fight and train to fight. That’s all they do. That’s all they care about. You hear them on the other side of that fence, hitting each other with wooden swords from dawn to dusk. They’re as good at their duty as you are at yours. No, we wait until we have enough to overwhelm the house all at once. And then when we win, we win fast and clean. All of the casteless in this province will rise up and kill their warriors, too.”
    Baldev was the strongest, but he knew Keta was the smart one. “And there’s so many of us that even the other houses won’t be able to do a thing.”
    “This province is the ass end of the land. We’ve got cursed ocean on three sides. The other houses are too busy fighting each other to send an army to deal with us, and by the time they do, we’ll have formed our own army. A real casteless army. Only then, we won’t be casteless anymore. We’ll be whole men, like them, and even the Law will have to recognize us.”
    “Just because you’re the only one of us who can read makes you think you’re so smart,” Govind snarled. “You steal one of the master’s books about strategy, and you think you’re such an expert. You’re a dreamer.”
    The book had merely given him new ideas. Govind had no idea just how much of a dreamer Keta really was. They were focused on freeing themselves, but Keta wanted to free all of the casteless in every province. He wanted to see the great houses in flames. Even though they weren’t allowed to speak of the old ways or practice any of their traditions, Keta knew in his heart that the Forgotten was real, and though they had abandoned their god, their god would never abandon them.
    “We keep doing what we’re doing. Find more like us, willing to fight and smart enough to keep their mouths shut. When the day comes, we’ll know. Soon, my friends, it’ll be very soon.”
    Govind grunted. “Fine. We’ll wait then. And while we wait, this Protector will show up, breathing fire, kill us all, eat our souls, and we’ll be so much better off. I’m going to sleep.”
    Keta lay on his back, stared at the logs of the ceiling, and tried to ignore the screaming of hungry babies.
    Baldev waited a minute before whispering again. “What are we going to do about the Protector, Keta?”
    “Nobody will talk. Our plan is safe.”
    “And if it’s not?”
    They’d all