The Galaxy Game by Karen Lord Read Free Book Online

nightmares.’
    He raised his face from his knees. ‘Finally you’re being helpful.’
    I took that in the spirit in which it was intended, which is to say I sat on him until he howled pax , and then I let him breathe and curse me to his heart’s content.
    ‘Come,’ I told him when he ran out of steam. ‘Let me introduce you to the coach.’
    We walked across the north field to the Wall. He was nervous, so I tried to reassure him. ‘Good thing for you that I’m known to the Dailies. No offence to Master Silyan, but sticking in a new player at this time of the season makes no sense. I wonder what hold he has over the coach. Anyway, I think I can persuade them not to murder you.’
    ‘Tinman, you’re pure nonsense,’ said Rafi, his nervousness forgotten under the burden of my exaggerations. I smiled at a job well done.
    ‘Well, I can at least make you a little more welcome, how’s that?’
    ‘That sounds possible,’ he admitted.
    Don’t mistake me. I like Rafi. He’s a quiet little schemer. For someone who grew up in the backwoods he has an uncanny grasp of social networks. I’ve never seen him waste time cultivating anyone who couldn’t do something for him – a bit cold now that I mention it, but he does it for survival, pure and simple, nothing more. He doesn’t get into the more elaborate games, but he’s subtle in a way that only an Ntshune could appreciate. Inviting me to trek with him was kind and calculated. It increased his credit immensely and presented me with both gift and debt. Gift because the trip cost me nothing, but debt because he did me a favour before he ever asked me for anything. And then afterwards, he never asked. Never once did he ask me for anything. So I remained in his debt and this was my way to pay it and maintain my own credit.
    We stood in front of the Wall and watched the plays for a while until the coach called halt. Some of the players waved to me and I gave a slight nod – they knew my name and face, of course, but I couldn’t remember which ones I’d actually met. The coach noticed and looked over his shoulder at us. Even though he eyed us with a question, I waited until he’d taken a drink with his team before approaching him – Rafi trailing behind me trying to look at ease in my second-hand grav-bands and new loincloth with full shear protection. I stood before the coach, glanced at his feet and back up at his face and waited for him to speak.
    He almost smiled but turned it into a slight twitch at the right corner of his mouth. ‘You bring a message?’
    ‘I am a message,’ I responded.
    ‘From whom and to whom?’ he queried.
    ‘From death to life to death,’ I said.
    ‘The old must die,’ he mused.
    ‘The young may die,’ I declared with a grin. These were only preliminary statements, but he would never have gone so far in front of Rafi if he meant to reject him.
    He looked at Rafi then. ‘Who’s your apprentice?’
    I sighed. ‘Not really my apprentice. More like my booby.’
    Rafi glared at me.
    ‘But I think you can keep him busy,’ I continued brightly. ‘He might even learn something along the way. I think he could be a strategist when he gets older, but that’s for wiser heads than mine to say.’
    ‘This is Master Silyan’s student,’ the coach said, finally making the connection.
    ‘Yes, and also my friend,’ I stressed.
    Rafi looked between us uncertainly, as if wondering when he would be allowed to speak about himself.
    ‘Do you know the game, Abowen?’ asked the coach. Got the name right. Good sign.
    ‘I’ve watched it, read about it. Tried some amateur games on the homestead, but I’ve never been on a proper grav-equipped Wall,’ Rafi told him.
    The coach looked worried and I couldn’t blame him. I caught his eye and tried to convey with something less than a nod and a wink that I would help Rafi through the time of baby steps so that he would not be burdened with that duty.
    ‘Why not try a few runs with your friend?