They Also Serve by Mike Moscoe Read Free Book Online

anywhere.
    "Excuse me." Kat tapped the bully on his hip, about as far up as she could reach. "The ambassador has rented this field. I believe he expects us to keep the peace here."
    Big Sean turned on Kat with a sneer, raised his hand to her—and was sitting on the ground a moment later with no visible explanation, and a look of utter dismay on his face.
    "Thank you," Kat smiled down at him.
    Cassie took the minister's arm. "Sir, the ambassador requests that you leave our facility. Our constitution requires a strict separation of church and state. Use of these grounds for religious solicitation would be a violation of our code."
    "What?" the minister said in wonder.
    "Thank you, sir." Cassie continued, "I know it's difficult to understand different people's ways of doing things. If you'll come with me, we can talk about that." She took the reverend by the arm and escorted him away from the shuttle. Five people went with him. The priest stood for a moment, looking after them, then hiked back to the table. Taking David from the mayor's wife, he picked the boy up, hugged him, then sat him down on the bench and told him to eat his vegetables. The boy picked up a green bean and began eating it a millimeter at a time.
    "Good riddance," the mayor breathed.
    Mary eyed Cassie and the minister. "I hope he doesn't have a guitar handy. She might keep going," she chuckled.
    The priest shook his head. "God bless them all."
    "Who are they?" Ray asked. As a young soldier, religion had been something he'd been glad to share his foxhole with. As he rose in rank and found himself with less time on his hands for empty worrying, it faded. Or maybe his questions got harder and the answers more difficult. Whatever he might think of religion, here it seemed an important part of their lives.
    "The O'Donalds lost their first child last winter. She always was one for the scruples. God forgive me, but I could not answer her demand to know why God would give her a baby to love, then take it away so soon. Young Phillip seeks the face of God and cannot find it among the familiar. May God be gracious to all of them and forgive me for what I could not be."
    "Father, it's not your fault," the mayor assured him. "They're just wrongheaded." Murmurs of agreement came from around the table. The priest smiled his thanks and gave David a hug. Ray doubted the padre accepted his people's absolution. More and more, he was coming to like the fellow. How could you fault a man who so clearly doted on his grand-kid?
    The musicians launched into a reel. People were on their feet and into the dance without a glance for those Cassie was still walking off the field. Ray watched through the first two songs, then turned to Mary. "We've got to set up camp and unload the shuttle."
    "And you'll be wanting your field back," the mayor said, standing. "I'll have the fiddler dance them into town. You'll be wanting to go up early tomorrow with me to the County Clair Circle."
    "Circle," Ray echoed, wondering where he'd missed a step and how far down it was.
    "Aye, you've met with the Hazel Dell Circle." The mayor made a sweeping arm gesture that might have included the entire town, or just those close by. "You'll be wanting to talk to County Clair Circle next. I suspect Jeff will be going, too. You've sat in the Great Circle of Metalworkers, haven't you?"
    "When Sis was busy and Mark out of town," the man admitted.
    "Then I guess I'll be going to the next circle tomorrow," Ray agreed. Was the local chain of command more honest about how it ran people in circles? He grinned to himself.
    Making a stop by the keg to refresh his mug, the mayor joined the musicians. In a moment, fiddler, accordion player, and singers began a careful retreat, not missing a beat. Dancers and watchers followed in a smooth flow that cleared the tables of serving dishes with no visible effort except for one young girl who came dashing back for a forgotten bowl.
    Ray's work of arranging his mission and schedule