BooksBarbecue
Back Iron Winter
Chapters (89)
  1. Title page
  2. Contents
  3. Map
  4. ONE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. TWO
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. THREE
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. FOUR
  77. 70
  78. 71
  79. 72
  80. 73
  81. 74
  82. 75
  83. 76
  84. 77
  85. 78
  86. 79
  87. Afterword
  88. By Stephen Baxter
  89. Copyright

Zida snorted. ‘We’ll have time to discuss it when we’re all down in the Dark Earth. Let’s get on with it. I’ve a dozen more farms to visit before this day is done. I see you’ve got them separated. Good. We find it’s best to get the able-bodied out of hearing range before we start with the rest, because—’

‘I think we know why, Sergeant,’ said the priest.

‘You’re sure you sorted them properly? There are to be no nursing mothers on the March, no child under five, nobody over forty, no invalids, no lame.’

‘I read the instructions,’ Henti said. ‘I did what’s been asked of me.’

‘There aren’t many, are there? What, a dozen able-bodied?’

‘It’s not a big farm.’

‘What did you tell them?’

‘The lie I was told to repeat. That the able-bodied are being taken off for a few days to build new grain stores in the city. They believed it, I think.’

‘Umm. Well, the disposal has been going on for a few days already. We started in the city. We wanted to get as many of the able-bodied out and the rest finished off before the news started to leak out. The last thing we need is a revolt.’

‘There was a runner,’ Palla said. ‘Came through the farm, not long before you.’

‘I sent a couple of lads after him. Won’t get far. Look, it will take a bit of time before the walkers are shackled and taken out of earshot.’

Palla said, ‘I will talk to the rest.’

‘Good. Distract them. Just don’t get them stirred up before we’re ready to process them.’

Process?

Henti said, ‘You may as well come to the house, Zida. Bring your officers. I’ve some food and drink we won’t be able to carry that needs using up . . .’

The voices receded.

Pimpira stayed in his hole, hungry, thirsty, cold, listening to the rattle of shackles being attached to ankles and wrists. He did not know what was going to happen, but he understood the meaning of the basic separation of the slaves into healthy and not healthy, lame and not lame. He knew which group he would be in. This was why his father had hidden him, so he could not be put with the lame and ill and old and very young. He stayed in his hole, and waited, and thought about his father.

After a time he heard singing, a wistful hymn to Jesus Sharruma, led by the priest’s clear voice. Pimpira mouthed the words.