Previously: BOLTBLASTER - PROLOGUE

 

 

 

CHAPTER 1

 

 

 

The pitch was low and fast to the inside, but Mercury connected, sending the ball high towards left field. He dropped the bat and sprinted for first base as the Serfs outfielders converged to make the catch. But there was no catch to be made. The ball sailed over the fence for a Wizard home run. The player on third came in to tie the score 7 all. Behind him, Mercury jogged around the bases for the winning run.

 

His teammates crowded around the dark-haired boy with bright green eyes as he reached the plate, shouting and hooting and slapping him on the back. They lifted him onto their shoulders to carry him from the field. The villagers in the home stands rose to their feet, clapping and cheering and calling "Attaboy, Merc!" Even some of the visiting fans applauded.

 

With an "aw shucks" grin, Mercury pulled off his cap and waved it at his parents. Ma and Pa were on the front row, where they always sat for home games, right next to Fergus Berker's folks. With them was a stranger, a man with a flowing white beard who seemed to be staring at him. An old friend of Pa's maybe. Anyhow, Ma and Pa smile and waved back and the team put Merc back on the ground.

 

The dejected Amblegate Serfs trudged in from the field. Merc was first in line to shake the pitcher's hand and congratulate him on a good game.

 

"It could have gone either way," Merc assured him. The Serfs led through all seven innings, and the Glymph Wizards had only managed to come from behind at the last to take the game.

 

"Yeah, I guess so," said the pitcher, shuffling his feet. He was a slightly chubby red‑haired boy with a zillion freckles.

 

"Gee whiz, you did some great pitching!" said Merc.

 

"Sure. Thanks."

 

"I mean it. Gosh, I was lucky to get that last hit."

 

"Yeah, well, good comeback."

 

"Thanks. Say, be sure and get some of my Ma's cherry pie at the picnic. It's great."

 

Merc shook hands with the rest of the Serfs, then gathered with his own team to hear Coach Frumper's post-game talk.

 

"Good job, men! You played hard. You played with spirit. You played with grit and determination. That's what I like to see. That's the kind of playing that's going to win the King's Pennant. But we need to do better. We shouldn't have to come from behind because we shouldn't get behind."

 

"We might not if you didn't put Bobbo and Sawby in the outfield," groused first baseman Unwin Capstock. "They can't catch worth spit. Or hit for that matter."

 

Mercury stepped forward and spoke before Coach Frumper could respond. "That's not fair, Unwin! Why, every boy deserves a chance to play, no matter what his level of ability. We're all here to have a good time, and that's more important than winning or losing. Bobbo and Sawby try hard. If they're not as gifted at baseball as you or me, it's not their fault. My Pa says we should always be tolerant of the shortcomings of others, because we've all got shortcomings of our own. Whatever you do, there's always gonna be someone not as good as you, and there's always gonna be someone better. Sawby can't catch a baseball, but gosh can he catch fish! And nobody shoots marbles like Bobbo. So come on, whatta you say, give 'em a break! We're a team, you know."

 

Unwin looked sheepish. "Gee, Merc, I guess you're right. Bobbo, Sawby, I'm sorry. I didn't mean nothing by it."

 

Bobbo and Sawby shrugged.

 

Coach Frumper cleared his throat. "All right, men, remember that. We're a team. And we're here to have fun. Okay, practice is Monday afternoon and we play the Tugaloon Dragons away next Saturday. Now let's get to the picnic!"

 

The Saturday afternoon games of the All-Raelnan Commoner Youth League Baseball Association were a Raelnan tradition. King Raegon established the program soon after his ascension to the throne in 953 A.H., ostensibly to bring his people closer together, promote health and teamwork, and keep the peasants too preoccupied to think about revolting. At least that was what he told his noble vassals in explaining his decree. But the true reasons went further.

 

The King required each noble to fund the program in his or her domain, fielding teams from every village in both the boys' baseball and girls' softball divisions. This meant first paying for each team's royal charter -- renewable after five years -- and annual conference, league and association dues. Then there were the processing fees for roster certification. Of course all official bats, balls, gloves, and uniforms could only be purchased from the Royal Baseball Company, which was wholly owned by the King. All game officials, scorekeepers, and statisticians needed a license from the Chancellor of Baseball. For every game played, the game tax had to be paid, as did the home run tariff, double pla y duty, extra inning excise, strikeout fee, scoring toll, and other revenue enhancers.

 

The whole enterprise had the salutary effect of transferring significant wealth from the pockets of the vassals to the coffers of the King. It was never a good idea to let the nobles build up too much of a surplus. That only made them ambitious, and ambitious nobles made kings nervous.

 

King Raegon knew a good thing when he saw it. The first season of All-Raelnan Youth League Football would begin in the fall.

 

"Good game, son! That's the way to knock it home!"

 

Jothan caught Merc in a hug as he ran up to him and tousled his short black hair. The boy beamed at this parental praise.

 

"Gee, thanks, Pa! Of course, good results only come from hard work and practice, like you always tell me."

 

"That's right. Mercury, I'd like you to meet an old friend of mine, Master Pencader."

 

Pencader was tall and thin and ancient, his parchment face etched with canyon-like wrinkles. He wore dusty traveling clothes, smelled of tobacco, and held a gnarled oaken staff carved with odd squiggles.

 

"How do you do, sir?" said Merc, extending his hand and looking the old man right in the eye like he'd been taught. The old man's eyes were odd. The irises were the color of quicksilver and shimmered like a heat mirage in high summer. Merc had never seen such eyes before, but he didn't remark on them. It wouldn't be polite.

 

"I've waited a long time to meet you, Mercury," said Pencader. "I knew your father many years ago. You seem to be a fine young man, but that's just what I'd expect from Jonthan and Martha."

 

"Thank you, sir. I owe whatever good qualities I've got to Ma an Pa's fine upbringing of me. Gosh, they're the best folks any kid could ever want!"

 

"That they are. And they've outdone themselves this time." He turned to Jothan with a stricken look. "The boy is unspeakably wholesome."

 

Jothan shrugged. "He'll grow out of it."

 

"What's going on?" asked Mercury, a mild unease taking hold of him. He noticed for the first time that Ma and Pa looked unaccountably older today. They had always been older than most of his friend's parents -- Ma said he was a "late life surprise" -- but today they seemed especially aged.

 

Jothan took Merc's hand and asked gravely, "Son, do you remember how I always told you that someday you'd have to leave us, leave Glymph, and pursue a great destiny?"

 

"Yeah. I always thought you were kidding around, Pa."

 

"I wasn't. And today is the day. You're twelve years old now. It's time for you to learn a trade."

 

"Great! I want to be a baseball player!"

 

"Baseball isn't a trade, son. It's a game."

 

"Well, then I'll be a farmer just like you, Pa."

 

"You're meant for other things than farming, son."

 

"Golly, you always told me farming is the noblest profession because the farmer is close to the land, besides which we live in a subsistence agricultural economy and if we didn't farm we'd starve."

 

"Well, that's true son, but it doesn't mean you have to be a farmer."

 

"Then what am I going to be?" asked Merc, confused.

 

"You're going to go away and be Master Pencader's apprentice."

 

"Apprentice at what?"

 

"A great many interesting things," said Pencader vaguely.

 

"But Pa, I don't want to away with Master Pencader and do interesting things. I want to stay here with you and Ma. Always."

 

Jothan shook his head. "It can't be like that, son. I'm sorry. The time has come for you to go. You leave today."

 

"What?" Merc's voice cracked. He hated it when that happened.

 

"Master Pencader has come to take you home with him."

 

Mercury burst into tears. "Don't you love me anymore, Pa?"

 

Martha put down the fresh cherry pie she was unwrapping and took Mercury in her arms. "Of course we do, dear," she said, smoothing his hair and wiping away his tears. "Of course we do. We have always loved you and we always will. It's because we love you and want what's best for you that we're doing this. Master Pencader will teach you things that we can't. But wherever you go, however far away you are, you'll always be here in our hearts."

 

Sniffling, Merc turned to Pencader. "Where do you live, anyhow?"

 

"In the fair green valleys of a distant land. It's a pleasant place. I think you'll like it."

 

"I don't want to live in the fair green valleys of a distant land. I like it here."

 

"You'll like it there too," Pencader assured him.

 

"Do they have baseball there?"

 

"No."

 

"I don't think I'll like it there." A new thought raced into Mercury's excited mind. "Holy cow! The team, Pa! We've got a game next week! Gosh, I can't let the team down! I just can't! You always told me, Pa, that a person has to live up to his obligations or else--"

 

"Yes, I know," said Jothan curtly. "But sometimes a bigger obligation comes along."

 

"I just don't understand this," sobbed Merc.

 

"I know you don't, son, but in time you will. Have we ever steered you wrong? Have we ever done anything that wasn't in your best interest?"

 

"Gosh, no, Pa!"

 

"Then why do you doubt us in this?"

 

"I don't, really, it's just . . . I don't want to leave you!"

 

"We hate to see you go, son. But we know this is for your own good. It's what has to be done. Now I need you to dry those tears and be strong."

 

Merc wiped at his eyes with the back of his fists. "Okay, Pa. I'll try."

 

"That's my boy."

 

"I mean, I guess I can come back and visit lots."

 

"It may be that you will never return to this place," said Pencader.

 

"Oh, that's helping," said Martha.

 

"Sorry," said Pencader.

 

"Pa!"

 

"Now, don't get excited, son," said Jothan. "You see, Ma and me, we're moving on too, soon as you're gone."

 

"What? Where to? Why?"

 

"Why? Because our work here is done. We've raised you up, taught you right from wrong, given you a good foundation to build on. From here on out, it's up to you. What you become is what you make of yourself. Just remember the lessons you've learned and you'll do fine."

 

"I will. But where are you going?"

 

"To Paradise."

 

"You mean you're gonna die? Are you sick? Is that why you're sending me away? Don't send me away, Pa! Don't die! I won't let you and Ma die!"

 

"Calm down, boy! Who said anything about dying? We're just going to enjoy our retirement."

 

"Oh. And meanwhile, you're handing me over to a complete stranger who'll take me away to a foreign land where I have to be his apprentice and learn an unknown trade and can't play baseball?"

 

"That's right, son."

 

"Well, I guess you know best, Pa."

 

Jothan nodded. "That's right. Now Ma has packed all your things up, so you can leave right after lunch. No point in dragging out the goodbyes."

 

"Only so many hours in a day, right Pa?"

 

"That's right."

 

"When you've got things to do, it's best to be doing them."

 

"Exactly."

 

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going."

 

"Couldn't have said it better myself."

 

Pencader shook his head gravely. "You seem to have filled the boy's mind with every practical proverb, homey axiom, and trite saying ever uttered."

 

"We tried," said Jothan.

 

"I rather wish you hadn't."

 

"Mercury is our last. We wanted to make it count."

 

"What does that mean?" said Merc. "I'm your last what?"

 

"Don't worry about it, dear," said Martha taking his hand and shooting the men a reproving glance. "Just eat your pie. You have a long and difficult road ahead."

 

 Create your own free wiki!Help Add to Del.ici.ous Add to Digg Add to Reddit Add to fUrl Add to SpurlPublic, not yet premium Privacy Policy RSS