Free Defective by Sharon Boddy Page A

at a
time then resurface with the birth of a single baby. The
documentation for those periods was grim with many people killed on
suspicion of being defective.
    "The defect was
never that bad. It would have even been quite helpful in some
cases," his grandfather had written in his personal diary. "Imagine
a lumberman able to lift an entire tree or a messenger who could
run to New Key and back in less than day!"
    It had boggled the
young Pierre's mind at some of the things Pappy told him defectives
could do and he'd told his Pappy he wished he had one.
    "Listen to me,"
Pappy said, gripping Pierre by the arm, not hard enough to hurt but
with enough quiet force that Pierre knew his great-grandfather was
serious. "People with the defect have it hard. There are a lot of
ignorant people out there. They're afraid of what they don't
understand. You ever meet someone with a real defect, you treat
them well. Help them where you can. They need the luck."
    It wasn't just the
ones with the true defect who were at risk; many regular folk who
had a natural affinity for something — music or carpentry or
farming — were killed out of fear that this masked a greater
defect. In Pappy's police records were plenty of reports of
ordinary farmers murdered because they'd been overheard singing to
their goats.
    It was part of the
reason why the Deloran County law had been enacted. The pure
anarchy that fell upon the population every few decades was
eventually too much to bear. All known or suspected defectives were
exiled and their property and belongings taken from them. Their
property was then sold with the proviso that the land be worked,
producing a benefit to the community. It was a ruthless solution
but it kept the small population alive and able to fend for
itself.
    "Eventually," his
Pappy had told him, and many of the reference books confirmed it,
"people became isolated and drifted away from each other. They'd
interact in town, for business but nothing else. The law hasn't
changed that much since then. The law's only mission is to make
sure that enough people stay alive to produce enough food for
everyone. Everything's tied to property."
    When he asked him
what happened to the people who were exiled his Pappy had shaken
his head.
    "A lot of 'em died
in the bush I suspect. I'm sure a few survived. A lot of 'em
weren't defectives at all, not true defectives."
    PC Pierre read
late into the night. It started to rain at one point but as always
happened when he delved deep into history, he was too engrossed to
hear it.

Spring

    The equinox passed.
Despite some snow that still lay in small clumps near the wooded
areas around the farm, temperatures began to climb. The summer,
Forest said, would be difficult. Hot, with lots of rain at the
beginning, but bone dry by the end of the season.
    Porkchop decided
that the loft should have an exit so they'd taken down the hay
bales and opened one side of the double doors. They propped it open
with the ladder that leaned against the back of the barn. On the
open side of the door frame Santa nailed long strips of fabric to
keep out mosquitoes and flies.
    To prepare for an
early seeding, Jelly and Forest had set up a growing area near the
back door of the barn. The large double window let in the sun as it
crossed the southwestern sky. Perfect light for the seedlings
they’d started. Forest, with Narrow’s help, had built three
shelving units from items found around the barn and on their slats
now rested dozens of containers. Pearl apple trees, vegetables and
herbs sprouted from them.
    The only plant
that would not cooperate were the cure-all seeds Jelly had brought
with her from the orchard. No matter what she did they would not
germinate. The small bunch that Narrow had brought her had also
gone missing. At the time she’d set the plants at the back with the
rest of their planting gear but the next day they were nowhere to
be found.
    ___
    "We've got
company," Rank told Hap when Hap returned with the