Free Casca 9: The Sentinel by Barry Sadler Page B

was constantly afraid that Demos was going to break his head open every time the baby climbed to its feet. Ireina took all this in stride. Like most mothers, she knew instinctively that her child's rubbery, flexible body was nearly indestructible and that in spite of all the falls and bruises, he would grow stronger each day.
    The only fly in the ointment was that with each day their reserve of money grew lower. What work Casca was able to find was a poor supplement to the growing needs of his family. For a time he worked as a bouncer in several local taverns, until his reputation grew so bad that it started driving off customers and he was fired. The only other work to be had which paid as well would have taken him away from Ireina and Demos. That he tried to avoid for as long as possible, for he had found great pleasure in the growing child. He took an inordinate amount of pride in each of the babe's accomplishments, such as climbing to his feet by himself. Casca swore that anyone could see that never had a child done such things so young or so well.
    Ireina never lost her childlike simplicity or her belief that Casca and she were part of some fairy tale. No matter how many times he tried to reason with her, she would just smile smugly as if to say, "Go on and say anything you want to. I know the truth, and nothing will change it." Sometimes he wondered if perhaps she'd been hurt more than was obvious by her rape. She never mentioned the raiders or Herac again, and if he brought up the subject, she just looked at him with a blank expression and went on with whatever she was doing.
    He had no problems with Ireina. It wasn't that she was stupid. There were just some things that she didn't understand, and he was foremost among them. In their daily life she was pleasant and attentive and could argue with the butcher over the price of a piece of meat with the best of them. He managed to keep them with shelter and food on the table until Demos was five by taking any work he could find. His strong back was always welcome where fields had to be cleared of stones or wood cut and hauled to different cities, but that was only enough for them to barely survive on, and he wanted more for them than just an existence of living hand to mouth.
    Casca knew that soon he would have to find better-paying employment. He dreaded the idea, but there was no way to avoid it. Inflation and rising prices had rapidly depleted their resources. He was going to have to go back to work, and there was only one way he would have a chance to make enough to give him what he wanted for Ireina and Demos.
    He would have to sell his sword for a time. Then, when they had saved enough, he'd buy a farm for them, where they could be kept away from the evil of the world. He also knew that the day would come when he would have to walk away from them, to leave them on their own. When that happened, he intended for them to be taken care of. That was a hateful thought but one that couldn't be ignored. Perhaps this time he would be able to do it gently and not have them hurt because of him.
    He would have to make a lot of money to accomplish that. He had wished several times that he had been a good businessman, but he had no talent for it and knew it.
    There were not many places where he could get a good price for his labor. He would have to go where they were hiring. It wouldn't have done any good to go to Rome, which was ruled by barbarians and had little need of paid mercenaries. The only place he knew that had the money to afford professional mercenaries was Constantinople. There were always more trouble spots than the regular legions of the Eastern Empire could take care of. He would have to sign on with one of the mercenary captains.
    He didn't like the idea of taking Ireina and Demos with him to Constantinople, but he didn't want to leave them where he couldn't take care of them in the event of trouble. The world was as dangerous a place as it had been under Gaius