Free Serpent's Silver by Piers Anthony Page A

reminded him. “And when you treat me as an equal you always call me Brother Wart! What kind of equality is that?”
    “All right. Sister Wart.”
    St. Helens slapped his meaty thigh where it bulged from the borrowed saddle. He laughed, making it almost a roar. “Brothers and sisters are the same on Earth. Mabel, my sister, and I used to tease each other all the time. She talked Women’s Liberation, too, and I always made fun of it. It’s not that I don’t think women should be equal to men, it’s just that most aren’t.”
    “Oh, is that so!” Jon said, clearly enjoying this. “Well, I tell you, St. Volcano, it isn’t easy being female!” She had learned that his name derived from that of a volcano back on his home world of Earth, and made much of it. She did not seem to share the dislike Kelvin and Heln had for the man. “I wanted to be a boy until I met Lester! Do you think I would have gone around disguised as a boy if I hadn’t had to?”
    “Hah, hah,” said St. Helens, turning red in the face. “Hah, hah, hah.”
    “Well, it’s the truth.”
    Lester was returning with the blue-and-green ducphant swinging from his saddle. “Good news—we eat. Jon, Heln, get the fire started and the bird plucked. Your menfolk want a feast!”
    “Chauvinist!” Jon spat, but the edge was gone. She and Heln did as they were bidden, and the bird, even in minute portions, was delicious, as only the food cooked outdoors could be.
    *
    The next day of travel St. Helens got on his political horse, lecturing one and all on and on about one world and the necessity of having one. “Now, Aratex just isn’t right. It’s too much the way Rud was before the revolution. Oh, they don’t have slavery or the Boy Mart and Girl Mart, but they’ve got tax collectors who are just as bad as Rud’s used to be, and soldiers as uncouth and discourteous. People aren’t satisfied with their boy king, nor should they be. The truth is that it’s that old witch Melbah who rules. It’s time for a change. Once the witch is out and the country has a good, strong man in charge, Aratex can unite with Rud just as it says in the prophecy.”
    The astonishing thing to Kelvin was that the others seemed increasingly to buy it. True, he had always known the prophecy would get him into additional trouble sometime, but he had hoped to put it off, just as he had hoped to put off this rescue. Just listening to St. Helens’ enthusiasm was getting to the others even if not to him. Thus the sight of the burned-out ruins of the old palace in the morning mist was in every way a relief.
    “You say we’ll need a boat?” St. Helens asked. “Well, seems to me there’s a river above ground and people have boats along it. Why not get one ready-made instead of making one?”
    “Those stairs aren’t in good repair,” Kelvin reminded them. “It might be easier to carry down the material for a raft and then—”
    “Nonsense!” St. Helens insisted. “You’re the Roundear of Prophecy and I’m your good right-hand man. No raft for us—it wouldn’t be fitting.”
    And so it was that Jon again spoke to the river man who was Tommy Yokes’ grandfather. He had been the one to row her across the river and help her with her disguise before she rescued Tommy and went on to the palace to rescue her brother. The old man smiled to see her and they embraced as though they were long-lost kin.
    “My, you don’t look like a boy any longer.”
    “Nor do I want to. But thank you for helping me before, and now in renting us your boat.”
    “No rental. Glad to lend it to you. You did a mighty good turn for Tommy, and your brother ended slavery permanently. Things are better now for everyone, even old duffers who live by fishing and feeding a few goats. But I know some people who are going to want to see you just to shake your hand. Don’t worry about getting the boat down those stairs—there are plenty who will be proud to help.”
    Thus did they spend an enjoyable