Chapter 4

"Y'know" said Sheesha "Journeyman Elissa's quite right; and she's fair. The onion juice was pretty bad; I'd heard about it and I didn't know how bad it was. And she DID say it was all right to do it to someone nasty."

Ambreen brightened.

"She said in retaliation, so if we can't fight back any other way we can do it to a bully, or a bullying journeyman I guess!"

"Exactly. And she didn't think the bed was wrong, or even the salt; and I guess if you do something to people it's fair if they retaliate, like us having to eat salty porridge . and she and master Gerney were sports not to mention the bed we did for them; 'cos we DID catch them or she wouldn't have mentioned repeating jokes."

"I'd not thought of that!" said Ambreen, much struck. "I s'pose we did go too far. I – I guess it would be nice to apologise to Sadvia."

Sheesha pulled a face.

"Yes" she said. "Elissa didn't insist, but I guess she'd like us to. She left that to our sense of fair play I s'pose."

Apology is never easy; but they stumbled through it.

"Did Elissa send you?" asked Sadvia.

Ambreen shook her head.

"No; but she made us realise we were heels to you" she said.

"Then I accept with pleasure" said Sadvia, hugging her sister and ruffling Sheesha's hair.

Sadvia told Elissa; and when the girls came in from classes she kissed them both.

"You'll do" she said.

It should not be imagined that the pranks stopped entirely; but after incurring such a plethora of consequences from their mad and thoughtless prank spree, Ambreen and Sheesha thought about consequences a little more; and actually gave thought to whether their jokes might cause real distress to an innocent party! They aimed their more outrageous efforts instead at those they considered fair game; such as those Masters who made themselves unpopular.

Chief among the Masters as a fit subject for vengeance was Master Jaben, who taught basic construction. Jaben was rather self opinionated, knowing that much of the craft was built on his speciality. He and Master Tuon cordially detested each other, Jaben feeling that all decoration was a waste of time and likely to be used to divert attention from poorly finished pieces; and Tuon thought him a fanatical old fool. Elissa could see points on both sides; too many people DID use decoration to hide constructional faults. And on the other hand a total eschewing of all decoration seemed a little obsessive, even if personally she found Tuon's style too florid and fancy for her tastes.

The mistake, so far as Ambreen and Sheesha were concerned, that Jaben made, was to criticise Master Tuon in public and call him a 'finical fool who was all squeak and no substance'. The little girls were both shocked at one Master speaking so of another in front of apprentices – it just wasn't done – and annoyed because they rather liked Tuon. Tuon was a bit of a snob, and was proud to have yet another Ranking child in his classes; and though he was kind to all the smaller children, he smiled more at Ambreen and her friend. Like most small girls they adored excess decoration and Tuon was a prime favourite! Consequently they put their heads together and made dark plots.

Jaben almost had an apoplectic fit when his attempted to hammer pegs into prepared holes as a demonstration that glue and nails were not the only way of joining even without the intricacies of dovetails. The pegs disintegrated into a gooey, crumbly mass; which was scarcely surprising as they were carved out of cheese.

The girls gave themselves away by giggling too much and were on a water diet for a sevenday. They thought it well worth it; Tuon was avenged!

Most of the boys wore simple moccasins indoors – all parts of the Hall could be reached through semi-submerged tunnel runs – and changed into boots to go out. All the boots lived in what was known as the bootery, a room at the convergence of several passages; each boy having there a couple of pegs for cloaks and jackets, which also lived there, and a box for keeping their boots or moccasins. These boxes were also often used – in contravention of Hall rules – for stuffing in anything else the apprentices could not be bothered to put away properly, leading to occasions when the lids would not properly shut and the boxes could not be used for their proper secondary purpose, that is, as seats for the donning and removal of footwear. Each turn's intake had their own area and were expected to keep it tidy; failure to do so leading to loss of leisure while the situation was rectified. Confiscations of illegally stored items was also a regular occurrence to those of a lazier nature; which led to fines for the release of such property. Such penalties for the improper use of the bootery, however, the boys accepted with good grace; fair was fair.

The older boys were NOT however amused to have their play time shortened by having to sort out their boots, which had been taken from their boxes and randomly returned, not even necessarily as a pair. Tirlo gazed in dismay on the boots left to him; one being too big and the other being too small.

"They've gone too far" he growled.

"We'll settle them" said Alaran.

He sought out the little girls; he had a fair idea who the culprits were!

"You brats" he said to Ambreen. "Don't even THINK of relying on being girls to get away with it!"

Alaran was Master Gerney's special pupil; and thought long and deeply over how to exploit that once he had given the girls fair warning!

He managed to engineer a message from the Lathemaster to Elissa while she was at home in the craftcot; taking Teerel with him. Teerel was chosen because he was adept at needlework; and slipped off while Alaran engaged Elissa in conversation.

The plot was almost spoiled by Preslan following Teerel and asking,

"Where are you going?"

Teerel put a finger to his lips and whispered,

"Revenge!"

Preslan followed him into the girls' dorm – he was not supposed to, but Elissa would probably, he reasoned, rather he broke bounds than let a big boy be too bad.

Out of the main room – and well away from Elissa's hearing – Teerel explained what the girls had done; and what he meant to do by way of revenge.

Preslan considered.

It seemed fair enough.

"It won't have been Beka or Sifora" he said "You mustn't do it to them!"

"I know that! Perhaps you'll point out which are Ambreen's and Sheesha's beds? I'd have rummaged to find out – and no worse than them rummaging in our boxes but I think it's a bit dishonourable to do that."

Preslan was happy to show him; it avoided injustice to the other two girls!

He watched Teerel until the boy had finished and kept cave for him to slip out again.

At bedtime, Ambreen and Sheesha were MOST put out to find their nightgown sleeves sewn up!

Elissa came in with scissors.

"The seniors manufactured a most excellent excuse to come in to undertake their vengeance" she said serenely "What's sauce for the wherry is the same for the herdbeast, you know!"

And that was that.

The little girls accepted the revenge; and accepted that Elissa was happy to let the punishment of their peers stand rather than interfering judicially.

Next day, Kispre asked, quite suddenly, at supper,

"Why do people play jokes?"

"Oh, there are several reasons" said Elissa. "Sometimes it's to show disapproval to a bully, or someone you want to reprove but who is more important than you; and so far as a bully is concerned, if they're either so senior or so tough you can't take them behind the finishing shed to collectively knock the stuffing out of them, then to reduce them by ridicule is the only step you can take. There was a most unpleasant Master here – he's not here now – and your cousin Alaran and one of his friends took the fellow's underlinen and planted it up on the top of the log store. Including those from his dirty basket" she grinned "That was very funny as we thought him a very porcine. Sometimes jokes are played on other apprentices as an expression of mild rivalry; and then of course the group initiating the joke cannot then complain if the objects of it seek revenge. It's a kind of acceptable disobedience so people can relieve their feelings, and accept a – usually – mild punishment if they get caught, either from their Masters - like being given the boring diet of bread porridge and water for a few days – or something more creative and fitting from their fellows."

"Would you put us on a water diet for a sevenday for a prank, Journeyman?" asked Sheesha.

"No; but not all Journeymen and Masters punish like each other. So long as each one punishes consistently that's all right; it's unfairness that should be avoided, having one punishment for an offense to one child and other for the same offence to another – unless for good reason, like one child cannot be on water rations for suffering an illness, say."

"What would you have done if you'd been in Master Jaben's place?" Sheesha wanted to know.

Elissa laughed.

"Oh, as you were so fond of cheese I think I'd have sat you down and made you eat either a whole cheese between you, or eat a piece of the smelliest strong cheese I could find!" she said. "Journeyman Arkis would have spanked you; Master Gerney would have set you carving replacement pegs, wasting your leisure for wasting his time" – here Gerney, listening, nodded agreement – "And Master Challer would have given you each a stint at the bottom of the saw pit with a crosscut saw. Master Tuon, who's good natured, would probably have cuffed the pair of you lightly and had you help clearing up."

Sheesha sighed.

"It's much less unfair having suitable and interesting punishments, even when they're tougher than old water rations!"

"Well, maybe Master Jaben has it right then, as the least encouragement to your creative mischief" said Elissa seriously; and the two imps never knew how close she had come to losing her self control to laugh at Sheesha's assessment of fair! "You will learn who uses which methods of discipline by experience; for I can't see you two settling down for a while yet. And that's another reason for playing jokes, Kispre; being an apprentice means accepting responsibility. But many apprentices are still very young, just children; and doing silly things is a reaction to having to be responsible, a part of growing up, getting through doing the childish things while it's still acceptable and gradually learning more and more to accept responsibility. And daft jokes that are to be expected from girls as young as Ambreen and Sheesha would be shameful if played by a big boy like Alaran."

Kispre nodded gravely.

"I see" he said politely; and Elissa knew that he did understand or he would have asked more! He added, "Did you play jokes when you were growing up?"

Elissa laughed.

"Just for kicks and giggles? No, I'm afraid it never occurred to me; though my friend Serehana and I played some dreadful tricks on some of the more awful candidates to pay them back for disrespecting weyrfolk, running from apple pie beds to rigging one lazy girl's bed with bells so every move she made set off a cacophony! I don't think the weyrbred play as many jokes as apprentices, really; we're trained to take responsibility from an early age and when you've grown up running errands with pots of numbweed for Threadscored dragons and Riders, I suppose it makes you a lot more serious! Maybe I was boring; but Serahana and I managed to have a great deal of fun and earn our fair share of spankings too for doing things no-one elase had thought of forbidding, though I have to say it's young Sagarra who carries the laurels for that sort of thing! And of course we spent a great deal of time logicating; just playing at it at first, but learning as we went. And that's been very useful here, and we've a full blown logicator group running."

"Tell us about logicating!" pleaded Ambreen "Daddy's getting Kyal to teach people!"

Elissa obliged, telling a few of the less frightening stories.

"I'm not sure the big ones would much like to have you little ones involved" she said "But you could form a junior logicators group; perhaps Beka or Lianka or Kisra would lead you if you asked nicely. Kisra's a keen logicator but sometimes the big ones leave her out a bit; why don't you go to her and ask her to be your junior logicator journeyman? And no reason Kispre should not join in too, if you want, lad."

"Daddy Gerney's a logicator" said Kispre; which meant 'yes'. In Kispre's eyes, Gerney could do no wrong!

It was a blessed relief for all.

Having the attention of the more lively little girls diverted into logicating may have been a little trying for older woodcrafters in some respects as the new logicators firmly pursued and observed people; but it was less wearing on the whole than wondering continually what might turn up in the bottom of the bed!

Sifora too did not consider logicating a waste of time, once she understood that it could really help people; and Elissa was relieved that the child had a fun occupation and one that kept her in contact with other children her own age. Kisra had avoided being old for her turns and priggish for being the baby of her family, and with older cousins too like L'sya and Alaran, but Elissa was glad that Sifora had an outside hobby, to prevent her getting stale in her work as well as to avoid being middle aged prematurely! Had she, Elissa, not had Serehana as a friend and logicating to occupy her leisure, she could well have become quite stuffy herself – though Sadvia had often enough intimated she thought her weyrbred friend still needed to lighten up a bit!

With the new intake of apprentices settled in, Master Bendarek broached the idea to the other masters of taking some paying students who would learn techniques as a hobby rather than take a full apprenticeship.

"The minercraft after all teaches gem cutting, and the weavercraft instructs Ranking ladies in weaving and sewing, and the Harpercraft teaches some basic musical skills and singing to the Ranking" he said. "The ability to make small items from wood might be appreciated too."

"Not on my lathes" said Gerney, uncompromisingly.

"I was thinking of having boys as well as girls" said Bendarek mildly.

"NOT on my lathes" said Gerney again. "IF any showed talent – and sense – on other aspects of the craft I'll consider again on a case by case basis; but generally speaking, NO."

Tuon had looked interested, and a little disappointed at the idea of boys coming too; but nodded to Bendarek.

"I'm happy to make marquetry available" he said "Though like Gerney I'm inclined to balk at having amateurs play with inlay."

"Shards, are we actually in agreement about something?" grinned Gerney lazily.

"Apparently" said Tuon. "Besides, we're also in agreement over where Kispre, Preslan and Kilaia are better off; and what we think about Prelaia."

Gerney grinned.

"Well well! But then, you're experienced enough with women to see right through her!"

"Masters, please" Bendarek interrupted "Anyone else want to comment?"

"Waste of time" grunted Jaben, at least as much because he wanted to take the opposite view to Tuon as because he hated the idea.

"A patient journeyman like Telfer or Arkis might take them through small-scale basic jointing if they want to learn" ventured Tuon. "I can't see amateurs wanting to go beyond making boxes; peg joints would be quite sufficient to their needs, or even block joints."

Bendarek nodded.

"And time enough to take them further if they've the inclination. KISRA could teach that; no need, Jaben, to waste a Master's valuable time, your skills go far beyond what they would need."

There was some laughter at suggesting the twelve-turn-old as a teacher; though some rueful acceptance that the serious little girl was probably up to the task at that!

Jaben, ready to take offence at the thought of another teaching his speciality was mollified by Bendarek's comments that his time was too valuable!

"If you ask me, it'd even be a waste o' Kisra's time too" he grunted "She's FAR too good to waste on overdressed idiots!"

"I'd be happy to let Arkis teach free carving" boomed Master Isimy. "That, marquetry and basic box making would, I should think, cover most skills they'd want as a hobby. We can always think of fretwork for the particularly steady handed once they proved themselves. Rich enough to pay to learn, rich enough to buy veneers and dyed ones at that. It'd boost sales if there are some amateurs out there wishful to purchase raw materials. And what little they make isn't going to eat into our sale of finished items. As Tuon and Gerney say, time enough to let 'em learn more if they prove themselves serious and not in the least bit frivolous."

There was general laughter; it was an ongoing joke that the young Hallon, growing up, regularly accused his uncle Arkis, of an age with him and his closest crony, of being frivolous.

"Good; I'll let it be known that we'll consider paying students" said Bendarek. "I thought no more than half a dozen at first and for only half a turn, not the whole turn round. If we find the idea doesn't work we can refuse to take more. If it does, that will subsidise a dozen apprentices for a turn so we may take in potential real craftsmen who can't afford the apprenticeship fee."

There were murmurs of assent to that!

"And if any DO prove more adequate you could offer to extend THEIR time to a full Turn" suggested Gerney.

Bendarek nodded.

"Yes; I like that. Maintain flexibility" he said.

"And where" demanded Elissa of Gerney when he told her "Are these precious paying students going to live? And WHO is to be in charge of them? The boys need a man and the girls a woman."

Gerney shrugged.

"Decisions like that belong to Ben; it's why he gets paid to be Woodcraftmaster and I don't. He accepts these little administrative headaches, him and his wife. As a suggestion, I'd point out that Kislan's craftcot is empty. The boys can sleep in the room Kispre and Preslan had, the girls in Kilaia's old room. Kislan built the place big enough to house three of either. And I guess a married couple will have to move in to keep an eye on them; they'll just have to take their turns with the bathing room."

"So long as Isrona don't get the girls lumbered onto her; and I refuse point blank to take them" said Elissa. "I'm not having a bunch of idiot girls upsetting our kids!"

"You don't know they'll be idiots" said Gerney, mildly.

"No; but if all they're interested in is hobbies there'll be at least one who is, I wager" said Elissa. "Ranking candidates are the veriest pain, all airs and graces and expecting to be waited on. Which reminds, me, Gerney, I DO need a drudge. I can shift to do for us as well as my crafting without extra babes; but I never really expected to take on really little ones. And happy as I am to have Preslan and Kilaia" she smiled at them "I could do with help around the cot if I'm to do well by them; and teach; and work. For I'll not give up my craft just to keep house."

"Mother said a drudge was essential to a lady and only a low born could do menial work" said Kilaia.

"Well, any woman should know HOW to do menial work; it's nothing to do with high or low born, and it's rudery to speak of another's birth you know!" said Elissa "Those who have talent should have it developed; some people who drudge can do nothing else and get job satisfaction from doing what they can do well. And some people are talented at cleaning and cooking and things! I'm not; my talent is with lathe."

"And it would be a sinful waste for you to give up your craft to keep house" said Gerney. "I'll put out word; there are plenty of outlying cots where older girls would either like the chance of a more cosmopolitan existence or an excuse to avoid marriage."

"What's cos-mo-polly-tan?" asked Kispre.

"Getting to meet more people and see different things" answered Elissa calmly "And try not to ask questions with a full mouth, I've better things to do than whack you on the back because you choke on it."

Kispre nodded, chewed and swallowed too big a lump and said

"Sorry" as he swallowed hard on a threatened cough.

Reasons like avoiding choking were better ones in his opinion than just being impolite.

As it happened, Bendarek had addressed the idea of accommodating the paying students. He fully intended to make use of the vacant craftcot; and in preparation had recalled to the Hall an ageing Journeyman who had written that Joint-ail made him no longer able to give his best efforts. The man, Journeyman Willin, had a wife, craftbred but not trained, called Relina, who could chaperone the girls. Willin was generally a quiet man, but whose turns building boats in a seahold had given him a turn for a quick burst of seahold invective if the occasion warranted; and Relina had the quiet stubbornness that would not cave in to spoiled girls. Bendarek thought they would do very well; and Willin was so pleased to be able to continue to serve the craft he loved, not have to be a pensioner, he almost wept for joy!