Tao of the Broken

Chapter Eight

Eight

            Sorrel felt like vomiting.  She felt herself begin to shiver and she wanted to scream.  Who was this man in front of her?  He sold children to become slaves?  She wanted to run, to be out of this disgusting place.  Batur held her firmly.

            “Sorrel there is more to tell.”  He said.

            She tried to focus her eyes on him but she felt dizzy.  What more could there be to tell?  That these children were stolen from their beds while they slept?  That their parents would forever wonder what happened to their babies?  She didn’t want to hear any more.

            “Sorrel, these children are sold to us by desperate people.  Usually they're starving families who breed more than they are able to cloth and feed.  We pay them for their children so that they may have a life serving rather than starving or dying.”

            Sorrel felt herself shaking her head.  She wanted to argue.  Who was he to decide that these children should be slaves?  That they were better off forever in debt to someone rather than returning to the earth for a peaceful rest after being born into a terrible life?  Batur held up a hand, “If you have questions I would only ask that you hear me out.  I am almost through.”  She felt numb but nodded anyway, clamping her mouth closed.

            “Sorrel, most often I never see the parents or siblings that bring me these children.  Usually I am given a half dozen at a time from various traders who deal with the families rather than me.  Only once and never again have I seen a wretched woman who brought me a child herself.  She traveled a long distance, from farmlands far from here.  Her journey took her many days by horseback, yet even longer because the child she brought was forced to walk beside her horse.  This woman told me that she had met with a trader who would not accept her child.  The trader had told her this girl was too small and too broken down to be useful to any man.  The woman told me that the child was better off dead but that she needed any money I could give her.  She didn’t want to return to her husband empty handed, especially having spent money to feed and bathe herself and her horse.

            “I looked at this child and agreed that she would be useless as a servant but that killing the babe would be just as useless.  The woman proceeded to tell me that the girl was useless to her because she was so small and as a female she could be no heir.  I gathered that this woman had born a son, who would be strong and healthy and worthy of the farm of his father.”  Batur paused, clearing his throat.

            Did he have tears in his eyes?

            “This woman stripped the girl before me, who fell to her knees, hiding her tears.  This girl had been so badly abused that I wanted to hurt the woman who stood begging before me.  Instead I gave her money and sent her away.  I knew that the girl was broken, beaten and would make me no money, but I called Aster to my office.  When your beautiful mother saw the poor girl she took her in her arms, refusing to accept any other destiny for her than to remain with us.

            “Sorrel, my occupation, as much as you may hate the idea of it, brought you to me.”

            Sorrel didn’t know what to think.  She was a slave child?  She had been someone’s child who had traded her for a handful of coin?  Hot tears spilled from her eyes and she was sure she really would be sick.

            “I understand if you need to be alone.”  Batur patted her shoulder gently and left the building, drying his eyes.

            “Who was she?”  Sorrel called after him, “Did that woman, my mother have a name?”