Birthright

1

"You know, Edith, I just don't think you're cut out to be an inventor."

Edith, who was sitting in the middle of a jumble of wood and metal that was supposed to be a printing press, was thinking the same thing. "The principle is sound," she said. "I just need more time to work out the details."

Carmen picked up an inkstained and ripped piece of paper, the less-than-spectacular result of Edith's latest experiment. "If you say so."

"Once I get this thing going, you'll see. It will make ten copies in the time it takes them to do one. You just turn the crank and – " Carmen raised an eyebrow. "Well, mostly it falls apart. Or gets jammed. Or gets jammed and then falls apart. But I'm working on it."

Carmen sighed. "Maybe you need a break. You never seem to do anything but work; that can't be good for anyone."

"I don't know; it's not so bad," said Edith. What she wanted to say to Carmen was that work was what you had to do when you weren't independently wealthy, but she knew better. She knew what her friend was thinking. Simon had gone south with the army almost eight months ago and Gabe, who was strange company at the best of times, had left the city on some business he'd never quite explained. Carmen was bored. And Edith knew damn well that, when it came right down to it, she wasn't much fun.

"I don't think Indrion would mind if you took some time off. He's been gone a lot lately."

"He pays me to work. I don't think he's the type to hand out favors."

"You don't have to be so scared of him, Edith. He's an excellent, noble, kind-hearted man, once you get to know him."

Edith shrugged. "I'm sure he is. But he's my boss, not my friend. Getting to know him isn't an option." The truth was, she got the feeling that Indrion had no interest whatsoever in getting to know her. She had been working for him for more than a year now, and she hardly knew more about him than when she'd started. While he often talked with Carmen for hours when he was in the city, the few words he exchanged with Edith involved her duties. Sometimes, when they met in the street, or after he'd been talking to Carmen, he would grin at her like they were both in on a very good joke, but Edith suspected that it was more an overflow of high spirits than a sign of camaraderie. And as for him being a good man – well, when it came right down to it, she had her doubts about that as well.

"What does he have you doing now?"

"Going through books of battle tactics. I think he's writing one of his own and wants to know what's out there."

"Yes," said Carmen. "Very important stuff, no doubt." She shoved one of Edith's carefully organized piles of parts to the side and took a seat on the table. "I've been thinking about going up to my grandfather's place. There are still a few things concerning the estate that I need to take care of. Would you like to go along? I'm sure Indrion will let you off of work for a while if we ask."

"Of course I'd like to go." That was an understatement. As hard as she tried to defend her printing press, she was well aware that the thing was a disaster; maybe a few weeks away from it would do some good. "When do we leave?"

Carmen wasn't even half-listening. "I'd like to know more about him," she said. "My grandfather, I mean. I never even met him, and he's the only relative I had."

"You can have my uncle Donald, if you'd like."

"You don't understand. Being an orphan, you never feel like you belong. There's always something missing. You have no history. Besides, I think there's a story here. I mean, he had that book. And he left me a fair amount of money, so he must have been a man of some importance."

"So you're thinking you might have a pedigree of sorts?"

"It's possible, isn't it?"

"I guess. But I don't see why it matters."

"You just don't know what it's like, not knowing who you are."

"But that's got nothing to do with ancestors. I'm descended from generation upon generation of dirt farmers. What difference does that make to me?"

Carmen pursed her lips, as if generation upon generation of dirt farmers told you pretty much everything you needed to know about Edith. "You don't understand."