Page 115 of The Warrior
“What knowledge?” Magni asked.
“There are highly educated and resourceful people on the application list. Librarians, architects, environmental workers, programmers, mediators, doctors, nurses, psychologists, and artists of different kinds. They have been told they’ll be allowed to work here.”
“As long as we can keep them safe,” Magni said.
“How do we do that?” Pearl asked.
Heads turned to look at Shelly as if she had the answer to everything.
Self-aware, she tucked her hands under her thighs and hid behind the curtains that her long brown hair provided to hide her blushing cheeks. “How would I know? Safety isn’t my specialty.”
“I understand you want to plan everything, Pearl, but we’ll have to treat each woman’s request to work on a case-by-case basis,” Finn commented.
“Of course, but wouldn’t it be good to at least discuss it?” Pearl argued, but Khan shut her down.
“I agree with Finn, and this is enough town hall meeting for one night.”
Pearl angled her head. “But there are still so many things for us to discuss.”
“Discussions are good. That’s how we broaden our minds,” Athena added.
Khan answered in a flat tone. “My mind is stretched plenty and I listened to you for half an hour, that’s enough.” As to underline that the meeting was over, Khan leaned toward Archer. “I want to hear about your plans for the survival camp.”
My focus changed to Finn, who was stretching his legs and said, “Hey, Marco, did you sign up for a Motlander wife yet?”
Marco, the only single adult in the room, shook his head. “No. I have my hopes on winning a million dollars like Magni did when he won Laura.”
“Magni, did you hear that?” Finn waited for Magni to join the two men. “Marco wants to go your route and fight in a tournament rather than sign up for a Motlander wife.”
“Good for you.” Magni patted the young man’s shoulder. “How old are you again?”
“Twenty.”
“Then you have plenty of time. Don’t rush into marriage. Especially not with a Motlander.”
“What’s wrong with us Motlanders?” Shelly asked.
Magni rolled his eyes. “Don’t even get me started.”
Khan looked up from his conversation with Archer. “I heard that. Careful what you say, Magni. You’re surrounded by Motlander women and their husbands.”
“So what? Do you think I’m afraid of any of you?”
“All I’m saying is that you’d never allow anyone to be disrespectful to Laura. Don’t think we’re any different with our wives.”
“That’s right, and there’s four of us to beat some manners into you,” Boulder added.
“Make that three,” Finn waved a hand dismissively in the air. “You know my policy. I never fight.”
“Not even to defend the honor of Athena?” Marco asked with an incredulous glance in Finn’s direction.
Finn gave the young man a grin. “Don’t get me wrong, if someone physically touched her, I would stab a syringe into their eye. But Athena is a spiritual gangster like me. Mentally, she wears a bulletproof vest and Magni’s opinion of her makes no difference to her.” Finn looked proud when he nodded to Athena. “Isn’t that right, babe?”
Athena gave him a soft reassuring smile in response.
“It would be pointless for any of you men to fight Magni,” Pearl said in a matter-of-fact tone. “By being rude to us Motlanders as a group, he’s being rude to his own wife too.”
Magni stiffened. “Why? What are you talking about? Laura is aNorthlander,” he exclaimed and looked from Pearl to me with confusion.
