Mary's Path

After walking for a while, the square opened in front of them, and the sea of people and the thundering sounds struck them.

“Come this way” Mary said, holding Zerden’s sleeve so that he would follow her. She made sure they stayed on the edge of the market while they made their way around it.

Soon they arrived at the small butcher shop. It looked as deserted as the last time she was there.

“Are you sure this is the right place?” asked Zerden.

“Of course I am,” said Mary, walking through the door. Zerden followed, mostly because he didn’t know what else to do than because he wanted to.

Mary saw that not much had changed in the store since the last time she was there. The curtain was pulled back, and the butcher came out.

“Well good day, little girl, so you finally came back,” he said.

“Good day sir, yes the service was excellent last time so I kept my word and came here before I went to anyone else,” Mary said.

“You have your brother with you today, I see,” said the butcher, nodding toward Zerden.

“He’s just along to learn” Mary said, feeling more than seeing the angry look she got from Zerden. The butcher chuckled.

“Are you looking for another piece of hand of pork?” he asked.

“No thanks, today I’m not shopping for my family” Mary said. She walked up to the butcher and handed him the note she had received from Mrs. Karrots. “This is what we need, it should be delivered up to the castle as soon as possible. When you drop off the meat, you will be paid,” she said, repeating what Mrs. Karrots had said.

“The castle?” said the butcher, asking.

“Yes, the castle, the large structure in the center of the city where the king has his residence,” Mary said angrily. The butcher looked at Mary.

“Do you work at the castle?” he asked. Mary nodded.

“He does as well” she said, indicating towards Zerden.

“I will come to the castle within an hour with everything on the list,” said the butcher, almost bowing.

“I want to know what you’re going to charge,” Mary said, looking at him. She felt he was going to ask for inhumane prizes now that he knew it was for the castle.

She had learned what the kitchen were paying for meat one day when she had helped unload a supply wagon that had come to the castle. According to Mary no one should pay such prices for meat, even if the king could probably afford it.

“Unfortunately, the kilo price of meat has gone up recently, I take 12 kresi per kilo for pork and 18 for beef,” the butcher replied.

“That’s out of the question” Mary said. “We don’t accept a vorm over 9 kresi for pork and 12 for beef” she continued. The butcher looked at her.

“There must be a shortage of meat in the kitchen up at the castle. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have sent you here, they’d be waiting for the next delivery,” he said. “I think I can set whatever price I like,” he concluded.

Mary looked back at him and saw in the corner of her eye how Zerden changed his foot. He didn’t know anything about negotiations, she thought.

“We can always go to another butcher and get it cheaper,” Mary said with a shrug.

“But I’m the one who has the note” said the butcher, waving the little piece of paper. Mary smiled sweetly at him.

“It just so happens that I’ve memorized the items. It would be no problem to go to another butcher and ask for them. Then when we get up to the castle and you come with your meat, we will deny that we have done business with you and you will not get any money,” Mary said, continuing to smile. The butcher’s eyes narrowed.

“But if you agree to our price instead, I promise to make sure that in the future we will always go to you when the kitchen needs meat,” she concluded, waiting for a response.

The butcher looked at the girl. She was smart, he thought. He didn’t know who had trained her in business, but it must be one of the king’s senior officials.

“You have a deal” he said, reaching out his hand to her. Mary shook hands with the butcher and then walked out of the store with Zerden behind her.

“How did you know you could get him to agree to it?” he asked as they entered a back alley leading back toward the castle.

“Simple. He needed the deal more than we did, or at least he thought that was the case” Mary explained.

“Did you really memorize the list?” asked Zerden.

“No, but I know the top two things and if he had asked, I was hoping it would be enough,” she replied.

“You can read?” he said in amazement.

“Of course I can, I’m not a baby, you know,” she said.

“Who are you calling a baby?” he said angrily. Mary looked at him in amazement.

“You can’t read Zerden?” she asked.

“None of your business” he replied angrily. Mary stopped and looked at Zerden as he walked down the street. He can’t read, she thought, surprised.

“We’re going this way,” she said, pointing to the street that turned right where she stood. Zerden stared angrily in her direction but came back.

“I can teach you if you want,” Mary said as he walked by. “I mean reading. It’s not that hard.”

“Of course it’s not if a sissy like you can do it” he said angrily.

“Uneducated brat”, she said, walking past him quickly.

The rest of the way to the castle they walked in silence. Zerden got to the door leading into the kitchen first.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’d be grateful if you’d teach me how to read.” It sounded like he was forcing the words.

“Don’t worry, I’m sorry too. As soon as we get some time off, we can start” Mary said as they walked into the kitchen.

When they returned, however, there was no time for any lessons on how to read and write. They were busy and soon it was time for dinner. Just as Jossi had done for Mary’s first day in the kitchen, Mary made sure Zerden could sit next to her.

They didn’t talk much, they concentrated on eating. When the afternoon’s work was completed, Zerden was returning home and Mary was walking towards her room.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, waving at him. He waved back before disappearing out the door. Mary thought it was nice to have someone her own age in the kitchen. He wasn’t as nice as Erik, but right now she wasn’t that picky.

When she went asleep in the evening, she dreamed of branches getting sawed off as she sat on them, long streets lined with people, and of a room with an empty bed.