Click here to listen to A Powerful Motivator by Christopher Jacobsmeyer as read by Robert Eccles
A Powerful Motivator
by Christopher Jacobsmeyer
The horse-drawn wagon rolled along the dusty road at a leisurely pace. The purpose of the trip, however, was anything but leisurely.
A laborer in the prime of his years handled the reins of the two piebald mares. His sister and younger brother sat to either side of him. The straw hat that Thomas wore did little to hide the grime on his cheeks, and the calluses on his hands would betray to any careful onlooker that his place was at the forge, not the fields.
Kristin's nervousness made her guilt apparent as well. Only young Robert was carefree. It wasn't everyday they made a trip to Amberville and back.
The two soldiers accompanying the trio were a little too rigid for their own good. Dane and Jansen stared straight ahead as they rode guard on the stallions behind the wagon, sure that their gig would be up at any moment.
Never seen Amberville so quiet, and so on edge before. Thomas knew why, though. It was the same reason none of them could relax. Except for Robert, of course. He was under the impression that the area was only under threat of minor bandit raids.
If he only knew the truth of it. Thomas sighed. That we're the bandits this time.
* * *
Amberville was the Duke's town, and he held sway over everything within a thirty mile radius. A mere tenth of Duke Kranst's holdings could properly clothe and house the town's homeless. But wealth could only buy so much in this day and age. The Summer of '37 dealt profound and devastating blows to the realm. There was enough of everything to go around. The Duke made sure of that.
When he received news that the crops had dried up, everything changed. Kranst started to empty his coffers in exchange for food. Eventually, no amount of money was worth its weight in food.
Kranst grew afraid and withdrew into the relative and superficial safety of his castle. Support of his subjects dried up, much like the food sources that remained in the realm.
One day, the Duke received word that two of his soldiers had commandeered a wagon and were heading for the border.
* * *
A contingent of soldiers galloped down the road. They would reach the wagon within a handful of minutes.
"Damn it, Dane! I told you that you should have hid the bodies better!" Jansen growled. "These uniforms aren't gonna do us a hell of a lot of good if we can't control our urges."
Dane spat toward his counterpart. "If you would've taken the cap'n out first like I told ya, we wouldn't be in this here predicament now, would we?"
"Shut up, the both of you." Thomas said quietly. "Figure something out quickly, or we're all done for. Our village can kiss its ass goodbye if you don't."
Robert looked up at his older brother. "What do you mean, Thomas? What do those men want with a bunch of firewood?"
Kristin reached over and slapped her brother. "Listen very carefully. Firewood, treasure, it doesn't matter. We could have diamonds in the back of the wagon we're haulin', but it ain't gonna matter if you don't shut yer mouth."
Robert looked dismayed. Kristin had never struck him like that before, and her tone of voice hurt his feelings.
"Dane and Jansen, there, you don't know them, got me? Just some hired guards to guide us safely back to the village. We needed the firewood--"
"But the diamonds!" Robert interrupted. "What about them?"
Kristin hit him harder. Tears streamed down his face.
"Firewood. Don't forget it."
If we make it clear of this, I'll take both of them to the damned valley like they've been wanting, Thomas promised.
The contingent of soldiers grew closer.
* * *
"I'm Lieutenant Gerard. There've been reports of a pair of soldiers making off with a wagon full of food." The officer glanced first at Jansen, then at Dane. "Your dress is sloppy. Show me your papers and your charter."
Damn it! groaned Thomas inwardly. I knew we forgot something!
Thinking quickly, Thomas intervened. "They haven't been drawn up yet." He paused briefly, squeezing Kristin's hand discreetly in the process. The signal had been given. "And your reports are incorrect, good sir. We're carrying medicinal roots, nothing more."
"Well, I'll be the judge of that," the lieutenant growled. He dismounted his horse and strolled over to the back of the wagon, preparing to lift the canopy.
A potato knocked him squarely in the head, the impact of which dropped him to the ground, dazed.
"Now!" Kristin screeched.
Thomas snapped the reins, and the horses took off at a breakneck pace, the wagon barreling along behind it. Dane and Jansen knew better than to stay put, so they followed, too.
Common law dictated that no ruler of any land held sway over a territory that was not his own. As Thomas and his accomplices were only a mile or two from the border at the most, they rode for all they were worth.
Young Robert's curiosity got the better of him, and he crawled into the back of the wagon. He gasped when he realized what was back there. "Potatoes, hundreds of them! Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because, you oaf!" Kristin exclaimed. "You would have given us away!" Her tone finally softened. "Not like it matters much, anymore. We're almost home free. Chow down, little brother! We'll eat like dukes - nay, kings! - tonight!"
Freedom within sight, one of the mares threw a shoe.
* * *
The contingent of soldiers caught up to them in short order. To Dane and Jansen's credit, they attempted to grab a sack of the valuable cargo and ride for safety, but Duke Kranst had sent his best.
Thomas stood there with his back to the wagon, Kristin and Robert held tightly in his arms. He covered Robert's eyes as the soldiers ran their friends through. Lifeblood soaked into the ground, but it didn't matter. Not anymore.
Hundreds will die now because we failed. Thomas had let his village down, but he felt even worse for involving his friends and family in this. He should have known better than to let his feelings interfere.
Lieutenant Gerard approached him, a knot clearly forming on the back of his nearly bald head. "I have to give you credit, laborer. You would've made it if not for a few sloppy mistakes. I admire your courage and bravery, but the Duke can't stand for that. Not when his own people are at stake."
Thomas laughed. "Use your head. The Duke has plenty of food holed up inside his dainty little house with him. He just - doesn't - want - to - share." He enunciated each word loudly enough for everyone to hear.
"Orders are orders, laborer. You can't hold that against me." Gerard looked disturbed, even if only for a split second.
Thomas braced himself. "Go to hell."
Lieutenant Gerard nodded his head. "Pull the boy aside."
Gerard's subordinates separated young Robert from his siblings and brought him around to the other side of the wagon. In short order, he heard the groans of Thomas and Kristin as they slumped to the ground.
"Can I at least have one of those potatoes?" he asked one of them shyly.
Gerard witnessed the request as he rounded the back of the wagon himself. Kranst doesn't pay me enough for this. He tossed the boy one of the larger potatoes.
Robert bit into the potato and smiled. His hunger pangs went away briefly. For the moment he was happy.
Gerard nodded his head once again, and a blade erupted through the boy's chest. I'm going to ask him for a raise when we get back.
Young Robert died with a smile on his face.