Robin Hobb - The Complete Soldier Son Trilogy - Shaman’s Crossing, Forest Mage, Renegade’s Magic

‘What is it?’ Rory demanded.

‘It’s not just an individual culling!’ Trist turned back to face us. ‘It’s going to be based on averaged patrol scores. Lowest patrol is out. One man with a bad test score could lose the Academy for his entire patrol.’

‘But why?’ The cry burst from several of us.

Trist tore off his gloves and slapped them down on the table. ‘Because the Academy overspent on horses and costs must be cut. So the colonel is looking for a way to get rid of some of our class. That’s what I think. Caulder gave me some lofty speech about how each patrol should lift individuals to a higher standard, and if we haven’t done that by now with our weaker members then we never will as troopers.’

Rory knit his brows. ‘That’s something like what Colonel Stiet said in that first speech he gave us at the beginning of the year. But I thought it was just inspirational, not that he’d actually hold us to it.’

Oron looked around wildly. ‘This means that no matter how well I do, no matter how hard I’ve studied, any one of you could bring me down tomorrow. I could be dismissed from the King’s Academy for something I had absolutely no control over.’

‘Spink.’ Caleb spoke the name like a curse. ‘Spink could do us all in. Where is he, anyway? Why isn’t he here and studying, like he should be? Doesn’t he care at all?’

‘He was summoned to the colonel’s office. Don’t you remember?’ I spoke the words dully. It came to me that alone of us all, Gord had acted on the colonel’s words from our welcoming speech. He had tried to lift Spink’s mathematical capabilities up to match his own. And then, in a wash of near despair, I thought of what else Gord had just said: that if anyone truly conspired to weaken the New Nobles in the Council of Lords, he would find a way to turn us against each other. If Spink’s failure sent all of us home, with the only future option of enlisting as common soldiers, how would our fathers feel about one another? Who would they blame?

‘Well, he’d best get back soon! I don’t want my career ended because some frontier lad didn’t know what eight times six was. You’d best drill him well, Gord, or it’s the end for all of us!’ This was Rory.

‘We’re counting on you. Make sure he passes,’ Trist added in a tone I didn’t like.

Gord lifted his head and looked at him steadily. ‘I’ll do all I can, in that I’ll offer him as much help studying as we both have time for.’

He lowered his eyes to his books again. After a moment, the silence in the room passed back to the normal shuffling of papers and scrubbing out of mistakes. Trist went to his room and came back with his own books. We made room for him at the table. He asked to borrow Oron’s grammar book to look up a Varnian verb. He did so, and jotted it down. Trist didn’t look up from his own work as he quietly observed to Gord, ‘You always sit next to Spink in maths class. And he’s left-handed.’

Every head at the table lifted. I looked at Trist in disbelief. ‘Are you suggesting they should cheat? That Gord should let Spink copy off his test?’

Trist didn’t look up at any of us. ‘Gord corrects all his work every night before Spink turns it in the next day. How is that so different?’

Gord strangled for a moment, then said tightly, ‘I’m not a cheater and neither is Spink. I tell him when he has the answer wrong, and show him what he did wrong. He still has to rework all the calculations himself.’

Trist’s voice was very calm. ‘So, if he could see your answers, and if he had time, he might be able to go back to the ones that didn’t match his and re-work them for the correct answer. That’s not cheating. It’s just, well, checking facts. Confirming calculations.’

‘I won’t. I won’t suggest it to Spink and I won’t enable him to do it. I won’t break the Academy honour vow.’ Gord’s voice grated low and furious.

‘The Academy honour vow also says that every cadet will do all he can to help every other cadet succeed. And your little quibble about letting Spink check his answers off your paper might end the career of everyone in this room. I’d say that’s breaking the honour vow in a major way.’

‘You’re twisting things,’ Gord replied, but he did not seem as certain as he had with his earlier responses.

‘No. I think this is a test they’re giving us. To see how well we hang together and protect our own. I think Caulder knowing about the culling is a fair sign that others will know, too. I think it’s a rumour that was meant to get out. To see how resourceful we’ll be about protecting our fellows.’

Trist made it seem so plausible. I glanced around at the others, and found in their eyes mostly acceptance of Trist’s reasoning. Natred seemed to share my doubt and there were furrows between Rory’s eyes, but the rest of them were nodding. I looked at Gord. He was not meeting anyone’s eyes. Instead, he began to stack his books. He gathered them in his arms without a word and rose to leave the table.

‘We’re counting on you, Gord. Everyone’s career is at stake here!’ Oron called after him. His tone was the friendliest I’d ever heard him use to the fat cadet. Gord made no response.

I stayed at the table long after my studying was done, waiting for Spink to come back. Finally I gave it up. The others had gone to their bunks. I left a single candle burning for him and went to my bed. I tried to sleep, but worry chased my thoughts in circles. Was Spink in trouble? Had he done something I didn’t know about? Had the commander called him in to give him bad news from home, such as a death in his family? I thought I would never fall asleep, but I must have dozed, for I woke when someone opened and shut the door to our dark room. There were soft footfalls and then Spink’s bunk creaked as he sat down on it. I heard it creak again as he bent down to pull off his boots.

‘What was it?’ I whispered into the darkness.

His voice was husky. ‘I’m on probation. For immorality.’

‘What?’ I spoke louder than I meant to.

‘Quiet. I don’t want the others to know.’

‘Tell me!’

Spink came and sat down in the dark on the floor by my bed. He spoke in a hushed voice. ‘I was so shocked I thought I would pass out when Colonel Stiet accused me. He was shouting at me and I couldn’t understand what he was going on about. He accused me of leading an innocent girl astray, of corrupting a mere child with lecherous advances. I finally understood he was talking about Epiny. I didn’t know what to say, so I just kept my mouth shut. The more I just looked at him, the angrier he got. He started shouting at me, Nevare, saying that as long as he was commander, no cadet in his charge would be so corrupt. He asked me how I could be so depraved as to make advances to a mere child, the precious daughter of a respected family. And he told me that when she was of an age for courting, she already had other prospects, much better prospects than a frontier-bred New Noble whelp. He means Caulder. I just know he means that Epiny is for Caulder.’

I gaped at him. I couldn’t believe that, at that moment, he was more concerned over who might get Epiny than over the unjust charges against him. He didn’t notice my expression.

‘He must have roared at me for half an hour before he gave me a chance to speak. When I said I didn’t know what he meant, he shook a letter in my face. Then he read it out loud to me.’ He took a ragged breath. ‘It was from your aunt. She had the housemaids keeping watch over Epiny while she was gone. They’ve distorted everything about every moment that I spent with her. It’s all lies and innuendo, but they’re taking it as golden truth.’

I felt a horrible lurch in my stomach. ‘No,’ I pleaded, knowing it was true.