Chapter 28: Frederico – A Chance
Frederico put away the tools and closed the toolbox without a noise.
‘There’s nothing else to be done,’ he said. ‘The locomotive is complete.’
The Old Woman sat with her back to him, smoothing the blue book with her fingers. Frederico said:
‘Menior told me that the train fuel was made in Sátiron by a mage called Fregósbor. A rock made of air and magic, extremely volatile. One little pebble was enough to send a train from the south of Sátiron to the ends of Farheim. Menior couldn’t find a formula. Even if he had, we wouldn’t be able to make it without a mage.’
‘I see,’ said the Old Woman.
Frederico sat on the grass at her feet. In the last couple of years, though he remained excited about the Eliana, the Old Woman became less and less interested in anything but the book she couldn’t read.
‘Have you ever thought that you chose the wrong prince?’
The Old Woman nearly dropped the blue book on the ground.
‘The wrong prince?’ she asked.
‘I’m not a leader and I’ll never be king. Faust commands Beloú, he’ll inherit the throne after Fulbert.’
‘Faust is a waste of time,’ the Old Woman said.
‘I’ve been teaching him. My brother doesn’t like being in the position of student, but if I put things in a way that doesn’t seem like I’m teaching him anything, he learns.’
The Old Woman snorted.
‘You’re not there to see him,’ said Frederico. ‘Faust isn’t like Fulbert. I told him about Satironese law and he implemented some of it in Beloú.’
‘He still punishes unjustly.’
‘He punishes as he deems necessary,’ said Frederico. ‘You are the one who taught me that justice means something different to each person. My justice is not the same as my brother’s, but his is not as inflexible as Fulbert’s. Ever since I started talking about Satironese law there are no more cut-off ears or fingers. If someone makes a mistake, they are punished with work. Beloú’s walls are practically rebuilt and many houses have been renewed. Faust stopped destroying men and began recovering the city.’
The Old Woman moved her head from one side to the other, weighing what he said.
‘Faust is a great man,’ said Frederico.
‘Great is the man capable of changing a man such as Faust. Frederico, you are the answer.’
To what question? By all the mysteries in the Land of the Banished, Frederico was not a solution. He sat up on his knees.
‘Speak to my brother. Give him a chance. Sátiron is out of reach, I am good for nothing. What do you have to lose?’
The Old Woman took Frederico’s hand and squeezed it.
‘Never say you’re good for nothing.’
‘Talk to my brother.’
She squeezed his hand again.
‘You really love him,’ she said.
Frederico nodded. Faust had given him a home when Frederico’s parents gave him nightmares; Faust had remained a brother when his parents gave up on Frederico as a son.
‘Very well, boy. I will see him.’
