[Measure of Devotion 02.0] Measure of Strength

by Caethes Faron

  The idea to move to Naiara is a brilliant one. From my experiences in the country, I can say with some confidence that both you and Kale will be happy there. Their culture and society is very welcoming. It’s the perfect place to make a fresh start. As for contacts, I would recommend you get in touch with Mr. Smoot, a lawyer in Calea. He should be able to assist you with the legalities involved in the move. I’ve met him on a few occasions, and he comes highly recommended.

  Don’t worry, I won’t tell the rest of the family of your plans. You’ll need to be prepared to show them that the company will continue to flourish. Do your best to take any legal precautions possible to prevent this causing a problem. My family would be foolish to question you after all this time, but Mama isn’t above pettiness.

  All my love,

  Renee

  Jason leaned back and laughed. The relief of having her encouragement was stupendous. It would be easier to move forward knowing he wasn’t facing an entirely uphill battle. He was so happy that he couldn’t even find it in himself to be upset with Renee for not speaking up sooner about Kale. The fact that she was open and honest with her apology touched him. There was no point dwelling on the past, not when the future held such promise.

  With the letter in hand, he made his way to the side table where the telephone was kept. There was no reason not to call Mr. Smoot and begin preparations immediately. Jason was sure of his plan, and he was certain Kale would follow once he had done all the legwork. He had to believe it. There was no way his life could continue on its present course.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  A stream bubbled through rolling hills lush with vegetation on the page in front him. Kale could almost smell the fresh air and hear the birds in the trees. Ever since he had decided to stay in Arine, he had been drawing landscapes from his childhood, almost reaffirming his decision, as if drawing the country would provide proof that it was his home. He kept to his room, avoiding Sophie and her disapproving glances. Any time he read, his mind wandered to what it would be like to experience life as a free character in one of his novels. Drawing at his table had proved better for his resolve.

  A light rap sounded on the door. “Kale?”

  “Yes?” Kale flipped over his sketch when Jason popped his head inside.

  “I was wondering if you could join me in the parlor. I have something I’d like to talk to you about.”

  “Of course.” Kale pushed aside the nervousness in his stomach as he rose.

  Inside the parlor, Kale was surprised to see both Martin and Sophie there as well. The nervousness that had abated came forward with full force.

  “Please, everyone, have a seat.” Jason stood at the fireplace, facing them. Kale sat next to Sophie on the sofa and looked to her for any hint as to what was coming. She met his eyes with a confused, expectant look, clearly wondering the same thing as Kale. A quick look at Martin, sitting opposite him on an armchair, revealed nothing. Martin looked as composed as ever, watching Jason with polite attention. Kale followed his gaze to Jason, and Sophie followed suit.

  “I have an announcement. I’ve decided to take a business trip. Martin and I will be leaving tonight.” Kale whipped his head around to Martin and thought he saw surprise before Martin covered it. “I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

  What was happening? Was it something Kale had done? He wanted to ask, but in private. A week ago this man had been talking about moving to a different country and living their lives together. Now, he was just going to up and leave? Had the idea to move to Naiara really been an ultimatum on Jason’s part? If so, could Kale jump up now and change his mind, prevent Jason from leaving? No. It was too sudden. Kale couldn’t make this decision. Not like this. Jason would be back.

  “Sir, where are you going?” Kale silently thanked Sophie for asking. He didn’t think he could trust his voice.

  “Just away on business. It doesn’t matter.”

  Nothing about Jason’s voice or expression gave Kale any hint as to what was going on. Why was he telling him in front of Sophie and Martin? Since he hadn’t accepted Jason’s invitation to move, was he now relegated to the same status as the rest of the household? It felt almost like he was in a dream. His right hand pinched his leg, just in case. Nope, this was definitely real.

  “Well, I wish you a safe journey.”

  “Thank you, Sophie.”

  Sophie and Jason both looked at Kale. What was he supposed to say? Yes, he had been giving Jason a hard time about their relationship, but surely he merited a private goodbye. If he opened his mouth now, he knew that he would not be able to control what came out. It could be sad, angry, mean, or begging. He felt the eyes in the room boring into him, and the silence stretched out, seeming longer than was possible. Without meaning to, he started to fidget, the nerves finding their long-accustomed outlet in his right hand.

  This was too much. The news. The eyes. The expectation. He shot to his feet and fled. It was the only thing he could do. On the way to his room, he heard voices behind him, too distant for him to make out the words. As he closed the door to his room, he gulped in air. He hadn’t realized his lungs were burning.

  Sitting at his table, he saw the sketch he had been working on when Jason fetched him. He turned it over and saw the familiar countryside. It all seemed so trivial. Jason was leaving, and it was his fault, he was sure of it. For the second time in his life, he had screwed up the best thing that had ever happened to him. He didn’t try to fight it anymore. He let the darkness inside take over and consume him until the ache in his chest was so strong that the only way to relieve the pain was to give in to the tears.

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Jason waited until he could no longer see the house from the carriage window before he turned to Martin. The man looked absolutely befuddled. Jason had kept him in the dark about his plan. He couldn’t risk Kale finding out about it.

  “Can I know where we’re going now?” The exasperation in Martin’s voice made Jason smile.

  “Why yes, you can. We’re going to Calea.”

  “Calea? Whatever for?” Jason didn’t think he had ever seen Martin’s face in such a state of shock.

  “Kale and I are going to be moving there, and I’m going ahead to arrange matters.”

  “But I thought Kale was against the idea.”

  “Oh, he is. But that’s only because he doesn’t know how it will work. Once I get everything settled, he’ll see that there’s nothing to it. That’s the whole point of this trip.”

  Jason could tell Martin thought he was crazy. That was fine. Everyone had thought he was crazy when he took over the mill and made such drastic changes. That had turned out all right, and he knew this would as well.

  “Are you sure you can convince him, sir? I’d hate for you to get your hopes up.”

  Not too long ago, Jason would have been upset by Martin’s lack of confidence. Now he was able to see that these were the sincere words of someone who was concerned for him. He had always been unfair to Martin; the man had only ever tried to help. Jason had never fully appreciated that Martin had been thrust into an awkward situation. For a long time, Jason had been too wrapped up in himself and his own problems to care about anyone else. He hoped to change that.

  “I appreciate your concern, Martin. I know how this must appear to you, but I have to take drastic measures. Kale’s scared because this is all one big unknown for him. I’m going to try to alleviate those fears as best I can.”

  “And how are you going to do that, sir?”

  “I have an appointment with a lawyer in Calea who is going to help me arrange everything. Once it’s all mapped out, I will come home and present it to Kale.”

  “But how will you run the business from Calea?”

  “I can come back for inspections, meetings, and such. I’ll be relying on you more. That’s why I want you in on my meetings with the lawyer. You’re going to be shouldering more responsibility if everything goes as planned. I trust that you’ll keep ever
ything that happens on this trip to yourself until I feel ready to reveal it to Kale.”

  “Of course, sir. I would never break your confidence.”

  “I know. That’s why I brought you. You’ve been a great help to me all these years, Martin. I know it hasn’t always been easy. Most men would have given up on me, but you didn’t. Thank you.”

  Martin’s eyes shone. Jason had put this man through a horrible time, but now he was turning a new corner. “It’s been my pleasure, sir.”

  Chapter Fifty

  “Would you like me to get us a cab, sir?”

  “No, Martin, that’s all right. After being cooped up in that train, I’d like to stretch my legs. Arrange for our luggage to be dropped off at the hotel, with the exception of my briefcase.” The bustling of the train station fed the buzz of excitement that stirred in Jason. This was going to be his new home. He was eager to get outside and look around.

  “Very well, sir.” Martin talked to a porter and made the necessary arrangements. When he was finished, he came to stand next to Jason. “Where to now?”

  “Mr. Smoot’s office is nearby, but our appointment isn’t until three o’clock. I thought we could look around.” Jason reached for his briefcase, but Martin held onto it and moved it out of his reach.

  “I’ll carry it, sir.”

  “That’s all right, Martin, there’s no need. I can manage.”

  “It’s my job, sir.”

  Jason was about to protest, but thought better of it. If he was serious about improving relations with Martin, then he needed to let the man take pride in his work. “Thank you.”

  “Not at all, sir. Lead the way.”

  Finally, they were on their way out of the train station. This was his first time in the city, and Jason was curious about how different it would be from Perdana. Jostling through the throngs of people, he finally made his way to the entrance. Walking through the front doors, his eyes were immediately assaulted by the bright sun, such a stark difference to the dim lighting of the station. As soon as his eyes adjusted, he was amazed at what he saw and heard.

  Instead of carriages, automobiles filled the streets. In Perdana, automobiles were rare, and Jason had always preferred to take a horse and carriage. Automobiles were too loud and cumbersome. It looked like he would have to get used to them, though. All around him were the sounds of motors, horns, and people calling to one another. Rather than be annoyed at the noise, Jason viewed it as a herald of opportunity and change. It was refreshing.

  “Where are we headed, sir?” Martin’s voice brought him back to the moment, and he realized he was blocking the entrance to the station.

  “Left. Mr. Smoot’s secretary was kind enough to give me directions over the telephone. We’ll head in that general direction until it’s time for us to be there.” Martin fell in step next to Jason.

  Walking around the city, Jason had to be careful to remember to watch where he was going. Every few minutes, he was craning his head to see a new building or look in the shop windows. The architecture here was different. The buildings were topped with pitched roofs instead of rounded. Every surface was awash with color.

  “Oh look, that must be the opera house or library.” Jason pointed to a tall structure peeking over the nearby roofs. Not much could be seen other than a glimpse of a dome and tall spires pointing toward the sky. It was amazing.

  “Very impressive.”

  “And look at the styles they sell.” Jason peered into a clothing shop. “They’re not nearly as stiff as what the women back home wear.”

  “I bet the women themselves aren’t much different, though.”

  “No, I suppose not. People are pretty much the same everywhere, aren’t they, Martin? Except something has to be different because they don’t have slavery. Why do you think that is?” Jason stopped walking and faced Martin head on.

  Martin seemed surprised to be addressed so directly. Jason should have expected that. He didn’t exactly solicit Martin’s opinion on trivial matters much. “I don’t know. I suppose, given a different history than our own, their worldview would be altered.”

  Jason chuckled and resumed walking. “So, slavery is the correct worldview, and theirs has been altered?”

  “That’s not what I meant, sir.”

  “I know, but you don’t seem to think slavery is wrong. Do you think I’m making the wrong choice trying to free Kale?”

  “No, sir, I think it’s the best thing for you and Kale. However, I’m not sure that your situation means that as a country, Arine should give up slavery. It works for us. I will admit that my experience with Kale has made me question some things I’d assumed about slaves, but I’m not sure how I feel about the institution as a whole.”

  “Fair enough. You’ve been a good friend to Kale, and that’s all I could have asked.”

  “He’s an easy man to like.”

  “That he is.” Jason didn’t need any reminding.

  “How exactly is this all going to work? I don’t understand. Will Kale just automatically be a free citizen by virtue of crossing the border?”

  “That’s what we’re here for, Martin. I’m going to make sure every possible contingency is covered. I’m not going to risk this falling through. I’ve exchanged a few calls with Mr. Smoot’s assistant discussing some ideas I’ve had, and he assures me that his employer can take care of everything.”

  “Should we start toward his office? Your appointment is soon.”

  “Yes, it’s on Third Street. His assistant said we should stay on this road until we get to Third, and then we turn left. It will be right there.”

  They spent the rest of the walk in silence. With every step Jason took, his anticipation grew. He was laying the foundation for a new life. Nothing was certain from this point forward, but he felt sure of his course.

  They didn’t have to wait long at the attorney’s office. A few minutes after they were seated in a plush waiting room, Mr. Smoot stepped out of his office. It was the first time Jason had seen him. He was short and round, and he would have looked too cheery for an attorney if it weren’t for the immaculately groomed silver beard and the spectacles perched on his nose.

  “Mr. Wadsworth, I presume?”

  Jason rose and shook his outstretched hand. “Yes. And you must be Mr. Smoot. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Likewise, sir. If you’d like to step into my office, I believe we have much to discuss.”

  Jason and Martin started toward the office, but were stopped by Mr. Smoot. “Given the delicate nature of the matters we will be discussing, I can make your secretary quite comfortable here in the waiting room.”

  “No, thank you. Mr. Grimlock is my most trusted associate. I’d like him present. Anything you can say to me, you may say to him. I value his opinion.”

  Mr. Smoot appeared surprised, but was no doubt used to accommodating the high-class clientele he served. “Of course, sir. Right this way then.”

  The office was absurdly large. It felt like walking down the aisle of a library to reach the desk situated at the end in front of a large window. The walls were lined with a plethora of books, most looking like they were seldom touched. Jason didn’t require these embellishments like some of Mr. Smoot’s other clients surely did. What Jason required were the attorney’s connections, and if that meant tolerating a bit of pretension, then so be it.

  “Now, I understand your aim is to move yourself and your slave to Naiara to effectively free him.”

  They were all seated comfortably around the desk. Martin, as always, had paper and pen ready to take notes. Good. Jason would need them. “Yes, that’s correct. I want to make sure that every possibility has been covered. Legally, this must be as air tight as we can make it. I won’t risk any negative consequences to Kale.”

  “Well, the law here is pretty cut and dry. As soon as he crosses the border, he’ll be free. The only way that could be challenged is if you pursued his extradition as a runaway slave.”

  “That
won’t happen.”

  “I thought not.” Mr. Smoot smirked, and a wave of uneasiness hit Jason. He was entrusting this man with his future and the future of his lover. He trusted him because Renee did, but was that wise? It was Renee, after all, who had caused Kale’s sale. No, Jason would not entertain such thoughts. He had to trust someone, and he had forgiven Renee. It wasn’t fair to be suspicious of her intentions.

  Jason brushed aside his worry and focused on the conversation at hand. “Will he be able to pursue full citizenship, though? I don’t want him to be a second class citizen here.”

  “Yes. He can petition for refugee status, in which case, if granted, he will be put on a fast track toward citizenship.”

  “I’ve been led to believe that you have contacts in the government who could help expedite the process.”

  “I do. I haven’t been able to confirm anything in the short time since we began communicating, but I should have something firm for you in a few days. Are you going straight back to Perdana, or are you staying in town for a while?”

  “I’m going to be here for a few days. I have some matters I’d like you to handle for me, and I’ll be staying until they’re done.”

  “Then I should have some more information for you before you leave. What else can I do for you?”

  “I want a bank account opened in Kale’s name. I have a check for the opening balance. I want Kale to be as independent as possible.” There was a familiar tightness in his chest. He hoped independence didn’t translate into Kale leaving him, but that was a risk he had to take. “Martin, if you’d hand me my briefcase, I have the check in there.”

  Martin handed over the briefcase, and Jason extracted the check and handed it to Mr. Smoot. When the lawyer’s eyes lighted on the sum, his eyebrows shot high above his wire rims. “This is very generous.”