Chapter 8d

“You think more of Leo and Kore than you show.” Shawn observed.

“I suppose I do, yes.” Blacklock smiled. “You, on the other hand, moon after Kore as blatantly as Leo fusses after her.” He laughed.

“I know. Pathetic aren't I?” Shawn laughed too. “I don't know why either, not after all this time. I know me and Kore will always be close friends and I've got used to that, believe it or not. I think the mooning is automatic.”

“Possibly. Possibly, and probably because everyone expects you doing it too, Kore included. If you stopped the open flirting all of a sudden then the alarm bells would go off. You do right to keep it all as it is, at least you have each other's trust and friendship.” Blacklock sidestepped an Azorian soldier who was shifting a stone slab away from the middle of the Pit's gateway. “About bloody time someone moved that.”

“You're pretty good with people Blacklock. It's obvious where Kore gets it from.” Shawn commented.

“I'm in the same boat as you are with her.” Blacklock shrugged and Shawn almost fell over in surprise. “No! Not quite the same.” Blacklock bellowed a laugh. “How easy would it be for me to see Leo and Kore as my own? You with me now? Had I done that, neither of them would have survived here.” He looked round the Pit's muddy street. “Do it now, and I change the whole relationship I have with them, especially Kore who's still here in the village. I like the relationship as it is.”

“You do know that they're referred to as Blacklocks occasionally?” Shawn said. “Not all the time, usually for clarification.”

“I know, yes.” Blacklock smiled. “I've known both Kore and Leo adopt the name themselves when the situation warranted. For all I know, they might not even know their names after this length of time.” He shrugged. “Even though they get my name at times everyone still knows they aren't mine. What type of parent would train his own kids for the arena?”

“Back to the maintained relationship again. I often wish that Kore would find a man you know. Not me, I know that's completely unworkable. I can dart off to the brothel or even just troll around Dresk's. She can't do that, nor would she if she could. Weird how dignity levels are different even in this place.” Shawn kicked a few stones out of their path to the ale-house. “Oh well, gladiators just aren't spouse material I suppose.” Blacklock nodded and opened the door to Dresk's bar. His spouse didn't get chance to be, she'd died of lung disease not long after the War started, leaving Blacklock with two young children. Minnie was the first to go, six months after her mother and from a similar cause. Torran lasted another eight months before he too, went to play with his sister in the gardens of the gods. Blacklock had been rounded up and brought from the scrub-land of Plaus to the Pit a mere two days after burying his son. Minnie would have been twenty years old now, Torran twenty two.

“Blacklock?” Dresk was standing behind the counter with an ale jug in his hand.

“Yes, please. In fact, hand over the jug.”