21  Later they learned the young man's name was Red Serpent, and that his brother had been a drug dealer in the city, and he held Gray Deer responsible for his brother's death.
    22  Gray Deer went to the prison several times, and at first the young man would not see him.  But finally he allowed him to visit.. 
    23  "You know," argued Gray Deer, "I am watched every day by The City Speaker's agents.  He knows more of my comings and goings than my mates do.  I had no part in your brother's execution."
   24  "But you were responsible for it," answered Red Serpent.  "You encouraged your people to kill drug dealers, and that Law is ridiculous! What harm does it do to sell a man or woman a little pleasure in this miserable world?  You people are foolish.  A little Pon does no one any harm, or a pipe of Grass in the evening.  Why kill a man for selling a little pleasure?"
    25  "Have you ever smoked Pon or Blue Grass?" asked Gray Deer.
    26  "No," answered Red Serpent, "A little wine has always been sufficient for me.  But I have never seen anything wrong with anyone else using it.  That's their business."
    27  Gray Deer called the Keeper of the prison.  "Can I take him down to the hospital ward?" he asked.
    28  The Keeper called a guard and put Red Serpent in chains, and brought him down to the prison's hospital ward.  There, on bed after bed, lay young men and women with their wrists tied as they struggled.  "What is the matter with them?" asked Red Serpent.
    29  "They've just been brought in on different charges," The Keeper of the prison explained, "but they're all Pon addicts. This is what happens when they can't get the drug.  They'll be like this for several days.  Some of them will die.
    30  Blue Grass isn't quite so bad.  You can usually just put them in a cell unless they start seeing things.  Then you have to put them in here.  These are the lucky ones.  Once they're off the stuff, maybe half of them will stay clean. The unlucky ones we pick up in an alley somewhere with a pipe in their hand, where they've smoked just one too many bowls."
    31  "Pon doesn't kill!" cried Red Serpent.
    32  "It doesn't?" said The Prison Keeper. "Tell that to the mother who found her daughter this morning.  She'd rip your heart out!  They tell you on the streets it doesn't kill, but we find three or four of these poor bastards a day, and some of the things they'll do to get money!  That boy over there sold his sister to a house of pleasure.  If a friend of her father hadn't found her, she'd still be there.  This girl killed her mother when she wouldn't give her two coppers.
    33  We've got several more waiting in the death house who have an appointment with the ax man.  There's nothing an addict wouldn't do to fill their bowl.
    34  "I don't believe you," cried Red Serpent.  "I can't believe you. My brother wouldn't do this, he wouldn't!"
    35  "Maybe he was an addict  himself," the Prison Keeper argued. "Most dealers are."
    36  Red Serpent began to weep. "You're lying to me," he cried, "you're lying."
     37  "I'm sorry," Gray Deer comforted, "I know it's hard.  But our people don't execute anyone unless they've actually seen them making a sale, and find their stash.  We're very careful."
    38  "I want to go back to my cell," Red Serpent pleaded, "I don't want to see any more."
    39  When he was gone, Gray Deer turned to The Keeper of the prison.  "Tell The City Speaker," he ordered, "I want him released.  I won't bring charges, or testify against him."
    40  "It's your life," answered the Keeper of the prison, "and I pray to The Lords you get through to him.  He's a bad one."  Gray Deer left the prison.
 


Page 181

Go To The Next Page

Return To The Links Page