The Robin And The Kestrel

'Time after time, I heard sermons specifically against music,' she said. 'And not just any music_but the music performed by what these street preachers referred to as 'wild and undisciplined street players.' They always went on to further identify these 'street players' as people no Guild would permit into its ranks, because of their lack of respect for authority, their immorality, and their 'dangerous ways.''

'Us, in other words,' Robin said grimly. 'Free Bards. Just what were the complaints against us, anyway?'

Nightingale's mouth had compressed into a tight line, and Kestrel sensed a very deep anger within her. 'According to what they said, directly, our music is seductive and incites lust, our lyrics licentious and advocate lust, and we destroy pure thinking and lead youths to rebel against proper authority. To hear them talk, the Free Bards are responsible for every girl that ever had a child out of wedlock, every boy that ever defied his parents, and every fool who sought strong drink and drugs and ruined his mind and body. But it wasn't only what they said directly, it was what they implied.'

'Which w-was?' Kestrel prompted, quickly.

'That we're using magic,' she said flatly. 'That we're somehow controlling the minds of those who listen to us, to make them do things they never would ordinarily. He was full of examples_boys that had been lured into demon-worship by a song, girls that had run off with young brigands because of a song, folk who had supposedly been incited to a life of crime or had committed suicide, all because of the 'magic spells' we Free Bards had cast on them through our music. They even had the tides of the songs on their tongues, to prove their lies_'Demon-Lover,' 'Follow Come Follow,' 'Free Fly the Fair,' The Highwayman's Lady.' As if simply by knowing the title of a song, that proved there was evil magic behind the singing of it. That is why there are no jobs for Free Bards. Not because we're 'immoral'_but because no one wants to risk a charge that some patron did something wrong because the musician at the hearth somehow cast a sinister spell upon him and took control of his mind. Most especially they do not want to risk an accusation that such a spell had been cast against a minor child.'

Kestrel felt cold. That was too close to the truth, as Wren had uncovered it. Some Free Bards could influence the thoughts of others. Not to any sinister purpose, but_

'And the Guild, in its infinite wisdom and compassion, has been offering an option to the owners of the better taverns and those citizens of modest wealth who may hire a musician or two,' Nightingale continued, her voice dripping with sarcasm. 'They have been recruiting what they call 'Guild-licensed' musicians_players who are not good enough to pass the Guild trials, but who may be barely competent musicians on one or two instruments. These people are certified by the Church and licensed by the Guild as being capable of entertaining without corrupting anyone. They wear Guild colors and double-tithe to the Church, plus pass back a commission to the Guild.'

'Brilliant,' Robin muttered, bitterly.

'This, of course, does leave us the street corners, the very poor inns and taverns, the common eating-shops, and the patronage of younger people who usually don't have a great deal of money,' Nightingale concluded. 'And, of course, the country-folk, who haven't gotten the word of our immorality and possible corrupting magic-use yet.'

T'fyrr, who had remained silent through all of this, finally spoke. 'I like this not, lady,' he said, his voice echoing oddly through the trees.

'No more do any of us, friend,' Robin answered for all of them.

They finished making their rounds of the other, non-musical 'residents' of the Waymeet at just about the time that the cartwright (who they now knew was called 'Oakhart') and his helper were taking the wagon down off the blocks. 'She'll hold now,' Oakhart said, with satisfaction. They shook hands on it, and the cartwright departed with his promised fifty pieces of silver. Kestrel let Robin pay the man; it gave him pain to see that much money leaving their hands.

Harperus appeared just as Oakhart was leaving, and invited them to dinner and a conference around the fire he had just built. He had quite a civilized little arrangement there; folding chairs, a stack of baskets, each containing a different, warmed dainty, and plates to eat from. 'T'fyrr told me what your Gypsy-harpist friend said,' the Deliambren told them, as they accepted plates full of food that obviously had never been prepared over a fire, tasty little bits of vegetables and meats, each with different sauces or crisp coatings, or sprinklings of cheese. 'This is some of what I had heard, the rumors that I wanted you to track for me, but not the whole of it.'

Gwyna picked up a bit of fried something, and bit into it with a glum expression. 'I don't know how we're going to fight the Church, Old Owl. I don't know how anyone could.'

'I h-heard some other things,' Kestrel added casually, after popping a sausagelike thing into his mouth. 'I d- don't kn-know if it m-means anyth-thing. Or if th-the Ch-Church has anyth-thing t-to d-do with this. N-no one else s-s-seems t-to think it m-means anyth-thing. J-just_th-that n-nonhumans are h-having a h-harder t-time of it, just l-like the F-Free B-Bards. All of a s-sudden it's all r-right t-to s-say y-you d-don't t-trust 'em, th-they're th-thieves, or sh-shifty, or l-lazy. Th-that it's h-harder for 'em t-to g-get any k-kind of p-position, any k-kind of j-job, and even t- traders are f-finding it h-harder t-to g-get c-clients, unless th-they've g-got something ex-exclusive. And th-there are s-signs showing up, at inns and t-taverns and l-lodgings.'

'What kind of signs?' Harperus asked, sharply.