Seventh Son Page 0,67

Compact.

"I'll bet the Dutchmen hated those boys, by the time they were through," said David.

"They were better politicians than that," said Taleswapper. "Why, both of them learned to speak Dutch better than most Dutchmen, and had their children grow up speaking Dutch in Dutch schools. They were so dadgum Dutch, boys, that when Alex Hamilton ran for governor of New Amsterdam and John Adams ran for president of the United States, they both did better in the Dutch parts of New Netherland than they did among the Scotch and Irish."

"Reckon if I run for mayor, I could get those Swedes and Dutchmen downriver to vote for me?" said David.

"I wouldn't even vote for you," said Calm.

"I would," said Measure. "And I hope someday you do run for mayor."

"He can't run for mayor," said Calm. "This ain't even a proper town."

"It will be," said Taleswapper. "I've seen it before. Once you get this mill working, it won't be long before three hundred people dwell between your mill and Vigor Church."

"You think so?"

"Right now people come in to Armor's store maybe three or four times a year," said Taleswapper. "But when they can get flour, they'll come in much more often. They'll prefer your mill to any other around here for some time, too, since you've got a smooth road and good bridges."

"If the mill makes money," Measure said, "Pa's sure to send for a Buhr Stone from France. We had one back in West Hampshire, before the flood broke up the mill. And a Buhr Stone means fine white flour."

"And white flour means good business," said David. "We older ones, we remember." He smiled wistfully. "We were almost rich there, once."

"So," said Taleswapper. "With all that traffic here, it won't be just a store and a church and a mill. There's good white clay down on the Wobbish. Some potter's bound to go into business, making redware and stoneware for the whole territory. "

"Sure wish they'd hurry with that," said Calm. "My wife is sick unto death, she says, of having to serve food on tin plates."

"That's how towns grow," said Taleswapper. "A good store, a church, then a mill, then a pottery. Bricks, too, for that matter. And when there's a town - "

"David can be mayor," said Measure.

"Not me," said David. "All that politics business is too much. It's Armor wants that, not me."

"Armor wants to be king," said Calm.

"That's not kind," said David.

"But it's true," said Calm. "He'd try to be God, if he thought the job was open."

Measure explained to Taleswapper. "Calm and Armor don't get along."

"It ain't much of a husband that calls his wife a witch," said Calm bitterly.

"Why would he call her that?" asked Taleswapper.

"It's sure he doesn't call her that now," said Measure. "She promised him to give them up. All her knacks in the kitchen. It's a shame to make a woman run a household with just her own two hands."

"That's enough," David said. Taleswapper caught just a corner of his warning look.

Obviously they didn't trust Taleswapper enough to let him in on the truth. So Taleswapper let them know that the secret was already in his possession. "It seems to me that she uses more than Armor guesses," said Taleswapper. "There's a clever hex out of baskets on the front porch. And she used a calming on him before my eyes, the day I arrived in town."

Work stopped then, for just a moment. Nobody looked at him, but for a second they did nothing. Just took in the fact that Taleswapper knew Eleanor's secret and hadn't told about it to outsiders. Or to Armor-of-God Weaver. Still, it was one thing for him to know, and something else for them to confirm it. So they said nothing, just resumed notching and binding the sledge.

Taleswapper broke the silence by returning to the main topic. "It's just a matter of time before these western lands have enough people in them to call themselves states, and petition to join the American Compact. When that happens, there'll be need for honest men to hold office."

"You won't find no Hamilton or Adams or Jefferson out here in the wild country," said David.

"Maybe not," said Taleswapper. "But if you local boys don't set up your own government, you can bet there'll be plenty of city men willing to do it for you. That's how Aaron Burr got to be governor of Suskwahenny, before Daniel Boone shot him dead in ninety-nine."

"You make it sound like murder," said Measure. "It