It was a stupid thing to say, like some comment about the idiocy of a Free Birth policy. Not the sentiment, but the timing.
Mr. Kutsov treated the comment with more respect than it deserved. "Only God can decide a question like that," he said gently. "Be it slavery to use my horses to work for me? I don't know anyone who would say so. A man be a different matter, though. The question be whether a Losel be like a horse or like a man, and that I can't answer. Now go to sleep again and in a while I will bring you some food."
He left then, but I didn't go to sleep. I was in trouble. I had no way to contact the scoutship. There was only one way out, and that was to find somebody else who did have his signal. That wasn't going to be easy.
Mr. Kutsov brought me some food later in the day, and I asked him then, "Why are you doing all this for me?"
He said, "I don't like to see children hurt, by people like Horst Fanger or by anyone."
"But I'm from one of the Ships," I said. "You know that, don't you?"
Mr. Kutsov nodded. "Yes, I know that."
"I understand that is pretty bad around here."
"With some people, true. But all the people who hate the Ships don't realize that if it beedn't for the Ships they wouldn't be here at all. They hold their grudge too close to their hearts. There be some of us who disagree with the government though it has lost us our families or years from our lives, and we would not destroy what we cannot agree with. When such an one as Horst Fanger uses this as an excuse to rob and injure a child, I will not agree. He has taken all that you have and there is no way to reclaim it, but what I can give of my house be yours."