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. He did not take his bowl, he did not go near the shelf where it was kept.
After he was gone, Baslim turned over and tried to sleep, but the ache inside him would not permit It had not occurred to him to speak the word that would keep the boy; he had too much self-respect not to respect another person's decision.
Thorby was gone four days. He returned in the night and Baslim heard him but again said nothing. Instead he went quietly and deeply asleep for the first time since Thorby had left. But he woke at the usual time and said, "Good morning, son."
"Uh, good morning. Pop."
"Get breakfast started. I have something to attend to."
They sat down presently over bowls of hot mush. Baslim ate with his usual careful disinterest; Thorby merely picked at his. Finally he blurted out, "Pop, when are you going to sell me?"
"I'm not."
"Huh?"
"I registered your manumission at the Archives the day you left. You're a free man, Thorby."
Thorby looked startled, then dropped his eyes to his food. He busied himself building little mountains of mush that slumped as soon as he shaped them. Finally he said, "I wish you hadn't."
"If they picked you up, I didn't want you to have 'escaped slave' against you."
"Oh." Thorby looked thoughtful. "That's 'F&B,' isn't it? Thanks, Pop. I guess I acted land of silly."
"Possibly. But it wasn't the punishment I was thinking of
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