Part 8 (1/2)

Lukacs scowled

'You know no one called Balazs Jani I' my name associated with a cripple'

'He's not a cripple, Jani' Izsak stepped into the toolshed The boy only reached Jani's chest in height; he kept a careful distance

'You shut up, 'Sak,' Jani spat He turned back to Lukacs 'You don't irls from the Zsinka family If you're as deaf as you see ed

Jani snatched a handful of his hair and yanked his head back 'I said do you understand?'

'Leave him alone!' Izsak took another step towards therip 'Fine, Jani No mention of brothers And I won't talk to any Zsinka whores, I proer Before he even saw it co, he felt Jani's fist sla Pain blooether and raising his head, daring Jani to strike hiain

'Remember what I said, runt' His brother cracked his knuckles and turned for the door 'I'one, Izsak scampered over 'Does it hurt very hed The pain of his lacerated cheek was nothing co of his older brother's words The truth of the as he could remember, a litany of individual scars: an older brother so ashamed of him that he would deny his existence; a father who cared only for the old traditions and who paid scarce attention to hier brother too immature to understand the deeper currents that ran within their family, and whose scorn would arrive as surely as the next harvest the instant he was old enough to understand

'I'irl But she's not as keen That's why he's so cross'

'She sounds like a wise girl'

Izsak sniggered 'I hear she's a dirty kurva'

'Hey! Where did you hear words like that?'

'It's what I heard father calling her He says all the Zsinkas are sluts'

Lukacs grinned at that, until a new silhouette appeared in the doorway He flinched when he heard his father's cough, deep and low

'Izsak, leave us I want to talk to your brother'

'Yes, Papa' Flashi+ng Lukacs a sylance, the boy skipped outside

His father stood in the doorway for a ti a wooden stool from underneath a workbench, he dusted it down and sat his frame upon it He sh the pocket of his leather waistcoat, Balazs Jozsef pulled out a clay pipe and pushed it into his mouth The spark of a htful, heavyset eyes 'Dark in here'

'Yes'

'Is that why you like it?'

'Don't know Maybe'

Velvet threads of s scents of dried apple and scorched paper 'Heard what your brother said'

'It's what you all think At least he's honest'

'He'll get my belt later'

In between them, theas it tested the air, hunting for options

Lukacs glanced up from the rodent and into his father's face Jozsef's features had not lost any of their strength as he had aged His face rarely betrayed e Was that pity? He wanted none of that Certainly not from his father It was partly his seed, after all, that was responsible for Lukacs's condition

Jozsef leaned forward 'Your cheek is cut We cannot have that You need to stop the bleeding'

'It hurts tolike that to in his face As he had been instructed many times before, he tried to empty his nore the pressure of his father's gaze Instead, he concentrated on the sensation of the swelling, the bright lance of pain where Jani's knuckles had split his skin Gritting his teeth, he forced thehiht side of his face

'Relax, boy You're too tense'

He realised he was holding his breath Tears brimmed in his eyes as the line of the cut flared hite-hot heat and then, as with the swelling, began to subside

'Noipe off the blood'

Lukacs coe of crihed 'None of this comes naturally to you, does it?'

He shook his head

'I swear, Lukacs, if I kne to help you in this' His father reached out a hand and tilted his son's face up to meet his own 'Show ly, Lukacs obeyed His father's eyes seerey But as he watched, Lukacs began to notice changes Striations of green appeared, flecks of indigo The streaks of colour began to evolve and diversify, like diaht lake, a prisulfed, he felt the confines of the shed fade as his father's eyes beca with pinpricks of turquoise and jade, copper and gold, on a rising here sequins and rubies and emeralds tumbled and danced in the surf

At the centre of all this, Jozsef's pupils gaped like forsaken voids into which Lukacs would flounder if he did not pull hirins the colour of charcoal Beauty and horror; at first seductive and then threatening Did he fear what lurked inside the darkness of his father's eyes? Or did he fear the absence of what resided there?

Lukacs blinked, breaking the spell He knew his own eyes were dull, lifeless the colour of river lad

Suddenly he found his voice 'Maybe another year, zet next sumin to shake his head, but he pressed on 'Or ether I could stay here with you, helping you in the workshop You know I've become more accurate with the instru over the last h! You will not disgrace me Nor your er 'You will go to the vegzet You will do your best We will see what happens There are qualities in you that any sensible girl should find attractive I will not allow you a Balazs to carry the shame of a kirekesztett Noant you inside the house within the hour We have preparations to , his father exhaled a plume of pipe smoke At the doorway, he paused 'You know, Lukacs, your brother Jani ht seem cruel, but we all have an interest in your success Think on that You may not believe it, but the life of a kirekesztett is a curse, one that would weigh on you many score years from now Trust me, son; it is not a path you wish to walk'

With his father's departure, the silence returned Lukacs watched the mole rat squirm and twist about in the dirt as it tried to manoeuvre its broken body

We all have an interest in your success