Legalism

Writers: Eimi, Suzee
Date Posted: 27th January 2019

Characters: Jihan, Jayzine
Description: Jihan confronts Jayzine over a complaint from a drudge.
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 9, day 2 of Turn 9

Jayzine

Jayzine was in her office planning the next sevenday's meals when she
heard the knock on her doorframe. "Come in" she called without raising
her head.

The door opened just wide enough for Jihan to step through. "Forgive
me, Headwoman, but may I take a moment of your time?"

She looked up and the corner of her mouth turned up. That was about as
much of a smile as anyone ever saw on her face except perhaps her
children. "Of course," she said graciously. "Please make yourself
comfortable Jihan."

"Thank you," he said, giving her a quick, straight backed bow before
turning to close the door. As he took a seat on the chair across from
her, he pulled a pencil out of his breast pocket and a small leather
bound book of blank pages another vest pocket. "Forgive me, ma'am,
but my office has received a complaint." Jihan flipped the book open
and quickly thumbed through the pages. "From a member of your staff.
A drudge named Mickroi."

"Ah yes, Mickroi," she nodded. "And what is his issue?"

"He feels he has been unfairly targeted for punishment by you." Jihan
quickly flipped to a blank page. "Do you recall punishing Mickroi?"

"I do," she gave a short nod. "I found him sleeping in a closet
instead of doing the work he was assigned." Her eyes held a challenge
as she watched him makes his notes. "So he had to do the work on his
next rest day."

Jihan finished his note and looked back up at the Headwoman with his
usual calm, neutral expression. "Was this the only time Mickroi has
been punished as far as you remember?"

She licked her lips and leaned forward with a crinkle in her eyes.
"No," she shook her head. "I found him again in the same closet the
following 'fall day." She took a deep breath not enjoying what she was
about to say. "Mickroi isn't the brightest glow in the basket, Jihan.
But perhaps you might have gathered that for yourself?"

His expression did not change. As the investigator, it was not his
place to give way his private opinion of the man. "Was he given the
same punishment as before?"

"He was," she nodded. "I have had experience in the past with this
type of behavior and when they get the same discipline for the same
infraction that seems to make enough of an impression to hinder the
difficult behavior in the future." It was her intent to help the
drudge understand why sleeping in the middle of his work shift was not
acceptable.

So far her case sounded reasonable, but Jihan had to see it through to
the end. "And did his behavior improve?"

"Well, kind of, he didn't sleep in the same closet," she said. "So he
did learn but not the complete lesson. I did try to talk to him about
it but he became belligerent so I just used the same discipline to
help him understand it was the sleeping part that was unacceptable."
She turned and reached for her ledger and sorted through the documents.
"It appears this also happened prior to my tenure here."

Jihan took a moment to peruse the ledger. Finally, he nodded his
head, satisfied with the evidence and her account of the situation.
"Mickroi's original complaint was that he was being treated unfairly
and that he had not been given a restday in over three sevendays. Do
you think that the lack of adequate rest might have contributed to his
sleeping on the job?"

She thought for a moment and nodded. "I suppose that is possible in
the latter instances, however, it wouldn't be the case the first
time."

"No, of course not. But perhaps that punishment, while completely
justified, will not work for him. Perhaps he needs a break or it will
for sure happen again." He put up a hand passingly. "I am not saying
that you were not right in punishing him, merely that perhaps in this
man's case, a different punishment will yield the results you want."

Jayzine ruthlessly squashed the flare of temper that rose up into her
throat. The household staff was her domain. If one of the field hands
came to complain to her she would tell him to talk to the stewards.
But other than a little bit of a squint she didn't let that show. She
had learned something after all. "Do you have a suggestion?"

Jihan considered the question for a moment. "If speaking to him has
not worked, and punishing him has not worked, if it were me, I think I
would try to find an occupation that better suited his personality and
see if that made a change in his behavior as well."

"Fine," she said. "I'll send him out to the fields and then you
Stewards can decide what to do with him."

He nodded, jotting down a final note in his book. "Then this matter
is closed. Forgive me for taking up your time."

She didn't answer but simply returned to her menu. Faranth she hated
the holds and the halls. She missed River Bluff so much it made her
jaws ache from the clenching. She remembered now all the issues in her
past that had grown out of her marriage to Fielton. She didn't know
how much longer she could just grin and bear it. She let out a deep
cleansing breath after he'd left her office and looked out the window.
But, wishes weren't dragons and K'ran wasn't going to just drop from
the sky to take her away. They'd agreed she had to be the epitome of a
Holder woman to prove the Weyr hadn't corrupted the others that had
come to Emerald Falls with her. There was no way out right now, so
she'd have to just continue to make the best of it.

Last updated on the February 3rd 2019

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