The Knowledge Stone Read online

  Reflecting further upon speaking to Old Malik, the boy thought it most likely that the man would grunt something like: ‘Giana? Giana is the Mistress’s servant. I have nothing to do with her.’ That would be the end of the conversation and, again, Joachim would have solved nothing. ‘Better that I should speak to the Mistress myself,’ he concluded, feeling rather nervous at the prospect.

  Although Joachim and Maretta had a friendly enough relationship these days, they did not usually speak on “serious matters”. She might not be pleased with his interference in her affairs:

  ‘I’ll need to think of a gentle way to introduce the subject,’ he thought.

  By the end of the day, Joachim had decided how to approach Maretta but he knew he had to find the right time to speak.

  ‘It will need to be a time when Giana is not present,’ he told himself.

  That very evening, the perfect opportunity presented itself. He had cleaned himself and had arrived at the farmhouse for the evening meal. Maretta was making preparations for the meal but both Old Malik and Giana were absent from the room. The boy knew that his Master was outside washing himself at the tub and so would not return for some minutes: ‘Mistress, where is Giana?’

  ‘She has gone to the dairy for some milk, Joachim.’ The boy noted that this was said in a friendly voice and decided to put his strategy into action.

  ‘May the Lord be with me,’ he whispered. Old Malik had recently converted him away from the spirits and he now worshipped “The Lord” like the Master and Mistress. ‘Mistress, I must speak about Giana. Will you permit it?’

  Maretta was surprised. What could the boy possibly have to say to her about Giana?

  ‘Yes, Joachim, you may speak.’

  ‘It is possible that Giana may eat with us at the table? I feel unhappy that she is not sharing all the wonderful privileges you and the Master have given me. But I recognise I am like Giana. I am just a servant on the farm, like her.’

  Maretta was very surprised. This had never occurred to her because, unlike Joachim who clearly was approaching manhood, she thought of Giana as just a little girl. It was true that Giana was several years younger than Joachim and was not yet showing the signs of becoming a woman. She looked searchingly at him and he blenched nervously under her gaze. She found she was touched by the concern of this young man for someone who was weaker than he was.

  ‘Joachim, I will think about this and discuss it with the Master.’

  ‘Mistress, I hope I have not displeased you.’ He was worried that he may have made things worse.

  ‘No,’ she reassured him, ‘it is right that you should have spoken – and, Joachim …’

  ‘Yes, Mistress?’

  ‘There are things you do not know about – but, in time, you will.’

  ‘Yes, Mistress.’ Joachim did not understand this enigmatic comment but was grateful that all seemed to be well. ‘I have done all I can,’ he thought.

  The very next day, when the time of the evening meal came, Maretta laid a fourth place at the table. When Giana brought the platters and bowls, she was puzzled by the extra place at the table and enquired: ‘Mistress, do we have a guest for the evening meal? You have not mentioned it and I have not prepared extra food.’

  ‘No, Giana, we have no guest,’ the woman replied with a smile, ‘the Master and I wish you to sit at the table with us. We want you to have all your meals here from now on.’

  Giana was astounded. ‘But, why?’ the words stumbled out.

  ‘Because you are now a grown up girl and soon you will be a woman. And because you are a good servant.’

  The girl could not believe her good fortune and tears of joy filled her eyes. ‘Oh thank you, Mistress, thank you Master.’

  Maretta glanced significantly at Joachim, sitting quietly (and innocently) in his place, and nodded imperceptibly. The boy flushed with pleasure. He hoped fervently that this would make Giana happy. He looked at her now, settling down in her place at the table, and was glad to see her face wreathed in smiles.

  Farmer Sistas and Joachim were now concentrating on the most complex parts of farm management – strategic organisation and people. Now that the boy could read, write and count, he kept the farm accounts and dealt with many aspects of money, making only very rare mistakes. He was also taught how to work out the best strategy for the farm and set everything out in the Farm Book, so that this could be constantly reviewed and, if necessary, amended during the seasons.

  Where many farmers in the region planned their activities virtually on a day-to-day basis, Farmer Sistas was a meticulous strategist; this was why his farm was so efficient and known to be easily the most productive in the region. This was the position formerly taken by Old Malik’s farm when it was managed by his father. So Farmer Sistas trained Joachim rigorously, testing him to the limit on strategic matters. The boy was quick to learn and the farmer was delighted with his rapid progress.

  ‘I have trained others for this work,’ the farmer told him, ‘but you are easily the best of all my pupils.’ Of course both Joachim and Old Malik were delighted to hear this.

  Finally, Farmer Sistas came to the employment and management of workers on the farm.

  ‘Joachim, this is a very serious part of farm work,’ he told the boy, ‘and it is of great importance that the right workers are employed on fair terms. You must now learn how to handle people and how to motivate them to give you the best work they can give.’

  Joachim was awed at this prospect – in fact, it terrified him!

  ‘But Master, I am only a young farm boy. How can I make grown men work well?’ His heart thumped within him. He had not been awed by any of the things he had learned from Farmer Sistas and Old Malik. It had been very hard work but it was wonderful to be able to do all these things well. But how could he, Little Joachim, hope to command workers, grown men, much bigger and stronger than he?

  Farmer Sistas smiled, looking across at this sincere and increasingly impressive young man, not only acquiring new knowledge each day but rapidly growing towards powerful adulthood.

  ‘Joachim, I will teach you and then I will prove to you that you can do it – and do it well.’

  The following weeks were filled with teaching about employing and handling workers.

  Firstly, Joachim was taught and tested on recruitment and command: ‘So how many men will you employ?’

  ‘I will consult the strategy and see how many I need,’ the boy answered immediately.

  ‘How much will you pay?’

  ‘I will find out the level of pay in the region and then I will pay according to their ability and experience.’

  ‘How will you treat your workers?’

  ‘I will expect them to work well. I will be firm and fair and treat them with justice and respect.’

  ‘How will they treat you?’

  ‘They will treat me with respect and do what I ask them to do.’

  ‘And if they don’t?’

  ‘I will warn them and give them a chance to reform. If this fails I may have to terminate their employment.’

  ‘Will you need to supervise every worker personally?’

  ‘No. If I have a large number of workers I will form them into teams with a leader. The leader will be responsible to me and I will pay him more money.’

  ‘Will you train any of your workers in new skills?’

  ‘Yes, I will always want to develop my workers. The better they are the better the work they will do for me.’

  Farmer Sistas was delighted with the results of his teaching. Joachim passed all his tests with flying colours.

  On Joachim’s next visit to the neighbouring farm, the farmer said: ‘Joachim, your teaching is now complete and I am confident you can apply all the skills of a very good farmer.’ Joachim flushed with ple
asure. Old Malik would be very pleased when he heard. ‘The only thing you lack now is actual experience of commanding workers. Come with me, please.’

  Rather mystified, Joachim followed the farmer across the spotless farmyard and round the edge of a field. In the distance, Joachim could see three men, offloading posts and thick planks of wood from a cart. These were big, burly men, bronzed and stripped to the waist, their well-developed muscles rippling as they handled the heavy wood with ease. As the farmer approached, the men stopped work and greeted him.

  ‘Good morning, Master.’

  ‘Good morning, men,’ the farmer responded. Turning to Joachim, he continued: ‘We are building a new fence along the bottom of this field; the old one was rotten and was removed yesterday. If you look here, you will see the line of the fence; it is about 300 pics long.’

  Joachim thought this was very interesting but wondered why the farmer was telling him all this. The farmer’s next words revealed why.

  ‘Joachim, you are to take charge of this work and these men. I expect the work to be finished by the end of the day. I don’t expect you will have any problems but, if there are, I will be at the farmhouse.’

  Joachim felt as if the world had collapsed on him! How could he command these men? They were all much bigger and stronger and older than him. Then, memory of his training diminished his fears to some degree.

  The farmer turned to the workers: ‘This is Joachim, your overseer for today. He is responsible to me for the work. You will call him “Master”.’

  With a pleasant smile to Joachim, the farmer walked away quickly, leaving a very apprehensive Joachim facing three pairs of hard eyes boring into his.

  The boy’s brain started working again as he rapidly surveyed the work to be done. The task was simple enough but it was a long fence so work had better start immediately.

  ‘Let’s get started,’ he called to the men and walked to the place where the first post had to be driven. To his surprise, he found he was alone. The three men had sat down on the ground and were looking at him with rather derisive expressions. Joachim walked up to them slowly.

  ‘Let’s get started, men,’ he repeated.

  The oldest of the three spoke laconically: ‘We thought we’d have a rest first!’ The man flashed a smirk to his fellow workers as he said this.

  Joachim locked eyes with this man. A few moments of silence passed. Bodily, the boy’s stomach was churning with fear but his mind was calm, analysing the situation, sifting actions. After a few moments, the man flushed and broke away from the boy’s gaze.

  ‘What is your name?’ Joachim asked the man quietly.

  ‘Karval.’ The man spoke loudly, too loudly.

  ‘Karval … do you wish to work today?’ The boy’s voice was softer still.

  ‘Yes.’ This in a more uncertain voice.

  ‘Then, get up, and come with me.’ The words were still quiet but now hard-edged.

  The man jumped as if struck physically, then scrambled to his feet.

  ‘Yes, Master,’ he mumbled.

  ‘Karval, will you drive the first post,’ Joachim instructed. The work was started and the first post was driven into the ground, Karval holding the heavy wood upright and the other two men wielding long heavy hammers. Flexing their large muscles ostentatiously and sneaking derisive glances at Joachim’s relatively slight frame, the workers stepped back and prepared to start the second post.

  ‘Stop!’ Joachim’s voice. ‘This is bad work. The post is not vertical. Do you not know how to drive a post properly? Remove it from the ground.’ In silence, the men removed the heavy post with difficulty and looked towards him.

  ‘I think I need to show you how to drive a post,’ the boy said, stepping forward. They gave way to him and stood aside, confused.

  ‘How can he drive a post?’ Their thoughts unspoken.

  Joachim lifted the post, propped it exactly vertical using other posts to hold it steady; then, with smooth and accurate hammer blows, drove it into the ground to the correct depth. Little did they know that Joachim had driven many posts in the past and had acquired the technique to do it easily and accurately.

  ‘Now get to work and do it properly. I will inspect each post and rail.’

  Joachim had no more trouble with the workers and the work was completed in good time.

  With all completed, Joachim addressed the workers: ‘Thank you for your day’s work. When you have cleared the residue and taken the cart back, you may finish your day’s work and be paid.’

  ‘Thank you, Master,’ they said respectfully.

  The boy returned to the farmhouse where Farmer Sistas was working.

  ‘The fence is completed and all is well,’ he reported.

  ‘Good,’ the farmer replied, ‘will you now pay the men? Here is the money chest and the book. You will find the contracts in there.’

  Joachim took the items and found the three men waiting outside. He placed the book and the chest on a table and found the page for today’s work. Each man was to be paid three Ourtz for the day’s work. Joachim paid the money to two of the men but when Karval came forward, the man said: ‘Master, I am to be paid four Ourtz.’

  Joachim checked the book again. ‘It says three Ourtz in the book,’ he said, ‘why do you think you should be paid more than the others?’

  ‘Because I am the overseer.’

  Joachim looked into his eyes. ‘Today, you were not the overseer.’

  ‘Master, I am always the overseer – if you ask the Farmer, you will see.’

  ‘The Farmer is busy and will not be disturbed. Anyway, you were not the overseer. I was the overseer.’

  The man was silent, looking resentful.

  ‘Listen,’ Joachim said firmly, ‘answer this question. Were you the overseer today?’

  The man looked shifty. ‘I am always …’

  Joachim interrupted. ‘Answer the question. Were you the overseer today?’

  Silence. Then: ‘No, Master.’ The words mumbled.

  ‘Who was?’

  ‘You were, Master.’

  ‘Thank you. Here are your wages. Three Ourtz.’ Joachim entered the wage amounts in the book and rose to his feet. ‘You may go now. Thank you.’

  The men left and Joachim went back into the farmhouse.

  ‘Well, Joachim, did you have any problems with the work or the workers?’ the farmer greeted him.

  Joachim smiled. ‘No Master, nothing I could not put right.’

  The farmer laughed knowledgeably and patted the boy on the shoulder. ‘Now I have taught you all I know and you have learned it well. You are a very good farmer now. You know how to run a farm properly, you know what to do about the crops and the livestock and, most importantly, you know how to deal with workers, how to be fair and how to be firm. You are a great success and you are finished here. I will tell your Master that he can trust your knowledge and you actions fully.’

  Joachim was very pleased but was sorry to hear that he would not be coming to Farmer Sistas’ farm any more. ‘I will miss coming here and speaking with you, Master. I have enjoyed it very much.’

  ‘Don’t worry, Joachim,’ the farmer replied, ‘we will meet often in the village and we will drink a flagon of beer together as good friends.’

  Joachim flushed with pleasure. Farmer Sistas was treating him as a friend – and a man!

  Back at Old Malik’s farm, the old farmer was delighted to hear that Joachim had completed his training with Farmer Sistas and passed all his testing with flying colours. Likewise, the boy had become very competent at reading and writing; for some time now, Old Malik had put him in change of the farm’s accounts and did not hesitate to seek his advice on farming matters. ‘You are now a better farmer than I am,’ he told the boy.

  Altho
ugh this was undoubtedly true, the boy always said: ‘No Master, I am not. But together we will make the best farm in the region.’

  Under Joachim’s influence, the farm improved dramatically and both crops and livestock were more productive.

  Soon, the farmer said: ‘Joachim, we have need of more workers here. Let us review the work to come and then you will tell me how many workers we need. When we have done this, I will leave it to you to find the workers and agree with them their wages.’

  Joachim was delighted to do this and a week later, after a number of discussions with Old Malik, he proposed that they should employ four men for the farm work. Then he asked a question: ‘Master, have you asked the Mistress whether she is in need of more help with the work that she and Giana do? With more workers on the farm, there will be more work for them.’

  Old Malik was pleased that Joachim should have extended his thoughts to the women. ‘This is a good thought. I will ask the Mistress.’

  His enquiry was received with pleasure at the farmhouse. Maretta replied: ‘Yes, I would like to have one extra worker for the farmyard.’

  Joachim added this requirement to his list.

  The following week, Old Malik said: ‘Joachim, it is time to employ the new workers we have decided upon and I leave you to do this. You will be much better than I would be at this task. You will go to the village on the next Market Day when workers present themselves for work contracts.’ The old man continued: ‘Now there is something else I want you to do for me. From this day you will not call me Master, because now you are a farmer here, my assistant. You will call me Malik and the mistress wishes that you will call her Maretta. This is important now that we are to have new workers on the farm.’

  Joachim was deeply honoured and said so. However he recognised that this was a necessity if he was to be a leader of the new workers on the farm.

  On the next Market Day, Joachim went alone to the village to look for workers. As in any small community, the elevation of Joachim to the status of Farmer was common knowledge and the fact that he had come to employ workers was well known. At the place in the centre of the village where workers were hired, Joachim was approached by many men. He spoke to each one in a friendly tone and established their skills and experience, noting all this in a book which he had brought with him. He was calm and unhurried in all he did and made no quick or hasty decisions.