"Eric Flint - TOG 02 - 1824, The Arkansas War" - читать интересную книгу автора (Flint Eric)

slaves himself for years, despite having had reservations about slavery even as a teenager. By now, at the
age of thirty, those misgivings had turned into a genuine detestation for the institution.

Sam had owned only a few slaves at any one time, trueтАФsometimes not more than one. And he didnтАЩt
depend on their labor for his sustenance the way Johnson did. Mostly, he maintained his status as a
slave-owner simply out of ambition. Sam still had hopes for a political career after Monroe left office and
Sam lostтАФas he almost certainly wouldтАФhis position as special commissioner on Indian affairs. That
career would have to be in the South somewhere, probably his native state of Tennessee. Sam was
already notorious enough among many influential circles in that area. Owning slaves served to keep that
notoriety within limits. A southern gentleman was expected to own slaves, and so he did.

Sam didnтАЩt have the same pecuniary attachment to slaveholding that a great landowner like the Kentucky
senator did. Still and all, he understood the contradiction. Better than he wished he did, even leaving
aside the caustic comments that his friend Patrick Driscol made whenever he visited the Confederacy.

Johnson finally found his voice. A blasphemous one, too. тАЬIтАЩll be damned if I will!тАЭ

тАЬYouтАЩll be damned if you donтАЩt,тАЭ Julia hissed. She leaned over and laced her fingers together. тАЬExactly
how much of our debts will this New York fellow assume, Sam?тАЭ she asked.

Good news, finally. тАЬEvery penny, Julia. Dick, you hear that?And heтАЩll assume the financial burden of
any further lawsuits arising from theтАФahтАФтАЭ

How to put it?

Julia did it for him. тАЬNone-too-detailed nature of the books.тАЭ She gave her more-or-less-husband a
sharp glance. тАЬSuch as they are.тАЭ

Johnson flushed. тАЬHey, lookтАжтАЭ

тАЬDick, the school would have lost you money anyway,тАЭ Sam said forcibly. тАЬDidlose you money, even
before you had a chance to open the doors. So be done with it. At least this way, you walk out free and
clear. You have enough other debts to worry about.тАЭ

Johnson just stared at him. Julia took advantage of the silence to speak again.

тАЬOne condition, Sam. This New York rich man has to agree to it, or we wonтАЩt.тАЭ

тАЬWhatтАЩs that?тАЭ

She looked through the open window. Outside, the sound of girls playing in the yard carried easily.
тАЬImogene and Adaline get to attend the school. All expenses paid. If we decide to send them.тАЭ

Sam couldnтАЩt help but laugh. тАЬWell,that wonтАЩt be a problem. Mr. Smith asked me to pass on to you that
heтАЩd especially like your children to attend. And he offered to pay for it himself. ThatтАЩs becauseтАФahтАФтАЭ
To SamтАЩs relief, that stirred up JohnsonтАЩs combative instincts. тАЬBecause theyтАЩre famous,тАЭ he growled.
Again, he blasphemed. тАЬGod damn all rich men.тАЭ

The senatorтАЩs curse could have been leveled on himself and his New York benefactor, of course, as
much as on the southern gentry who vilified him.