The first day was one of silence and shock, but the days after brought forth tears of grief over Eva’s death, and the circumstances that brought it about. Arthur found himself shunned, at least to a degree. He wasn’t denied food or water, or prevented from working, or excluded from the community bathing time, in a manner reminiscent of the shunning of the Traders. However, no one sought out his guidance, or listened to his commands. All who walked near him were wary, concerned that they, too, might be the victim of an order to Maynard or others to execute them in cold blood. Maynard suffered a similar treatment, but as a skilled metal worker, he at least had an activity to occupy his time. Arthur had nothing, and no one, for he had isolated himself onto a pedestal now cracked at its very foundation. The villagers realized that he’d never had any power over them. By silent consensus, the villagers all stopped paying into the lottery, realizing it was merely a mechanism for control of their most valuable resource, and Roland publicly severed his agreement with Arthur.
