Each day when she came into the market with her basket on her arm people crowded around her. She sat herself down under the market tree and the words went back and forth and ideas were thrown up and shot down and hot arguments arose and collapsed in mirth or anger.
At first the Great Ones ignored her. What are words after all? But then things began to happen. Two small schools appeared in the slave districts. Drains were dug from the public latrines. A home was constructed for children who needed a respite from the street or from their parents.
Then Temis of the Great Ones found his son among the group under the market tree. He sent the Guards to arrest the market woman. She stepped forward with dignity and the people followed her and they sat in the street outside the prison and talked among themselves and made their plans.
The market woman was accused of conspiracy against the Great Ones and sentenced to die.
When she was dead some people turned from her teaching and sought the shelter of the Great Ones.
Some stayed quiet and hoped for change and watched and waited.
But many people continued digging wells and ditches and clearing middens and teaching the illiterate.
The Great Ones saw they were too many to kill so they too watched and waited.