The group that had gathered on the road between the houses numbered thirteen people. Jerry Hard wasn't superstitious. He thought that people who got flustered when they saw Friday the 13th on the calendar were fools. But when he looked at his future feudal subjects, he felt unpleasant apprehension.
The man standing at the front of the group had to be the single widower. He definitely was ancient enough to have outlived several wives. He had long, unkempt white hair and a beard decorated with traces of recent meals. A couple of yellow smears indicated his diet included eggs.
