“School isn’t a waste of time unless you want to end up exactly like your parents,” Luc hissed as he turned on the boy once more, but only to look him in the eye, “Is that what you want then? To end up in some horrid hell as this the rest of your life? Even the women my mother hires to scrub the floors have to at least know how to calculate. You can do that right?”

Luc tied the scarf around his neck again and started once more for the harbor.

“Even the lowest position on the ship must at least understand basic math. How else will you if someone is trying to stiff you your proper wage.”