The second Choke and Knuckle dragged the convicted heretic Lisbet Greatspring out of the church’s kitchen, Brother Barrelmender collapsed in his chair at the table.
Peep took Lisbet’s untouched water cup off the table and set it on the kitchen bench. She poured two mugs of cold stugroot and sat down next to Barrelmender, placing one mug down in front of him. He ignored it.
Peep took a slow sip of stugroot.
“I reckon that went good,” she said.
Barrelmender grunted. He ground the heels of his palms into his eyes. He drained the whole mug of stugroot in one gulp. Then he picked up Choke’s two-page report and began to read it carefully.
Choke and Knuckle returned from the crypt under the church before Barrelmender was finished reading. Choke poured a mug of stugroot, which turned out to be the pot’s last. He shrugged and handed the mug to Knuckle with a gesture for him to sit down at the table.
“Brother: may Sergeant Nikolas come back in?” Choke asked.
Without looking up from the document, Barrelmender clicked his tongue in irritation, but waved his finger affirmatively.
Choke grabbed an empty jug and took it and the stugroot pot out through the back door.
“She give ye any nuisance?” Peep asked Knuckle.
“Nah. She just asked us if we were proud of ourselves, and I told her for sure.”
Choke and Pinch came back in together. Choke gestured for Pinch to sit and began to make a fresh pot of stugroot himself.
Barrelmender nodded curtly as he finished reading. He slid the open writing kit over to his place and signed his name at the bottom of the document. Then he rose to light a candle from the stove. He sat back down and melted the end of a stick of sealing wax, which he dripped into a pool next to the signature. Finally, he removed his signet ring to put his seal on the document.
“So, that went good, right?” Peep asked.
“Yes, Otilla, that went well,” Barrelmender said wearily, pushing his writing kit away from him into the middle of the table.
“So, she burns tomorrow morning. Right there with him,” Peep said.
“One way or the other,” Barrelmender answered grimly.
Pinch looked quizzically from Choke to Peep. Choke nodded and reached for the document drying on the writing kit.
“May Nikolas read the report and judgement, Brother?” Choke asked.
Barrelmender irritably waved his assent.
Pinch nodded his thanks and carefully moved the two pages in front of himself to read them.
“So, what about them three hot potatoes in the church there?” Peep asked.
Knuckle snorted.
“They are victims in this,” Barrelmender said. “We shall have to keep them safe until they can be returned to their families.”
“Uh-huh. That’s easy enough to say. But what does it actually mean? And even before we get into that, I’d just like to get clear in my own head about exactly what we’re doing here and why. The three of them, they all automatically get a pass here, I guess, huh?” Peep said with a sardonic smirk.
Barrelmender sighed.
“No, I’m just trying to figure out where we stand with this, big picture, like,” Peep went on. “The three of them, they’re all fully grown, and they’ve been praying to the moon on the regular. That’s supposed to be the worst thing, aint it? And, yeah, okay, they confess that and ask for forgiveness and then everything is fine and they can go home. Great.”
“What is your point, Otilla? Yes, that is the process of confession and repentance,” Barrelmender said, his eyes closed.
“Yeah, I get that. But is this gonna be earnest? Ye’ve basically coached the one to tell the others what to say. So they just gotta repeat the words and then that’s it. They’re all sorted. Whether they actually believe a bit of it, or not. Nice for them, I guess.”
“What is your point, Otilla?” Barrelmender snapped, finally glaring at her.
“Just that yar bending over backwards to make this as easy as possible for them, like they’re toddlers, or something. All just to land their whole mess in our laps to deal with. And I’m just wondering if that’s got more to do with who their families are than anything else.”
Barrelmender blinked in disbelief at Otilla, before exploding:
“Of course their families are relevant! What a stupid query! But even if they were local scum, if they had been abducted from their bumpkin scum families at the age they were, and so abused, I would not prosecute them unless absolutely necessary. Is that what you want, to see those girls burned?”
“Yeah, Brother. That’s what I want. And I’m the one with the stupid questions,” Peep returned.
“Those girls have all had a proper religious education. They will remember it. When they are returned to their families and proper Stronian society, they may be properly and fully redeemed. All I am looking for is an indication that they are capable of the most basic obedience. And I would expect you, as a woman, Otilla, to have some sympathy for their situation. They have been victims of a heretical sex-cult leader.”
“Me? Sympathy? Brother, they weren’t little kids when Thad took them outta that convent place. And I doubt he dragged them. No. They came a running just when he said. And every time I’ve clapped eyes on them, they seemed to be having a pretty good time with him. And why not? He was a specimen, and I’m sure he made them feel real good. But, yeah, they were prisoners and had no hand or responsibility in where they wound up and everything they were doing. Gotta be kept under lock and key, pretty young things like that, or there’s just no telling what they’ll get up to. But it aint really their fault, right? Nothing ever is for their type.
“Now, as for me, when I was the age they decided to run off from their good Stronian families, I was in the bush working snare lines and fish nets. I was learning how to track and shoot. All to keep a bunch of bandits fed. And let me tell ye: the predators that I was dodging amongst them weren’t the sort to be sending a lady to warm up a target with sexy massage and snuggles. But, whatever. That’s neither here nor there. Money is money, and bread’s gotta be buttered. I get that. Good to know that this Stronian thing aint any different in that regard than every other thing in this world.”
“Is that all, Otilla? Are you satisfied? May we proceed, at last?” Barrelmender asked, slumping in exhaustion.
“Yeah, for sure. I get it; we gotta keep them safe and get them back to their very important families. But we need to figure out how in the hell we’re gonna manage these bitches. Right now. Because they are real gorgeous. Really fine. And that older one seems to have her wits about her a bit, but them younger two? They will suck just about anything anybody sees fit to stick in their mouths.”
Knuckle snorted. Barrelmender flinched and closed his eyes with a deep sigh.
“That’s nice. Thank you for that, Peep,” Choke said.
“Yar welcome, Choke. It’s gotta be said. Anybody who spends more than a minute with them is gonna see that. They are gonna stir up a wicked ruckus wherever they are. So, first off, where are we gonna put them?” Peep asked the table at large.
There was a long silence as everyone pondered this conundrum.
“Otilla raises a good point,” Barrelmender said. “I cannot have them here in the church.”
“Good to hear ye say that, Brother,” Peep said. “Now, if it was up to me, I’d just chuck them in with the Holy Wailers down there at the crick, but I’m sure that aint gonna be good enough for the likes of them.”
“Peep. There is no security there,” Choke said. “Anybody could have their way with them. As well, I think we need to be aware that they may attempt to run off. As you said: they have been fully involved in Thad’s little community. Important members, no doubt. Even with Thad and Lisbet gone, they may well want to run back to Bristlenook the first chance they get.”
“Yeah, no shit. Anybody could have their way with any of the Holy Wailers, anytime. That aint worried us yet, but for these three slut heretics we gotta go the long way round. And as for them running off, some might say that giving them the chance to do that is a test of their sincerity.”
“Otilla, they are not the same value of person as your mentally defective followers,” Barrelmender said with a scowl. “They are better. Obviously. And before you engage in more of your inane contrarianism, I would ask you to consider: who is it that you serve?”
“Serve? Well, I aint really thought about that, Brother. But since ye ask, I guess I serve Stron,” Peep said with a smile, holding both her brands out towards Barrelmender.
“Yes, yes. But you draw pay as an auxiliary of Lieutenant Pekot’s military unit in town here. So, functionally speaking, you serve the Royal Bitanian Army, do you not?”
“Well, I guess so, if yar gonna think like that about it,” Peep said dismissively.
“I do. And, as the name suggests, the Royal Bitanian Army serves His Royal Highness, King Rufus the Third. All of the Kingdom’s soldiers, and knights, and lords, and ladies, serve the King. And, in return, the King offers his loyal subjects his protection. This is our social contract. So, those members of society that serve the King in a higher capacity have every right to expect that the King’s agents will afford them and their family a better degree of protection and consideration than they would some random, witless scum from the wilderness!” Barrelmender finished with a roar.
“Scum like me, ye mean. Yeah. Seems so,” Peep said, meeting his eye calmly.
“Otilla! Either kindly help us figure out how to best help those three girls, or do us the courtesy of shutting the fuck up about it!” Barrelmender yelled.
“Yeah. Sure thing, boss,” Peep said, giving him a thumbs up.
It was quiet while Barrelmender calmed himself. Choke stood up and grabbed the stugroot pot off the stove and refilled everyone’s mugs.
“Ye know,” Knuckle said, breaking the tense silence, “if it helps out, I don’t mind if the three of them bunk with me. I’ll keep them safe.”
Pinch started laughing immediately, but managed to keep it fairly quiet, with his shoulders shaking as he stifled himself. Knuckle held his face straight for just a few seconds before bursting into laughter. Choke and Peep joined him with reserved chuckles.
Barrelmender managed a smile.
“Yes, thank you, Sergeant. Always willing to throw yourself into the breach, I am sure. Seriously, though, we need to settle their living arrangements now,” Barrelmender said.
“Well, how long do they gotta stay here anyways?” Peep asked with a deep scowl. “Are we supposed to take them back to wherever ourselves? Let’s not forget that we got a few irons in the fire here already, right? Remember what Thad’s little visit was all about in the first place, right? Sneed is back. As of yesterday.”
“Yes. A very valid concern. We cannot spare anyone to escort them to Spitzer. So, the Baron shall have to do his duty and send someone suitable to fetch them back.”
“Great. So, how’s he gonna know to do that? The Spitzer caravan only left just this morning. The next one won’t be for what, five days? At the earliest. Then two days for it to reach Spitzer, and another one for whoever the Baron sends to get here. So over a week we gotta keep them from running off, or causing a riot, or getting themselves a whole new man situation,” Peep griped.
“A fast rider could catch up to the caravan at their night camp without much trouble,” Pinch said. “Hand a letter to the Baron off to Sergeant Neil and be back before lunch tomorrow.”
“Okay…” Peep let her voice drift significantly. “And this with Sneed and his crew out there. You wanna be the one to go? What if they’re set up on the Spitzer road again?”
“Why would they be?” Pinch asked.
“Think a second, dummy. Thad and his bitches come parading to town from out Sneed’s way. That aint ordinary. Gotta assume Sneed’ll have picked up on that. Now, we’ve hung Thad up on the Wheel out front for everybody to gander at. For sure word’s spreading. If I’m Sneed, why not set up on the road again just in case we decide to send a letter about this whole mess? Is it for sure that he’s there? No. Of course not. But are you gonna ride out on that road with a letter that Sneed’s gonna wanna read? You gonna send one of our people to do it instead?”
Peep let this sit significantly while everyone pondered it. Then, both she and Pinch startled up as the same thing occurred to them. Peep snapped her finger and pointed to Pinch with a grin.
“Sneed’s whimsical pebbles,” she said. “We know just where he’s gonna be if he’s gonna take a shot at the road.”
Peep and Pinch stood up at the same time.
“You, me, Shane, Dom, and Hardmod,” Peep said to him. “Out the north gate, five minutes. We hit the bush and work down to Sneed’s spot. From around back of the Holy Wailer’s hut. Right?” she looked to Choke.
He stood up as well. “Of course. Knuckle and I will saddle up the horses and be at the south gate. If you need us, call on the horn. We’ll head out around the Crotch and up the Bristlenook Road to bring you your mounts.”
“Right. Get set. We’re going now,” Peep said excitedly. She and Pinch left out the door to the church.
Choke and Knuckle were up and right on their heels when Barrelmender brought them short.
“Wait! What about those girls? I cannot be left alone with them!” Barrelmender exclaimed, his eyes wide with fear.
Choke almost laughed, but caught himself.
“I don’t know, Brother. Can you talk to some of the faithful who are always here? Maybe some of them have room for them?” Choke said.
“Are you a fool? Those old women? Who do you think they live with? We may as well throw them out the north gate!” Barrelmender paused and rubbed his face intensely. Then he straightened up with an upturned finger. “Aha! You and Mariola have occupied that cottage by the barracks. They shall stay with Mariola. She shall mind them!”
“What? Our cottage? Mariola?” Choke said, obviously crestfallen.
“Yes! It’s perfect. We can have a bunk or two moved in. There should be just enough room, yes? I will engage the smith to put external locks on the door and shutters. We lock them in there at night, and Mariola can mind them here at the church during the day. It shall work. Mariola can stay with them in the cottage overnight, or, I suppose, if she prefers, she can join you in your room at the barracks.”
Choke sighed deeply. “Yes, I see the sense of that. I’ll tell Mariola.”
“No, you shall not. You must get the horses ready and organize the men. I shall discuss the matter with her and make the necessary arrangements for the cottage. Go and do your duty, fool. Go!” Barrelmender stood up, clapping his hands sharply and waving Choke and Knuckle out of the kitchen.
Muse Vassal 