it," he said, "that's what keeps it so deep."
As the boat drew to a halt I noticed the blades of the paddle. They were sharp metal, stained with the gore they cut their way through. I looked over the side again and began to realise what it was we were planning on sailing on. 'It ain't water,' he'd said and I now imagined the thousands of bodies, reduced to thick liquid by the paddles as they cut and chopped on their journey.
"That's disgusting," I said. "What did they do to deserve that?"
"Nobody forces you to be part of The Bristle," said a voice from next to me, no doubt assuming I had been talking to them, my companion unseen. "You wish yourself into the slopping tides, nobody does it for you." I looked to see who was speaking. It had a woman's voice but the scabbed face that peered out from within its cream-coloured hood could have belonged to either gender. "People are their own worst enemies aren't they? Begging to have their sins wiped clean with whip or blade or fire. Get over it, you were a shit head, that's what I say."
She smiled and her face cracked. I nodded and gestured for her to step onboard the boat ahead of me.
The man from the kiosk had come out of his booth to be joined by a couple of sailors from the boat. One was a normal looking man but for the length of his black beard which he tucked in his belt, the other glowed with the sort of pale green light you see on night insects.
They lowered the gangplank and began ushering people aboard, the man from the kiosk taking back the tickets he had only recently handed out and slipping them into his pocket.
"Careful who you talk too," said the old man, "most of them won't pay you any mind but you shouldn't trust the people you meet here." I nodded.
"We have a little business to conduct onboard but stick by me and I'll keep you on the straight and narrow."
I handed back my ticket, suddenly remembering the time I'd kissed Esme Heap behind the schoolhouse, and climbed onboard the Riverboat Clearlight.
Interlude Three
ONE MORE TO HELL
"T HE D EVIL TOOK her," the girl had said and none of those gathered could summon the confidence to contradict her.
Billy turned to see that Elisabeth and her father had caught up with him.
"Someone should look after the girl," he said to her.
She smiled, though it was false, a pretty thing hung over a trap. "Indeed they should, but don't expect me to do it just because I'm a woman."
He sighed. "I didn't mean nothing by it."
"Of course you didn't." It was clear she didn't believe him.
Clarke had squatted down in front of the girl, taking her flapping hands and squeezing them in his own. "It's alright child. You just calm down, we'll find your mama for you."
Billy went over to examine the rocks, Elisabeth at his side.
"Blood," he whispered, looking at the thin red trail.
"Mama didn't go quietly."
"What did the Devil look like, my dear?" Lord Forset asked the child.
"Red," she said, "all over his face."
"But he was a man?" the Lord qualified. "He looked like a man, yes?"
She nodded. "But he was the devil, I know it." Billy turned to Lord Forset. "Can I borrow your rifle, sir? I'd feel more comfortable if I were armed."
"I'll come with you," said the peer.
"I'd rather you stayed here. No offence but I'll move quicker on my own."
Forset considered for a moment then handed the rifle over. "Now is not the time to argue, a woman's life is at stake."
"Thank you." Billy checked the rifle was loaded and accepted extra cartridges from Forset. "I'll do my best," he said to the crying girl.
He was halfway up the rough track between the rocks when he noticed Elisabeth was following. "I said I'd move quicker on my own."
"Haven't slowed you down so far, and, as my father said, now is not the time to argue.
Keep moving, I'm coming with you whether you like it or not."
Billy cursed under his breath but did as he was told.
He slung the rifle across his back so that he could use his hands to pull himself up through the rocks.
As the boat drew to a halt I noticed the blades of the paddle. They were sharp metal, stained with the gore they cut their way through. I looked over the side again and began to realise what it was we were planning on sailing on. 'It ain't water,' he'd said and I now imagined the thousands of bodies, reduced to thick liquid by the paddles as they cut and chopped on their journey.
"That's disgusting," I said. "What did they do to deserve that?"
"Nobody forces you to be part of The Bristle," said a voice from next to me, no doubt assuming I had been talking to them, my companion unseen. "You wish yourself into the slopping tides, nobody does it for you." I looked to see who was speaking. It had a woman's voice but the scabbed face that peered out from within its cream-coloured hood could have belonged to either gender. "People are their own worst enemies aren't they? Begging to have their sins wiped clean with whip or blade or fire. Get over it, you were a shit head, that's what I say."
She smiled and her face cracked. I nodded and gestured for her to step onboard the boat ahead of me.
The man from the kiosk had come out of his booth to be joined by a couple of sailors from the boat. One was a normal looking man but for the length of his black beard which he tucked in his belt, the other glowed with the sort of pale green light you see on night insects.
They lowered the gangplank and began ushering people aboard, the man from the kiosk taking back the tickets he had only recently handed out and slipping them into his pocket.
"Careful who you talk too," said the old man, "most of them won't pay you any mind but you shouldn't trust the people you meet here." I nodded.
"We have a little business to conduct onboard but stick by me and I'll keep you on the straight and narrow."
I handed back my ticket, suddenly remembering the time I'd kissed Esme Heap behind the schoolhouse, and climbed onboard the Riverboat Clearlight.
Interlude Three
ONE MORE TO HELL
"T HE D EVIL TOOK her," the girl had said and none of those gathered could summon the confidence to contradict her.
Billy turned to see that Elisabeth and her father had caught up with him.
"Someone should look after the girl," he said to her.
She smiled, though it was false, a pretty thing hung over a trap. "Indeed they should, but don't expect me to do it just because I'm a woman."
He sighed. "I didn't mean nothing by it."
"Of course you didn't." It was clear she didn't believe him.
Clarke had squatted down in front of the girl, taking her flapping hands and squeezing them in his own. "It's alright child. You just calm down, we'll find your mama for you."
Billy went over to examine the rocks, Elisabeth at his side.
"Blood," he whispered, looking at the thin red trail.
"Mama didn't go quietly."
"What did the Devil look like, my dear?" Lord Forset asked the child.
"Red," she said, "all over his face."
"But he was a man?" the Lord qualified. "He looked like a man, yes?"
She nodded. "But he was the devil, I know it." Billy turned to Lord Forset. "Can I borrow your rifle, sir? I'd feel more comfortable if I were armed."
"I'll come with you," said the peer.
"I'd rather you stayed here. No offence but I'll move quicker on my own."
Forset considered for a moment then handed the rifle over. "Now is not the time to argue, a woman's life is at stake."
"Thank you." Billy checked the rifle was loaded and accepted extra cartridges from Forset. "I'll do my best," he said to the crying girl.
He was halfway up the rough track between the rocks when he noticed Elisabeth was following. "I said I'd move quicker on my own."
"Haven't slowed you down so far, and, as my father said, now is not the time to argue.
Keep moving, I'm coming with you whether you like it or not."
Billy cursed under his breath but did as he was told.
He slung the rifle across his back so that he could use his hands to pull himself up through the rocks.
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