adults.”
“Er … yes.”
“And the girl?”
“She escaped through the streets, no thanks to your guardsmen.”
“So you came away empty-handed?”
“Of course.”
“A fruitless night, you might say!”
“If you wish.”
“Don’t try make a fool out of me, Jarvis. Where are those children that you already held in your carriage? You certainly didn’t bring them to me. I suspect you thought they’d gone unnoticed.”
“I was attacked,” Jarvis claimed. “By the forest folk. They took the children from me in the early hours. I was on my way to you.”
“Strange! You never mentioned it!”
“I didn’t think I needed to. It happens a lot. I capture children and I get hijacked. It’s a dangerous occupation.”
“Oh, really? The last we spoke you said you hadn’t seen anything for months!”
Jarvis looked down, thinking hard. Damn it, he was being outsmarted. He was far more used to being the one asking the questions. It wasn’t easy the other way around.
“Now tell me, which is the correct story, Mister Jarvis? Because I have a version of my own and I think it’s better than yours. I think you have more to do with those forest freaks than you’ll admit. And I think that somewhere along the line you get more from delivering to the forest keep than you do to the city! Tell me I’m wrong!”
“Of course you’re wrong.”
“Let me remind you of something, Jarvis. You’re here to protect the children of this city. I know people don’t see you that way but you’re there to keep them from harm. I want this city to have a future. Without its children I won’t have an army to fight the forest, the city will die out altogether and those tree dwellers will take over when you and I grow old.”
Jarvis didn’t have an answer. He didn’t see it that way, and if the truth be known he wanted rid of all those children.
Unable to defend his position he was cuffed in irons and taken outside, where transport waited to take him back to the city prison. In a panic, Esther followed behind.
Silas was perched at the undergate. He kept a watchful eye over the forest keep entrance.
The prisoners were beginning to attract far too much attention. And they were becoming numerous. Edgar McCreedy had been joined by the Carraway twins and Mr. Brice’s son. When word had begun to spread that Captain Dooley was assisting Jarvis, a handful had fled into the streets to escape detection, and been caught as they moved through the city.
Perhaps there were seven or eight now. Maybe more.
It was some time since the forest keep had been home to children. It was a most unpleasant place. The bowels of the forest, deep beneath the trees: a huge underground cavern dug out by the creatures born of the woods. The walls still bore their sinister claw marks and were reminders of just what the children would have to deal with if they attempted escape. Large roots spiraled around the space like wall decorations and fibrous threads of plant life came down from above.
An argument was boiling between the elders of the forest and was overheard by the frightened children. “Leave them,” said Hogwick. “They’re too valuable alive.” But it was taking a lot to convince some of the bark demons of the forest. Long winters meant that food was not easily available and they were beginning to look at the prisoners with a different eye.
“Perhaps they will be of better use if the winter continues to leave us unfed,” came the wheezing voice of some ungodly creature who stared longingly at the little ones.
“Quiet,” said Hogwick. “I won’t hear of it. Do not give ideas to the others. Their bellies grow hungry and their minds grow weak. They will be easily influenced.”
It was true, there was unrest in the forest. Trouble in the trees was not good for the cause of the woodsfolk. The strength of their union would be their success. Disagreement would not help.
There was much talk between the forest creatures. “Hunger
“Er … yes.”
“And the girl?”
“She escaped through the streets, no thanks to your guardsmen.”
“So you came away empty-handed?”
“Of course.”
“A fruitless night, you might say!”
“If you wish.”
“Don’t try make a fool out of me, Jarvis. Where are those children that you already held in your carriage? You certainly didn’t bring them to me. I suspect you thought they’d gone unnoticed.”
“I was attacked,” Jarvis claimed. “By the forest folk. They took the children from me in the early hours. I was on my way to you.”
“Strange! You never mentioned it!”
“I didn’t think I needed to. It happens a lot. I capture children and I get hijacked. It’s a dangerous occupation.”
“Oh, really? The last we spoke you said you hadn’t seen anything for months!”
Jarvis looked down, thinking hard. Damn it, he was being outsmarted. He was far more used to being the one asking the questions. It wasn’t easy the other way around.
“Now tell me, which is the correct story, Mister Jarvis? Because I have a version of my own and I think it’s better than yours. I think you have more to do with those forest freaks than you’ll admit. And I think that somewhere along the line you get more from delivering to the forest keep than you do to the city! Tell me I’m wrong!”
“Of course you’re wrong.”
“Let me remind you of something, Jarvis. You’re here to protect the children of this city. I know people don’t see you that way but you’re there to keep them from harm. I want this city to have a future. Without its children I won’t have an army to fight the forest, the city will die out altogether and those tree dwellers will take over when you and I grow old.”
Jarvis didn’t have an answer. He didn’t see it that way, and if the truth be known he wanted rid of all those children.
Unable to defend his position he was cuffed in irons and taken outside, where transport waited to take him back to the city prison. In a panic, Esther followed behind.
Silas was perched at the undergate. He kept a watchful eye over the forest keep entrance.
The prisoners were beginning to attract far too much attention. And they were becoming numerous. Edgar McCreedy had been joined by the Carraway twins and Mr. Brice’s son. When word had begun to spread that Captain Dooley was assisting Jarvis, a handful had fled into the streets to escape detection, and been caught as they moved through the city.
Perhaps there were seven or eight now. Maybe more.
It was some time since the forest keep had been home to children. It was a most unpleasant place. The bowels of the forest, deep beneath the trees: a huge underground cavern dug out by the creatures born of the woods. The walls still bore their sinister claw marks and were reminders of just what the children would have to deal with if they attempted escape. Large roots spiraled around the space like wall decorations and fibrous threads of plant life came down from above.
An argument was boiling between the elders of the forest and was overheard by the frightened children. “Leave them,” said Hogwick. “They’re too valuable alive.” But it was taking a lot to convince some of the bark demons of the forest. Long winters meant that food was not easily available and they were beginning to look at the prisoners with a different eye.
“Perhaps they will be of better use if the winter continues to leave us unfed,” came the wheezing voice of some ungodly creature who stared longingly at the little ones.
“Quiet,” said Hogwick. “I won’t hear of it. Do not give ideas to the others. Their bellies grow hungry and their minds grow weak. They will be easily influenced.”
It was true, there was unrest in the forest. Trouble in the trees was not good for the cause of the woodsfolk. The strength of their union would be their success. Disagreement would not help.
There was much talk between the forest creatures. “Hunger
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