in Noremway Parish,” Plague said.
“ First, the fire at the Waterman farm,” the chancellor said.
“ Chancellor…aye…Your Honor,” Plague stammered.
“ No worries, the fire is almost out. The blaze was localized. Waterman kept his grass partitioned into sections, separated by wide trails, as I’m sure you know. What you probably didn’t know is that the purpose of those partitions is to prevent the entire crop from going afire.”
“ Well, that’s a relief.”
“ So it is,” Urey said, “so it is, aye. But what of Tomias and Lynn? Did you not go out there to retrieve them, dead or alive?”
Decon swallowed hard. The gulp was clearly audible to the others. Plague started to speak but could not find the words. Teret spoke, “Look, they brought the child with them. Tomias and Lynn likely burned in the fire. Isn’t that right, Decon?”
“ Aye, mayhap they did. No matter. Flames cleanse wounds as well as the soul. Proper burial or no, salvation for Tomias and Lynn is secured. But there is something far more pressing than fire that we need to discuss. Tomias and Lynn were attacked by wolves. Aye, and so were we, but those were not the only creatures of the dark that we encountered.”
“ No, indeed not,” Plague said with a shudder. He stared at Decon intently as he spoke. Decon was cool, confident, telling the story with ease, as if he were telling about a regular day at the market. The images of those three demons, with the long fangs dripping with blood, yellow eyes, and large, menacing arms filled him with a terror that seized his throat. He would not have been able to tell this story with the ease and eloquence that the friar brought to it.
Acting with an air of satisfaction, Franz turned away from the other three, walked halfway up the aisle toward the exit, and sat in a pew, making sure he had room to rest his feet on the one in front of him, closed his eyes, and promptly fell asleep.
Decon continued, ignoring the sheriff’s apparent lack of interest, “We were confronted by three beings that have never before been described with words–no words I have encountered at any rate. They blocked our path, but left as soon as I ordered them to in the name of Ragas and the man Jesus.”
“ Did they have a choice, since the order was given by the friar of Noremway Parish, a devout follower of Ragas Moliere?” Teret asked. She looked frightened at the knowledge that there seemed to be other creatures somehow entering the parish in the night. There had been rumors for generations that Ragas’s protection would soon wear off, assuming it hadn’t already.
“ They hesitated,” Decon said. “They may have had a choice. I honestly don’t know. Either way, they left our path and disappeared into the dark. The encounter seemed almost to be for the sole purpose of letting us know they were there–no other reason.”
Plague nodded in agreement. “Or to scare us away.”
“ No, I don’t think so, Bart. If they were there to scare us away they wouldn’t have left. They wanted us to get a good look at them before carrying on with our business. I think they were working with the wolves in some way, as if the wolves were forcing us toward the demons.”
Teret offered, “Maybe they were a sort of watchmen that were there to keep an eye on you.”
“ This doesn’t make any sense,” Plague said, but offered no alternative explanation of his own. He simply said he didn’t agree—or more accurately didn’t understand —and left it at that.
The chancellor spoke up, “Franz and I are going to take a trip out there when we are done here. We need to make sure the parish is safe; see these demons for ourselves.”
Looking at the sleeping sheriff, Decon said, “Sister Teret, there’s nothing more you can do here. Just get some sleep. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day. I’m still looking at an even longer night.”
“ Alright, Decon. Bart, Chancellor.” She strode up the
“ First, the fire at the Waterman farm,” the chancellor said.
“ Chancellor…aye…Your Honor,” Plague stammered.
“ No worries, the fire is almost out. The blaze was localized. Waterman kept his grass partitioned into sections, separated by wide trails, as I’m sure you know. What you probably didn’t know is that the purpose of those partitions is to prevent the entire crop from going afire.”
“ Well, that’s a relief.”
“ So it is,” Urey said, “so it is, aye. But what of Tomias and Lynn? Did you not go out there to retrieve them, dead or alive?”
Decon swallowed hard. The gulp was clearly audible to the others. Plague started to speak but could not find the words. Teret spoke, “Look, they brought the child with them. Tomias and Lynn likely burned in the fire. Isn’t that right, Decon?”
“ Aye, mayhap they did. No matter. Flames cleanse wounds as well as the soul. Proper burial or no, salvation for Tomias and Lynn is secured. But there is something far more pressing than fire that we need to discuss. Tomias and Lynn were attacked by wolves. Aye, and so were we, but those were not the only creatures of the dark that we encountered.”
“ No, indeed not,” Plague said with a shudder. He stared at Decon intently as he spoke. Decon was cool, confident, telling the story with ease, as if he were telling about a regular day at the market. The images of those three demons, with the long fangs dripping with blood, yellow eyes, and large, menacing arms filled him with a terror that seized his throat. He would not have been able to tell this story with the ease and eloquence that the friar brought to it.
Acting with an air of satisfaction, Franz turned away from the other three, walked halfway up the aisle toward the exit, and sat in a pew, making sure he had room to rest his feet on the one in front of him, closed his eyes, and promptly fell asleep.
Decon continued, ignoring the sheriff’s apparent lack of interest, “We were confronted by three beings that have never before been described with words–no words I have encountered at any rate. They blocked our path, but left as soon as I ordered them to in the name of Ragas and the man Jesus.”
“ Did they have a choice, since the order was given by the friar of Noremway Parish, a devout follower of Ragas Moliere?” Teret asked. She looked frightened at the knowledge that there seemed to be other creatures somehow entering the parish in the night. There had been rumors for generations that Ragas’s protection would soon wear off, assuming it hadn’t already.
“ They hesitated,” Decon said. “They may have had a choice. I honestly don’t know. Either way, they left our path and disappeared into the dark. The encounter seemed almost to be for the sole purpose of letting us know they were there–no other reason.”
Plague nodded in agreement. “Or to scare us away.”
“ No, I don’t think so, Bart. If they were there to scare us away they wouldn’t have left. They wanted us to get a good look at them before carrying on with our business. I think they were working with the wolves in some way, as if the wolves were forcing us toward the demons.”
Teret offered, “Maybe they were a sort of watchmen that were there to keep an eye on you.”
“ This doesn’t make any sense,” Plague said, but offered no alternative explanation of his own. He simply said he didn’t agree—or more accurately didn’t understand —and left it at that.
The chancellor spoke up, “Franz and I are going to take a trip out there when we are done here. We need to make sure the parish is safe; see these demons for ourselves.”
Looking at the sleeping sheriff, Decon said, “Sister Teret, there’s nothing more you can do here. Just get some sleep. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day. I’m still looking at an even longer night.”
“ Alright, Decon. Bart, Chancellor.” She strode up the
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