During this dark night, the city of Pomperaque was by no means quiet.
Everyone in the city was in a jovial mood, celebrating this day, their
great sovereign's anniversary of marriage.
All the people rejoiced. They gave their tribute and praise to their
Lord Brook Scullion-Blue and his wife, Dearborne, for their fifteen
years of being together.
Music blared from the hills to the buttes, and far off over the sea to
the islands and down, deep into the distant valleys.
The people sang and danced around, and they ate and drank everything in
sight. Everyone made friendly times, and they made gentle love
throughout this commemorative evening.
In the city tonight, everyone was enjoying their life. Almost
everyone, anyway.
Manguino was ill-at-ease over the love shown to Brook by his people,
and there was another that could not climb out of the abyssal pit of
her despair.
Mercedes could not find merriment within herself.
The beauty of this child was withered away from her, since that
fortnight ago, when Manguino blessed her with his favour.
She suffered greatly from her tortured soul and impregnated body. She
had spent the most part of this evening alone in the gardens, in the
back of the Blue Mansion. Although she was escorted to the Lord's
house by her betrothed Hartford, she had left him for the comfort of
the sedating gardens.
Alone, she strolled the cobble pathways between the rows of hedge. She
paced over the tiny wooden bridges that spanned the midget streams
meandering about the entire estate.
The party was picking up inside the mansion and there were a few
betting with each other on whether, or not, the ArchBishop would
attend. However, they soon forgot their bets as they became more
intoxicated.
Hartford was searching the mansion for his darling Mercedes, unaware
that she was troubled. He thought that she was just playing with him,
teasing him to find her.
This wasn't the case, though. She was outside, under the stars,
thinking and praying to God for strength.
Mercedes was no longer walking. She had sat down on a wide marble
bench outside the glass flower house.
Here, with the moonlight beaming through the leaves of the trees over
head, her face was modelled by the shadows thereof, and there
occasionally glistened shiny tears that slid across her face like
meteorites that flashed by in a starless midnight sky. She mourned for
her loss.
From a hanging terrace above her head, loomed a figure of a man,
keeping himself in the
phantom shadows, so that he could not be seen and still be able to
watch whatever activity would be below.
He observed the fair young woman below, and wondered who she was.
Lloyd watched her ever since she first entered the garden and since the
first moment, he heard her sobbing and crying, and rubbing her eyes.
He wondered how such a pretty thing could be so miserable, and he felt
ultimately inadequate by not being able to lend her assistance, or at
least, his shoulder for her to cry on. He didn't know who this young
woman was but he felt as close to her as he's ever felt to anyone.
Somehow he empathized with her even though he didn't know what her
troubles were.
He felt miserable now.
Several times he wanted to call out to her but he knew that if his
presence was discovered there, by some coenobite, it would mean the end
of his life, and it would mean great trouble to his host for harbouring
a sinner.
He thought to climb down the tree, by the terrace, and then approach
her with his help, but his physical condition still prevented him from
such over-exertions.
So he just stood there on the terrace, blending into the shadows, as if
he was one himself, and continued to watch the lovely woman below as
she sat all alone with the melancholy hugging her moonlit face.
Lloyd took a drink from his glass that he was holding. When it caught
the light of the moon, it twinkled like a diamond set by an open fire.
Mercedes didn't notice the moon reflecting off Lloyd's glass while she
sat on the marble slab.
The night was beginning to take on a chill. Mercedes' short bursts of
breath were illuminated by the moonlight. The breaths quickly passed
in and out of her, in strangled gasps.
She whimpered, cutting the delicate music emanating from the house and
cutting a notch into Lloyd's already pained heart.
Lloyd was over-head and yet he wasn't there, and he watched the
beautiful young woman destroy her own spirit.
He wished that he knew her thoughts and yet he couldn't imagine what
they could be. Little did he know the pain that her heart and soul
were struggling to overcome. Little was he aware of the agonies that
gnawed away at her, from inside -- put there by the great god of the
land, the ArchBishop.
Mercedes could hardly tolerate it any longer. She could feel the
absolute Evil, drawing strength right from her spirit. The Evil grew
stronger as it fed off the will residing in her emotions, and so killed
them.
The Evil killed all the love within her, including the love towards her
beloved and promised husband, Hartford.
She believed that she could not go to him soiled, even if so turned
that way by the Almighty ArchBishop.
Her virginity, raped from her by a god, destroyed her fragile spirit
and maimed her belief in the True God. Yet, with this belief of her's
weakened, she still tried to pray.
A tiny voice issued from her.
Lloyd's ears perked and his heart beat stronger. He could hardly hear
her but her voice was like a nightingale, and he forgot the pains from
his own wounds as he concentrated to hear her over the music coming
from the inside the mansion.
It was a prayer from her heart.
Lloyd felt uneasy as he listened and he could smell the stench of Evil
lingering in the night air.
While Mercedes prayed, she heard the ArchBishop's course voice
repeating through her mind, saying to her that he will bless her. She
knew that she was stained with the kiss of Evil and she prayed to the
True Living God, to forgive her.
Captured in the slashes of lunar light that filtered through the leaves
of the trees above Mercedes, Lloyd thought that he saw a momentary
glint of metal.
Her voice became louder, struggling in hiccoughed gasps.
"Oh help me, God! Do not turn your eyes away from me, for I must
destroy the demon that was milked into me; and yes, myself, for letting
it be within me!"
She lifted her clenched hands into the air and Lloyd finally saw what
she was holding. A shaft of light broke the tranquil conformity of
darkness and he knew that it could be nothing else but a dagger.
He stepped into the moonlight and looked don as he heard her hurl out
some more desperate words.
"Oh God, do not anger at the taking of my own life. Forgive me, Lord,
and accept my spirit!" she announced.
She plunged the dagger deep into her own chest and pulled it down
through to her belly. Her twinging body dropped to the ground. While
in weak convulsions she thrust the dagger to its limit, then lay
motionless. Lloyd dropped his glass, its breaking sounding like a the
chorus of mourning angels, and he looked upon the scene, in horror and
breathed out a word as his eyes were enveloped in tears.
"NO!" was all that he said, and he sank down to his knees and clasped
his hands.
Her light and silky gown was dyed in the warm scarlet of her own blood
flowing, steadily, from her heart.
Lloyd prayed. He could do nothing to save her. By the time that he
realized her intentions, it was too late. On the terrace tiles, he
prostrated himself to the great, true and living God. He prayed for
forgiveness, for not helping her, and then prayed to God to accept the
girl's spirit and forgive her for her act.
Inside the mansion, many guests waited for their sovereign to make the
first toast of the evening, while Lloyd made his own salute to the
girl, whose name he did not know, that he watched die this night.
Lloyd was the first one to mourn for her, and in some strange way, he
believed that God mourned for her after him.
The ballroom was full of people that were having a good time. They were
all laughing and dancing, and making conversation with one another
while standing near the many tables full of food and wine.
Boy was running around, letting guests into the house and serving
others with refreshments.
Hartford still searched aimlessly for Mercedes, and he constantly asked
Boy if he knew where she was.
Boy finally became annoyed and told him to stop asking because he never
saw her, but he did promise to tell Hartford when he did.
After that, Boy went and served two of Brook's most loyal friends with
some stronger spirits.
Miel and Cassta were already quite drunk but they didn't like to admit
to such a thing. Only if they ever reached the point of utter
unconsciousness did they admit to being 'somewhat intoxicated.' Now,
however, they were fine. They were in a happy state and so they made
jokes to each other.
"I do so wish that Brook had more of these gatherings." said Miel.
"This is quite a party, Cassta!"
Cassta laughed while trying to swallow his drink, so letting some spill
onto his shirt front.
"Yes. It's almost as interesting as those parties that I host!" he
said in return.
Miel had a comical expression aimed at him, resembling 'shame on
Cassta', but he couldn't hold it very long because Cassta crossed his
eyes at him.
"You credit yourself too highly, Cassta! One would begin to think that
you are the Almighty, himself!" A few people, standing nearby, were
amused by what they heard. A couple of others, however, were offended
to hear the Almighty's name used in vain. These high-nosed people
hated their comrades' drunkenness, but when they tried to sit, in
chairs that weren't there, they realized that, on such a gay evening as
this, no one could restrain themselves from drinking, at least a little
bit.
"He hasn't shown up yet, Miel. So, you suppose that he'll come
tonight?" Cassta asked about the ArchBishop.
"Maybe he will after Brook's toast." replied Miel. "But if he
doesn't, you will owe me three gold bits!"
Cassta laughed a little and touched the side of his nose with the back
of his hand.
"He will be here, Miel. I heard rumours that he will make a speech
suggesting Brook and wife's propagation!"
"Ah -- Brook will never stand for that!" said Miel. "They are better
off without children, anyway! Children are nothing more than a
novelty!" he laughed and Cassta joined in.
"Novelty?!" Cassta exclaimed. "Is that why you have twelve
'novelties' of your own?"
Their laughs were the loudest in the area. They rocked back and forth
almost falling over themselves.
Miel spoke in reply to Cassta's marking question.
"My WIFE has no self control over herself!" he said.
While they laughed there was a sudden spontaneity of cheering and
clapping as Brook ascended a flight of stairs with his beautiful
Dearborne, and followed by Boy, carrying a tray with two golden goblets.
Brook stopped and turned towards his citizens and they all bowed and
curtsied to him in respect. He tipped his head to them in acceptance
of their fealty to him.
He lifted his palms to them and the room murmured into a hush.
"On this night of my love, I want to propose a toast!" Brook said to
them.
They all bowed to him and spoke together.
"With pleasure, Lord!" they all said, then quietly waited for him to
begin.
"Tonight we are all equal. We are human beings; and with this all, I
toast to each of you, the wish of a long life, liberty and happiness!"
He toasted his guests in a manner that wholly reflected his nobility
and the audience hailed him.
"To you, Lord Scullion-Blue!" they extolled and lifted their glasses
to him before they drank. As they all drank their toast, a loud voice
called to them from the entrance.
"ALL KNEEL!"
Everyone turned and saw that it was a cardinal, heralding the
ArchBishop's entrance.
The room was gripped in a breathless silence. The ArchBishop had
indeed come to this formality, clothed in a splendour never before seen.
The majority of the guests did kneel to him. Only Brook, Empal, Cassta
and Miel (with their families), abstained from the kneeling to the
Almighty.
Manguino was not pleased when he saw this, and he became extremely
angered when Brook spoke to the people, so putting him in a lowly
position.
"Friends! _ Tonight rejoice for us!" said Brook pointing to Dearborne
and himself. "There is no need to kneel before anyone on this happy
evening! -- Is this not so ArchBishop?"
Brook itched Manguino's patience and with a slight grin waited for
Manguino to respond. He looked around the room at the people and heard
Miel and Cassta laughing. This made him red-in-the-face but eventually
he looked up to Brook then raised his hand, signalling to the people to
rise.
Miel and Cassta were amused and shared some of their views of the
ArchBishop with Empal and Tucker, when they joined the two men.
The Archbishop continued to look at Brook for several moments, while
Brook and Dearborn joined their citizens in their mingling on the floor.
Music started up again and so did Hartford's search for Mercedes. He
was now becoming exceedingly worried.
They had made plans to address Brook and Dearborne, after the toast,
and ask them to attend their wedding as honoured guests. Now, however,
Hartford couldn't ask Brook with Mercedes' delicate presence there to
ensure a favourable acceptance.
He searched some more.
Boy had disappeared for a few moments. He went out into the garden for
some fresh air. Hartford would soon find out where Mercedes was all
evening.
Nobody paid much attention to Boy when he came back from the outside,
carrying an odd expression of horror and bewilderment.
Miel and Cassta spoke in loud voices, not caring who heard them speak.
Miel was paying Cassta his betted three gold bits; wagered on the
ArchBishop's attendance.
"Our Almighty looks disturbed, Cassta!"
"Yes -- He looks as though his holy sceptre has been plucked!"
ribbed Cassta and so received a laugh from Miel, Empal and Tucker.
"Or else, his is in a place, other than his hand!" added Empal.
While they laughed to almost exhaustion, a couple women approached them
and they paired. Now that the wives were back the two men quickly
lapsed into civility. Gaena put her arms around Tucker's arm and Aria
faced Miel with a light-hearted disapproval showing in her eligant face.
"Aren't we merry, tonight?" remarked Aria pushing some hair from
Mile's eyes.
"Ah, my darling wife. Cassta and I made a god-like humour!" he said
then glanced over at Cassta. Both began to laugh again and especially
loudly when they looked around and caught Manguino's glare as he
listened.
"Are you two children drunk again?" Aria asked with a smile.
Cassta and Miel looked at one another and both pointed at one another
as they answered.
"He's drunk ... I'm not!"
They carried on some more then Cassta put his arms around Miel and
Aria, mostly to keep himself from falling down, and looking at the
others there, he slurred a question.
"Tell me, friends! -- Have you ever heard the story about the wandering
Vicar?"
While he told his friends the humorous story, Manguino separated with
his small envoy made up of Cardinals Allen and Levy, and the Vicar,
Tohm.
There was an aura of treachery and deceit about them as they distanced
themselves from the rest of the guests. Manguino turned to the
Cardinal Allen, who seemed very excited. Like a child, he pranced
around the ArchBishop since their arrival, waiting for the ArchBishop
to give his acceptance to him concerning his honour-paying to the
lovely Dearborne.
"I don't care what you do, Allen!" the ArchBishop began. "I do not
care! However, if you are discovered, I will not do a thing to help
you. I will not know what you are doing, and I will denounce you as a
demon, if I am thought to be involved!"
There was a momentary silence between them while Allen made account of
all that Manguino said.
"I understand, Your Grace, but do not worry. I shall move like a snake
and strike just as silently." promised Allen.
"You behave more like an unsatisfied rabbit, my friend. Be careful,
and find your own way back to Halls." Manguino gave Allen his final
instructions just as he saw Dearborne make her way to the Mansion's
upper levels, to where the bed chambers were.
"Thank-you, Most High!" hailed Allen, then slowly made his way to the
stairs and the upper floor.
Brook stood by the banquet table having a drink and chewing on some
fruit that his dear friend Empal had brought, for the festivities.
Many of the guests went to him to pay their personal respects and
congratulations, on his fifteen years of marriage to Dearborne.
Soon, he stood alone for a while and looked about the entire hall and
saw that the people were enjoying themselves, and he smiled in his
heart seeing Boy running about serving the people with drink.
He'll be a great leader one day, thought Brook. All great leaders must
serve their people and therefore keep them content and happy. He
continued to watch the boy for a while them made a silent wish aimed at
Boy. Take those troubles, my son, and learn how not to inflict them on
your subjects.
From across the room, Miel and Cassta were looking at Brook. They saw
the man's face expressing deep thought and they assumed that he had his
mind on Dearborne.
"He has a dainty flag to decorate his royal mast, doesn't he?" Cassta
commented.
"Yes, but this flag he runs up at night instead of the morning." Miel
responded.
They both sighed as they went over to the banquet table to get some
more to drink.
Music was playing loudly and the people danced, waltzing in circles and
walking about in promenade.
Hartford went up to almost everybody on the floor searching for his
beloved Mercedes, but everybody shook their heads in their regret for
not seeing her.
Boy was walking towards Brook as did Hartford. He asked the Lord Brook
the same question as he had been asking everyone, this evening.
"Excuse me, my Lord. I wonder if you have seen my Mercedes?"
"Yes." said Brook. "She's a lovely girl, and you both look very good
together."
"I am sorry, Lord -- I meant, that I have lost her at the party
tonight. Do you know where she is?" Hartford asked again.
"No, I don't, Hartford. Have you looked in the parlour and checked the
water-closet?" Brook suggested.
"She's not there!"
Boy came up to both men. He didn't say a thing but Brook knew that
something was wrong.
They exchanged glances at one another and briefly Hartford became pale,
then forced a smile.
"You've found her?" he asked.
Boy looked over at Brook then back at Hartford, and nodded.
"She ... she is in the garden." the boy said, swallowing each word.
"She is dead, Hartford!"
Hartford lost all colour in his face and his pupils dilated to
pin-prick size, then he ran outside to the garden.
"Oh God, NO!" Hartford had finally found his lovely betrothed, dead.
He embraced her limp body gently into his arms and took the dagger out
of her body, hearing it scrape against her exposed ribs. He set the
dagger to the side and kissed her cheek and he wept. Then, as if her
own body cried for Hartford's pains, a tear crept forth from her eye,
mixing with his own tears and flowing towards the arm-length gash in
her chest.
Hartford moaned and rocked back and forth; for with her death came the
death of his world.
Brook was disturbed and directed Boy to prepare a chamber upstairs for
Hartford and Mercedes.
Boy went forth and paid no attention to Lloyd standing up on the
balcony, looking at the crowd. In his eyes were tears and he too was
pale from his witness. In his mind swirled whirlwind thoughts of the
demonic masturbation that came out of Halls and touched every living
thing with its Evil impurity.
He could not keep all that he saw, from his mind.
All laughed and were enjoying themselves, while outside was an
innocense was forced into the obscurity of loss. What had happened to
his own love, in Besten, those few short years ago, had been replayed
before him, this night. It was a terrible loss brought on by someone's
whims of power and glory.
He heard Boy's voice telling Dearborne about the problem that happened
and that Brook ordered a chamber be prepared. Dearborne was heard
making her excuses to a couple women that she was talking to in her own
bed chamber and went into another room with Boy.
When out in the hall, Lloyd bowed his head solemnly to the lady and she
returned with a nod. From his expression, the Lady Dearborne was sure
that he knew something about the problem that Boy mentioned.
She finally found out what the problem was when she was preparing the
one room with Boy. She was saddened by what Boy told her he had found
in the garden and she imagined how Hartford felt. Yet, Dearborne
herself could not cry for Mercedes. In her lifetime she had seen too
many deaths, most of which were associated with Halls, in one way or
another. This must be another death caused by someone at Halls, she
believed.
Downstairs, Hartford carried Mercedes into the ballroom and Brook
immediately threw his cape around her. He didn't want anyone to know
about her death this evening and so tried to hide the wounds.
Hartford's eyes were glazed-over and Brook knew that Hartford wasn't
aware of his surroundings any more, so Brook guided him up the stairs
and to the room.
Brook gave his leave to his guests and bade them to continue with their
merriment, and most of them did.
Miel and Cassta felt uneasy. Although they were in a twilight
drunkenness, they knew that something was wrong.
Manguino made his way over to the stairs, smiled to himself and shook
his head in a slight displeasure. He knelt down and with his finger
dabbed a little red circle of blood that he was certain was the girl's.
"Oh, you naive girl." he said to himself.
Cassta noticed Manguino's actions and pointed them out to Miel. It
didn't take much effort to figure out that the great ArchBishop was
associated with the trouble that they saw.
They decided that they would check on their Lord a little later, to see
if they could help with anything.
The discontented guests soon began to feel uneasy and many of them left
the mansion, until there were just a few Prominants left there,
finishing off the rest of the food and drink from the tables as if they
were beggars at a God-sent feast.
The music began to die down and soon the great ArchBishop also left
with Cardinal Levy and the Vicar Tohm, knowing that he didn't have to
add his own planned attack on Brook.
Upstairs, Hartford had gently set Mercedes down on the bed and stared
at her. Brook, Dearborne and Boy looked on as Hartford continued to
weep, in convulsive sobs.
"She is dead! She has taken her own life, but why?" Hartford was
asking while Lloyd stood outside the chamber door listening.
Unseen, Lloyd crept into the room and sat in the window behind the
curtains.
Hartford continued his lament for Mercedes.
"Why?" he asked. "Did I displease her? Did she not love me any more?
-- Oh, God! I cannot understand!?"
Brook put his hand on Hartford's shoulder hoping to console him to some
degree.
"Listen to me, Hartford! Her death is not your fault." said Brook.
"I am told that her love for you was greater than anything in the whole
world. Something else made her ... Hartford believed Brook, and so did
Lloyd as he watched the moon rise from behind Canon's Butte,
silhouetting the Halls Cathedral as if it an ancient mausoleum.
Cassta and Miel entered the chamber silently. The misfortune of the
past few minutes had a sobering effect on them and they were silent, no
longer laughing and no longer making fun of trifles for their
amusements.
Hartford's mumbling scared everyone in the room and the two men didn't
know how to react. They just stood there quietly, their mouths agape
and their expressions showing a dumbfoundedness.
"My only love. She's gone and I cannot breathe!" Hartford gurgled
with irrationality. Mercedes' death finally began to work on his head.
"My wife to be, will not be, she isn't -- is she? There is nothing. I
am nothing. Is all nothing?"
Dearborne looked at Brook with frightful worry and she took his arm.
"He's delirious!" she said. Brook saw Miel and Cassta enter the room
earlier and now motioned to them to approach. Without hesitation, they
drew near.
"My friends, take Hartford down to the parlour and let him rest!"
Brook requested and his two most loyal subjects obeyed him.
They took Hartford, one under each arm, and carried him down to the
parlour, Boy leading the way.
It was obvious that Hartford wasn't aware of what was happening to
him. His face was pallid and his eyes were glazed-over. He was no
longer existing on a mutual level with anyone in this world. Within
his grief-afflicted mind and mutilated soul, he searched for that
which he had lost.
Brook and Dearborne were alone for a moment, so to speak, since they
were not aware of Lloyd's presence, while he quietly sat in the window.
"It is so quiet, Brook. The guests have gone!"
"Yes." confirmed Brook. "The flavour of this celebration had become
very bitter!"
How true, thought Lloyd as he looked at Halls in the distance, knowing
from experience that the cause of this night's misfortune, originated
there.
"I'm sorry for tonight, my love!" said Brook.
Dearborne's moistt eyes calmed his heaving spirit. She did not blame
him for this evening's tragedy and she knew that his apology was really
intended as pity for the loss of such a precious and innocent soul as
Mercedes was.
With this, Brook turned and went out of the room.
Lloyd's heart ached with the burden of his witness. He saw Mercedes,
inside his mind, thrusting the dagger into her heart, over and over
again, and the visions of this mingled with his memory of witnessing
his own betrothed Charnan, at her death. This evening devastated him.
Mercedes reminded him so much of his beloved Charnan. She had the same
golden hair and smooth, fair skin. Her beauty was only surpassed by
her innocense.
Lloyd's mind travelled while comparing the two women and his two most
painful experiences.
Through a small tare in the curtain, Lloyd saw Dearborne lift her head
from a prayer that she had made for the body and spirit of the departed
Mercedes.
She was starting to turn and leave when she sat heavily into a chair by
the bed and started to cry.
Lloyd was ready to reveal himself to her, to talk and console her, but
he couldn't show to her his own weakness. He cried, too.
Brook was down in the parlour with Miel, Cassta and Hartford. The
three men stood apart from Hartford. He was put on the couch, reclined
and withdrawn, and he appeared to be as inanimate as the furniture.
Hartford, the young man with so many years ahead of him, was no longer
alive, in the normal sense of the word. He did breath and occasionally
twitched, and tears periodically migrated in a clean path down his
face. Yet, this unfortunate young man lacked the spirit of life found
residing in every human.
The men held back their tears, looking-on at Hartford with pity and
remorse.
"At this time we cannot lose our wits," Brook told Miel and Cassta.
"for there are only two people in all of Phoride that could be
responsible for this." he glared at the men with cold, angry eyes.
"They shall pay for it!"
The other two men tried to swallow the lumps that blocked their throats
and when Cassta spoke, his voice burbled.
"I must prevent my beloved ..." he cleared his throat and continued.
"I must keep her from taking her own life. She is dainty and
beautiful. We are pledged to marry."
"We must protect our women from our own clergy -- that's shameful!"
Miel added.
"I will not let my Ledo die like Mercedes, and God knows how many
others. I will honourably join her tomorrow!"
"You are correct, Cassta. Something must be done to suppress
Manguino's evil ways." said Brook.
Miel added his own thoughts and sentiments about the ArchBishop's
immoral methodology.
"He has gone too far, this time. Unlike the other suicides, this one
wasn't isolated. This time, a girl's death affected several scores of
people."
Cassta clutched Brook's upper arm.
"Lord, would you oversee my wedding tomorrow?" Cassta asked him and he
nodded, accepting.
Brook turned on to his concern for Hartford. He moved to Hartford and
covered him with a long cloak that was over one of the chairs.
"I think that we should leave him to rest now!" Brook suggested and
Miel questioned in worry.
"Should someone stay with him, Brook?"
Cassta volunteered to watch Hartford, wanting to help in whatever means
he could but Brook was aware that there was nothing that any one of
them could do for him. He appreciated his two friends' concern for the
remnant that Hartford had become, but he didn't want them to stay
needlessly, and having the situation under control, he excused them.
"Miel, your wife probably waits for you. You should go."
"Yes, my Lord!" nodded Miel. "You will call me if I am needed?" Miel
asked and Brook affirmed.
"You too should leave, my friend." Brook said to Cassta. "I realize
that it is late, but I suggest that you go speak to Ledo. Give to her
father my responsibility."
"I will leave you, then. Thank-you, Brook!"
Both men left as Boy walked into the parlour.
"Lord?" he hailed Brook. "The guests and musicians are gone now!"
"Alright, Boy. I will be in my den, for a time. Keep watch on
Hartford and call me if anything changes!." Boy sat in a chair
opposite Hartford and he didn't take his eyes from him.
Dearborne was still in the same bed chamber with Mercedes' body.
Lloyd still hadn't calmed enough to talk to her. He continued to sit
in the window and listened to her lovely voice singing a sad little
tune.
Lloyd wasn't the only one listening to her sing. Outside the door
lurked the Cardinal Allen.
He had seen Brook repair to his den and Allen knew that he would not
re-emerge for some time. He thought that he had enough time available
to himself to receive his total fulfilment from Dearborne.
He listened to her sing as he moved closer to the door and finally he
entered the room in silence.
"The days pass by... Our lives are brief... To death we all
do cry,
We live in grief... Through all the days -- "
Dearborne sang but her words were shattered by the splintered voice of
the Cardinal Allen, finishing-off the verse.
"For we all know... We'll one day die!"
Startled, Dearborne swung around and stood facing him.
Lloyd was startled also and he peered through the tare in the curtain
again. There stood the man who almost had him executed a fortnight
passed; the same man that had made the fair Dearborne to feel dirty.
"Why haven't you left yet?" she demanded of him, and he just smiled.
"It's a pity, is not -- I mean, the girl's death." he began. "You
know, fair Dearborne, the ArchBishop has very good eyes for beauty but
he does not understand the mind of women. He pushed too much. He
should influence, not frighten." he kept smiling as he moved a step
closer to her. "He has only one child to my thirteen, and that child
is a cripple, in its mind."
Dearborne had finally taken hold of herself and spoke out at Allen.
"Get out, you wretched weasel!" she shouted but this inspired Allen to
move closer yet.
"You will be wholly happy to mother my fourteenth."
"I should say not."
"Oh, my dear, you will submit!" Allen's voice sounded of excited
promise. "Since you have neglected to bare children to your line with
Brook, I (or any other of the Almighty), has the right to have you bare
a child from him. This right I claim and demand from you, and by the
law, even you cannot refuse." he took another stride to Dearborne and
behind her she took hold of an empty vase.
"I am above the law, now leave or I shall call my husband!" she was
terrified.
"Really? When Brook goes into his room, he can hear no one. So he
finds out about this 3/4denial will be made, and without proof, you
will not be believed." He made a final advance on her and took her
into his arms.
She struggled them slammed him in the face with the vase. Yet, nothing
happened. What's more, it seemed to have inspired him all the more.
He reached out for the part in her blouse, tore it then began to knead
her exposed breasts.
Lloyd flew from the window when he saw that the vase did Allen no harm,
and now forcibly threw him off from Dearborne. He stood in front of
her and watched Allen pick himself up off the floor, several yards away.
The expression on Allen's face was dismay and fear. For a moment he
thought that Brook had returned, but now he saw who it was.
"It's you. How can this be?" demanded Allen.
Lloyd gave him a heated glare. "My maker didn't want me, at that
moment. And if you do not leave, he may want you, now!"
"Move away." commanded Allen. "This is not your affair!"
"And it shall not be yours!"
At this, the Cardinal Allen rushed Lloyd. Lloyd with all his force
summoned, fisted Allen in the forehead. The crazed Allen still
attacked as if he didn't feel any ill effects from being solidly
squared in the head. On his second rush, he caught Lloyd in the ribs
with his head.
Lloyd lurched forward, in pain, as he got Allen in the throat when he
wrapped his arms about his neck. He spun around and heaved towards
the floor, unto his knees. Allen didn't move any more, his neck
snapping into a splintered mush.
Lloyd slowly rose, holding his injured side, and he walked away from
the body without hardly a care for what he had done. "Are you injured,
my Lady?" he asked, while he took off his vest and gave it to her to
cover herself.
"Yes! You helped me just in time, thank-you!"
"I should have been there sooner. I was sitting in the window since
the girl's body was brought in here. I'm sorry but I just couldn't
move sooner to help you!
Dearborne looked away from him. She focused upon Allen's lifeless body
with a feeling of absolute relief.
Lloyd spoke some more, trying to give explanation for his lateness.
"I had seen her take her own life, my Lady!" he pointed to Mercedes'
body and tried to keep his tears from her. She listened and slowly
returned to looking at Lloyd.
"She was sitting on the bench, beneath my terrace. The moon was out
and when I finally realised what she had in her hands, she had killed
herself. I couldn't save her."
Dearborne put her head against his arm revealing to him that she
understood how he felt, but she didn't really until he told her that
story about his own love, Charnan, who died the same way.
In the morning, Brook was told about what had happened and he some
Totemen from the Phoridene Council, take the Cardinal Allen's body back
to Halls. With the body, Brook included a letter to Manguino demanding
that he keeps the death issue in its place and not to make any trouble
by it. He reminded Manguino of the promise that he made to him
concerning Allen.
Brook had admitted himself to be Allen's executioner.
In the Blue Mansion, Lloyd and Boy were told to prepare for their
journey to the north.
Brook felt that there was no time to lose. He had a feeling of
impending doom, and not only that, he wanted to be safe.
On Mount Benitar, the wise man also knew that something would happen.
He saw all the signs. Soon, he thought -- soon it would be time for
him to go down to Pomperaque, again.