Episode 2
Evil
“Who? The duke?”
“Uh-huh,” she said, looking worried. “Does that mean I’m a demon worshipper?”
Petro shook his head again. “No Suzi. You don’t even know what a demon is.”
She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, angry. “I know more than you do.”
“Maybe,” he said. “But right now, don’t say anything.”
“Okay,” she said, nodding. Suddenly, she smiled. It was a shy smile. “Thanks, Petro.”
He was about to tell her it was no problem, but he never got the chance. A man grabbed his shoulder, spinning him like he weighed nothing, and he came face to face with one of the Knights. He was a huge man with a scruffy beard and beady eyes. There was no sympathy in those eyes, just calculation.
“You. Boy. Are you the captain’s son?”
Petro shook his head. “No.”
“Do you know where he is?”
“No,” Petro replied.
“His name is Hank, we were told. Listen very carefully, boy,” the man said, lowering down to look Petro in the eye. He spoke slowly, emphasizing each word. “If you know where he is, then it is essential that you tell us where he is.”
Petro didn’t like the knight. He doubted they had anything good planned for Hank, and even though Petro didn’t like Hank much, he didn’t dislike him. Hank was nice, sometimes; just self-absorbed and inconsiderate. Like most rich kids. At this time of day, he was fairly certain Hank would be at the armory or in the chapel.
He also knew, without a doubt, where Hank wouldn’t be.
“He’s at the library,” Petro said. He didn’t mind lying to the knight, even for a second. “At this time of day, he’s always at the library.”
“Are you sure?” the knight asked, standing up. Petro nodded.
“Uh-huh. I’m sure.”
“What about ‘im?” another man asked, stepping forward. This knight was dirty and ugly, with a scar running across his right cheek. “The priest said we needed some more examples.”
When this man spoke, he dropped every other letter, talking like he had dirt in his mouth. ‘Some more’ became ‘sumower,’ ‘priest’ was preece,’ and ‘needed’ sounded like ‘nehed.’ Petro disliked him even more than the first knight; he reminded him of his father.
The original knight was scratching his chin. “True,” he said. “But we have enough boys. Girls, on the other hand…”
The second knight laughed. It was a phlegmatic and evil sound. “If the priest don’t want her, then I’ll keep her for meself.”
Suzanne clutched Petro’s arm, a look of terror on her face. The second knight stepped forward, grabbing her around the waist and jerking her away. “Petro!” she cried out. He caught her hand, trying to hold on, but the man was too strong and his grip too weak.
The man threw her over his shoulder. She squirmed, trying and failing to get free. “We got us a live one!” the knight said. The first one chuckled.
“Petro!” she cried again.
“I’ll come for you,” Petro said. The words burst forth. He hadn’t planned them, but when they were out, he realized he meant it. If anyone in this godforsaken town was his friend, it was Suzanne.
The man carried her away. The first knight, still holding his shoulder, chuckled sardonically. “A noble gesture, boy. But you should be grateful that she was here at all. Otherwise, it would be you over my friend’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes. My friend’s tastes run in many directions.”
Then he shoved Petro against the wall and walked away. Petro staggered to the ground and forced himself to his feet. The man disappeared into the crowd and more guards marched past. The people, he saw, were being herded toward the center of town. The central courtyard was where all town events took place.
