Children of the Knight (81 page)

L
ANCE
and Jack pelted feverishly down Temple and had just passed Spring Street. Their lungs burned, hearts pumped wildly, adrenaline propelling them forward with desperation.

Up ahead in the distance, they could see the lights of City Hall and the crowd of knights and spectators all spread out in a massive circle, a circle that spilled outward like a spiral galaxy. All heads faced inward, toward the center, toward something the galloping boys could not yet see.

Hundreds of winking and flashing cell phone lights made the whole area look like a glittery star field, as though the boys were headed into the center of the Milky Way, itself.

Traffic on Temple, usually extreme, had trickled to almost nothing, maybe because everyone knew all the action was up ahead at City Hall.

Lance’s panting heaved and pulled at his lungs, but Jack seemed hardly winded at all. He nudged the younger boy as they pounded along the pavement. “You got the board, man, go! I’ll catch up.”

Lance tossed him a worried nod then deftly leapt atop his board and began to fly.

A
RTHUR
lowered Excalibur and raised the phone to his ear. The surrounding starfield of people saw the movement and, bewildered, fell silent. Arthur forced calm into his voice. “I am here.”

W
ITHIN
the limo, a disheveled Lee sat smoothing out his wrinkled jacket, while Ramirez sat across from him, his jaw swollen and enflamed, his fury raging. He held up Lance’s phone and growled, “You wanna see your punk-ass kids alive again?”

A
RTHUR
exhaled in relief.
His boys still lived! Thank you, Lord
.

“What do ye wish me to do?”

Everyone watched uncertainly, and waited, including the mayor and his people. Absolute silence filled the night.

R
AMIREZ
knew he had but moments before those kids raised the alarm. His jaw throbbed, and his words came out slurred.

“It’s very simple,
your majesty
,” he said mockingly. “Simply lay down your sword and step away from it.”

He and Lee exchanged a look while he awaited Arthur’s answer. “Remember, I am watching everything.”