The Black Sentry (11 page)

16

They dragged Daman back to the Keep, then locked him in the same miserable cell as before.

He slumped down on the cot
. How had he managed to destroy his life so utterly in only a few days? So many questions raced through his brain. He had no answers for any of them. And given the bleak prospects for his future, he was never likely to.

He heard footsteps outside the cell
—slow, shuffling boots on the stone floor. He peered through the bars. The uniform told him it was Black Sentry. A guard posted to make sure he stayed put until sunrise.

Only when the boots cam
e close to the bars could he identify the guard—Mykah.

This could
n’t be a coincidence. The Captain of the Guard must have posted Mykah here intentionally, perhaps as a loyalty test. Or perhaps Mykah requested the assignment, to prove he had buried all feelings of friendship.

“I want
a word with you,” Mykah said.

“Have you come to lecture me again on my duty to the Sentinel?”

“No. I’ve come to try to talk some sense into you. Whatever you may think, Daman, I haven’t forgotten that we were once friends. I still care what happens to you. So please–call for the Prosecutor. Repent. Beg for mercy. It’s still possible your sentence could be commuted.”

He
knew Mykah was trying to help, but he also knew that would never happen. “No.”

“Please
. If not for yourself–do it for your family.”

“I’m sorry
. No.”

“The Old Man has already been transported out of the village.”

His chin rose.

“He’s being sent to the village of Clovis
. His Ritual of Execution will be the principal feature of their Spring Festival, which takes place tomorrow. I shouldn’t be surprised if your Ritual was granted the same...honor.” He drew in his breath. “Please, Daman. While there’s still time. Repent.”

“I’m sorry
. I won’t.”

Mykah
stiffened. “Then I can’t help you.” He turned, glancing toward the door. “You have a visitor.”

He was surprised
he was allowed visitors. He was even more surprised when he identified the man who walked quickly toward his cell.

“Father!” He stretched
his arms through the bars of his cell. “I’m so sorry!”

“There is no need, son,” his father replied quietly.

“How did you persuade the Sentry to let you in?”

“I’ve lived in this vill
age many years, Daman. I have many friends–even in the Black Sentry.”

“
Father,” he started, and all at once the words tumbled out. “I know I’ve shamed you. I don’t know what happened—”

His father pressed close to the cell bars
. “You’re wrong You haven’t shamed anyone.”

“I have
. I saw the expression on Mother’s face—”

“Listen to me
.” He glanced over his shoulder, making sure no one was close enough to listen. “Someone has to fight the Sentinel’s tyranny. Someone has to stand against him and his minions.” He paused. “And it should have been me, not you. I’m the one who should be ashamed.”

Daman’
s lips parted. He didn’t know what to say.

“All my life I’ve hated the Sentinel, hated everything about his heartless, bland...orderly world
. But I didn’t have the courage to resist. In my entire life, I never had a tenth of the courage you displayed today in that courtroom.”

“It would’
ve been smarter to keep my mouth shut.”

“Perhaps
. But your words needed to be said. Surely you noticed how some of the people in the gallery reacted. Many in that room agreed with you, even if they were not able to say so. We need leaders, men and women willing to speak the truth and speak it loud. You’ve started a fire burning, Daman. If others join the cause, if others are willing to be as brave as you were today, then the Sentinel might yet be defeated.”

“I don’t know why I did it,” he
said quietly. “I just...knew it was the right thing to do.” He paused. “There’s one thing I don’t understand, though. I left the Old Man in the cellar. How did he get inside the house?”

“I brought him in
.”

“
But–how did you know he was in the cellar?”

A smile flashed across his father’s face
. “I knew it the instant I looked into your eyes. You’re a poor liar.”

“But
—”

“He’s an old friend of mine, as it turns out, from when I was a boy, be
fore I reached the age of Winnowing. A friend of mine–and Abigail’s. We were having a very pleasant chat–until the Black Sentry discovered us.”

“That’
s my fault. Bringing him home was a mistake.”

“Nonsense
. What else could you do? But you did make one mistake. You should have let me take the blame.”

“Never.
”

“What does it matter if they take me
? I’m old–only a few years from my journey to Balaveria. You’re young. You have your whole life ahead. And this village–this world–needs you. Someone to lead the fight against the Sentinel.”

“But Father…
you said—”

“Never mind what I said before
. Listen to me now.” He reached through the bars and squeezed his son’s arm tightly. “Don’t make the mistakes I did. Be true to your heart. Do what you know is right.”

He
looked back into his eyes and nodded. “Yes, Father. I will.”

“But first, we have to get you out of here
. Otherwise you won’t be leading anyone anywhere.”

“
Mykah stands guard,” he whispered.

“Yes, and there are other guards outside
. It will not be easy. But I will see what I can do.”

“But–how could you possibly
—”

His father winked
. “This old baker still knows a few tricks.” He glanced once more over his shoulder. “It may well be that–well—” He hesitated. “I don’t know if we will see one another again, so I’d best say this now.” A warm smile crossed his face. “I’m very proud of you, Daman. Never give up.” He squeezed his hands tightly. “Godspeed, son.”

After his father left, he
stood on tiptoes under the high barred window, trying to get an outside view, but he was not tall enough to look out. He felt as if he had been separated from the entire world. He could sense it, and he knew it was there. But he could take no part in it. Perhaps he never would again.

Still, it comforted him to hear the sounds
. The clackety-clack of cart wheels on cobblestones, the opening and shutting of doors, the animals baying in the night. He pulled his cot close to the window and lay down on it, listening to the familiar sounds that would soon be lost to him forever, until at last he fell asleep.

*****

Daman was awakened by a stinging sensation in his eyes. He reached up as if to brush something away, but there was nothing there. He inhaled deeply—and gagged.

He sat
upright. He tried to shout out, but his voice caught and he was overcome with coughing.

Hi
s eyes and nose burned. In the moonlight that crept into the cell, he spotted dark billowing clouds.

Smoke
. But how—?

He felt a
burning sensation on his leg. He looked down, coughing fitfully, straining to see through blurred eyes.

His cot was on fire.

17

Daman leaped off the cot, but not in time
. The leg of his trousers caught the flame.

He
tried to beat it down with his hands, but it was too hot and too fast. The flames began to burn.

Desperately, he
whipped off his tunic and used it to squelch the fire. A few seconds later, it was still smoking, but extinguished. He tore the bottom part of his pant leg off so it wouldn’t singe his leg. Then he whipped the flames on the mattress.

T
oo much time had passed. The blaze engulfed half the cot. The thick smoke cloud billowing up and the red-hot heat emanating from the cot made it impossible to stand close.

He
ran to the bars of his cell.

“
Mykah!” he cried, but his words were choked down by coughing. He covered his mouth, inhaled carefully, and tried again. “Mykah!”

He heard a door creak open, then footsteps
. “What have you done?” Mykah shouted.

“Nothing
.”

“Is this some sort of trick?”

“Trick? I nearly burned to death in my sleep.” He was barely able to get the last words out. The cot was entirely incinerated. Only a huge bright bonfire burned where it once had been. The cloud of smoke was so thick and suffocating he could barely breathe. “Please help me.”

“I can’t let you out
. I have my instructions.”

“Please!
” His voice was hoarse and gravelly. He began to feel lightheaded. “I’ll die in here.”

Mykah
bit down on his lower lip, then turned away.

“
Mykah! Please!”

A moment later,
Mykah faced the wall at the end of the corridor. He laid his hand on one of the stones. The stone gave way. There was a tiny recess behind. Mykah reached in—and came back with the key to the cell.

Mykah
raced to the cell and inserted the key into the lock. The door swung open. He raced out, choking and gasping for air.

“Thank you,
Mykah,” he said, as soon as he could catch his breath. “Thank you for—”

T
o his astonishment, he saw Mykah’s eyes roll closed, his knees crumble, and his body fall to the floor.

“
Mykah?” Hidden in the smoke and shadows, a shimmering form emerged.

Xander.

How had he gotten in here? What was he doing? What happened to Mykah? His mind reeled, and to make his confusion even worse, he suddenly realized there was a second figure in the shadows.

Brita.

They both wore dark cloaks with hoods over their heads, ceremonial robes of the sort that many people wore to the various festivals and celebrations of the Sentinel. But why was Brita staring at him?

Suddenly embarrassed, he
slipped his tunic back on. Xander lifted his right arm. He held a thick wooden club.   

Brita
reached under her cloak and withdrew a backpack. Reaching inside, she pulled out a length of strong rope. Xander took his knife and cut two pieces perhaps a foot and a half in length. Then she put the remainder of the rope back in the pack.

“What are you doing?”

“What does it look like? We’re helping you escape, you fool!”

He
bristled. “I didn’t ask for your help.”

“Of course not
. You probably thought turning yourself in was a brilliant plan.”

“Why did you involve Xander?”

“Xander volunteered. And I needed help.”

Xande
r volunteered? To risk his neck? Why would a slave do such a thing? “How did you get in here?”

“By a combination of deception and brute force
. I provided the deception. Xander provided the brute force.”

“But the guards
—”

“Your father
distracted a few long enough for us to sneak inside the Keep.”

“
He’s part of this?”

“Of course
. Who did you think threw the charred ember through your cell window after we sneaked inside? Fortunately, most of the Sentry are at the Arena. Most everyone is, thanks to the Acolyte suggesting that anyone who did not attend would be judged a traitor. Xander only had to club a few guards to get to your cell.”

Hi
s brain struggled to catch up. “You set my cot on fire on purpose.”

“You don’t miss a trick, do you?
” Brita and Xander tied Mykah to the bars of the cell. The fire, having nothing more to feed it, was dying out.

“
Why not just club Mykah like the others?”

“Because we didn’t know where he
kept the key to your cell, idiot. We had to trick him into getting the key before I could let Xander brain him.”

It was a clever deception, he
had to admit. “How did you think of such a devious plan?”

“I read it in a book.”

“Well, I should...thank you. Your plan was good.”

“My plan was flawless,” she corrected.

He tilted his head to one side. “I did burn my leg a bit...”

“Don’t whine
. We got you out, didn’t we?”

“Y
es. But you might’ve warned me.”

“Your father tried
. You were sound asleep and your guard would have heard him had he spoken loud enough to be heard over your snoring.”

“I do not snore.
”

“You do
. But we have more important matters to discuss. We must get out of here as soon as possible. The Sentry will soon realize you’ve escaped.” She tossed him a dark cloak like the ones they both wore. “Put this on.”

He followed her directions
. She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the exit.

They moved at a quiet but brisk pace, careful not to attract any unnecessary attention.

He spotted another Black Sentry guard lying unconscious and tied fast. He showed no signs of stirring any time soon.

Xander led the way through the confusing maze of corridors that led to the outer office of the Keep
. Apparently he had been sent on errands here in the past and had some familiarity with the layout. They were almost at the outer door when he heard an earsplitting noise.

“The alarm bell,
” Brita muttered.

“But who
—?”

“I don’t know,” she replied
. “But someone knows you’re free. In a few moments, every Black Sentry platoon in the village will be here.
Run
.”