The Black Sentry (14 page)

After a few minutes, the show ended
. The light from the bucket faded, and the flicker came to an end.

“So that was t
he world of the Ancients,” he said breathlessly. “What marvels they achieved.”

“Haven’t I told you as much?” Brita said
. “Now you’ve seen it with your own eyes.”

“What you saw,” Drake interjected, “was not the world of the past
. It was a portrayal of how the people of the past envisioned the future might be.” He inhaled slowly. “They were wrong.”

Brita suggested it would be best if they got some sleep
. They were all tired.

He
was exhausted, but he found that as he lay his head down on the hay, he did not sleep. His heart pounded and his head was filled with questions.

“Brita,” he whispered.

“Yes?” she answered. It seemed he was not the only restless one.

“Are you awake?”

“Did you think I was talking in my sleep?”

“How did you persuade
Xander to help you get me out of the Keep?”

“I didn’t
. It was his idea. He came to me for help.”

“What?”

“He knew we were friends. He saw us in the alleyway, after the confrontation with Lieutenant Coffin. And apparently he saw you enter my house yesterday.”

“But
why would he—?”

“Xander was
concerned about you. He was prepared to do whatever it took to set you free.”

“
I don’t understand. Why would he do that?”

“Xa
nder has always liked you. He’s done everything imaginable to curry your favor. He dreams of being your friend.”

Hi
s head was muddled. “I—didn’t realize—”

“
Perhaps you were too busy asking him to fetch your breakfast.”

He
fell silent. Her words stung, but he knew there was truth in them. All his life he had been taught to see slaves as just that. Slaves. Tools. Nothing more. He did not like to see them mistreated, but he never saw them as more than servants.

“Xander admires you,” she
continued. “Worships you, practically. Frankly, I don’t see the big attraction, but Xander insists there’s something special about you. That you have something others don’t.”

“Like...a Gift?
” He remembered the Old Man’s words in the cellar.

“I don’t know what he sees
. But I know he dreams that one day you will see him as a friend. Not as a slave.”

“But
Brita–we’ve always been taught that slaves are...well, not the same as us. Different.”

“We’re all different
. Hadn’t you noticed?”

“But that...deformity
. On the side of their heads.”

“What of it
? You have a mole on the small of your back. It’s not much to look at, but it hardly makes you less of a person.”

H
is face reddened. How did she know he had a mole on the small of his back?

“Just try to be
nicer to him, okay? He did save your life, after all.”

“Brita
,” he said, after a moment, “I’m grateful for your help. Your and Xander’s help. But you haven’t been tried and sentenced. You haven’t been declared an enemy of the Sentinel. They don’t know who you are. You could still go back to the village. You could live a normal life.” He hesitated. “You could marry Mykah.”

She
ignored the last comment. “They may not have known who we were before, but they surely do now. Someone probably recognized Xander or me or both during the chase. Even if they didn’t, the Black Sentry spent the day going from house to house, waking people, searching their homes, trying to determine who’s missing.” There was a brief moment of silence. “No, we cannot go back.”

“Brita...” he said, “...I’m sorry...”

“For what?”

“I’ve ruined your life.
”

“Don’t be ridiculous
. I was the one who decided to help Xander rescue you. I made the decision fully realizing what the likely consequences would be.”

“You did that
for me?”

She made
a soft laughing noise that he did not much care for. “I did it for the Resistance.”

“W
e should rescue the Old Man. Before the Ritual of Execution.”

“I admit...I’ve had similar thoughts myself
. But it can’t be done. Especially not now, when the Black Sentry are looking for us. It would be suicide.”

He
tried to sound strong. “I would rather commit suicide than live knowing I left the Old Man in the clutches of the Black Sentry.”

“It’s impossible
. When we broke you out, we had the element of surprise. But guards will be swarming all around the Old Man’s cell.”

“Then we won’t go there.”

“It
would
be wrong to just move on,” she murmured at last, “without even trying to save him.”

“Of course it would be.
”

“But we’
ll have to think this through carefully. We’ll have to work out all the details in advance. We can’t afford to make any mistakes. We will need a plan.”

“Of course,” he
answered. “And if anyone can devise a plan that will succeed, Brita, you can.”

“Do you really think so?”

“I know so.”

She fell silent.

“So do you have any ideas yet?” he said, after a bit.

“I did have a thought,” she said slowly
. “About something I saw in Drake’s flicker...”

21

Daman and friends
woke early the next morning. They found Drake was already gone, vanished without a trace. They gathered their belongings and resumed the journey to Clovis.

The rest of the trip was as exciting as the first
part–perhaps even more so, because the sun shone and he could see everything, every bird, every bug, every blade of grass. He loved how each blade seemed individual and distinct, not flat and even and smooth like what they called grass back in the village. He kicked over a rock and found all manner of slimy creatures writhing underneath. He didn’t know what most of them were, but he was entranced by the variety. The sameness of everything in the village was dull by comparison.

The only consideration
that spoiled the excitement was the ever-present danger of Creepers. More than once they heard the chilling rattle that signified a monster’s approach. By moving quickly, they managed to avoid them.

At one point
, he attempted a conversation with Xander.

“Uh...Xander,” he said, clearing his throat
. “I...uh..wanted to...thank you.”

“Thank me?” Xander said, his eyes widening slightly
. “For what?”

“For yesterday
. For saving me. Breaking me out of the Keep.”

Xander shrugged
. “It was nothing.”

“I hardly think so.”

“I was happy to do it.”

“Yes
. And I–I—” He swore silently. He knew what he should say, and this was the perfect time to do it. But every time he tried, he would glimpse that throbbing reddish bulge on the side of Xander’s head and begin to feel ill.

“Anyway,” he
said, stiffening, “it was well done. You have my gratitude.”

Xander nodded, and his face returned to the usual brooding expression.

By mid-afternoon they saw the tall walls of Clovis. From the outside, it looked no different than Merrindale, except larger. They found an unwatched spot and, using the rope and hook, managed to scale the fence and descend into the village.

By chatting casually with villagers, they soon learned that the Old Man had been tried and, as expected, convicted of treason against the Sentinel
. The Ritual of Execution would follow tomorrow morning. What’s more–the Acolyte himself was expected to preside over the ceremony.

While they
talked to people in the village marketplace, he heard heavy footfalls coming from the vicinity of Clovis’s Keep. Black Sentry.

They
ducked for cover, without attracting too much attention. He thought the Clovis Sentry might have been told to watch for them. As he watched the platoon march in formation past them, he saw that the reality was much worse.

“
Mykah,” he said under his breath.

Brit
a nodded, but gestured for him to stay quiet. Mykah marched near the front of the contingent. He must have traveled from Merrindale–with how many others? And why?

Near
the end of the formation, he saw the purpose of the parade–transporting the Old Man. His hands were tied and a heavy wooden brace had been locked around his neck and shoulders. He looked exhausted. He had probably been forced to walk all the way from Merrindale, despite his injured ankle. He breathed heavily, and each step seemed to make him wince.

The crowd
reacted as soon as they saw the Old Man. People shouted and cursed and called him ugly names. Some even threw vegetables. His heart sank as he watched the Old Man being so cruelly treated. He heard a Sentry explain that the Old Man was being transported from the courthouse to the Clovis Keep, where he would remain until it was time for the Ritual of Execution.

He
exchanged a glance with Brita. Neither of them spoke, but he knew the same thought was on both their brains. They had to rescue the Old Man. Somehow. Before it was too late.

*****

After nightfall, from a safe hiding place, Daman saw Mykah emerge from the Clovis Keep. Keeping a discreet distance, he and his friend followed Mykah until they arrived at the temporary quarters provided for his stay in Clovis.

They waited until all the lights in the small cottage were out, and then waited even longer, until it was reasonable to assume that
Mykah, and most of the people of this village, were asleep.

“Are
you sure you can do this?” he asked.

Brita nodded, her eyes not quite meeting his
. “I’m sure.”

She hurried to the front door and knocked briskly
. When there was no response, she pounded harder. A few moments later, they heard footsteps. Mykah was up, probably fumbling around for clothes.

A few moments later,
Mykah opened the door. He wore a casual tunic and trousers—probably what he slept in.

“Hello
,” she said simply.

Mykah
could not have looked more surprised if he had seen the Sentinel himself. “Brita. But—I was told…”

“Yes
?”

“I wa
s told you disappeared.”

“I didn’t go far
. I spent the night in a barn in the forest.”

“
But–the Creepers! The Savages!”

“As you
can see, I managed to survive.”

“The Black Sentry said
you joined the traitors. The Resistance. They said you helped Daman escape.”

“Did you believe that?”

“No, of course not. But I couldn’t deny that you disappeared. I thought that—that—”

“What?
” Her voice took on a softer tone. “You thought what?”

“I thought you
left to avoid me. To avoid marrying me.”

Poor
Mykah. Daman could not help but feel sorry for him. Even from where he crouched in the shadows, he could see the hurt and anguish in Mykah’s eyes. He loved Brita.

“That is not why I disappeared
,” Brita said.

“But you
said—and I could tell—”

“I’ll admit I wasn’
t anxious to marry, but that had nothing to do with you.”

“Then what?
”

“
I’m only sixteen, Mykah. It’s absurd to think that I should settle down, should resign myself to nothing more than being someone’s housekeeper and child-raiser. I mean no disrespect to you. But there’s a world outside our tiny village. There’s so much I want to see. So much I want to do.”

A deep furrow crossed
Mykah’s forehead. “I don’t understand. What exactly do you want to do?”

“I don’t know
. That’s my whole point. I want to learn.”

“T
he Sentinel has decreed that you shall be my wife.”

“Yes,” Brita said softly
. “I know.”

“The Sentinel knows what is best for us, Brita.”

“The Sentinel knows what is best for the Sentinel. He cares nothing for individuals.”

“Brita!”

“If he did, he wouldn’t try to confine me to one village. Separated from people and ideas and boo—” Fortunately, she stopped herself in time. “The Sentinel does not want what is best for me.”

All at once
, Mykah took her hands in his. He pulled her close and gazed into her eyes.

“I do.
” He whispered the words, his eyes never leaving hers. “All I want is what’s best for you. If you don’t want to tend the house or raise the children, fine. All I want is you.”

For some r
eason, Brita seemed to have difficulty formulating her response. “Mykah,” she said finally, “will you walk with me?”

He nodded, and she led
Mykah away from the cottage.

Daman
and Xander didn’t waste a moment. As soon as Mykah and Brita were out of sight, they crept out of the alleyway and hurried toward Mykah’s cottage. They slid through the front door into the main room, thankful to be off the street and away from prying eyes. They did not light a candle or use any other source of illumination. At this hour, any light increased the risk of discovery.

They made their way back to the bedroom
. A slim bed rested in the center with a medium-sized trunk at the foot. There was also a closet and a small wooden chest of drawers.

“Do you see it?” Xander whispered.

“No.”

“We only have a few minutes.”

He nodded. This was a fact of which he was well aware and needed very little reminding. “You search the trunk. I’ll take the closet.”

He
opened the sliding closet panel and rummaged through the contents. He thought it would be quick and easy to sort through Mykah’s belongings, given that he was only temporarily lodging here, but the darkness made any search difficult. One item of clothing looked much the same as another. Repeatedly, he had to remove items from the closet and hold them by the window to view them in the moonlight. This consumed too much of their extremely limited time.

After a few minutes, he
finished examining the closet. Xander finished with the trunk.

“Did you find it?”

“No.” Xander’s frustration was evident, compounded by his anxiousness over the possibility that Mykah might return. They knew that Brita would stall, but no matter how much Mykah loved her, he would not want to be out this late with no legitimate purpose. A suspicious incident could prematurely end the career of anyone in the Black Sentry.

Together, they
assaulted the chest of drawers. They tried not to disturb things, as they did not want Mykah to realize he had been searched, but it was difficult. They ransacked every drawer, but still did not find what they wanted.

“Perhaps it isn’
t here,” Xander said, eyeing the front door anxiously.

“It’s here
. We just have to find it.”

“It’s brand new,” Xander said
. “Probably the only new clothing Mykah has had in years. Surely he’d hang it in his closet.”

“Maybe he didn’t want
it to be in plain sight,” he said, thinking aloud. “If it’s his most prized possession, perhaps he’d put it somewhere safer. Somewhere special. Somewhere out of sight.”

He
scanned the room. They had searched all the obvious places. He tried to think—where would he put his most prized possession? He remembered when he was a tiny boy, when he often brought home small treasures—colorful rocks or flowers, perhaps a found coin. And he always hid them in a box that he kept—

He crouched down on his knees.
He lifted the edge of the bedclothes and peered underneath.

There it was.

He pulled out a small box containing Mykah’s shiny new outfit. The uniform of the Black Sentry, complete with the eerie hood and goggles.

“Come on!
” Without wasting a step, they started toward the front door. Barely a moment later, they heard shuffling noises out front.

They
froze in their tracks.

Footsteps
. And a voice.

Mykah
was on the bedroom end of the house heading toward the front door–the only door—which was already within his sight. They could not exit by the bedroom window–the only window—without being seen.

They had no way to escape.  And Mykah was on his way inside.