True Magics (46 page)

“Talk well,” muttered George.

Thomas nodded and stepped up onto the chair. The people looked anxious, worried and suspicious. Thomas, knowing that there was no easy way to deal with it, launched in. “This morning, the king declared that there was no such thing as witchcraft, and that any person being held on charges of it were to be released immediately,” said Thomas. “The Church has responded by bringing together all their troops and supporters. The Archbishop will be making an announcement shortly, and when he does, there’s going to be fighting in the streets.”

“How do you know this?” someone demanded.

“I’m in the king’s service,” said Thomas, which was true and far shorter than the real explanation. “Right now, the students who were taking the writs demanding the release of your families are trapped inside Cathedral Square, and when the Archbishop declares war, they’re going to be killed. I need to get them out and I need men to help me.”

“Why us?” asked Master Gatron. “Why not the Watch?”

“The Watch is busy,” said Thomas. “We need to go now, and I need help. Anyone who is willing to come. Please, I can’t get through to them with only fifteen of us.”

“Sixteen,” said Eileen. “I’m coming.”

“Seventeen,” said George.

“It’s not our fight,” said one of the men.

“Yes it is,” said George, before Thomas could speak. “The Church has already come here, taken away people, and told us that we have to swear allegiance to them instead of the king. The students have helped us, and we need to help them.”

“If the crowd is as big as you say,” said Master Gatron. “What are an extra ten men going to do?”

“Not men,” said George. “Smiths. We’re stronger than anyone else. Twenty of us could be enough to push through.”

“We can’t spare twenty,” said Master Gatron.

“I’ll go,” said one of the older men with two younger versions of himself standing behind him. “Me and my lads. The Church took my wife.”

“Smith Grayson,” said George to Thomas.

“Thank you,” said Thomas.

“And me and mine,” said another man. “Smith Franklin. They got my mum.” He stepped forward and four more stepped with him. “What do we do?”

“Get sticks or staves or something,” said Thomas. “And thank you, too.”

“Will that be enough?” asked Claudine.

“It’s what we’ve got,” said Thomas. “It will have to do. Can someone look after my horse?”

Master Gatron took the horse. Thomas assembled the company and told them his plan. “Who’s leading the students?”

“The Fencing Master,” said Michael. “Got them all organized like a proper army and had them march to the square.”

“Think he’ll listen to you?” asked Marcus. “Because he doesn’t like you much anymore.”

“I don’t care,” said Thomas. “We go in, we get them, we leave as fast as possible and preferably before the Archbishop makes his announcement.”

“Any idea when that will be?” asked Eileen.

“None,” said Thomas. I’m just hoping it’s not soon.”

“Look,” said Jonathan.

Thomas looked. George, Smiths Franklin and Grayson were leading two dozen young men. All had long iron bars in their hands, and most had hammers at their belts. “The Master Smith said any apprentices who were over sixteen and wanted to come could join us,” said George. “This is what we have.”

“It will do,” said Thomas. “Now, who knows a back way to Cathedral Square?”

“I do,” said one of the apprentices. “Mother wanted me to be a priest.”

“Lead us, please,” said Thomas. “As quick as you can.”

As quick as they could was a brisk walk, which was slower than Thomas wanted but as fast as the smiths could manage over any serious distance. There were more people out now, even in the side streets. Several times they had to push their way through mobs of people, and once a group of Church supporters blocked their path, entirely. Thomas shouted for his troop to advance and brain anyone who tried to stop them. The Church supporters fell back but yelled and spat at them as they went past.

It was nearly noon when they reached the street behind the law court. It was filled with people. Thomas stopped the troop. “Listen close,” he said. “The students are on the steps of the Church courts. That’s to the left and twenty yards in. If we can get there, they can get out.”

“What do we do?” asked Grayson.

“We push our way through to them,” said Thomas. “If people try to fight us, we brain them. Don’t stop pushing forward, and don’t stop moving. Got it?”

“Going to make a wedge again?” asked Marcus.

“It works,” said Thomas.

“Right,” said George. “Smiths first, then.”

The street was wide enough for them to march ten across if they wanted to. Thomas set them six abreast so everyone else could get out of their way. They began pushing forward, telling people to move and shoving back anyone who refused. A couple of times people tried to fight. George punched the first man and he fell like a tree. Two of the apprentices grabbed the second one and together threw him against the wall hard enough that all the fight was knocked out of him. The rest of the people got out of the way until they reached the square.

“Oh, my word,” said George. “There’s thousands of them.”

“Doesn’t matter,” called Thomas, who couldn’t see around the corner. “Can you see the students?”

“Aye,” said George. “Right here.”

“Then keep pushing. We need to get through.”

They rounded the corner and waded into the crowd.

The noise hit Thomas first; a wave of it that made talking nearly impossible. Thousands were singing and shouting There were people playing horns and drums somewhere, though Thomas couldn’t tell where. He couldn’t even see the square for all the people in it. His world was reduced to the people that pushed and shoved at them.

One voice rose above the cacophony. “Let them through!”

George craned his neck to see. “It’s a preacher.”

“And he wants us there why?” asked Marcus.

“Let them come!” called the preacher. “Let them hear what the Archbishop has to say about their king’s plan to allow witches to roam free through the kingdom!”

“Head for the stairs,” said Thomas. “Slow and steady.”

They made their way through the now-silent section of the crowd. They could hear singing and prayers from other parts of the square where folks had no idea what was going on in front of the Church courts. The people around them glared but made way. Several muttered threats and insults as the group went by, but no one tried to stop them.

When the last of the people parted before them, Thomas could see the mass of students shoulder to shoulder on the wide porch of the Church courts. There were nearly two hundred of them and their numbers were completely dwarfed by the massive crowd that surrounded them. Thomas marched his own troop up the stairs and called up, “Make room for some more!”

“Thomas!” Graham called from the middle of the line. “What in the name of the Four are you doing here?”

“Getting you out,” said Thomas. He turned to look into the square. Thousands of people filled it, jammed together until folks could barely move. Some wore the Church’s colours. Others carried banners proclaiming “The High Father Above All!” and “God before King!” and “Death to the Witches!” They were singing, playing pipes and beating on drums. Preachers stationed throughout the square shouted to their followers. And around the edges of the square, in front of every building were Church cavalry, fully armoured, lances pointing to the sky. There were hundreds of them. Thomas shuddered.

“Thomas Flarety!” the Fencing Master’s voice filled the air. “Get over here!”

“Keep together,” said Thomas to his company. “When we go, we’re leading.”

“We’re not going to go,” said Graham. “Not without the rest.”

“Who’s missing?”

“The lawyers went inside two hours ago.”

“What?” Thomas was appalled. “Did you hear the king’s proclamation?”

“We did…”

“Do you know what it means? You should have gone after them then!”

“
Thomas!
Here!
Now!
”

Thomas shook his head in disbelief and worked his way through the ranks of the students to Master Brennan. The man’s bald head was practically glowing. He glared at Thomas. “What are you doing here?”

“Getting you out,” said Thomas. “There’s a street to the side there. We can leave through it.”

“We’re not going anywhere,” said the Fencing Master. “Not without the lawyers.”

Thomas swore. “Did you hear the king’s decree? Did the Master of Laws?”

“The Master of Laws was inside when it was proclaimed,” said Master Brennan. “And watch your language.”

“The proclamation that declares witchcraft non-existent automatically renders the writs for proof of lawful incarceration void,” said Thomas. “If witchcraft doesn’t exist, the accused can’t be charged with it, therefore their incarceration is automatically unlawful, and no writ is necessary.”

“Just because the king says it doesn’t exist, doesn’t mean it doesn’t really,” said the Fencing Master.

Thomas stared at the man in surprise. “As far as the law is concerned, that is exactly what it means.”

“Well, the Church must disagree, because they’re still in there.”

“Then get them out,” said Thomas, keeping the words slow and even. “Now.”

“Don’t you give me orders, boy,” said the Fencing Master. “We wait until they come out, and then we all leave. Not before.”

“Give them a hymn!” yelled the preacher from his box. “Show them our loyalty to the High Father!” The preacher started in on an old battle hymn and the mob took it up with a will, roaring it out with more volume than tune, and making it nearly impossible to hear anything else. The Fencing Master stopped talking and craned his neck toward the Cathedral.

“Have you sent anyone in after them?” Thomas yelled.

“I have not,” the Fencing Master glared at Thomas. “The Master of Laws said to wait, and wait we shall.”

You stupid son of a…
Thomas forced himself to take a deep breath. “The Archbishop is going to give his response to the king’s proclamation. When he does, what do you think is going to happen to us?”

“Well, that depends on his response, doesn’t it?”

“The streets are already a mess of people,” said Thomas. “They’re already fighting. This entire square is a riot waiting to happen and there’s
cavalry
surrounding it! We need leave. Now!”

“You don’t give orders here.” Master Brennan’s tone was unyielding. “Get your company and get in the ranks. Now.”

Thomas opened his mouth to argue further, but the bells of the church began pealing. The square fell silent, and for a moment it seemed as if everybody held their breath. The cathedral doors opened and the Archbishop stepped out, followed by a host of priests and Church soldiers. The people went wild. The Archbishop sketched a blessing over them all and let them cheer for a bit. Then he raised his hands for quiet. Throughout the hushed square, the preachers stepped down from their boxes, and criers in Church livery took their place.

The doors to the Church courts opened. Thomas spun in place, staff at the ready, but it was only another crier. The man walked forward, saying, “May I be let through, please?”

“Clear the way!” shouted the Fencing Master. “Let him through!”

The students shuffled, creating a path down the middle of their ranks. The crier walked through and stopped on the stairs.

The Archbishop lowered his arms and began speaking. The criers took up his words, until they echoed through the square.

“We have heard the words of King Harold Plastine!” called the Archbishop and the criers. “We have heard them and found them deeply disturbing! We have prayed and sought guidance from the High Father, and we have realized that there can be only one conclusion!

“The Banished have taken control of this kingdom!”

The crowd roared in horror and anger. People began yelling and crying. A few near the students charged up the stairs and were pushed back. The Archbishop raised his arms and he and the criers began speaking again.

“Do not despair!” the Archbishop and criers declared. “For though the very highest levels of the kingdom have been infected by the wickedness of the Banished, it can still be stopped!

“Even as we speak, our troops are marching through the city! And as they march they are calling on all loyal sons of the Church to rise with them! And now, we are calling on you!

“The king must be brought back to the High Father! He must be made to repent his folly! He must be brought down, so that he will take the road of obedience that the High Father has set out for him as he sets out for all the kings of the world!”

The people roared again, louder and uglier, with a dangerous edge to it.

“We need to get out!” said Thomas “Now!”

“Hold your tongue and hold your place!” snapped Master Brennan.

“Let all those who defy the High Father’s will be laid low!” called the Archbishop and his criers. “Let them be chastened and let them be made to understand that the will of the High Father is supreme!”