The Gathering (52 page)

"You are forgiven, Brother."

Stephan shook his head and stood up.

"I shouldn't be!
 
I was tempted and rather than rely on what I know to be true, I was persuaded to think the worst of good people.
 
Captain Lantry has never harmed me.
 
He was the first to volunteer when we radioed for help when Anne and the other women were taken.
 
Mrs. Petrulengo has always been kind to us, to everyone in our village, despite the rumors of her gypsy magic.
 
And you, Alia, I have… I am so sorry."

Beverly stepped forward and spoke softly.

"Yes, President Merganser, you have acted rashly towards many good people, Sir, but that does not mean that you are without redemption.
 
You have apologized to Alia and so you will do with Sean and Elena.
 
Nothing has been done that cannot be undone."

Elian and Albion were watching quietly from the corner.
 
Stephan looked up at them and they could see his shame.
 
He held out his hands to them and Elian stepped forward.
 
He took his father's hand and gripped it tightly and reassuringly, but Albion stood back.

He was feeling that familiar twinge of exclusion.
 
He looked at his feet and sighed.
 
When he looked up, however, Stephan had risen from his chair and stepped up to his youngest son.
 
He raised his hand and Albion cowered slightly until Stephan gently touched his son's face.
 

Albion looked up at his father and let a single tear fall down his cheek.
 
Stephan grabbed him in to an embrace and held him as he sobbed.
 

Alia stood up and walked to the balcony, staring off towards the jail.

"Rona and Darla are currently being held in our jail."

Justin looked over at Alia.

"What will you do with them…should they be found guilty?"

Alia gave them a wry smile.

"I don't think you really want to know, Gentlemen."

Beverly stood up now as well.

"They've confessed nothing, but we know that they were behind this.
 
At least we've stopped them before it got too serious."

Stephan continued to hold his sons and weep quietly.
 
He turned his head to Justin.

"I believe I should step down, Justin.
 
I think it would be better for our people if you were the only president of Crystal Shade.
 
I should be leading by example and my sins are many."

Justin shook his head.

"No, I think it would be foolish to step down.
 
We are here to lead our people and teach them.
 
This is about forgiveness, Stephan.
 
If you step down, it will teach them nothing and then Rona and her sort win.
 
Please, promise me you will not make any rash decisions?"

Elian held onto both his father and brother.

"Brother Justin is right, Father.
 
Don't make any decisions right now.
 
You're upset and not thinking straight."

Albion looked up and smiled.

"I agree…don't decide right now."

Stephan looked down at his youngest son, smiled and nodded.
 
Then he kissed the boy’s forehead and embraced him again.

Alia looked at Justin.

"I think I'll leave you to this.
 
Beverly and I have a few more errands to run.
 
Thank you, Justin."

He smiled and nodded as Alia and Beverly turned to leave.
 
As they walked out the door, Alia turned to watch the Mergansers.
 
She smiled to herself and thought,
"They might be ok after all."
 

As the door closed, a falcon flew through the village towards the jail.

68

Rona was staring out the bars of the window again when she saw the falcon flying towards them.
 
She laughed and jumped up and down, clapping her hands together.

"See, Darla?
 
They're coming!
 
They're coming!!
 
We'll be out of here before you know it."

Darla sulked in her cell.
 
The guilt of what they had done was now eating away at her.
 
She lightly touched her lips and thought about the kiss she had shared with the Merganser boy.
 
She smiled to herself until she remembered that she had not looked like herself, and then she frowned and felt the tears come.

Rona heard her sigh and turned around.
 
As she did, she rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"You're pathetic, Darla."

She walked towards the bars that separated their cells and grabbed them as she stared through the openings.
 
She smiled.

"One little kiss…that's all it took to give you a conscience?
 
Imagine if you'd fucked the little thumper."

She leaned her head back and laughed as Darla leered at her.
 
Rona started to walk back to the window when she heard a horrible screech.
 
Her face dropped as she ran to the window and pressed her face against the bars, trying to see what was outside.

She only turned when the door to the cell room was unlatched.
 
Through the door walked Sean and Myron, who were smiling at Rona.

“WHAT DID YOU DO?!”

Sean raised his eyebrows and shrugged as he looked over at Myron.
 
Myron began to laugh quietly.
 
Sean looked back at Rona.

"Why whatever do you mean?"

Rona’s breathing was getting deeper and quicker, her eyes furious and blazing.
 
Suddenly the door opened and a soldier walked in carrying the women's dinner.
 
He again slid the trays under the cell doors and left the room while Sean and Myron both leaned back against the wall, smiling.

Darla quietly picked up her tray and tentatively opened the lid to see what lay underneath.
 
Her eyes were wide and cautious as she slowly lifted the metal dome.
 
She let out a great sigh of relief to see mashed potatoes, chicken and a roll.
 
She glanced at the men who were watching her smiling and then scowled in the direction of Rona who frowned and bent over and picked up her tray.
 
She was still scowling at the men when she removed the food cover.
 
She then looked down to see a dead falcon on her plate.
 
She screamed and dropped the plate as Sean and Myron laughed.

"You bastards!
 
How could you do this?"

Sean pushed himself off the wall and walked towards her cell, causing her to back away from the bars.
 
He grabbed the bars and sneered at her.

"That demon bird was coming here, wasn't it?"

"It's a falcon… just a bird."

Sean shook his head.

"No, not just a bird, Ro.
 
Nothing is as it appears with you.
 
Just so you know, we see a falcon around here and we're killing it."

"You're sick, Lantry!!
 
First we're accused of letting those imp creatures in here, then seducing some Crystals and now we're in a Hitchcock movie.
 
You're crazy!!"

Sean smiled again and stepped away from the cell.
 

"Actually, Rona, it was
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
”

Sean moved towards the door as Myron laughed and walked towards him.
 
When he had reached the door, Sean turned.

"You're dead, Rona.
 
I'll see you hang before the week is out."

"Fuck you, Lantry!
 
You haven't got the balls!"

He stopped in the doorway.

"You'd be surprised, Rona."

Then he and Myron walked out of the room as Rona kicked the dead bird under the cell and stared at it.

Darla finished her food and slid the tray quietly under the cell door, then turned to Rona.

"So now what are you going to do?
 
If you can't tell the birds what has happened, how will the Master know?"

Rona snarled at Darla and turned around.

"Fuck you too, D."

Darla smiled as she sat back down.
 
Little did she know that Rona had a back-up plan.

69

Amanda Stark walked softly into the receiving lounge.
 
Sean and her mother were speaking softly next to the fire of the early evening.
 
Sean looked angry.
 
Amanda held her stuffed rabbit close to her chest and moved forward.

Sean turned and saw Amanda walking towards them and raised his eyebrows to Alia, who turned and sighed.

"What are you doing, Little Miss?"

Amanda shrugged and frowned with big eyes.

"C'mon, what's up?"

Amanda shook her head as a large tear rolled down her cheek.

"I don't wanna go to sleep, Mommy."

Alia looked at Sean as she picked up her youngest child.
 
Amanda sobbed into her mother's chest as Alia tried to calm her.

"Amanda, Sweetheart?
 
Tell mommy what's wrong.
 
Did you have a bad dream?"

Amanda clung to her mother.

"Please…don't…leave…me…please, Mommy…"

Alia looked at Sean and shook her head.

"Why would I leave you, Amanda?
 
Amanda!"

She moved Amanda in front of her so she could look into her child's eyes.
 
There it was.
 
The fear she had seen in her other children's eyes after the War had begun.

"It was just a dream, Baby.
 
I'm not going anywhere."

Amanda just cried and clung to her mother.
 
Alia looked at Sean.

"I'll be back in a minute."