The Desert Spear (60 page)

'You can't do that!' Hog cried.

'Oh, yes I can, Rusco,' Selia said. 'Just you try me if you think it ent so.' Raddock scowled, and it turned venomous when Hog went back to stand with Selia in the doorway.

Hog met his eyes. 'I don't want to hear it, Raddock. We can wait a day or two. Any man puts hands on Renna Tanner before the council meets is banned from the store.'

Selia turned to Raddock, her eyes blazing. 'How long, Lawry' How long can Fishing Hole go without Bales' grain and livestock' Marsh rice' Boggin's Ale' Cutters' wood' I'm betting not nearly so long as we can go without ripping fish!'

'Fine, you call the council,' Raddock said. 'But we 'll lock the girl up in Fishing Hole until she has her trial.'

Selia barked a laugh. 'You think I'd entrust her to you''

'Then where'' he asked. 'I'll be corespawned before I let her stay here with her kin, where she could run off.'

Selia sighed, glancing back at the house. 'We 'll put her in my spinning room. It's got a stout door, and you can nail the shutters and set a guard, if you wish.'

'You sure that's wise'' Rusco asked her, raising an eyebrow.

'Oh, feh,' Selia said, waving dismissively. 'She's just a little girl.'

'A little girl that killed two grown men,' Rusco reminded her.

'Nonsense,' Selia said. 'I doubt she could have killed one of those strong men herself, much less two.'

'Fine,' Raddock growled, 'but I'm keeping this,' he held up the knife, 'and that bloody dress, until the council comes.' Selia scowled, and their eyes met as they matched wills. She knew Raddock Lawry could whip the town into a frenzy with the items, but she didn't have much choice in the matter.

'I'll send runners today,' Selia said, nodding. 'We 'll meet in three days.'

Jeph carried Renna out to his cart and they took her down to Selia's house in Town Square, locking her in the spinning room. Garric nailed the shutters closed from the outside himself, testing the wood carefully before grunting and agreeing to leave.

TOWN COUNCIL

333 AR SUMMER

DAWN CAME THE NEXT day, and Selia's bones ached as she swung her feet out of bed. The pain had come to her joints a few years past. It was worst when it was rainy or cold, but lately she felt a twinge of it even on the warmest, driest days. She supposed it would worsen ere she died.

But Selia never complained, not even to Coline Trigg. The pain was her burden to bear. She was Speaker in Tibbet's Brook, and that meant folk expected her to be strong and stand up for what was right. No matter how her limbs screamed, no one ever saw any sign that Selia was anything other than what she had always been, a rock of support they could lean upon.

She felt that added weight heavily as she rose and made her ablutions, dressing in one of her heavy, high-necked gowns. She didn't know Renna or her sisters well, but she knew their mother, and how Harl had treated her before the corelings took her. Some said she went to the demons willingly, to escape him. If he was at all the same with his daughters, Selia could well imagine Renna needing to kill in her own defense.

When she was done, she saw to Renna, dressing her in one of her own gowns and sitting her up to take some porridge. She wiped the girl's mouth clean when she was done and left the spinning room, dropping the bar.

She had her own meal, then went outside. Rik Fisher was standing on her walk, holding his thin fishing spear. He was seventeen and not yet married, though Selia had seen him walking with Ferd Miller's daughter Jan. If Ferd approved the match, they would likely be promised soon.

'Need you to run an errand for me,' Selia said.

'Sorry, ma'am,' Rik said. 'Raddock Lawry said to stay right here and make sure the girl dunt leave, no matter what anyone said to me.'

'Oh, did he'' Selia asked. 'And am I right to guess I would find your brother Borry around back, by my nice shutters that Garric nailed shut''

'Yes'm,' Rik said.

Selia went back into the house, coming out with a broom and a rake. 'Won't have idle hands milling around my house, Rik Fisher. You want to stay here, you'll sweep my front walk spotless and have your brother clear the leaves and dead grass out back.'

'I'm not sure I',' Rik began.

'You'd leave an old woman to do work you're too lazy to'' Selia asked. 'Perhaps I'll mention that to Ferd Miller, the next time I see him.'

Rik had taken the broom and rake before she finished the sentence. 'That's a dear boy,' she said. 'When you're done, you can check my wards. Anyone comes calling, have them set on my porch. I'll be back soon.'

'Yes'm,' Rik said.

She took a crock of butter cookies and went to where the children played in the Square, sending the swiftest to deliver messages in exchange for a cookie. By the time she made it back to her house, Rik was done with the walk and was sweeping her porch. Stam Tailor, the first person she had summoned, sat slumped on her porch steps, clutching his head in pain.

'Regretting yesterday's ale'' Selia asked, knowing the answer already. Stam was always regretting yesterday's ale, even as he reached for today's.

Stam only groaned in reply.

'Come inside then, and have a cup of tea to soothe your head,' Selia said. 'Want to talk about what you saw, night before last.'

She interviewed Stam at length, and then the others who claimed to have seen Renna pass through on her way to the store. There were too many of these to believe, though, as if the whole town had seen her charge down the street, eyes ablaze and knife in hand. Raddock and Garric had been from one end of the Brook to the other with the bloody knife and dress, and everyone wanted to feel a part of the drama.

'Cobie may have been weak in the flesh,' Tender Harral told her, recalling the scene after Fernan Boggin's funeral, 'but he was honest in wanting to marry Renna, I saw it plain on his face. Hers, too. It was Harl that had murder in his eyes at the thought.'

'My Lucik got in a fight with two Fishers last night,' Meada Boggin told her later. 'They said Renna planned to kill her da all along, and tried to trick Cobie into doing it for her. Lucik punched one on the nose, and they broke his arm.'

'Lucik punched one'' Selia asked.

'My boy lived with Renna Tanner nigh fourteen years,' Meada said, 'and if he says she ent a killer, that's enough for me.'

'You'll speak for Boggin's Hill, now that Fernan's gone'' Selia asked.

Meada nodded. 'Hill voted yesterday.'

Coline Trigg came next. 'Keep asking myself,' the Herb Gatherer said, 'why was poor Cobie stabbed twixt the legs' Must've been her done it; no man'd do that to another man. Expect she wasn't as willing as folk say when Cobie visited. Reckon he forced himself on her, and she went to kill him for it. When her father tried to stop her, she must've killed him, too.'

In the afternoon, Jeph arrived with Ilain and Beni. He kept close to the women, interposing himself between Beni and Rik Fisher as they glared at each other.

'How's Lucik'' Selia asked Beni as they came inside.

Beni sighed. 'Coline says the splint comes off in a couple months, but it puts us in a bad place, we want to fill Hog's ale orders. Worried for my boys, too, this feud goes on much longer.'

Selia nodded. 'Best keep your boys close to hand. Raddock's stirred the Fishers into a fine frenzy, and they reckon they're owed blood. Might be they're not picky about where they get it. Meantime, I'll see if I can find any idle hands around town to throw in at the brewery.'

'Thank you, Speaker,' Beni said.

Selia gave all three a hard look. 'We all have to do our part, when times try us.' She turned and led them to the spinning room. Renna sat in a chair, staring at the wall.

'She been eating'' Ilain asked, worry in her voice.

Selia nodded. 'She 'll swallow what you put in her mouth, and use the privy if you lead her to it. Even worked the pedal on my spinning wheel last night. Just her will that's gone.'

'She was like that for me, too,' Ilain agreed. Beni looked at Renna and started to cry.

'Would you mind leaving us a spell, Speaker'' Jeph asked.

'Course not,' Selia said, leaving the room and closing the door behind her.

Jeph hung back, giving Ilain and Beni distance as they went to their sister. They spoke in hushed tones, but Jeph could hear a mole digging his fields at thirty yards, and he caught every word.

'She done it,' Beni said. 'Never believe she hurt Cobie Fisher, but she was scared to death of what Da might do if they was alone. Begged me to take her away with us'' She sobbed again, and Ilain joined her. They held each other until it passed.

'Oh, Ren,' Ilain said, 'why'd you have to go and kill him' I always just took it quiet.'

'You never took nothin' quiet,' Beni snapped. 'You took it like I did, hiding behind the first man I saw. And we both got away with it, because we left Da another plum.'

Ilain turned to her, horror in her eyes. 'Din't reckon he 'd turn to you,' she said, reaching out. 'Thought you were too young.'

Beni slapped her hand away. 'You knew,' she spat. 'I already had paps bigger than most goodwives, and was old enough to promise. You knew, and you left anyway, 'cause you were thinkin' more of yourself than your kin.'

'You din't do the same'' Ilain accused. 'If that ent the night callin' things dark, dunno what is!'

They went at each other, but Jeph crossed the floor in an instant, pulling them apart by the necks of their dresses. 'There 'll be none of that!' he said, holding them out at arm's length and glaring at them until they dropped their eyes. When he let go, the fight was out of them.

'Maybe it's time to air this all before the council,' he said, making both women look up at him sharply. 'Tell 'em the kinda man Harl was,' he thrust his chin at Renna, 'and maybe they won't blame her for what she done.'

Ilain slumped into the seat next to Renna, digesting the thought, but Beni glared at him. 'You expect me to stand before the likes of Raddock Lawry and Lucik's mam and say my da liked to treat his daughters like wives'' she demanded. 'You expect I'll trust that tale to the tavern keeper and that old gossip Coline Trigg' Night, how'll I look my own husband in the eye after that, much less hold my head up in town' How could any of us' Worse 'n what happened, everyone knowin' what happened!'

'Worse than seein' your sister staked'' Jeph asked.

'Even if it wern't,' Beni said, 'ent no proof it would change one mind on the council, and might be it gets three sisters staked, steada just one.'

Jeph looked to Ilain, sitting very quiet as the image Beni painted danced before her eyes. 'I think everyone knowing might be worse,' she said softly, her voice cracking into a sob with the last word. Jeph rushed to her, going to one knee to hold her as she cried.

'You best keep your mouth shut on this, too, Jeph Bales,' Beni said.

Jeph looked at his weeping wife, and nodded. 'Not my place to make that decision for you two. I'll hold my peace.'

Ilain looked at Renna and moaned, her face screwing up further. 'I'm sorry!' she sobbed, and hurried out of the room.

'Are you all right, dear'' Selia asked Ilain as she stumbled out of the spinning room.

'Hate seein' her like that,' Ilain mumbled.

Selia nodded, but she wasn't satisfied. 'Sit.' She pointed to a chair in her common room. 'I'll make tea.'

'Thank you, Speaker,' Ilain said, 'but we have business''

'Sit,' Selia said again, this time it was less an offer than a command, and Ilain complied instantly at the change in tone. 'All of you,' Selia added, as Beni and Jeph caught up.

'Town council meets tomorrow,' Selia said when the tea was served. 'Early, most like. If Renna ent talking by then, and I don't 'spect she will be, Raddock's going to demand a ruling without her words, and with so much evidence against her and nothing for, reckon he 'll have his way. I'll try and delay till she's better, but that will be up to the council.'

'What'll they rule, you reckon'' Jeph asked.

Selia blew out a breath. 'Can't say for sure. This ent ever happened before. But the Fishers are in arms, and it's one more reason for Marshes and Watches to preach keeping their young'uns away from Town Square and its temptations. The Tender and Meada won't turn on the girl, but there's no telling what the rest will do. Expect she 'll be strung from the nearest tree, with Garric hauling the rope.'

Ilain gave a little cry.

'This ent no small crime, girl,' Selia said. 'We got two men dead, and one with angry kin. I'll argue in moot until I'm blue-faced, but the law is the law. Once the council votes, there ent no choice but to hold peace and abide.'

She looked at Beni and Ilain. 'So if there's anything'
any
thing'you can tell me that'll help me when I am fighting for that girl, I need to hear it now.'

The sisters both glanced at Jeph, but neither said a word.

Selia huffed. 'Jeph, Mack Pasture speaks for the farms in council. Go visit him; see if you can get an idea how he'll vote. Make sure he's got the story straight, and not whatever tampweed tale Raddock is spinning.'