The Child Thief

Danny and the Lady followed close behind. Car horns blared. There came the screech of tires as a taxi swerved, just missing the Reverend, spun sideways, and slammed into another taxi. The Flesh-eaters were showered in glass and metal fragments. There came more squealing brakes and cars began backing up in both directions. Men got out of their vehicles, shouting and cursing. Horns began going off all up and down the avenue.

The Flesh-eaters stood staring bug-eyed at all the commotion. For the moment, the Lady and Danny were completely unattended. Now, thought Nick. We could grab her now. Just—

Then, an odd thing happened, making no sense to Nick. The Captain moved up behind Ox and slid out the giant’s sword. Before Ox even knew his sword was gone, the Captain brought the hilt down on his head—striking three solid blows. The giant dropped the rope and tumbled over. The Captain pushed Danny and the Lady back behind him toward the park, toward Nick and Cricket.

The Reverend saw the Captain and his good eye filled with outrage. “Stop them,” he called. The Flesh-eaters barely noticed, still entranced by the wreckage and mayhem. “STOP THEM!” the Reverend screeched. “STOP THEM! STOP THEM NOW!” This brought the Flesh-eaters around. They locked steely eyes on the Lady and the Captain. Several pulled out their swords and moved to block the Captain’s escape.

HORNS WENT OFF all up and down the avenue, and sirens came from every direction.

Where is she? The question repeated itself over and over in Peter’s mind until he wanted to scream. For the hundredth time he scanned the clusters of gawking Flesh-eaters wandering aimlessly up and down the sidewalk, but still, no sign of the Lady.

They’d caught sight of the Flesh-eaters from inside the terminal and followed them out onto the street, keeping low and out of sight. But now Peter believed that the Flesh-eaters had become separated beforehand, understood that the Reverend and the Lady must’ve ended up with another group somewhere else, possibly on the other side of the terminal altogether.

Peter, the elves, and the Devils all ducked down as four patrolmen tromped past. When the police saw the Flesh-eaters, they halted, radioing for backup. Peter could see a line of officers forming a perimeter farther down the street and several more running up the sidewalk toward the terminal. “We’re out of time,” Peter hissed between his teeth. They had to find the Lady, had to find her now.

Peter signaled the Devils and elves and they slipped back up the street, back toward the terminal, heading for the parking lot on the far side.

“CAPTAIN, YOU WILL bring me the demons at once,” the Reverend shouted in a voice that expected only obedience. He took a step toward the Captain.

The Captain pointed his sword at the Reverend. “No, Your Grace. I will not.”

The Reverend halted, his mouth tightening into a small, thin line. His good eye seethed. “Captain, you’re not thinking clearly. Hand them over. That is a command.”

The Reverend nodded to the men. They moved in, trying to circle them. The Captain knew if he let that happen, they were done. Keeping his sword on guard, he back-stepped, pressing Danny and the Lady through the hedges and into the park. The hedges blocked the men, at least for the moment. Time to run, the Captain thought, and it was then he realized his oversight. They couldn’t run. Not with Daniel tied to the Lady. She could barely walk, much less outrun anyone. He needed to cut them apart, leave the Lady, and then maybe they could escape. But the rope was as thick as his wrist, would take some effort to saw or hack through it. Yet if he dropped his guard, even for a second, they’d have him.

The Reverend, his face rigid, followed the Captain into the park, flanked by several men. “I am God’s right hand,” the Reverend called, his voice sounding strained. “It is unwise to challenge the Lord’s will.”

The Captain laughed. “You’re nothing more than a sadistic ass.”

The Reverend let out a sound somewhere between a choke and a bark, the good side of his face twisted into a snarl.

The men pushed through the hedges. The Captain knew it was only a matter of moments before they attacked. More men were coming into the park; they drew their swords and filled in the ranks.

The Captain cut the air with his sword. “I can’t take all of you, but I’ll certainly gut the first man that comes near. Who has come this far only to die now?”

The men hesitated. None seemed in a big hurry to move, all only too aware of the Captain’s prowess with the blade.

Ox came barreling forward, wiping the blood from his face. He caught sight of the Captain and spat. He snatched a sword away from the nearest man and started forward.

The Reverend put a hand in front of Ox. The giant halted. “Captain,” the Reverend said. “You’ve lost your way, that’s all. Be sensible, hand them over, and I shall forgive your indiscretion.”

The Captain bumped into Danny, and a quick glance around showed him they’d come to a long, rectangular pond. His heart sank as he realized they were trapped.

The Reverend saw it as well and grinned. “Captain, I will not ask you again.”

It has all been for naught. We’re going to die here, after all we’ve been through. This is so senseless. The Captain looked from man to man, his eyes appealed to them. “Are you all blind? It’s over. We’re off the island. Look.” The Captain pointed at a trash can spilling over with garbage. “This is not Heaven. God is not here. There is—”

“NO!” the Reverend shouted, his face a knot of rage. “NO, IT IS YOU THAT ARE BLIND!” His voice quivered as spit flew from his lips. “We did not sit in purgatory for an eternity for nothing! Somewhere in this kingdom God awaits us even now.” He pointed at Danny and the Lady. “These dark souls are our passage. Proof of our unwavering faith and diligence. It is our duty to bring these demons before the Lord and then…and then…to claim our place by His side.” His voice cracked. “I will take my place by the Lord’s side!”

His madness has him, the Captain thought, and sadly he could see that same madness in the eyes of the men as they nodded along. “God help us all,” he said, and, with his free hand, drew the dead constable’s gun from his belt and pointed it at the lead man. It took the men a moment to recognize the weapon, but when they did, they looked unsure. The Captain aimed the revolver at the Reverend’s face. The Reverend’s good eye went wide. The Captain took a lifetime’s pleasure in the Reverend’s look of utter outrage.

“YOU DARE NOT,” the Reverend shrieked. “I AM GOD’S SOLDIER. I MARCH BESIDE THE LORD!”

“You march with the damned,” the Captain said and squeezed the trigger four times. There came four deafening reports. The first shot missed completely, the second punched a clean hole in the Reverend’s cheek, the third took out his dead eye, the fourth hit above the brow, and the entire side of the Reverend’s head exploded.

The Reverend stood a second longer, his one good eye continuing to glare, then he crumpled to the ground. The Captain could see the back side of the Reverend’s head was gone. There was a prolonged moment when they all just stared at the dead man’s black brains.

ULFGER HEARD THE distant sirens and thought of demons, heard the lapping of waves beating against the hull, and finally dared raise his head. He pushed his father’s corpse aside and gazed upon the towers of lights. So many lights, he thought. What could it mean? The wind took the longboat, pushed it directly toward the rocky sea wall.

Ulfger stared into the hollows of his father’s eyes. “Enough!” he whimpered. “Enough! I beg you. Leave me be. Enough! Enough! ENOUGH!” Ulfger seized the carcass by the neck, twisting the leathery flesh until the head tore loose from the shoulders. He lifted the head by its long, braided beard and slammed it against the hull over and over, the sound like a war drum, grunting and spitting with the effort until he held nothing but a piece of shredded flesh. “There, now what do you have to say? What?” He laughed, close to shrieking, and threw the rag of flesh into the waves. “And when I find your sister, I’ll send her to you. Send them all to you. And when I find the child thief, him I will feed to Caliburn.” He patted the black sword.

Ulfger picked up the corpse and shoved it overboard, watched it drift slowly away into the darkness.