Post by Hobbit-eyes on Nov 18, 2005 15:36:44 GMT -5
Well... yes.... oh, fine.
Thomas grabbed Anna’s hand.
“Told you,” said Alex to Emily with a slight smile.
Jack and Sean span round, looking at the surrounding soldiers. Sean swore.
“You can say that again,” agreed Jack.
“All right.” He swore again, even more colourfully.
“That ought to do it.”
Robert hadn’t moved. “Now,” he said, “Are you going to help us or not?”
“Dad…” began David, but his mother shook her head. Robert’s eyes moved to him.
Mr Jacobs clasped his wife’s hand. “We don’t respond well to threats,” he said.
“This is your son, then, is it?” said Robert as if he hadn’t heard him, gesturing at David with his head and not taking his eyes off him, “Don’t think your wife there would be too happy if I cut off one of his hands, do you? We got a father here who’s lost his right hand. Kind of fitting, isn’t it?”
“Now don’t-” said Mr Jacobs tensely, but Robert waved a hand. The large man standing behind him suddenly strode forward, seized David’s arm, and hauled him roughly out of the circle into the centre of the square.
“David!” cried his mother, starting after him, but Carys darted forwards and pulled her backwards as well, putting an arm around her shoulder. They stood watching, unable to take their eyes off David, as the man forced him onto his knees and wrenched his head back with his hair.
Robert still didn’t move, but simply said, “Danny?” The masked man stepped forwards and placed a long knife at the small hollow where David’s neck met his shoulders. David looked down at it with his eyes, and then up at the man holding it. He looked young, but from the look in his eyes David had no doubt he could kill him.
“You say,” said Robert, keeping his eyes locked on Mr Jacobs, “that you don’t respond well to threats. I say I just need the right threat. And the right threat is the one created yourself. Ask yourself - what do you think I’d be prepared to do to your son? To anyone else here? How much are you prepared to risk?”
When he looked back on that moment, David could think of a hundred things he could have done better. He wished he could have been brave enough to die to protect his village, or strong enough to get free. But at that moment, with his knees on the hard ground, his head wrenched up to the sky, and the brush of cold steel on his fragile neck, all he could think was that he didn’t want to die. He moved his eyes and looked at his father, scarcely daring to move. His father looked back at him, and David could see all resistance go out of him.
“Very well,” he said flatly, “You can stay. Just… let my son go.”
“My men’ll need food, and drink,” said Robert, “And they’ll need medical help. And some money wouldn’t go amiss either.”
“You’ll get it,” said Mr Jacobs, not taking his eyes off his son.
“And - don’t suppose this place is big enough for a sleeperhouse?” he asked. His eyes caught on Carys and Anna. “Or any girls willing?” he added.
“No!” said Mr Jacobs. Thomas stepped in front of them and folded his arms.
Robert looked at Thomas as though considering something, but shrugged and grinned. “Worth a shot. All right, Danny.” The masked man lifted his knife from David’s neck and sheathed it, stepping back – his mother sighed with relief - and David began to scramble to his feet, but before he could, the large man and another rebel grabbed his arms and dragged him up.
“Wait, what are they doing?” said Mr Jacobs as Robert came to his side, “I said-”
Robert glanced back. “Oh. Yeah. Well, we’ll need some kind of security. I’m sure you understand.” He nodded, and the two men pulled David away into the midst of the rebels. Mrs Jacobs gave a shuddering gasp, and Carys tightened her arm around her shoulders, and caught the masked rebel called Danny’s eye. He looked at her hard for a moment, and then also joined the crowd. “Sorry, mate,” added Robert to Mr Jacobs, “As you said… these are hard times. Now, where are my men sleeping?”
Mr Jacobs was too busy staring as his son vanished into the armed hordes of men. “Some can stay at our tavern,” said Anna’s father, coming through the crowd. He laid a reassuring hand on Mrs Jacobs’s shoulder, and put his other arm around Anna protectively. “We have enough room for most of them in the rooms, if they’re willing to squash up tight.”
“The ones who need medicine can stay at the Guildhall,” added Thomas’s mother, “There are sleeping mats, and we can send over some people to treat them. Will that be all right?”
Robert shrugged again. “Sure it’ll be better than what we’re used to. Thanks very much.” He turned to Mr Jacobs. “Where would you prefer we keep your son?”
Mr Jacobs stared at him wordlessly. “At the tavern,” said Anna quickly, “The tavern would be best.”
Mrs Jacobs smiled at Anna gratefully. “Fine,” said Robert. He turned and waved over the man who had taken David. “You go with the group to the Guildhall,” he said, “Make sure they’re all looked after. I’ll go to the tavern and keep an eye on the lad.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Two places seem to beg two hostages…” Everyone stared back at him. “Any volunteers? No harm’ll come to you, as long as we get what we need,” he promised.
No-one said anything. “I’ll go,” said Carys suddenly. “No, it’s fine,” she insisted as Thomas opened his mouth to say something, “Really. My mum and dad’ll be over there a lot anyway, helping the wounded. It’ll be fine.”
Thomas looked unconvinced, but Robert nodded. “Very much obliged, I’m sure,” he said, “Show Marcus here where to go.” He turned back to the main group of rebels. “All wounded!” he yelled loudly, making everyone jump as his voice rang suddenly around the square, “Follow this girl – what’s your name?”
“Carys.”
“Right. Follow Carys here to the town hall.”
Some of the men cheered. Carys glanced at Anna and Thomas, and then walked away towards the town hall with Thomas’s mother and father. The man called Marcus kept right behind her, a sword in his hand. As she headed down one of the side streets, the wounded men detached from the group and followed them as well, some being half-carried by others. Robert nodded at Mr Jacobs, and followed Anna’s father with the others towards the tavern. Anna caught a glimpse of David in the centre – he was no longer being held, but didn’t look too happy about his situation.
Jack and Sean saw David being lead past them, and met his eyes. He shrugged at them.
Thomas grabbed Anna’s hand.
“Told you,” said Alex to Emily with a slight smile.
Jack and Sean span round, looking at the surrounding soldiers. Sean swore.
“You can say that again,” agreed Jack.
“All right.” He swore again, even more colourfully.
“That ought to do it.”
Robert hadn’t moved. “Now,” he said, “Are you going to help us or not?”
“Dad…” began David, but his mother shook her head. Robert’s eyes moved to him.
Mr Jacobs clasped his wife’s hand. “We don’t respond well to threats,” he said.
“This is your son, then, is it?” said Robert as if he hadn’t heard him, gesturing at David with his head and not taking his eyes off him, “Don’t think your wife there would be too happy if I cut off one of his hands, do you? We got a father here who’s lost his right hand. Kind of fitting, isn’t it?”
“Now don’t-” said Mr Jacobs tensely, but Robert waved a hand. The large man standing behind him suddenly strode forward, seized David’s arm, and hauled him roughly out of the circle into the centre of the square.
“David!” cried his mother, starting after him, but Carys darted forwards and pulled her backwards as well, putting an arm around her shoulder. They stood watching, unable to take their eyes off David, as the man forced him onto his knees and wrenched his head back with his hair.
Robert still didn’t move, but simply said, “Danny?” The masked man stepped forwards and placed a long knife at the small hollow where David’s neck met his shoulders. David looked down at it with his eyes, and then up at the man holding it. He looked young, but from the look in his eyes David had no doubt he could kill him.
“You say,” said Robert, keeping his eyes locked on Mr Jacobs, “that you don’t respond well to threats. I say I just need the right threat. And the right threat is the one created yourself. Ask yourself - what do you think I’d be prepared to do to your son? To anyone else here? How much are you prepared to risk?”
When he looked back on that moment, David could think of a hundred things he could have done better. He wished he could have been brave enough to die to protect his village, or strong enough to get free. But at that moment, with his knees on the hard ground, his head wrenched up to the sky, and the brush of cold steel on his fragile neck, all he could think was that he didn’t want to die. He moved his eyes and looked at his father, scarcely daring to move. His father looked back at him, and David could see all resistance go out of him.
“Very well,” he said flatly, “You can stay. Just… let my son go.”
“My men’ll need food, and drink,” said Robert, “And they’ll need medical help. And some money wouldn’t go amiss either.”
“You’ll get it,” said Mr Jacobs, not taking his eyes off his son.
“And - don’t suppose this place is big enough for a sleeperhouse?” he asked. His eyes caught on Carys and Anna. “Or any girls willing?” he added.
“No!” said Mr Jacobs. Thomas stepped in front of them and folded his arms.
Robert looked at Thomas as though considering something, but shrugged and grinned. “Worth a shot. All right, Danny.” The masked man lifted his knife from David’s neck and sheathed it, stepping back – his mother sighed with relief - and David began to scramble to his feet, but before he could, the large man and another rebel grabbed his arms and dragged him up.
“Wait, what are they doing?” said Mr Jacobs as Robert came to his side, “I said-”
Robert glanced back. “Oh. Yeah. Well, we’ll need some kind of security. I’m sure you understand.” He nodded, and the two men pulled David away into the midst of the rebels. Mrs Jacobs gave a shuddering gasp, and Carys tightened her arm around her shoulders, and caught the masked rebel called Danny’s eye. He looked at her hard for a moment, and then also joined the crowd. “Sorry, mate,” added Robert to Mr Jacobs, “As you said… these are hard times. Now, where are my men sleeping?”
Mr Jacobs was too busy staring as his son vanished into the armed hordes of men. “Some can stay at our tavern,” said Anna’s father, coming through the crowd. He laid a reassuring hand on Mrs Jacobs’s shoulder, and put his other arm around Anna protectively. “We have enough room for most of them in the rooms, if they’re willing to squash up tight.”
“The ones who need medicine can stay at the Guildhall,” added Thomas’s mother, “There are sleeping mats, and we can send over some people to treat them. Will that be all right?”
Robert shrugged again. “Sure it’ll be better than what we’re used to. Thanks very much.” He turned to Mr Jacobs. “Where would you prefer we keep your son?”
Mr Jacobs stared at him wordlessly. “At the tavern,” said Anna quickly, “The tavern would be best.”
Mrs Jacobs smiled at Anna gratefully. “Fine,” said Robert. He turned and waved over the man who had taken David. “You go with the group to the Guildhall,” he said, “Make sure they’re all looked after. I’ll go to the tavern and keep an eye on the lad.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Two places seem to beg two hostages…” Everyone stared back at him. “Any volunteers? No harm’ll come to you, as long as we get what we need,” he promised.
No-one said anything. “I’ll go,” said Carys suddenly. “No, it’s fine,” she insisted as Thomas opened his mouth to say something, “Really. My mum and dad’ll be over there a lot anyway, helping the wounded. It’ll be fine.”
Thomas looked unconvinced, but Robert nodded. “Very much obliged, I’m sure,” he said, “Show Marcus here where to go.” He turned back to the main group of rebels. “All wounded!” he yelled loudly, making everyone jump as his voice rang suddenly around the square, “Follow this girl – what’s your name?”
“Carys.”
“Right. Follow Carys here to the town hall.”
Some of the men cheered. Carys glanced at Anna and Thomas, and then walked away towards the town hall with Thomas’s mother and father. The man called Marcus kept right behind her, a sword in his hand. As she headed down one of the side streets, the wounded men detached from the group and followed them as well, some being half-carried by others. Robert nodded at Mr Jacobs, and followed Anna’s father with the others towards the tavern. Anna caught a glimpse of David in the centre – he was no longer being held, but didn’t look too happy about his situation.
Jack and Sean saw David being lead past them, and met his eyes. He shrugged at them.