The man was still pointing frantically towards the mob. “He has him!”
With that, Val let the man go. The man ran off down the street. Scratching his head, Val made his way back over to McCloud and Vesper.
“It seems as if they have caught a criminal,” he said. “I must go and see what has happened. You will return to Durley and remain there. I will see you in eight days, here in town. Is that understood?”
McCloud nodded, as did Vesper. “Indeed, Val,” McCloud said. “But I have been thinking– since you asked me to be your man here in the south, would you not like for me to attend you also? I should know what is happening as well where it pertains to the law.”
He had a point but Val was reluctant to involve Vesper in this, simply because she couldn’t be left alone while they went off to see what had happened. He was very conscious of the lady’s delicate senses when it pertained to distasteful matters.
“Mayhap we should leave Vesper with the jeweler while we tend to this,” Val suggested. “She would not be interested in our business. My lady, would you like to pick out more pieces of jewelry until we return?”
Vesper shook her head. “I am not a weakling woman,” she said firmly. “I am not easily bothered so if you do not mind, I shall go along with you. I find what you do very interesting and I should like to see you as you carry out your duties.”
“There is nothing exciting about it, I assure you.”
“May I not admire you as you complete your sworn duties?”
When she put it that way, he could hardly refuse. More than that, Val could see such strength in her. But he could also see a taste of his life to come with her, which truthfully didn’t bother him. He rather liked a strong woman.
“Very well,” he said, “but stay close. Do not wander off.”
She nodded. “I will not, I promise.”
His eyes twinkled at her, secretly glad he would not have to be separated from her yet. He took her over to the palfrey and lifted her up onto the horse’s back. Then, he mounted his steed as McCloud climbed onto the fat war horse.
Everyone was still running towards the center of town– men, women, children, and the mood was something between a delighted frenzy and a terrified rant. It was odd to say the least, but once Val and Vesper and McCloud reached the end of theavenue where it opened up into the town square, they could see just how many people had really gathered.
The winter-dead grass of the square was being trampled by the excited group as Val spurred his horse onward, skirting the edge of the square and trying to catch sight of the town’s law, Benton St. Lo. This was actually called St. George’s Square, christened by the original Bishop of Winchester since this was his town, given to him by a long-dead king, and it was the usual gathering place for the town’s business, including executions.
Val paused a moment, watching the flow of the crowd because that would more than likely lead him to the people he sought. He could see that the crowd was moving to the northeast where there was a great gathering on the other end of the square. Spurring his war horse in that direction, he loped along the edge of the square with McCloud and Vesper following him.
Benton St. Lo wasn’t difficult to find; the man was exceedingly tall with a crown of frizzy red hair, so right away, Val caught sight of him. Forcing his horse forward to push through the crowd, he came upon St. Lo and his men, who had a man down on the ground, face down, bound tightly. Val could see that St. Lo’s men were beating on the man.
“St. Lo!” he boomed in a controlled, commanding tone. “What goes on here?”
Benton St. Lo turned to see the Itinerant Justice of Hampshire in his midst. His eyes widened at the sight and he stopped whipping the prisoner with a silver-tipped cat-o-nine-tails to hurry in Val’s direction.
“My lord!” he said, clearly surprised. “I did not know you were in town!”
Val peered around St. Lo as his men abused the prisoner. “Who is that man?”
St. Lo turned to look this prisoner also. “A devil,” he said. “This man has been murdering for the past year, at least. Hehas been murdering villages and stealing their property. This morning, he drowned two children over in the Bishop’s marsh and he was caught.”
There were so many people around that Val couldn’t really see the prisoner. Villagers were hitting him. All the while, St. Lo’s men continued to beat him.
“Have you questioned the man?” Val asked.
St. Lo nodded. “When he was brought to me, I asked him if he was the man the people were calling the Angel of Death,” he said. “He said that he wanted to go home.”
Val’s brow furrowed. “And you took this as a confession?”
St. Lo nodded. “People witnessed him killing the children,” he said. “He drowned them and stole their possessions. That is what the Angel of Death has been doing for a year around these parts.”
“Why was I never informed about this outlaw?”
St. Lo shrugged. “It was something my men and I were aware of. We knew we could capture him.”
“But an entire year? You did not tell me?”
