It's an hour since they last spoke. The sun is sinking into a pink sky, now, latticed by leafless trees and spreading a blood-red trail across the lake
( Read more... )
"Twenty-five of us left, eventually." Alain picks up the thread of the tale. His face is carved in grim lines, and his eyes glitter. "Six gunslingers."
"There was another column of Gilead men, most of a day's journey away. Hostile territory between us, but everywhere was by then. It was passable for a careful messenger. We'd been in contact -- we planned to meet at a place called Jericho Hill. Make our stand there."
"It was a long ridge, with caves riddling the base of it, and the ocean to our backs. High ground, and some cover."
"We were in the hills nearby, a few days off, when Giles came to us. To Roland." One hand rests lightly on a gun butt, remembering. His face is hard, and his voice harder. The words fall like chips of flint. "He said he'd betrayed us. A gunslinger. Given maps, fortress plans -- they'd know where DeMullet would fall back to. They'd know the likeliest targets. Said he repented of it all, would be straight and honest with us, and such shit." Alain's voice is flat with loathing.
"When we were young, we had to spend the night in the forest behind the castle, and come back to meet Cort at exactly the time he'd said. Taught us to keep time in our heads. You failed, you had to do it again the next night, and again 'til you got it right."
Cuthbert's voice holds none of the nostalgic fondness that's there when he talks about his childhood.
"It was hard--and harder for some than others. Giles had a difficult time of it. And when he confessed, he told us that Marten--Walter--had come to him in the woods, disguised as a shepherd. And we all know the bastard could be...persuasive. Especially when there was already fear for him to work with."
If Cuthbert's not thinking of Giles alone--it doesn't show.
"From then on, Giles was in his pocket. For years, waiting until Walter had some use for him."
"There was another column of Gilead men, most of a day's journey away. Hostile territory between us, but everywhere was by then. It was passable for a careful messenger. We'd been in contact -- we planned to meet at a place called Jericho Hill. Make our stand there."
"It was a long ridge, with caves riddling the base of it, and the ocean to our backs. High ground, and some cover."
"We were in the hills nearby, a few days off, when Giles came to us. To Roland." One hand rests lightly on a gun butt, remembering. His face is hard, and his voice harder. The words fall like chips of flint. "He said he'd betrayed us. A gunslinger. Given maps, fortress plans -- they'd know where DeMullet would fall back to. They'd know the likeliest targets. Said he repented of it all, would be straight and honest with us, and such shit." Alain's voice is flat with loathing.
"We hung
Reply
He doesn't regret this either.
At the same time, though, there's a jolt of sick fear in him as Alain mentions Jericho Hill.
He knows what they're getting close to.
Reply
"How? A gunslinger--how could he do that?"
Reply
Cuthbert's voice holds none of the nostalgic fondness that's there when he talks about his childhood.
"It was hard--and harder for some than others. Giles had a difficult time of it. And when he confessed, he told us that Marten--Walter--had come to him in the woods, disguised as a shepherd. And we all know the bastard could be...persuasive. Especially when there was already fear for him to work with."
If Cuthbert's not thinking of Giles alone--it doesn't show.
"From then on, Giles was in his pocket. For years, waiting until Walter had some use for him."
Reply
Anthy was cowed by Walter; so was Roland's friend Joe.
Neither of them was a gunslinger, though.
It's not that she doesn't pity the man.
Poor traitor, spat upon and curst
It's just that the pity doesn't change what he did.
(You have sinned against the White)
What he was.
(and are consigned forever to the black)
Reply
Leave a comment