Read Online Children of the Knight by Michael J. Bowler - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Michael J. Bowler
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His gaze finally settled on two such boys wearing tight wifebeaters and very tight pants, one sturdy, muscular, and dark-haired, the other delicate, thin, and shaggy blond. Arthur eyed the blond one a moment. Had he seen this boy prior? And then he recalled. This was the youth he and Lance had witnessed purchasing drugs on Hollywood Boulevard. Arthur spurred Llamrei forward, his squires flanking him on either side. They quietly approached the two boys.
As they drew near, he heard the blond tell the other, “Looks like no business tonight, Jacky.”
“Yeah, which means nowhere to go unless Marcus lets us crash,” replied the dark-haired one.
Suddenly, both boys gasped, stepping back in startled fright when, out of the shadows, trotted Arthur on his horse, dressed in his tunic and cloak, and sporting an armor chest plate that gleamed brightly under the streetlights. His shield hung from the saddle at his left side, Excalibur in its sheath at his right. The boys recoiled.
“Holy shit!” exclaimed the muscular one.
Arthur reigned in Llamrei and gazed down reassuringly at the two boys. “Do not fear me, lads, for I have come to help thee.”
The long-haired blond leaned closer to his friend and whispered, “Great, another freako. What’ll we do, Jack?”
The dark-haired one rose to his full height, easily six feet, and thrust out his sizable chest. “Just hang tight, ole Jacky’s got it covered.” Then he looked at Arthur with as much courage as he could muster. “So, big guy, you lookin’ for some action tonight?”
Arthur scrunched up his face in confusion. “Action?”
Jack’s bravado was failing him. “Yeah, you know, you pay us money, and we do whatever you want.”
Arthur eyed both boys appraisingly. Then he looked around the street at the other boys lounging indolently by light posts and corners. All eyes were upon him. And suddenly Arthur understood what was happening here. His eyes widened in horror, and he was appalled. “This doth be thy work, selling thy most private parts to strangers?”
Now the delicate-featured blond spoke up, stepping in front of his much bigger friend boldly. “Our privates is all we got, mister, if we wanna eat. Now get the fuck outta here!”
Arthur’s boys kept their hands at their blades in case trouble erupted.
The king frowned at the blond, whose soft features and striking blue eyes displayed pain, rather than anger. “If thou didst not spend thy money on drugs, young one, thou mayst not have to degrade thyself in this way.”
The boy leapt back a step, clearly shocked, and he and Jack exchanged a quick look of surprise. “Shit, he’s a cop!”
Jack shook his head. “Dressed like that? Hell, he’s just got yer number.”
Jack stretched out his friend’s bare arm to draw the boy’s attention to the rows of needle marks, tracks that revealed his serious addiction. The blond yanked his arm away and glared up at Arthur, while Jack nervously eyed Arthur’s obviously armed followers.
Arthur opened his hands to demonstrate his nonthreatening intent. “Now tell me, lads, how art thou called?”
Jack scrunched up his handsome face. “Huh? Oh, our names?”
Arthur nodded, and the two boys exchanged a look before deciding. The blond spoke first. “I’m Mark.”
“Jack,” the other added uncertainly.
Arthur gazed at them sympathetically. “Mark and Jack, doth thou enjoy this empty and fruitless life thou dost lead?”
Jack snorted with disgust. “Lettin’ these creeps have at us every night? You kiddin’ me? Fuck, no, man, it’s shitty!”
Mark nodded sadly, his shaggy blond hair falling in front of his eyes. “We don’t got nobody ’cept each other.” His voice was barely a whisper.
Arthur sat high in the saddle and smiled. “If thou wisheth, ye shalt have me and mine from this moment forward. There be food and shelter and a way of life far more noble and worthy than that which hath been thrust upon thee.”
“Who the
His gaze finally settled on two such boys wearing tight wifebeaters and very tight pants, one sturdy, muscular, and dark-haired, the other delicate, thin, and shaggy blond. Arthur eyed the blond one a moment. Had he seen this boy prior? And then he recalled. This was the youth he and Lance had witnessed purchasing drugs on Hollywood Boulevard. Arthur spurred Llamrei forward, his squires flanking him on either side. They quietly approached the two boys.
As they drew near, he heard the blond tell the other, “Looks like no business tonight, Jacky.”
“Yeah, which means nowhere to go unless Marcus lets us crash,” replied the dark-haired one.
Suddenly, both boys gasped, stepping back in startled fright when, out of the shadows, trotted Arthur on his horse, dressed in his tunic and cloak, and sporting an armor chest plate that gleamed brightly under the streetlights. His shield hung from the saddle at his left side, Excalibur in its sheath at his right. The boys recoiled.
“Holy shit!” exclaimed the muscular one.
Arthur reigned in Llamrei and gazed down reassuringly at the two boys. “Do not fear me, lads, for I have come to help thee.”
The long-haired blond leaned closer to his friend and whispered, “Great, another freako. What’ll we do, Jack?”
The dark-haired one rose to his full height, easily six feet, and thrust out his sizable chest. “Just hang tight, ole Jacky’s got it covered.” Then he looked at Arthur with as much courage as he could muster. “So, big guy, you lookin’ for some action tonight?”
Arthur scrunched up his face in confusion. “Action?”
Jack’s bravado was failing him. “Yeah, you know, you pay us money, and we do whatever you want.”
Arthur eyed both boys appraisingly. Then he looked around the street at the other boys lounging indolently by light posts and corners. All eyes were upon him. And suddenly Arthur understood what was happening here. His eyes widened in horror, and he was appalled. “This doth be thy work, selling thy most private parts to strangers?”
Now the delicate-featured blond spoke up, stepping in front of his much bigger friend boldly. “Our privates is all we got, mister, if we wanna eat. Now get the fuck outta here!”
Arthur’s boys kept their hands at their blades in case trouble erupted.
The king frowned at the blond, whose soft features and striking blue eyes displayed pain, rather than anger. “If thou didst not spend thy money on drugs, young one, thou mayst not have to degrade thyself in this way.”
The boy leapt back a step, clearly shocked, and he and Jack exchanged a quick look of surprise. “Shit, he’s a cop!”
Jack shook his head. “Dressed like that? Hell, he’s just got yer number.”
Jack stretched out his friend’s bare arm to draw the boy’s attention to the rows of needle marks, tracks that revealed his serious addiction. The blond yanked his arm away and glared up at Arthur, while Jack nervously eyed Arthur’s obviously armed followers.
Arthur opened his hands to demonstrate his nonthreatening intent. “Now tell me, lads, how art thou called?”
Jack scrunched up his handsome face. “Huh? Oh, our names?”
Arthur nodded, and the two boys exchanged a look before deciding. The blond spoke first. “I’m Mark.”
“Jack,” the other added uncertainly.
Arthur gazed at them sympathetically. “Mark and Jack, doth thou enjoy this empty and fruitless life thou dost lead?”
Jack snorted with disgust. “Lettin’ these creeps have at us every night? You kiddin’ me? Fuck, no, man, it’s shitty!”
Mark nodded sadly, his shaggy blond hair falling in front of his eyes. “We don’t got nobody ’cept each other.” His voice was barely a whisper.
Arthur sat high in the saddle and smiled. “If thou wisheth, ye shalt have me and mine from this moment forward. There be food and shelter and a way of life far more noble and worthy than that which hath been thrust upon thee.”
“Who the
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