Read Online Empire of the Saviours (Chronicles of/Cosmic Warlord 1) by A.J. Dalton - Free Book Online
Authors: A.J. Dalton
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face fell. ‘No, Freda, that would be wrong. The Overlords will not receive us in the eternal world until we have first finished all our work for them in this world. Do your duty by them here, and then you will be welcomed by them. They will call you to them when the time is right. It was Norfred’s time, but it is not yet yours. Norfred will wait for you and watch over you. Do you understand?’
She nodded heavily. The shouts were closer now. The anger in them was plain to hear.
‘What’s that commotion now?’ Mistress Widders asked in exasperation. ‘Will these men never abide? There is grieving to be done, respects to be paid and prayers to be said. Is it beyond them to keep the peace?’ The head woman sighed, touched Freda on the arm and asked, ‘Freda, be brave now and tell me how Norfred passed.’
Freda shifted her weight from foot to foot and shook her head. She didn’t want to think about the terrible moment again. She would see her kind Norfred again one day and that was enough for her. They should just leave her alone now. Why couldn’t they leave her alone now?
‘Come on, dear. Save for the bottomless pit, there is nowhere that is deep or dark enough to hide from the Overlords. I need to know, Freda, if you have done anything wrong. Tell me, quickly now.’
‘It was my fault!’ she choked. ‘I didn’t want to work any more, and that made Norfred and Darus argue. I know I am meant to do what the Gang-leader says. But he hurt my Norfred so I hurt him back. I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to.’
‘Shh!’ the head woman said, patting Freda. Her face became stern. ‘Darus hurt Norfred, yes?’
Freda nodded miserably.
Voices erupted around them as a large group of miners carrying flaming torches charged around the bend in the tunnel that led to the women’s chamber. The light dazzled Freda’s eyes and she was forced to turn away.
‘The freak murdered the old man! And killed good Sol too! She must pay!’
‘The rock blight has made her a mad beast. She must be thrown down before she can turn on the rest of us!’
‘Or before she can infect us!’ Mistress Widders squared her shoulders, lifted her chin and deliberately stepped into the mob’s path. She stared them down and they quailed before her.
‘How dare you!’ she shouted at them. Then she pointed an accusing finger at Darus. ‘You! Why didn’t you bring Norfred’s body here for care? You were too busy stirring up your gang, is that it?’
‘There is justice to be done,’ the Gang-leader replied smugly. ‘And we should see to that justice quickly, else we do Norfred’s memory a disservice. Isn’t that right, men?’
‘Ayeee!’ the mob chorused angrily behind him.
‘It is just one man’s word against another’s,’ Mistress Widders said with a shake of her head. ‘Gang-leader or not, man or woman, when there’s a trial one miner’s word has as much weight as any other’s.’
But Darus had gained his position by dint of his shrewdness and was not about to let this woman take the momentum out of his mob. ‘One man’s word, she says. One woman’s word, she says! But I ask you this, men: is that freak born of any man or woman? You’ve seen how the monster walks through walls! It isn’t natural! Is it natural? Answer me! Is it natural?’
‘Nooo!’
‘Now stand aside, woman, or be put aside!’ Darus said through the din and stepped forward with intent.
Freda panicked as she saw him take that step. He’d moved forward in exactly the same way when he’d struck down Norfred. She could not let him do the same to Mistress Widders, would not let him do it!
Releasing a roar of rage, Freda rushed at the mob. How she hated the others now.
‘Freda, no!’ Mistress Widders cried, but she had already been pushed to the side by miners eager to reach the creature they believed to be a killer.
Freda smashed into them, immediately knocking two burly men to the floor. She hammered her fists into chins and torsos,
She nodded heavily. The shouts were closer now. The anger in them was plain to hear.
‘What’s that commotion now?’ Mistress Widders asked in exasperation. ‘Will these men never abide? There is grieving to be done, respects to be paid and prayers to be said. Is it beyond them to keep the peace?’ The head woman sighed, touched Freda on the arm and asked, ‘Freda, be brave now and tell me how Norfred passed.’
Freda shifted her weight from foot to foot and shook her head. She didn’t want to think about the terrible moment again. She would see her kind Norfred again one day and that was enough for her. They should just leave her alone now. Why couldn’t they leave her alone now?
‘Come on, dear. Save for the bottomless pit, there is nowhere that is deep or dark enough to hide from the Overlords. I need to know, Freda, if you have done anything wrong. Tell me, quickly now.’
‘It was my fault!’ she choked. ‘I didn’t want to work any more, and that made Norfred and Darus argue. I know I am meant to do what the Gang-leader says. But he hurt my Norfred so I hurt him back. I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to.’
‘Shh!’ the head woman said, patting Freda. Her face became stern. ‘Darus hurt Norfred, yes?’
Freda nodded miserably.
Voices erupted around them as a large group of miners carrying flaming torches charged around the bend in the tunnel that led to the women’s chamber. The light dazzled Freda’s eyes and she was forced to turn away.
‘The freak murdered the old man! And killed good Sol too! She must pay!’
‘The rock blight has made her a mad beast. She must be thrown down before she can turn on the rest of us!’
‘Or before she can infect us!’ Mistress Widders squared her shoulders, lifted her chin and deliberately stepped into the mob’s path. She stared them down and they quailed before her.
‘How dare you!’ she shouted at them. Then she pointed an accusing finger at Darus. ‘You! Why didn’t you bring Norfred’s body here for care? You were too busy stirring up your gang, is that it?’
‘There is justice to be done,’ the Gang-leader replied smugly. ‘And we should see to that justice quickly, else we do Norfred’s memory a disservice. Isn’t that right, men?’
‘Ayeee!’ the mob chorused angrily behind him.
‘It is just one man’s word against another’s,’ Mistress Widders said with a shake of her head. ‘Gang-leader or not, man or woman, when there’s a trial one miner’s word has as much weight as any other’s.’
But Darus had gained his position by dint of his shrewdness and was not about to let this woman take the momentum out of his mob. ‘One man’s word, she says. One woman’s word, she says! But I ask you this, men: is that freak born of any man or woman? You’ve seen how the monster walks through walls! It isn’t natural! Is it natural? Answer me! Is it natural?’
‘Nooo!’
‘Now stand aside, woman, or be put aside!’ Darus said through the din and stepped forward with intent.
Freda panicked as she saw him take that step. He’d moved forward in exactly the same way when he’d struck down Norfred. She could not let him do the same to Mistress Widders, would not let him do it!
Releasing a roar of rage, Freda rushed at the mob. How she hated the others now.
‘Freda, no!’ Mistress Widders cried, but she had already been pushed to the side by miners eager to reach the creature they believed to be a killer.
Freda smashed into them, immediately knocking two burly men to the floor. She hammered her fists into chins and torsos,
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