Hammer of the Witch by Dakota Chase

Author:Dakota Chase [Chase, Dakota]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: young adult
ISBN: 978-1-64080-095-3
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2018-01-09T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

THE INTERIOR of the rectory was very similar to Meier’s manor, so much so I thought the same person must’ve decorated both of them. Thick tapestries hung on the walls, although these depicted saints and angels rather than the battles we’d seen in those at the manor. Heavy furniture, intricately carved with cherubs or dragons or painted with complicated flower-and-vine designs were placed against the walls.

A servant was nearby, scrubbing the gray flagstone floor on her hands and knees. She glanced up when we entered but chose to ignore us. I guess we didn’t pose much of a threat. To her, we were just another couple of servant boys on an errand and therefore none of her business. She dunked her rag into a bucket of soapy water, then slopped it over the floor and went back to scouring.

To our right, a narrow set of wooden stairs ascended to the second floor. A single, simple iron wall sconce held a candle to illuminate the steps. Just as at the manor, this must be the one the servants used. I had the feeling the front entrance to the rectory had a much more elaborate staircase. I couldn’t imagine the archbishop climbing that dark, creaky staircase all the time.

Grant nodded toward a hallway that branched off from the room where we stood. We followed it, peeking into rooms along the way. There was a large dining room with a gleaming table that could easily sit a dozen people, a chapel, and finally, at the very end of the hall, a room I assumed was von Schönenberg’s office or study.

A huge desk, the wood so dark it was almost black, occupied most of the space in the small room. There was only one chair, a high-backed wooden one whose back and seat were padded and tufted with black leather. It almost looked more like a throne than an office chair. Whoever came in and faced von Schönenberg while he was seated behind the desk would probably feel intimidated. I wouldn’t be surprised if von Schönenberg thought so too and liked the set for that reason.

A few shelves lined the wall behind the desk. On them were dozens of scrolled parchments in neatly piled pyramids. A set of books, maybe a dozen in all, held a place of honor on a shelf all their own. Excitement jolted through me when I saw them—could it be Grant was right, and we were actually going to get away with his plan to steal the Malleus Maleficarum? Could it be so easy?

Of course not.

None of the books was the one we needed. Most were versions of the Bible, although there were copies of books titled Auch Wie and Theuerdank among others. Some were more like pamphlets than books, thin and fragile-looking. I looked them over, then turned to Grant, frowning.

“It’s not here.”

“Then he must have it with him upstairs.”

Grant seemed so sure of himself, it irritated me. Not that I disagreed with him, because I didn’t, not really.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.