Inquisitor by Greg Alldredge

Author:Greg Alldredge [Alldredge, Greg]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781706514732
Published: 2019-12-02T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14:

They followed at a discreet distance, but it mattered little. The crowd led by the child was too busy slapping themselves bloody to notice the three men shadowing them. The path narrowed, and the trees stretched overhead. Thaddeus knew, in the summer, this small path would never see the light of day. The leaves of the trees would have blocked out the sun. Now the bare trees gave the trail the look of dead hands rising overhead.

Geovanni had remained in quiet contemplation as they walked. This small fact was a blessing and a curse. It allowed the inquisitor to run the same thoughts over in his head, replaying notions that he knew had no answer. By the time the scribe spoke, Thaddeus had convinced himself a fool for allowing the healer to play him like she did. He swore it would not happen again. A quick glance through the tree limbs showed the darkening sky. Sunset approached. The sky matched his melancholy.

“You know tonight is a full moon?” Geovanni spoke loud enough for Thaddeus to hear but not to travel too far.

“What of it?” The sound of footfalls stopped from behind him. It seemed both men had stopped, as did the donkeys. He turned and walked backward while he spoke. “What does the full moon have to do with anything?”

“Most religious scholars believe the devil is most active on a full moon, that witches have the most power during that time. Look at the number of crimes that are committed during this phase of the lunar cycle.”

Thaddeus nearly stopped walking, but the scribe brought up an interesting point. “I will admit that during the full moon the night watch sees an increase in crime, but might that not be attributed to the population having more light to see by? Most go to bed when they can no longer see. The full moon keeps them awake, giving them more time to find trouble. I understand what the conjecture is of the church and will respect the notion of what the devil can do. However, if we are to step from the dark ages and into the light of God, don’t we need to acknowledge the evil men can do with free will?”

“And if the devil is driving these poor souls to thrash the flesh from their bodies in the name of God?” Geovanni took a step forward pointing down the path. “The devil can quote scripture to reach his aims.”

“Shouldn’t a good Christian do something to stop those poor misguided souls?” Thaddeus turned and continued his way down the road. He spotted a tower through the trees. They must be nearing a town or village. This part of the land lay close to the conflux of trade routes. With caravans full of goods came brigands and invading armies. This part of the country had changed hands many times over the centuries since the Romans fell.

The stuttered steps of the two men behind him informed the inquisitor they reluctantly followed him. Around the next bend, he could see the wall that attached to the watchtower.

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