The Black Sentry by Bernhardt William

Author:Bernhardt, William [Bernhardt, William]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Babylon Books
Published: 2014-01-06T08:00:00+00:00

20

Daman looked upward. The barn–or whatever it was–had an upper loft on the south end, high above their heads. It too was covered with hay. But in the far back, he thought he saw some of the hay...moving.

“We should leave,” Xander said.

Brita agreed. “What if it’s a Creeper?”

Daman peered up at the loft. “I don’t think so.”

A wooden ladder was nailed to the side wall. He took a loaf of bread Brita had laid out, then started up the ladder.

He reached the top, then took a few cautious steps forward. “Is anyone there?”

Something stirred. Something at the other end, in a great pile of hay.

He laid the bread down in front of him. “Are you hungry?”

The haystack vibrated, but no one emerged.

“There’s plenty. And downstairs, we have cheese. I love cheese. Mmm. Yum.”

The haystack trembled. Yellow straw tumbled from the top.

A head poked through the middle.

It was a man. His face was dirty, and his shirt was torn.

“It’s all right. We won’t hurt you.”

The man slowly emerged from the haystack.

He was not of the village. He was dressed in rags, and his face showed signs of prolonged exposure to the sun.

He took a few steps out of the haystack, then crouched down and scampered across the loft. He didn’t stop until they were almost nose to nose.

“Is the coast clear?” he whispered.

“I believe it to be, yes.”

His face twitched one way, then the other. “You can never be sure. They have spies everywhere.”

“Spies?”

His eyes rolled around full circle. “The hills have eyes.”

“They do?”

“Of course they do. And the walls have ears.”

“I…see.”

“And I have a mouth. Are you planning to eat that bread?”

He handed the stranger the loaf. The man chewed it down ravenously.

He started down the loft. The stranger followed warily behind him. The old wooden steps were not nearly as secure as they must have been in the time of the Ancients, but they were sufficient to bear their weight. All four gathered around the small fire, where Brita warmed some of her cured meats, then passed them around.

He was surprised to find how hungry he was. Something about a jailbreak, not to mention an aerial flight through Creeper country, worked up an appetite.

Throughout the meal, the stranger’s eyes darted all around the barn, always alert for any sign of activity. Finally the man spoke. “May I ask you a question?”

“Of course,” Brita said. “What do you want to know?”

“Why are you cooking in a toilet seat?”

Brita appeared mortified.

He didn’t entirely understand. “What do you mean?”

The stranger shook his head. “Never mind. My name is Drake. John Drake.”

The three travelers greeted him.

“Are you from Clovis?” Brita asked.

Drake looked at her suspiciously. “Why would you ask that?”

“I...just wondered. It’s not far...”

“No,” he said. “I’m not from Clovis. Nice village, though.”

“Then where are you from?”

“You ask a lot of questions, girl.”

She drew up her chin. “Smart people always do. That’s how we get smarter.”

A tiny smile cracked on Drake’s face. “You know...that’s exactly right. That’s the Method.” He returned his attention to his food.

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