Mistress of the Wind by E. Rose Sabin

Author:E. Rose Sabin [Sabin, E. Rose]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-01-12T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINETEEN

LINE’S END JUSTICE

Pete got off Kyla and hauled her to her feet. “Hang on to her, boys,” he told his companions.

They clamped their hands around her arms and twisted them behind her back. The more she struggled, the tighter and higher they yanked her arms, until she screamed. Pete grinned and walked forward to meet the two newcomers.

Ollie and Jake were big men who looked so alike that they had to be brothers, maybe even twins. Both had mean little eyes set deep in fat florid faces. Both carried truncheons. One slapped his against his palm and stared greedily at Kyla while the innkeeper and Pete piled up lies about her.

“She come into my place beggin’ food,” the innkeeper said, glancing at his wife. “Stunk to high heaven, she did. And luggin’ a near-starved baby. I don’t generally give charity, but I felt sorry for the baby. Wouldn’t want to see it die.”

As if to support his words, his wife stooped and picked up the wailing infant. She cradled it somewhat gingerly and rocked it while her husband continued. “The wife’s convinced she stole it. Even so, we guv ’er food and milk and sent her out here for a hot bath for her and the littl’un. And she repays the kindness by attackin’ poor Lizzie here.”

“That’s a lie,” Kyla shouted. “I paid for the food and the bath and a room. With two gold pieces. While I was bathing, someone sneaked in here and emptied my pack and stole the rest of the gold.”

“Gold! What a laugh!” Pete snorted. “Look at ’er! Where’d the likes of her get gold, I’d like to know? Look at the junk in her pack.” He kicked a battered pot, sent it clattering across the wooden floor. “Think she’d get gold from peddlin’ this trash?”

“Look at her clothes.” The innkeeper picked up the tunic that she’d planned to put on. It had been none too clean even before it had been dragged through the muddy water on the floor. “That’s cleaner than what she had on when she came. Gold! Hah!” He spat.

Kyla reached for the tunic. The innkeeper swung it away. “Turned her dog on us, too, she did,” he went on. “Big, nasty brute. The wife had to pacify it with a bone to save us from gettin’ tore up.”

“The dog never hurt anyone,” Kyla said. “Not even when they kicked it. Please, let me get dressed.”

“Ain’t lettin’ you loose for nothin’, slut,” said one of the men who held her.

“Offered to sell herself, she did,” the innkeeper leered. “As if anybody’d touch ’er.”

“They’re lying,” Kyla cried. “They stole my gold and they’re trying to cover it up.”

“So ya had gold, eh?” sneered Ollie or Jake. “And jewels and silk clothes too, I reckon? All hid in a peddler’s pack?”

“I’m no peddler. The gold was from the sale of a house I owned on the other side of Rim Canyon.”

“Owned a house! That’s a good one!” Jake or Ollie guffawed. And Rim Canyon, where’s that? I never heard of no Rim Canyon.

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