Catherine Coulter Read Online Free PDF Page B

Glen for food?”
    “After the Black Demon left, those who were able went to hunt game, but the Demon’s men were lying in wait and killed them. We thought we could fish, but he’d left men on the beach as well, hiding in those fang-toothed rocks. A few have managed to sneak back in during the night, though I thought they are mad to do so since there is naught here but misery.”
    Miggins said, “Three more men went out again three days later. The soldiers were hiding, jest waiting for us to come out. They killed our three men. No one else went outside the walls.”
    Tupper said, “Turp, the blacksmith, was hiding in the Forest of Glen. He came back today jest when dusk was falling, said the soldiers were gone, and begged Tupper to lower the drawbridge and raise the portcullis and let him enter because he’d brought game, and he had, but only two small pheasants, barely more than a single bite for each of us. Have ye food? He and Eller were going to go back to the forest at first light to hunt. Everyone else is too weak.”
    So that was why they were starving. Garron wondered how many had died, but he didn’t want to know at the moment. He heard his men whispering behind their hands. Since he was the only one who had lived at Wareham, only he knew that dozens upon dozens of people had once lived within the walls, that the inner bailey usually rang with noise and activity, shouts, curses, laughter. The pervasive silence was like a heavy weight on his shoulders.
    He shouted, hoping to reach every corner of the inner bailey, “I will set everything aright. Come out now.” He looked again at Tupper. “Did Lord Arthur ever mention another man he considered a particular enemy?”
    Tupper whispered, “There were always enemies, my lord, but none like this one, this one who loved the smell of death, the screams of those he tortured. He took pleasure in destroying us when he didn’t find Lord Arthur’s silver coins. He yelled over and over, ‘Tis a just Retribution, but if ye give me the silver coins I’ll stop.’”
    Miggins said, “First, he tortured the soldiers who’d survived the fighting, but they couldn’t tell him anything because they didn’t know, and so those few who didn’t escape died. And then he turned to us. He didn’t stop. Ye’ll see the blood dried on the stones, my lord, black now, so much.”
    Tupper whispered, “When I saw ye, young Garron, I thought he was returning, and my heart withered in my breast, and I could not answer ye.” Tupper’s voice hitched. “But it was ye, thank the good Lord. We’ve buried all in the cemetery behind the castle. There were so many, my lord.” Then Tupper began to cry, deep wracking sobs. Before Garron could move, Miggins put her thin arms around Tupper’s bony shoulders. Her broken old voice suddenly sounded strong. “The new master is here, Tupper. All will be well again. He will set everything to rights now.”
    Garron certainly intended to. Who was the Black Demon? He would find out soon enough, but first things first. Garron mounted the deep stone steps and entered the great hall, Aleric and his men behind him, standing alert, hands on their swords and knives, ready for anything. Where were the people who remained? Hiding still , he thought.
    The great hall of Wareham was as black as a cave. Light was the first order of business. Gilpin and Pali followed Miggins and her single candle into the granary, where she showed them rush torches piled up against a wall, ready for use. Once they were lighted and fastened into wall sconces, people began to make their way into the great hall. Miggins stood on the top stairs of the keep, cupped her mouth, and yelled, “’Tis safe now. Come out, the new master is here! He will feed us! Come out, Lord Garron is here! We have light.”
    As people crept into the great hall, all of them frightened, ragged, starving, Garron said over and over, “All will be well now. We have food enough so everyone will have