by D. J. Holmes
***
At the Beach House, Treysen calls “Come quickly, Daniel!”
Daniel quickly appears in the Security Division. “What’s going on, Treysen?”
“I’ve been watching, Jehanne. I’m really concerned. Her trial is finally over, and now the English soldiers are bringing logs for a fire in the market square in Rouen.”
“Her trial…Rouen….”
“Yes, you remember don’t you, a region of France that the English have taken control of.”
“…I remember, Treysen.”
“I thought that you would. Now, they’ve asked every English soldier to bring a log, so that it will be the biggest fire that there has ever been.”
“So it’s to that point, is it?” Daniel says sadly. “Get Jon, Julia and Running Deer, please. They have gone out to the beach. We need them as soon as they can get here.”
“Yes Sir.” The moment Treysen steps from the porch of the Beach House into the sand, he runs waving his hands over his head, yelling, “COME BACK. DANIEL NEEDS YOU! HEY, COME BACK!”
Jon, Julia and Running Deer are walking toward the surf to feel the warmth of the water on their feet. In the quietness of the waves rolling in and rushing back out again they sit in the sand letting the surf run through their toes and over their ankles. Questions keep coming to their minds, “Could we have done anything differently? Was there something…ANYTHING… that we could have done to help Jehanne?” Pictures of expressions of kindness to everyone and her beautiful smile flash in their minds. No words were spoken, just memories of a truly great person. Into their hearts came this message, “Jehanne is the very essence of what you can all become.” Consumed by their sadness and concern for Jehanne, the sound of the waves and the message that they were just given in their hearts, is all that they hear.
Treysen continues running toward them gesturing wildly and yelling as loud as he can. Sensing movement out of the corner of his eye, Running Deer turns his head to see a frantic Treysen sprinting toward them. Putting his hand on Jon’s shoulder he gestures with his head in Treysen’s direction. Julia, noticing Running Deer’s movement, turns to look up the beach at the same time Jon does. A sudden sense of urgency washes over them as they hurry to meet Treysen.
Out of breath he says “Quick. Come!”
“Jehanne?” they all chorus.
“Yes…. Quickly! You won’t believe….” Not able to finish his sentence everyone races toward and through the Beach House until they enter the Security Division. Pictures of Jehanne can be seen on the monitor as they come through the door.
Running Deer asks with a shocked tone, “What are they doing?”
“The court has ruled that she is a witch. During this period of history they burn witches,” Daniel answers not taking his eyes from the screen.
“NO! THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING! SHE’S NO MORE A WITCH THAN I AM! WHAT CAN WE DO, DANIEL? THERE MUST BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP HER.”
Everyone is emotional.
“DANIEL, PLEASE HELP HER!” Julia pleads.
Jon stands with a shocked look on his face. Jehanne’s pain triggers memories of Katherine’s beheading, and the extreme agony he had felt as he left the staging area on Tower Green. “…The English. First their laws take Katherine from me. Now to see what they are doing to Jehanne… what kind of people are they?” Jon questions.
“I know that this is hard for everyone to understand. The cruelness of the human race has always been hard for me to understand also,” Daniel says, trying to calm everyone, “but there’s nothing we can do except to be there for her. To add our strength to hers so that she can endure her fate.”
“There is nothing that we can do?”
Daniel answers quietly, “We can only stand with her, Jon. We have to wait and take it minute by minute; sometimes second by second. We’ll know when the time comes. As hard as this is for everyone, there is one redeeming thing that I can add which might give you the courage to endure. Everyone…. And I mean EVERYONE that takes part in her persecution will account for what they do to her. And they will EXPERIENCE EVERYTHING that they force her to experience.”