by Alex Cannon
CHAPTER 5
“What are we to do?”Miriam asked.
Range rolled the barrel over, revealing a section of the floor.It was the day after Lucan’s death and he was still raw inside with guilt. If it weren’t for him his friend might still be alive.
“We need to discuss that,” Range said. Miriam had just seen the children off to school.Range was moving another large crate on the other side of the floor.He was huffing with exertion.
“Range, we can’t just run again! I can’t believe they killed Lucan.”Her nose was still stuffy from crying.She wiped her eyes with a kerchief.
“He was one of my best friends.”Range moved another barrel in the back of the room, once more revealing another part of the floor.”It really hurts that he’s gone.All because of me.” He stopped and leaned on the barrel for a moment. He ran a hand through his hair then down his face.
“Range it was not your fault. How were you—”
“Why would an Osaban priest be in Spadix looking for a Sword of Saddig?” He stood and stretched his back.He then went back to the spot on the floor revealed by moving the first barrel.
“Does he have to be looking for you?” Miriam asked.”You’ve only got one of the Swords, not all three. Maybe he was looking for one of the other Swords!”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Miriam.”Range flipped open the small compartment in the floor and pulled a small shiny object from it.
“Am I?Range, I am not running again. We have a family here and we have put down roots. How can you just up and take off again?”
He turned to her,”Did I say I was running? Did I?”
“No, but you will.” She crossed her arms and stared at him. Her look was daring.
“Look, if an Osaban priest is chasing after this thing, then my family is in danger.I will not jeopardize you because of this stupid Sword. It has been like a weight around my neck my entire life.” He stopped and stared at her.”You knew this might happen at any time.” He knelt down at the second spot he had revealed and opened another spot in the floor. Once again, he retrieved a small shiny object.
“But it may have just been a mistake! Range, our children are in school, I am part of many of the women’s groups here. We have a successful business. Life is good here!”
“Miriam, you’re not seeing the whole picture.This is a little too close for happenstance. We both knew this day might come.”
“Range, I agreed when we got married to leave when you say leave, hide when you say hide, run when you say run.But when do we stop?When is the running done? Why don’t you just give the Sword to whoever wants it and be done with it?”
He dropped onto his stomach and flipped open the third compartment and retrieved one more shiny piece.
“Miriam, I am sorry I’ve not given you a better life. You just answered your own argument.”
“How?”
“You said you like our life right now. And don’t get me wrong, wife, I like it too. But if I give this Sword to just any fool who happens by then I would still be responsible for how he uses it.What if he took the Sword and laid waste to our village–by himself!”
Miriam sighed,”I hate it when you talk about that Sword.”
“You brought it up!”
She crossed her arms and sighed.
Someone pulled on the front door of the store. Miriam yelled out that they were closed.
“What I need is your support,” Range said.”Believe me, if I could relinquish this Sword I would, in a moment.”
“So we’re running again,” she said.
“I don’t know.”
“Before you said we weren’t, now you say you don’t know?”
“I do not know.”
“So when will you? I would like to plan some future. What do you think this will do to the children?”
“Keep them safe,” Range said. He sat all three pieces on a table and pulled a bench up to it. Miriam leaned against the table with her hip.She had her arms crossed again.
“I want to do whatever you say. But it’s hard, Range. It’s hard to keep running.”
He faced her, twisting on the stool.”I know, and you don’t know how much it pains me to put my family, especially you, through this. We have done this so many times…”
“But it’s been so long since the last time! Zoë was just a baby!”Range pulled Miriam to him, resting his head across her chest. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and squeezed.
They had been on the run for almost their entire marriage.They had wed in a small temple in the Silvestri forest.It was beautiful, but the only witnesses they had were the priests of the temple.They could not let their families or friends know where they were. He remembered that night, the promise they had made to love each other forever. He had robbed Miriam of a good life, and his children of a normal childhood. They would make it through this, they always did.
He released Miriam. The three metallic pieces were shaped as if they would fit together like a puzzle.He sat at the table working out the proper sequence.
“Miriam, I am sorry,” he said, focusing on the three pieces.
She said nothing, but simply watched. His fingers were thick, not bulky. They worked dexterously on the oddly shaped pieces of metal.
“But I don’t think the priest who killed Lucan is in league with the same people who were originally chasing us,” he said.
“Why not?”
“It just doesn’t seem right. Seems odd to me—“ a heavy knock pounded the front door of the shop.They looked at each other; Range’s fingers stopped their movements.
“We’re closed!” Miriam yelled to the front.
Silence.
Range left the three pieces sitting on the table. He walked up to the door and yelled directly to it,”We are closed!”
“Range!” a muffled voice said from the other side of the door,”Open up, it’s me!”Nicodemus cried.
Range pulled the bolt back and opened the door.Nicodemus moved in quickly. Range locked the door behind him.
“Do you think this has something to do with Levitin?” Nicky asked.
“It has nothing to do with him, but I bet the count will blame it on him.”
“How do you know it has nothing to do with him?”
“Come on to the back.” Range beckoned him.
“They need to find who did this. Lucan was a good friend.I can’t believe he’s dead. Who would do such a thing?” Nicodemus asked.
Miriam gave Nicodemus a hug.”How are you?” he said, through her hair.
“I am fine. He took such good care of his wife. How is she?” Miriam asked, letting him go.
“She was bad off when I left her with her aunt, but she will pull through,” Nicky said.
Range rubbed his face in his hands a few times.He was almost to the point of crying, but he would not let himself.Now that Nicky was here, he felt the need to let go. He didn’t have to be strong anymore. Another man was here to take the role. The tears almost came, he blinked them back a few times and they stayed back.”Lucan was a solid friend and an gentle person. He did not deserve to die like that.”
“True,” Nicodemus said.
“And it’s all my fault,” Range said.
“Range, I told—” Miriam started.
“What are you talking about?” Nicodemus asked.
Range picked up the pieces and showed them to Nicodemus.
Nicky shook his head,”I don’t get it.”
Range twisted the pieces a few times more, and then they made a metallic click.Once he was finished they looked vaguely like a key.He walked over to another place on the floor and had Nicodemus help him move a large crate.Under it opened another compartment. He reached in with the key and stuck it into the hole hidden within the recess.A hand-sized piece of the wall above him moved out with a snikt, just enough to get a finger hold on and pull.
“Range, you haven’t been this ridiculous since the time that miner tried to take me home!”Miriam said.
Range pulled on th
e wall piece. It did not appear much longer than his forearm, but inside it was actually much longer.He reached in and pulled out an object wrapped in gray cloth.
“They were looking for a sword. They could only be looking for this Sword. Lucan knew nothing about it. If I had told him, perhaps it would have saved his life.” Range laid the gray bundle on the table.
“Range, how can you say that? Did you ask to carry this Sword? Are you doing it just because you simply feel like it? No!”Nicky knew all about the Sword and was the only person besides two others.
“I think we need to go talk to Garon,” Range said, pulling back the cloth, revealing the scabbard and handle of Bellatrix, one of the three fabled Swords of Saddig.
CHAPTER 6