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a SMaLL BUT IMPORTaNT MIRaCLE greeted Matthew as he awakened, responding to the insistent fist of Robert Bidwell upon his chamber door: the sun had appeared

It was a weak sun, yes, and in i clouded over by the jealous sky, but there it was all the saht forth Fount Royal&039;s roosters in fine tru form as Matthew shaved and dressed, he listened to the orchestra of cocks vying for vocal do down to where the Spanish coin had been resting atop the dresser, and he couldn&039;t help but wonder whose boots had crossed the floor to steal it But today another matter was supreme He would have to forswear his mind from the subject of the coin and the spy and concentrate fully on his task - which was, after all, his raison d&039;etre

a breakfast of eggs, fried potatoes, and corncakes filled Matthew&039;s belly, all washed doith a cup of sturdy dark brown tea Woodas late to the table, his eyes swollen and his breathing harsh; he appeared to have either slept not at all for the reht or suffered dreams that prevented rest Before Matthew could speak, Woodward lifted a hand and said in a croaking voice, "I promised I would visit Dr Shields today, and I shall as soon as we have interviewed Mr Buckner"

"Surely you&039;re going to interview more than one witness today, aren&039;t youi as to at the head of the table, his breakfast platter already scraped clean Though he&039;d been severely tried by the recent events, he was clean-shaven, freshly washed, and dressed in a tan-colored suit The ringlets of his lavish wig cascaded down around his shoulders

"I will interview Mr Buckner this " Woodward seated himself on the bench across the table fro to visit Dr Shields If I am up to the task, I will interview Mr Garrick in the afternoon"

"all right, then Just so there is some movement, I should be satisfied"

"I, too, should be satisfied with a ed by these country meals" He pushed aside his breakfast dish, which had been loaded with food by a servant girl in preparation for his arrival Instead he reached for the green ceramic teapot and poured a cup, which he drank doith several noisy ss

"You&039;ll be feeling better before long," Bidwell assured him "The sun cures all ills"

"Thank you, sir, but I do not desire platitudes Will we have the proper furnishings on hand e reach the gaoli"

"I&039;ve arranged for Mr Winston and Mr Green to take care of what you need and I reat day, sir, for the history of Fount Royal"

"No day is great when murder is involved" Woodward poured a second cup of tea and that, too, went down his hatch

It came ti in front with the carriage, and he wished the" Woodward felt positively feeble as he left the house, his bones heated and flesh cla brimstone It was all he could do to suck in a breath, as his nostrils were so constricted But he would have to carry on, and hopefully Dr Shields could relieve his disco the blessed sun, as Goode flicked the reins and the carriage wheels began to turn But as they passed the spring - where to water into buckets - the sun&039;s rays slipped their bondage and shone down upon the surface Matthe the spring suddenly glow golden with a reen tops of oak trees were cast with the sailded lumination, and for a moment Matthew realized the power that Fount Royal held over its citizens: a place carved from the wild, fenced and tamed, baptized in sweat and tears, made useful by sheer human will andto control the wilderness, to shape it with axe-blade and shovel Many had perished in the building of this town; many more would die before it was a harbor city But who could deny the tee of the landi

In some old Latin tome on philosophy he&039;d read, Matthew recalled that the author had assigned all reflection, peace, and piety to God; to the Devil had been assigned the need of o forth and conquer, to break asunder and rework, to question and reach beyond all hope of grasping

It see to that philosophy the Devil was indeed at work in Fount Royal and the Devil was indeed at work in him, because the question of as rooted in the tree of forbidden fruit But ould this land - this world - be without such a questioni and where would it be without those instincts and needs - seeds froht say - that caused iven theain the sun had vanished Matthew looked up and saw patches of blue a sliray clouds held do properties of the sun," Woodward said

S from the charred ruins of what had yesterday been a far re Presently Goode bade the horses slow and reined theiant red-haired and red-bearded Mr Green aiting outside for the with Edward Winston

"Your wishes have been er to please "I&039;ve even donated my own desk and Bible to the cause"

Green took them all inside Mattheas relieved to see that Noles had been released and had fled his coop The roof hatch was open, allowing in the hazy gray light, and Green had lit several lanterns and hung them from wallhooks Back in the last cell, the wo bundled about her

"This is where you&039;ll be," Green rue opposite the one in which Noles had been confined Clean straw had been laid down In a corner had been placed two buckets, one empty and the other brimmed with fresh water at the center of the cell stood a desk and chair, a leatherbound Bible (suitable for swearing truth upon) atop the desk, and the chair holding a co blue cushion Before the desk was a stool for the witness To the right of the istrate&039;s position was a second, smaller combination desk and chair - removed from the schoolhouse, Matthew presuular wooden box Matthew&039;s first act upon entering the cell was to lift the box&039;s lid; he found within it a thick sheaf of rather yellowed paper, a well of black ink, three quills, a small brush, and a square of coarse brown cloth hich to clean clots of ink fro satisfactoryi" Winston asked, waiting at the cell&039;s threshold as Matthew inspected his tools and the istrate tested the firmness of the cushion with the palm of his hand

"I believe it is," Woodward decided "One request, though: I&039;d like a pot of tea"

"Yes sir, I&039;ll see to it"

"a large pot, please With three cups"

"Certainly Mr Paine has gone to fetch Jereood" Woodas loath to sit down yet, as he didn&039;t fancy these surroundings In his career there&039;d never been an equal to this set of circu of straw, and both he and Matthe Rachel Howarth rise up froe, her head and face hooded by her garment

"Not to be alarmed, madam," Winston told her "Your court is about to convene" She was silent, but Matthew sensed she ell aware of as in preparation

"There&039;ll be no disruptions froivenyou if I h She said, "aren&039;t you feared to touchand stomp you flat!"

"Did you heari" Green&039;s eyes had widened; he looked froain "She&039;s threatenin&039;more" He raised his voice to address the woest to you that such claims of ability are not helpful to your position"

"My positioni What positioni" Now she reached up, pulled back her hood, and her fiercely beautiful face was fully exposed, her black hair dirty and wild, her amber eyes aflame "My position is already hopeless! What lesser depth can there bei"

"Mind that tongue!" Green shouted, but it see toelsewhere

"No, it&039;s all right" The h them into the woman&039;s face "You may speak your mind in my court Within reason of course"

"There is no reason here! and this is not a court!"

"It is a court, because I have decreed it so and as for theto be questioning witnesses who have soe of your activities, and it will be for your benefit if you don&039;t attes"

"a ain Soistrate&039;s caluiltyi Put me to the rope or the stake, or whatever I can&039;t receive a fair trial in this town"

"On the contrary I am sworn before the law tocourt here because aze fixed on Matthew "Have they pronounced you a warlocki"

"Three days," Woodward repeated, shifting his position so that he stood between the woman and his clerk, "for a crime that does not concern you If I were not interested in the fairness of your trial, I should have you taken to some other location and kept confined But I wish for you to be present and hear the accusations, under the tenets of English law That does not er for e the questioning" He had to pause for a ed throat of what felt like a slow, thick streaet through this day "Your time to speak will come, and you shall have all the opportunity you need to refute, explain, or otherwise defend yourself If you choose the path of disruption, you shall be bound and gagged If, when the opportunity of your speaking arrives, you choose silence as the cornerstone of your defense, that is your privilege Now: do we have an understandingi"

She stared at hiistratei"

"Yes, I really am"

"From wherei" Her eyes narrowed, like those of a suspicious cat

"Charles Town But I originally served the bench in London for many years"

"You have experience in witch trialsi"

"No, I do not I do, however, have much experience in murder trials" He offered a faint smile "all the jurists I knoho have experience in witchcraft trials are either writing books or selling lectures"

"Is that what you hope to doi"

"Madam, I hope to find the truth," Woodward said "That is my profit"

"and where&039;s Bidwell, theni Isn&039;t he attendingi"

"No I&039;ve instructed him to keep his distance" She cocked her head to one side Her eyes were still slightly narrowed, but Woodward could tell that this last bit of information had cooled her coals

"If you pleasei" Winston said, desiring the o fetch your tea now as I said, Nicholas should be here shortly with Mr Buckner Three cups, did you sayi"

"Three For me, my clerk, and the witness Wait Make that four a cup for Madaaol!" Green protested "It ain&039;t no social club!"

"Today it&039;s a court," Woodward said "My court, and I&039;ll preside over it as I please at the end of the day, it will be a gaol again Four cups, Mr Winston"

Winston left without another word, but Green shook his red-istrate paid him no further heed, and sat down in the desk&039;s chair Likewise, Matthew situated himself at his clerk&039;s station He took a sheet of paper from the box, set it before himents and opened it He chose a quill, dipped the nib, and et the feel of the instruht look similar, he&039;d learned, but so than others This one, he found directly, was a wretched tool Its nib was much too broad, and unevenly split so that the ink came out in spots and dollops rather than a smooth flow He snapped it in two, dropped it to the floor, and chose a second quill This one was better; it was a neater point and the ink flowed sufficiently well, but its shape was so crooked that the hand would be paralyzed before an hour&039;s as finished

"Horrible," Matthew said, but he decided not to break the second one before he tested the third His regular quills - the ones carried in a leather holder that had been lost back at Shawcombe&039;s tavern - were precision instruhtest of touches to perfored for them now, as he tried the third quill and found it to be the sorriest of the batch, with a crack down its center that caused ink to bleed into the feathers He broke it at once, and therefore ed to the handkiller

"are the tools unsuitablei" Woodward asked as Matthew practised writing a few lines of Latin, French, and English on the rough-skinned paper

"I&039;d best accept what I&039;ve got" He was leaving blotches of ink on the paper, and so he further lightened his pressure "This will do, once I&039;ve taaol with the first witness Jeremiah Buckner walked slowly and unsteadily even with the use of a cane His beard, far ray, trailed down his chest, and what re about his frail shoulders He wore loose-fitting brown breeches and a faded red-checked shirt Both Woodward and Matthew stood as a show of respect for the aged as Paine helped the old man across the threshold Buckner&039;s watery brown eyes marked the presence of Rachel Howarth, and he see on the stool

"I&039;asp than speech

"Yes sir," Paine said "Magistrate Woodill protect you fro just outside to take you hoht" The old ure in the next cage

"Where do you want istratei" Green inquired, with more than a little sarcasm in his voice

"You may also wait outside I&039;ll ask you to return if it&039;s necessary"

The two ive himself balance on the stool He sed nervously, his knotty fingers working together, his face gaunt and blotched with the dark spots of advanced age

"are we ready to begini" Woodward asked of Matthew, and the clerk dipped his quill and nodded The firsr thing was for Woodward to stand and offer the Bible to Buckner, instructing hiht hand upon it and swear before God that he would tell the truth Buckner did, and Woodward put the Good Book aside and settled hie, please, for the record"

"Jereust"

"Thank you Mr Buckner, how long have you been a citizen of Fount Royali"

"Ever since it begun Five year, I reckon"

"You&039;re a far Patience and me here to live with &039;eh Two year ago, he an&039; Lizabeth lit out, took the boys Gonna come back an&039; fetch us, once they&039;s settled"

"Yes, sir, thank you," Woodward said "So you and your wife occupy a farmi On which streeti"

"Industry"

"and what is your source of incoue "Patience an&039; et by on the lovin&039; kindness of our fellows, sir Our farot a roof o&039;er our heads, that&039;s all But when Ezra coet us, everythin&039;ll be paid back I&039;ll swear that on the Lord&039;s Book, too He writ me a letter, come by the post rider froood land up Virginia way"

"I see Now I presu Madah the bars into the next cell

"Siri" Woodward said sternly "Look at me, please, not at anyone else If you have an accusation to make, now is the proper time"

Mattheaited in the silence that fell, his quill poised On the paper ritten every utterance up to the moment, penned in the code of shortened words, abbreviations, and alphabetic memory-devices of his own creation

Buckner stared at the floor a blue vein at his temple throbbed With an obvious effort he opened his mouth and spoke "Shethe witchshe coht She come to menaked, she was Wearin&039; aserpent &039;round her neck a black serpent, with yella eyes Like hers She coht at the foot of my bed, and Patience sleepin&039; a&039;sideto Rachel Howarthi"

"She&039;s the one"

"You have that downi" Woodward asked his clerk, but he needn&039;t have because he knew Matthew&039;s ability Matthew just nodded grimly and dipped his quill once more

"May I speaki" Rachel asked sharply

"No, you may not!" The ansas delivered with an even-sharper point "I told you, I&039;ll have no disruptions in my court!"