Pathspace

by Matthew Kennedy

Chapter 26

  Jeffrey: “daring of a moment's surrender”

  Brutus was in a foul mood when we awoke, and finding himself tied up did not improve his disposition. When he lifted his bruised head, now sporting a fresh bump, the first thing his eyes focused on was Jeffrey. The first thing he said was unprintable.

  “You look about as good as you sound,” Jeffrey told him. “Maybe it wasn't the best idea to threaten the old man, after all.”

  Brutus spat pink saliva onto the floor of the cart. “You seem fine,” he sneered. “Let me guess. You cowered in fear, then helped him tie us up.”

  “Not even close,” said Jeffrey. “I avoided a fight with a powerful wizard, and then I tied you up by myself. He didn't help until it was time to finish the job on me.”

  Brutus struggled to a sitting position. “Then we have a chance after all,” he said. “You probably can't even tie your own bootlaces.”

  Jeffrey watched the larger man squirm and pull at the knots that bound his hands behind his back. “Regardless of what you think of me, the fact is the old man checked all the knots himself. I didn't dare try any tricks. After what your boys did at that farm, I think he was almost disappointed that I didn't try anything. My guess is his conscience is the only reason we're all still alive.”

  “Where are we?”

  “Headed north, probably into Denver. They brought some good horses with them, but it might be noon before we get anywhere near their capitol. After that,” he swallowed, “things might get a little more intense.”

  Brutus seemed amused now. “Having second thoughts about being so cooperative, are you? Bet you're crapping in your pants.”

  “Maybe you're not scared, but I am. I'm not ashamed to admit it. I had a lot to look forward to, before you got us in this mess.” Jeffrey looked away, at the bushes and the occasional tree speeding past the cart. By the look of it, the men from Rado were eager to deliver them to the Governor. Too eager. “You should have seen the faces of those men after the old man told them what happened. If it wasn't for him we'd have dug our own graves hours ago.” Jeffrey swallowed again. His throat was raspy, but he knew better than to ask men who looked that grim for a drink of water. “In a way, though, you have. You've killed us all, commander. Do you know how they execute people in Rado? Just curious.”

  Brutus showed him a feral grin. “By hanging. Same as in Texas. Oh, they used to have fancier ways, or so I'm told. But these days your last moments are measured by a length of rope, the good old fashioned way.”

  Jeffrey turned his head to gaze at him. “You don't seem very worried. Do you think you're going to Heaven? I never pegged you for a religious man.”

  Brutus spat again at that. “Fuck no. But so what? I don't believe in Hell, neither. When you die you're just gone. Not what I want, but,” he shrugged, “I won't even know I'm dead, afterwards, so it won't bother me none. Could be worse.”

  Worse? Jeffrey was staring wide-eyed now. “How could it be worse than getting killed?”

  The commander just laughed. “You're happier not knowing,” he said. “But since you asked, if it was anywhere but Rado, they might cut our balls off, tear our tongues out, and put us to slave labor for the rest of our lives, hauling garbage or building walls or some such. That's what they do down in Mexico. Or just torture us to death over a period of a week or so. That's what I hear they do over in the Dixie Emirates. God only knows what they do up in New Israel or over to the west in Deseret.” He roared at Jeffrey's expression, laughed until tears flowed. When he had finished laughing, he continued. “But we're going to Rado. There they put you on a platform with a noose of decent hemp around your neck and send you straight to oblivion. Nearly as painless as a bullet in the back of the head.”

  “Damn you, I don't want to die at all!”

  Brutus grinned. “Do tell,” he said. “Are you religious, sonny boy? Afraid you might kick the bucket before some priest prays you into Saint Peter's loving hands?”

  “I won't give them the satisfaction of begging for my life, if it comes to that,” Jeffrey told him. “But there were a few things I wanted to do before my time here was over. Things you probably don't care about, like falling in love, having kids, stuff like that.” He looked away again. “Instead, I'm going to hang because your men got to rape and kill.” He wanted to say there was no justice. But now he was beginning to be afraid that there would be.

  “Well waugh, waugh waugh! Show some backbone, you worm. They were the enemy, and there's no God caring about what we did, or about you. Shit happens, then you die.”

  I wonder what it will feel like? Is he right, and when it's over there's nothing left to know that it's dead? He'd read stories that claimed some people had nearly died, and had seen a tunnel and a bright light and then someone told them to go back. But he'd read other opinions that disputed such claims, saying those visions were only hallucinations brought about by the loss of oxygen to the brain, or something like that.

  He lay there thinking and wondering, or at least that how he thought he spent the time, until a jolt awakened him. He opened his eyes in time to see a high doorway passing over head, then the cart was in a large room somewhere.

  “All right, get out of the cart.”

  He lurched to a sitting position and squinted as his eyes adjusted to a dimmer light level. “How are we supposed to do that? We're tied up.”

  A man with short-cut dark hair leaned over the side of the cart. The expression on his face was not pleasant. “You're lucky to be breathing. If we'd caught you instead of the wizard, you'd be feeding buzzards by now. Your legs aren't tied, so get out now. Or we'll roll you out, and laugh if you break something. Like your heads. Accidents happen.” He grinned. “We might even put you back in and roll you out again, if it's amusing enough.”

  They managed to get out of the cart. As soon as they were standing on the floor, the men aimed crossbows at them and hustled them through a door and up endless flights of steps. He could see Brutus was looking for a chance to overcome their guards and escape, but there was no chance.

  When they emerged from the stairwell, the first thing he saw was a beautiful girl lounging in the hallway with a book. She must have been deaf or something, because the first thing she did when she saw them was shout “Are these the prisoners I heard about?”