"Hey," Ryan and Catelyn Remmus made their way into the Chapel.
Penny turned to smile at them. She should have realized she would have some supporters at the very least. All of the original members of the resistance had agreed to come. "Ryan, Catelyn. Come, sit. You've met Raymond?"
"No," Catelyn said, as Raymond stood politely, "But it's a pleasure."
Penny stepped back to the podium, letting them speak. She had a small notebook there, and she flipped it open now, finding Raymond's name. She glanced up to make sure nobody was watching her, and then made a small mark next to the name.
As she did, several more people stepped into the Chapel. Penny flipped through the pages, making more marks beside more names. "Welcome," she said, "Please, make yourself comfortable."
Over the next thirty minutes, dozens of people came in, taking seats. Some of them sat together and some sat alone. There were a few large groups that came in, but most people wandered in on their own, looking almost lost.
For everyone that came, Penny made a mark in the notebook she kept. She knew its as a dirty trick, but as she moved through the pews, shaking hands and making greetings, so was also confident it was the only real way to make sure everyone who came was safe.
When it was twenty minutes past time she'd originally meant to start, and nobody had come in the last ten, Penny retreated back to the podium at the front of the room. She smoothed her robes once more, and cleared her throat.
"Thank you for--"
The Chapel doors opened again and Penny paused. Erin stepped inside. She was closely followed by Robert.
Penny felt the next words stick in her throat. Both of them waved at her.
"Sorry we're late," Robert said, "We had to take care of a few things. I hope we're not too far behind?"
"No," Penny said. She opened her notebook, and found Erin's name in it. She hesitated and closed the book without making a mark. She felt the blood rush to her face. "We were just about to begin. Sit down, please. I was just thanking everyone for coming."
As Robert and Erin took their seats, Penny tried to remember where she was going with her speech. She looked out over the sea of familiar faces, feeling both anxiety and pride rising in her stomach. "Anyway, I know some of you knew exactly why I invited you here, for those of you less lucky, I was a bit more... vague."
There was a light amount of laughter at this. It calmed Penny's nerves a bit. "I brought you here because I want to talk about the state of things in Valishna."
The laughter died down, replaced with serious expressions.
Penny nodded, "It's not pretty out there. We all know it. We know how bad it is, but nobody does anything to change. I brought you all together tonight because I think it's time to make that change, to do something different."
She had expected people to speak up at this point and to argue but nobody did. It was a bit disconcerting. She'd planned out responses to almost any questions or remarks that could be lobbied at her. It was hard to believe these were the same people who'd tried to make excuses for not coming.
Since she needed to fill the empty silence, Penny cleared her throat again, "It's going to take all of us -- and a lot more than those here tonight -- to really make a difference out there. I think we can do it. As many of you know, my husband -- Kenneth Arris -- was beheaded for treason. The claims were denied by some, but they were true. He was a traitor."
A few people let out small gasps, some exchanging glances, some fidgeting uncomfortably. Penny looked for Joanna in the audience, found her, and gave a slight smile in her direction. "That's right. Kenneth Arris was a traitor to Lamonte. As we all should be! We shouldn't condone living like this anymore."
"What do you want us to do?" Erin asked. Penny looked over at her noticed she was holding Robert's hand. She looked frightened but determined.
"Well," Penny said, "First I want to make sure everyone here is interested in being part of this. Part of changing Valishna, I mean."
She looked over at the faces again. This time was Madam Laquette from the old quill shop who spoke up, "You can't expect us to agree to be part of something when we're not exactly sure what we'll be doing yet."
"And you can't expect me to inform a bunch of people of all our plans, and then watch them walk out that door," Penny said, "You know what happens to traitors."
"I don't like what you're insinuating, young lady," Madam Laquette said, "We're all neighbors here. We've all suffered at the hands of the soldiers here. We would never turn against each other. We're not like them."
Penny glanced down at her book. She traced the spine with a finger, "I can't take that chance," she told them, "I've taken precautions to know who was here tonight. Those of you with Madam Laquette's high morals have nothing to fear. Those of you who think to go to the soldiers should know their names are here as well. You'll be turning yourself in too."
A thick silence met this, followed by some angry muttering and exchanged glances.
"You didn't tell us you'd be keeping track of who is here," Robert said. Erin touched his shoulder, but he ignored her, "What if someone were to find out you had a list? We have a child to take care of. You could have warned us first."
Penny stared at her brother, and then sighed, "I know what you're thinking," she said, "What all of you must be thinking of me. But I will not risk your lives. I'm not going to leave this list laying around, alright?"
Not everyone looked satisfied, but Penny hurried on before there could be any more arguments, "Now, if you aren't willing to be a part of this, you can leave now. I don't mind."
She levied a gaze at Madam Laquette. The older woman muttered a few foreign words beneath her breath but didn't leave her seat. Nobody did.
"Are you sure?" Penny asked, "Nobody wants to go? Because once we start, there's not really a chance to go back. We're going to be full traitors to the Kingdom of Lamonte. If we're found out, we're dead. They'll kill us."
"Tell us what to do!" A young woman in the back of the room stood up suddenly. Her hands were clenched into fists at her sides, and she looked as though she were ready to scream or fight or both. "None of us are cowards. We want to take down Lamonte!"
Penny nodded at her, surprised by the outburst. It gave her the courage she needed to go on, "Well, we certainly can't attack the soldiers head on. We don't have the members right now, and we certainly don't have the experience. No, this is going to take some planning."
"You do have a plan though, right?"
Penny hesitated. Despite everything she'd said to the original resistance, and the fact she'd asked everyone to gather, the truth was simple. She didn't know how to lead a resistance or a revolution. She'd never done anything like it before.
People were watching her expectantly though and she knew she could lose them if she didn't say anything. "Of course I have a plan."
"We don't need to kill all of the soldiers," Penny said. "We just need to make it too uncomfortable for them to stay here."
"How?" Raymond asked.
Penny shrugged, "There are many ways we're going to go about this. There will be accidents, and injuries to attend with. Their foods will constantly make them ill. The liquor they drink will be soured. We want them to feel haunted and hunted."
"They'll come down harder on the city," Madam Laquette said, "those kinds of men will blame everyone if they can't find the few."
"I know," Penny said, "and that's why we need to spread the word of what we're doing, and make sure we get as many people behind us as we can. We want the soldiers to think it's the entire town acting against them. They can stop a few dozen, but how will they stop an entire city? Are they going to kill thousands of men and women?"
"They did before," Robert said softly.
"They did," Penny said, looking at her brother, "They killed everyone they didn't need. They could kill us all but where would that leave them? They wouldn't have the gold they tax from the wealthy. They wouldn't have someone to serve them ale. They wouldn't have people
to cook their food, and run the shops that supply them with necessities. They can't afford to kill us all."
There were several nods of agreements around the room.
"And reinforcements?" Erin asked, "What about when they have ships come in with more soldiers to control us?"
"We control the coast," the young woman in the back who'd stood up to speak said, "We don't have to let them bring in more if we don't want them to. We can sabotage their ships before they even reach the shore. We'd have to get our hands on some of their cannons, of course..."
Penny held a hand up as people began discussing this, "It could be a good idea, and one we're going to want to pursue after some careful thought. In fact, anything we do needs to be done with careful consideration. I'd like--"
Before she could say what she'd like, the Chapel doors burst open.
Penny felt the color drain from her face as the door opened. She heard several people let out small gasps or screams of surprise.
"This is a private ceremony," Penny said loudly. She tried to control the trembling of her voice as the figure stepped forward into the room. She realized she was gripping the podium with all of her strength. The tips of her fingers were turning white.
"And who exactly are you mourning?"
Penny let out a sigh. There was no mistaking that amused, cocky tone. Craig Dalton turned, pushing the door shut behind him.
"What are you doing here?" Penny demanded as he clasped his hands behind his back, rocked onto his heels, and grinned around at everyone. Most repaid this grin with nervous looks or flat-out glares. Craig didn't seem to mind. He strolled up to the front of the room, nearly radiating confidence and arrogance.
Penny knew she should be grateful to Craig for saving her on the beach, but she was also angry at him for his comments and his attitude towards her. As he joined her at the podium, she had to resist the urge to shove him back into the crowd.
"I came to help," Craig said.
"We don't need your help," Penny snapped, "This is a private service. I'd like you to leave. Or I can ask a few people to escort you out."
Craig ignored the threat, turning to the full room of people. "I'm pleased to see so many people willing to stand up to Lamonte," he began.
"This is a private service!" Penny exclaimed.
"But," Craig continued, as though she hadn't spoken, "You have a lot to learn before you're ready to go out and face those men. Most of you would get caught in the first day, and the rest of you would end up hurting yourself while trying to hurt them."
There was some muttering at this, but Penny was surprised to see that most of it wasn't angry.
"Now," Craig said, "I can help you with that. I can teach you everything you need to know about sabotage. I can teach you how to make those soldiers believe it's not just an entire city after them, but an entire world of angry spirits."
"We don't need your help," Penny snarled.
"Actually," Robert said (and she could have cursed him for speaking up), "We might. What do you know about that kind of stuff, Pen?"
Penny glared at Robert. He sunk back in his seat, but he didn't look remotely ashamed of himself.
"And how do you know how to do this?" Penny turned back to Craig, narrowing her eyes.
"I was part of a special force team in the Arinford Guard," Craig said, "I picked up a few skills there. I'd be happy to share them. If you let me, that is."
Penny glanced back at the room. People looked hopeful. She swallowed back the retort that rose to her lips and grabbed Craig's arm. "Excuse us a moment," she said to the gathering. She yanked Craig back into the hallway that led down into the penance room. He followed easily.
"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, once they were alone.
"I believe I was offering my services," Craig said with raised eyebrows.
"You're trying to make me look like a fool," Penny hissed, "You're trying to usurp my position and take over here."
Craig gave a derisive snort, "Is that what this is about? This little meeting? A chance for you to rule over a roomful of sheep, Penny?"
"No," Penny said, "No, of course it's not."
"Then swallow your pride," Craig said coolly, "and go back out there and tell those people you'll be happy to let me teach them. I'm not here to take your position as a little rebel leader. I could care less about that. What I care about is making sure you don't get them killed."
Penny stared at him for a moment and then sighed. She knew he was right. "Fine."
"Wait," Craig said, as she started away. He grabbed her arm to stop her. "There's something else we need to talk about."
There was something in his voice that caught Penny's attention. She realized an instant later that he was afraid. This stopped her more than anything.
"Penny," he said, in a strained voice, "I'm..."
He shook his head and swallowed. "I'm sorry," he said, "Just remember that soon, okay?"
"Why?" Penny demanded.
"It's not the right time," Craig decided. "Listen, when you go out there, you want to make sure they're divided up into groups that can work together. Each one will focus on a different aspect of this little rebellion, so keep that in mind. Make a leader in each."
Penny didn't want to let the former subject drop. She felt as though he had been on the brink of telling her something... and then she wondered why she cared. She sighed. "Fine."
Craig nodded, and followed Penny back out. As she took her spot on the podium, everyone quieted back down.
"Craig Dalton," she said with a nod towards him, "has kindly agreed to teach us what we need to do. He is only one man, though. He cannot do everything alone. Therefore, we need to divide up into groups. I would like you to do that now, please. Six groups."
It didn't take long for everyone to split up. The largest groups stuck together and the individual people who'd come in found places amongst them.
Craig took a spot with one of the groups and Penny joined another. This one included Erin and Robert.
"Wait," Erin said. "Are there going to be leaders of these groups?"
Penny frowned and nodded.
"Then I'd like you to choose another group," Erin said. Her face burned dark red as she said, but she forced the words out anyway, "You're going to need to be a leader, and I'd like to do that here."
"Are you sure?" Penny asked, "Even with the baby...?"
Erin exchanged a glance with Robert, who could only offer Penny an unsupportive shrug. "I'm doing this for her."
Penny sighed and went to join another group. She finally settled for the one with the young woman from earlier in it. Sirn Moss was also standing there. When she was satisfied everyone was finished splitting up, she cleared her throat for attention.
"Now that we're all in groups, I need everyone to choose someone to represent them. This person will work closely with the other leaders, myself, and Craig. They will be the person in charge of making sure everything assigned to your group gets completed, and that their people are safe in everything they do."
Craig nodded, "It will also make meeting easier and safer. You'll meet with your group and your leader will meet with us. It will be a lot less conspicuous with a group of six or seven than a group this size. I was surprised to see that soldiers weren't lurking around with all the noise you lot made."
Penny had to resist the urge to roll her eyes, "Decide who leader your group and then go home. Leaders, stay please."
She turned back to the group, "I'm taking charge here," she said. She looked at Sirn, "unless you have a problem with that?"
"No," Sirn said, "That's fine. I'll walk everyone else out."
Penny nodded and her group started away. Slowly the Chapel began to disperse until only a handful of people were left. She looked around to see who would be leading the resistance with her. She wasn't surprised at who she saw.
Sirn had come back, and was waiting by the door. Penny nodded to him, but he didn't leave. He looked to be standing guard.
/> The rest of the leaders included Craig, Erin, Ryan, Joanna, and Kevin Bishop.
"Catelyn couldn't stay," Ryan said, "She needed to get home."
"That's fine," Penny said. She nodded to Craig and Erin, "These three were all members of the original resistance. Sirn Moss, too."
Sirn nodded from his spot by the door.
"So now what?" Erin asked, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn't seem to be eager to linger long without Robert.
"Now we're going to discuss a few things," Craig said. He looked at each of them in turn, "You were part of the original resistance? I suppose that makes you brave, but it certainly doesn't make you smarter than the rest. You didn't do much from what I can tell."
Penny could tell that Joanna wanted to say something, but Craig didn't give her the opportunity.
"We're going to take back this city," he said, his voice determined and a bit bitter. "To do that, I'm going to need each and everyone of you to trust each other, because lives rely on it. This isn't a game."
"I trust everyone here," Penny said softly. The others nodded.
"Good," Craig said. "Now the first thing I need to know -- is there a place to get weaponry here? We need quite a bit of it, and we need it from someone that's not lining the soldiers' pockets."
"We looked," Joanna said, "There's a man -- Mike Corriton -- he used to own a weaponry shop but the soldiers shut him down. There was world he was running below his shop still, but if it's true, we never found out. Kenneth went to speak with him, and it did little good."
Craig gave a thoughtful nod.
Penny tried to remember if she'd ever met Mike. Valishna was one of the larger cities in Arinford, but there were some people that had known nearly everyone. Matilyn had been one of those types. Penny wasn't.
"Perhaps I can speak with him again," she suggested.
Joanna glared at her, "If Kenneth couldn't convince him, what makes you think you can?"
Revolution (Cartharia Book 2) Page 13
