The Warlock Heretical Read Online Free
Author: Christopher Stasheff
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction - General, Fiction - Science Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Fantastic fiction, Gallowglass; Rod (Fictitious character)
him Magnus stirred with a sigh. "Aye, Papa, we know. Come, my sibs—let us to it." Gregory turned to follow him, and so did Cordelia, but with a troubled glance backwards at Geoffrey. Rod fixed his glare on his second son, his anger warring with admiration for the boy's courage. Of course, he
didn't let it show, and Geoffrey just stared back, his chin like a rock. Gwen stepped up beside Rod, gazing
intently at Geoffrey. "Thou dost know thou didst break our rule, my son." "But it would have been wrong to let
them be beaten!" "Aye, yet we would not have thee be right but wounded, or worse. Therefore art thou not to
partake of adult quarrels—and to make thee mindful of that, thou wilt do thy punishment." Geoffrey glared at
her, but why should he be able to stand against the compulsion of her gaze when his father never had?
He
growled, but he turned away to follow Magnus.
As the door closed behind him, Gwen went limp. "Praise Heaven! I feared he might defy thee to rage!"
"Not this time, thanks to you." Rod let himself begin to relax. "Thanks for backing me, dear."
" 'Twas a rule we had both agreed on, my lord—and one well made, to my mind. I come near to believing he
doth think 'tis better to lose his life than a fight!"
"And better to lose either than to lose face. Oh, yes." Rod sighed, and turned back to the priest.
"Thou hast a worthy son," Boquilva noted.
"Yeah, we do, don't we?" Rod grinned. "Well, Father! Can we offer you a glass of wine?" Someone squalled behind the closed door, and the grownups paused in their chat. Muffled by oak came the cry,
"Mind thy mop handle, "Delia!"
"Only one in a room at a time," Rod called. "That's part of the punishment!" There, was silence behind the door, then footsteps receding and the splash of a mop in a bucket. Page 17
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"I have heard of many children's punishments," the monk said, "yet this was never one."
< Rod nodded. "They can do a lot more than most folks give them credit for, Father—but ordinarily they only
have to clean their own rooms."
"We were abducted a year agone," Gwen added, "and 'twas two weeks ere we could win home. Then did we
learn what they'd done in our absence."
"By the end of the week the house shone." Rod's smile was brittle. "And they have to do it without using magic,
too." "Aye, there's the rub," Gwen agreed. "Not that I really mind their defeating evil wizards, Father," Rod
explained. "It's just that I nearly had a heart attack when I found out how much danger they'd put themselves
into."
Father Boquilva chuckled and regarded his wineglass. "Well, we did surmise that they were magic-workers." He
looked up at Gwen. "How dost thou contain them, milady?" "I have a few spells of mine own." Gwen dimpled
prettily. " Tis more a wonder that thou, and thy brothers, did survive their interference."
"Well, as to that, they may truly have aided us," the priest said. "We would certainly have sustained a harsh
beating, and we might have died had we not fought. There was some look to these bandits that minds me they
would not have been content with small cruelties—yet ere we'd have admitted such knowledge, belike we'd have
been too incapacitated to defend ourselves."
Gwen shuddered. "Beshrew me! But it horrifies me to think that some truly enjoy slaying others!" Rod nodded, face dark. "But what were you doing out in the middle of that meadow anyway, Father?
Why didn't
you just stay home, behind the walls of your monastery?"
Page 18
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Ah." Father Boquilva's face turned grim. "As to that—w< had come to some disagreement with our Lord
Abbot."
"Disagreement?" Gwen stared. "Yet didst thou not swear obedience to him when thou wast ordained?"
"Aye, and sin that we could no longer give such obedience with sound consciences, we thought it best to go apart
by ourselves."
"Hold it!
didn't let it show, and Geoffrey just stared back, his chin like a rock. Gwen stepped up beside Rod, gazing
intently at Geoffrey. "Thou dost know thou didst break our rule, my son." "But it would have been wrong to let
them be beaten!" "Aye, yet we would not have thee be right but wounded, or worse. Therefore art thou not to
partake of adult quarrels—and to make thee mindful of that, thou wilt do thy punishment." Geoffrey glared at
her, but why should he be able to stand against the compulsion of her gaze when his father never had?
He
growled, but he turned away to follow Magnus.
As the door closed behind him, Gwen went limp. "Praise Heaven! I feared he might defy thee to rage!"
"Not this time, thanks to you." Rod let himself begin to relax. "Thanks for backing me, dear."
" 'Twas a rule we had both agreed on, my lord—and one well made, to my mind. I come near to believing he
doth think 'tis better to lose his life than a fight!"
"And better to lose either than to lose face. Oh, yes." Rod sighed, and turned back to the priest.
"Thou hast a worthy son," Boquilva noted.
"Yeah, we do, don't we?" Rod grinned. "Well, Father! Can we offer you a glass of wine?" Someone squalled behind the closed door, and the grownups paused in their chat. Muffled by oak came the cry,
"Mind thy mop handle, "Delia!"
"Only one in a room at a time," Rod called. "That's part of the punishment!" There, was silence behind the door, then footsteps receding and the splash of a mop in a bucket. Page 17
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"I have heard of many children's punishments," the monk said, "yet this was never one."
< Rod nodded. "They can do a lot more than most folks give them credit for, Father—but ordinarily they only
have to clean their own rooms."
"We were abducted a year agone," Gwen added, "and 'twas two weeks ere we could win home. Then did we
learn what they'd done in our absence."
"By the end of the week the house shone." Rod's smile was brittle. "And they have to do it without using magic,
too." "Aye, there's the rub," Gwen agreed. "Not that I really mind their defeating evil wizards, Father," Rod
explained. "It's just that I nearly had a heart attack when I found out how much danger they'd put themselves
into."
Father Boquilva chuckled and regarded his wineglass. "Well, we did surmise that they were magic-workers." He
looked up at Gwen. "How dost thou contain them, milady?" "I have a few spells of mine own." Gwen dimpled
prettily. " Tis more a wonder that thou, and thy brothers, did survive their interference."
"Well, as to that, they may truly have aided us," the priest said. "We would certainly have sustained a harsh
beating, and we might have died had we not fought. There was some look to these bandits that minds me they
would not have been content with small cruelties—yet ere we'd have admitted such knowledge, belike we'd have
been too incapacitated to defend ourselves."
Gwen shuddered. "Beshrew me! But it horrifies me to think that some truly enjoy slaying others!" Rod nodded, face dark. "But what were you doing out in the middle of that meadow anyway, Father?
Why didn't
you just stay home, behind the walls of your monastery?"
Page 18
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Ah." Father Boquilva's face turned grim. "As to that—w< had come to some disagreement with our Lord
Abbot."
"Disagreement?" Gwen stared. "Yet didst thou not swear obedience to him when thou wast ordained?"
"Aye, and sin that we could no longer give such obedience with sound consciences, we thought it best to go apart
by ourselves."
"Hold it!
Readers choose
James Hadley Chase
Bella Andre
Selena Kitt
Marian McBride
Stephanie Erickson
Linda Howard
Brooklyn O'Bannon
Richard Bird
Dale Mayer