Chapter 6: Justice

When we got there it was obvious which building was Weldon’s. It had a sword painted on the door, and there was already a crowd there to see the circus. The painting was easy to see, since the door was closed. The windows were shuttered, and the place looked deserted.

The guardsman asked the onlookers how long the door and windows had been shut. The consensus was only a few minutes. He asked one of the onlookers to run to the guardhouse and tell them what was going on, and that he might need help. Then he turned back to us.

“Millie Davidswife, have you hired these two men to avenge you and your children?”

“Yes, Anson Guardsman, I have.”

“Eric Swordsman and Jason Saddlemaster, have you accepted this task from Millie?”

I was gonna go get that cut-up saddle and shove it, one piece at a time, up Eric’s ass. Eric answered for both of us. “Jason is my man, and yes we have accepted this task.”

Anson turned back to the door and yelled through it. “Weldon Armorer, you are accused of rape and murder. I am Anson of the town guard, and I am here to listen to your answer. If you choose to not answer, I will find you guilty and we will burn your shop down if necessary to get you out here. How do you answer?”

Someone yelled back through the door “I didn’t kill anybody!”

“The killing was done in your name by those you hired, and you profited by it. You can either accept their deeds in your name and be hung for it, or you can declare them outlaw and send them out here to be hung for it. If we have to break the door down and retrieve them, we will hang everyone in there as your accomplices. There will be no survivors if we have to fight our way into your shop.”

Then he turned back to us. “I love this part of being a guardsman, bringing someone to justice. I don’t want to be the first man through the door, though. Everyone in there probably has a crossbow aimed at the door.”

Eric said “If you have a thick enough shield, it’s not that dangerous. In fact, us wanting to buy a couple of shields is how we got involved. Just build a fire against the door. When the door burns through, toss more burning wood inside. Once the smoke gets in there they’ll come out soon enough.”

There may have been some scuffling inside the building. I wasn’t sure. The crowd around us was getting bigger by the minute, and they were all talking to each other. Within a few minutes, a voice inside yelled “We’re sending them out. Don’t kill us, we didn’t do it.”

The door opened, and Stumpy was pushed out, He had a bandage on his arm so he wasn’t going to bleed to death, but he looked like he was in a lot of pain. Thinking of him trying to kill me kept me from feeling sympathetic.

After a few seconds another man came out, dragging a body. He dumped the body in front of Anson and said “I didn’t do it. It was these two. They said the other two are dead.”

Anson said “Stay right here beside me. If you leave my side without my permission you’ll hang. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, sir.”

Anson turned the body over so we could see his face, then turned to Millie. “Are these the other two?”

“Yes, Anson Guardsman.”

He gestured at the man who had drug the body out. “Has this man injured you in any way?”

“He helped carry our goods out after David was killed, so he’s a thief, but that’s all.”

“If he was following his master’s orders it’s his master who’s the thief.”

“Yes, Anson Guardsman.”

“You’re one of Weldon’s apprentices, right?”

“Yes, sir. I’m Jim.”

“Who else is in there?”

“Just Master Weldon and Henry. Henry’s the other apprentice.”

“Okay. For now, see if you can figure out a way to tie this one up. For sure you can’t just tie his wrists.” He was pointing at Stumpy. I confess, I wasn’t sure how to do it either.

Eric told us how. “I’ve got a thong in my saddlebags. Tie one end to his good wrist, then wrap the other end around the opposite thigh and tie it off.”

Anson turned back to the doorway and called out “We’re going to enter the shop in a second. We will kill everyone in there as they have now refused to surrender for a second time.”

“I’m coming out. Master Weldon is wounded.”

“Either he’s alive, and he can come out here, or he’s dead and it doesn’t matter. You can help him if you want.”

We heard noises, and soon a young man came out, supporting an older man with a wound in his chest. He was coughing up blood. Eric told me “Crossbow bolt. From close enough that it went all the way through. Looks like it hit a lung but nothing else. If he doesn’t get to a surgeon soon he’ll drown in his own blood. If he does get to a surgeon he’ll live for a week and then die of infection.”

When they were standing in front of us, Anson turned to Millie again. “Has either of these men injured you in any way?”

“Weldon ordered my husband killed, and then raped me and took all our goods. The other one helped take all our goods but you say he isn’t a thief.”

“You’re Henry?”

“Yes, Guardsman.”

“Did you take David and Millie’s goods on your own, or were you following orders?”

“Master Weldon said they were all his now, so we brought it all back here to the shop.”

“Millie, if Weldon were to give you everything he owns, would you let him die quickly instead of leaving him to die in agony over several hours?”

“Yes, Guardsman. I would be satisfied with his death, and that of Stumpy there.” The crowd laughed at what she called the man that Jim was tying up.

Anson asked Henry “What happened in there, just now?”

“We all had crossbows. Master Weldon told Bill ‘n Aaron that he wasn’t gonna hang for what they did. He told me ‘n Jim to shoot Bill ‘n Aaron if they didn’t go out. Bill said that he wasn’t gonna hang for a fat townie like Master Weldon, and shot him. Me ‘n Jim both shot Bill. Aaron just stood there. Ain’t much he can do with no right hand.”

“Weldon Armorer, you are going to die. As much as Widemouth needs our two armorers right now, one is dead and the other is about to die. Either right now, tonight, or tomorrow. You can die tonight of your wound. Or, you can hang in the morning with your man Aaron for ordering the murder of David and his three children. Or, you can give everything you own to the woman you raped and beg for her mercy. It’s your decision but if it was me I’d ask Millie to make it quick. Since you have deprived Widemouth of both of our armorers right now, I’m angry enough to hope she refuses.”

Eric asked “What’s going on that you’re worried about armorers right now?”

Anson replied “We fear that the pirates who approached Bridgetown recently are coming here next since we don’t have any defenses.”

“So you need your armorers very badly right now, and have lost both of them. Millie, are you a skilled armorer?”

“No, sir. I helped David some but I mostly took care of the children and kept David fed.”

He turned to Jim and Henry, still supporting Weldon. “Do you two know enough to continue to work as apprentices, if someone else takes over the shop?”

Henry said “I’m still learning, but I will do my best.”

Jim said “I mostly just do the labor. I haven’t learned much yet.”

Eric asked Millie “Would you be willing to accept them both as your apprentices? You’re going to own what looks like a very nice shop here and you’ll need a lot of help running it. Besides, most men would rather deal with them than you.”