A deep silence fell over the crowd.
“I would like to be heard,” Amos shouted as he raised his hand. His shaky voice betrayed his nervousness. “I know that you are mistaken!”
The eyes of the crowd were immediately upon him, a boy who dared to question the word of the Knights of Light and Yaune the Purifier.
“Quiet, young man!” ordered Yaune. “Your youth and lack of experience are the excuse for your impertinence. Now withdraw your words or you’ll pay dearly for them!”
“I maintain what I just said, sir,” Amos answered as he regained some confidence. “This boy is called Beorf and he’s my friend. He belongs to the race of humanimals. He’s not a sorcerer and does not turn people into statues. I believe that if you burn this boy, you will never understand what is happening in your realm. He is the only one who has seen the creatures who threaten your safety. He’s innocent of the crimes you accuse him of!”
For the first time during his rule, Yaune the Purifier was being challenged.
“Do you think, little weasel, that you are wiser than the lord of Bratel-la-Grande?” Yaune demanded to know. “For nearly forty years I have fought the occult forces of this world. I have given my blood for the truth. I have lost men, even whole armies. I have sacrificed a great deal to see man’s light prevail over the world of darkness. Approach the dais so I can see you better.”
Amos came closer, with dignity and in silence. Yaune smiled at the boy with the long braid, the torn leather armor, and the trident over his shoulder. Barthelemy intervened.
“Excuse him, great lord,” the knight said, kneeling in front of Yaune. “I know this boy. He is foolish and doesn’t know what he’s doing. He lives with his parents at my mother’s inn. They’re travelers who recently arrived here. His father and his mother know nothing of his behavior. Forgive him and I will vouch for him.”
Yaune looked down at his knight. “Very well, valiant Barthelemy. Your father saved my life several times and I owe you the same respect that I had for him. Take this boy away and make sure that I don’t see him again at Bratel-la-Grande.”
A man stepped out of the crowd. “Lord, my name is Urban Daragon. I know my son better than anyone else. I can assure you that if Amos says that your prisoner is innocent, he’s right. Barthelemy is a good man, and I understand his desire to protect travelers whom he has befriended. The Daragon family thanks him with all their hearts, but I have always taught my son to act according to his convictions. May I also add that Amos is not foolish and that many would gain by listening to what he has to say.”
Yaune quickly dismissed Barthelemy with a gesture of his hand. “Let the will of the father prevail! We will see to it that justice is done. I will subject the boy to the game of truth. We’ll play for the fate of the young sorcerer. I will put two pieces of paper in my helmet. On one will be written the word ‘innocent,’ on the other the word ‘guilty.’ ” Yaune looked at Amos. “You must draw one of the papers at random. If you choose the paper with the word ‘innocent,’ I’ll spare the life of your sorcerer friend. But if you choose the paper that says ‘guilty,’ three of you will be put on the pyre-the young sorcerer, your father, and you. Those who dare come to the defense of Yaune the Purifier’s enemies are traitors who deserve death. This will teach your father that it’s better to follow the rules of the master than one’s own convictions. Bring me two pieces of paper so I can get started!”
As Yaune wrote on the pieces of paper, Amos nodded discreetly at Beorf.
“I abide by the rules of this realm and I’ll gladly play the game of truth,” Amos said. “Allow me, though, to see what you wrote on the two pieces of paper before you put them in your helmet.”
Yaune seemed surprised by this request but quickly pulled himself together.
“Enough nonsense and foolishness,” he declared. “I am a knight. I do not lie or cheat. Approach the dais and let the truth shine on everyone’s life.”
The uneasiness shown by the lord of Bratel-la-Grande strengthened Amos’s belief that he had written “guilty” on both pieces of paper. He could see it in the old man’s eyes. As for Urban Daragon, he was perspiring heavily as he hoped that his son would come up with a way to spare them from the pyre. Barthelemy too was anxiously watching the scene, sure that he would witness the death of his friends the next morning. And Beorf, who was holding his breath, could not believe that Amos was putting his own life and that of his father on the line to save him, a humanimal that everybody despised. The crowd was calm, certain of the outcome of the game. Never had the lord of the realm made a mistake, and no one doubted that there would be a big fire in Bratel-la-Grande the following day.
Amos calmly dipped his hand inside the helmet. Then, in a flash, he grabbed one of the pieces of paper, popped it in his mouth, and swallowed it.
“What are you doing, you fool?” Yaune hollered.
Amos smiled. “It’s simple enough,” he said. “I took one of the pieces of paper and ate it.”
The crowd snickered, angering Yaune. “But why did you do that, you stupid boy?” he raged.
Amos answered solemnly. “Now that I’ve eaten the paper I chose, no one here knows if my friend is innocent or guilty. To find out, all we have to do is look at the paper that remains in the helmet. If the word ‘innocent’ is written on it, it means that I ate the paper with the word ‘guilty.’ Therefore you’ll burn us early tomorrow morning. On the other hand, if the word ‘guilty’ is written on the paper in the helmet, it means that I ate the paper with the word ‘innocent.’ So we’ll be saved! Now I’d like Barthelemy to come up and read the verdict of your game of truth.”
The knight approached and took the remaining paper out of the helmet. At the top of his lungs, he shouted, “Guilty.”
Amos spoke again. “This proves that I ate the paper with the word ‘innocent’ written on it-unless, of course, your helmet contained two pieces of paper with the word ‘guilty.’ But I don’t think that the leader of the Knights of Light is a cheater. Therefore the truth has just been declared.”
The crowd applauded wildly, while Yaune hastily got up.
“The truth spoke. Free the boy in the cage,” he said, his face red with anger. He leaned in close to Amos’s ear and whispered, “You will pay for your trick. No one upsets the lord of Bratel-la-Grande without suffering consequences.”
6 BANISHED
Amos went back to the inn, accompanied by his father and Beorf. A full, clear moon softly illuminated Bratel-la-Grande. Frilla and Urban welcomed the young humanimal as a son. During their meal, Amos explained to his parents how he had met Beorf in the forest. He also told them that the knights had captured the Bromansons and burned them on the pyre.
Worried, Frilla suggested that they leave Bratel-la-Grande as soon as possible. After all, their goal was to reach the woods of Tarkasis, and staying in town any longer seemed like a bad idea. They decided that they would be on their way at sunrise. Beorf would go with them. They still had enough money, and the horses had had plenty of time to rest.
Beorf then began to tell them what he had seen in the forest. He stopped suddenly and stared at the cat the Daragons had taken in.
Amos smiled. “Don’t pay any attention to the cat,” he said. “He’s not dangerous. We found him in one of the villages before we arrived here. He was the only creature that hadn’t been turned into stone. Probably because he’s blind. We took pity on him and adopted him.”