Brechalon Read Free Page B

empty cells that they
passed. Finally they came to the one door that was locked
shut.
    “ Here we be,” said Drury. “That
there’s the only one in the entire wing.”
    “ Special, huh?”
    “ Take a butchers.”
    Chapman pressed his face against the small
barred window. Most of the room beyond was dark, illuminated only
by a square of light carried in from a four by four inch window
high up on the far wall. The room had no pillows or blankets as did
the rooms in the south wing. There was no bed. The only thing in
the cell approaching furniture was a piss pot. Curled up in a fetal
position against the far wall was a human being. The dirty ragged
clothing and matted hair of unknown color gave no hint to the
identity of the figure.
    “ Who is he?” wondered
Chapman.
    “ That’s not a he. That’s a she. And
that’s the most dangerous creature in the world, that.”
    “ Really?”
    “ That’s what they say. So
dangerous, we’re not even ‘sposed to be here. Ain’t that right,
eighty nine?” he called to the prisoner. She didn’t stir. “Lucky
for us the warden’s gone to the mainland, eh?” Drury pulled out a
large key and placed it in the massive lock on the door.
    “ Maybe we shouldn’t ought to do
this,” said Chapman.
    Drury paid no attention. He opened the door and
swaggered into the cell. The woman curled up against the wall
didn’t move. When Drury had crossed the room to her, he nudged her
with the toe of his boot.
    “ Get up, eighty nine.” She remained
still.
    The sadistic guard grabbed a handful of the
prisoner’s dirty, matted hair and dragged her to her feet. Chapman
could finally make out that she was a woman. She was thin. She
looked half starved, but he could still tell that she had once had
quite a figure. Drury held her up by her hair, presenting her for
view as if she were a freshly caught trout.
    Suddenly the woman came to life, kicking the
guard in the shins. Drury let go of her hair and knocked her to the
ground with a back-hand slap. She looked up at him and even across
the poorly-lit cell, Chapman could see the hatred in her cold grey
eyes. She pointed her hand and spat words that might have been a
curse in some ancient, unknown language.
    “ Uastium premba uuthanum tachthna
paj tortestos—duuth.”
    Even here in Schwarztogrube, where no magic in
the world would work, Chapman could have sworn that he felt a
tingle in the air. Nothing else happened though. Drury kicked her
in the face, knocking her onto her back. He kicked her again and
again. And again. Finally he grabbed her once more by the hair and
lifted her to her feet. With his other hand, he began unfastening
his trousers. Chapman turned and left. He didn’t need to see
this.
    * * * * *
    Lieutenant Arthur McTeague paced back and
forth, from one end of the small clearing to the other. Around him
grew the dense forest full of incredibly high redwoods and huge
maples. Most of his platoon was gathering together brush to build a
barrier around the spot that had been chosen as their campsite for
the night. The remainder were laying out fuel, tinder, and kindling
for the campfires. McTeague’s fellow lieutenant, Augustus P.
Dechantagne, sat on a large rock at the edge of the
clearing.
    “ I signed up for the artillery,”
said McTeague. “What about you, Augie?”
    “ Artillary.”
    “ Then how come we’re out here in
the middle of nowhere, not a cannon in sight?”
    “ You’re lucky they let you have a
rifle,” said Augie as he pulled an envelope from his tunic
pocket.
    “ What’s that then?”
    “ Letter from my sister.”
    “ Anything interesting at
home?”
    Augie handed him the letter, and he read
through it quickly.
    “ Wow. Tender.”
    “ Oh, she loves me in her own
way.”
    “ Anything else in the
envelope?”
    “ Just my allowance.” Augie held up
a wire transfer in the amount of two thousand marks.
    “ Kafira! You can have quite a week
on the town with that. All you can drink. Good