CRYERS Read Free Page A

what will come if the knot isn’t tied well.” There were murmurs
and uncomfortable chuckles from the crowd. They went silent as the blood
dropped down and spattered across the giant’s bald skull and landed in his open
mouth. Lode’s mouth opened wider and he swallowed. “It’s sour, Elward. Tastes
like drink and guilt. It reminds me of your wife’s blood.”
    Elward spoke for the first time. “Fr-Freeda
swung. Her knot was strong and when she dropped, she swung . There was no cutting.”
    Lode wiped the blood from his head
and smeared it across his thick chest. “That is true. But after she was taken
down, I had a little taste. You understand, I’m sure…I had to know.”
    “You’re vile, Lode. The village hates
you.”
    “Is that why Freeda wanted to
become town leader? Because I’m vile? Is that why you defended her and spoke
out against me while she swung? Have I not kept Burn safe? Have our numbers not
grown since I became Town Leader?”
    Elward’s arm finally gave out. The
knot was complete and he dropped two feet. His hands held the rope and burned
as he gripped. “We c-could be so much more. We don’t have to keep killing and
f-fearing.”
    “Aaahhh…yes, there we have it.
Fear.” Lode nodded and looked over the crowd. “And what is it we fear, people?”
    They remained quiet as their leader
waited for an answer. The boy that had stepped on the rope finally spoke out in
a soft voice. “The diff -rint ones…Them
what have shortcomins and abnamilties.”
    Lode nodded his head and smiled. He
had no teeth, only gray gums. “Yes. Shortcomings and abnormalities . That’s it exactly.”
    “The ab…abnormalities will pass in
time,” Elward sputtered out. His hands were beginning to slip.
    Lode sunk the blade’s tip into the
bottom of the struggling man’s foot until he scrambled back up another few
inches. “That’s the kind of talk that put Freeda up there. She read too many of
those old books. You read any good books lately, Elward?”
    “There are no books left….You’ve
seen to that.”
    “And I’ll hang and cut and burn every
sinning fucker that brings any back into town. I’ll gut anyone that even thinks
of learning to read.” To press his
point, Lode leapt up and sliced the remaining four toes off Elward’s bloody
foot. They bounced off the dirt and rolled to a stop haphazardly, like sausage
ends flung from a pan.
    Trot stepped into the clearing and
shook his fists at Lode. “Stop hurting him! He ain’t done nothin’ bad!” He fell
silent, and fear clenched his throat before he could say more. His outburst
could mean only one thing. As soon as Elward swung, Trot would be next. The
terror was so great, he could no longer breathe. There would be no trial. Trot
would hang for this. Or, he would be cut to pieces where he stood.
    Lode’s eyes narrowed, the red
tattoo—of a woman being raped—on his skull furrowed in, and the big man
grinned. The crowd began to laugh and Lode joined them.
    “Pull up your pants,” the giant
roared. “We came to witness a hanging, not to watch your junk blowing in the
wind.”
    Trot looked down at the fabric now
gathered around his ankles. Of all the
times to forget underpants. He gathered them up quickly and stumble-trotted
a few steps towards Lode. “You…You’re not gonna kill Elward?” The good humor
about him had given Trot a feeble sense of hope.
    “Elward will hang, or Elward will
be cut. I’m going to let you live
though. You’re far too entertaining to let go to waste.” He met Trot the rest
of the way and dragged him back to the tree. “Show us how you run.”
    “What?”
    “Run, you fat bastard. Run around
the tree. Run until Elward himself drops from laughing. Show all the good people
of Burn how you earned your name.”
    “I…I don’t wanna run.” Trot started
to cry. His hands dropped to his sides and the pants fell to the ground,
forgotten once again. Lode slapped his bare buttocks with the flat of his