Free A Dusk of Demons by John Christopher Page A

though, had taken us in when we were fugitives. I appealed to him.
    â€œDo I have to go back?”
    â€œNo, Ben,” he said. He glanced at the Sheriff with a look of satisfaction. It was almost as though they were competing for an important possession, but that was absurd. “You are at liberty to stay here, if you wish. The choice is yours.”
    Before I could speak, the Sheriff said, “You may,of course, bring Mrs. Ryan and her daughters back with you. That was another misunderstanding. You can bring whomever you wish to the Isles. They will be most welcome, and I am sure you will want them with you when your new house is built.”
    â€œIf that is what you choose,” the General said.
    It was him again I looked to. “Do I have to decide right away?”
    They both said, “No,” but the General seemed the more pleased of the two. My head was spinning, and I wanted to get out of the room and talk to Paddy. I said, “I’ll think about it, sir. May I go now?”
    The General nodded affably. As I turned away, the Sheriff stood up and started toward me. Involuntarily I drew back, but he only pointed to my neck.
    â€œWhat’s that, Ben?”
    â€œWhat, sir?”
    He put out a hand to the chain, which must have been visible inside my open shirt. He drew out the medallion and examined it.
    â€œWho gave you this? Your father?”
    â€œMother Ryan gave it to me, but it was from him. She said he always wore it.”
    He dropped it back, his fingers unpleasantly warm against my skin. “And so you must, Ben. It is the symbol of your inheritance. Keep it with you, always.”
    â€œYes, sir. May I go now?”
    The Sheriff nodded. “Go, Ben, and think about it. To be Master of Old Isle, as your father was before you . . . but meanwhile we know you are safe and know where you are.” He smiled, and I wondered again that an expression normally registering amiability could seem so malign. “We found you here and will always find you, wherever you may be. Remember that.”
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    While I had been in the General’s office, Mrs. Pengelly had given money to Paddy: a whole shilling for each of us. We were free, she had said, to explore the market until three o’clock, and had told Paddy there was no excuse for being late for the return journey because the courthouse clock chimed both hours and quarters.
    My impulse had been to blurt out my news, but I did not. At first that was because of Joe: He would, I knew, be delighted at the prospect of all of us returning to the Isles, and hurt if I showed hesitance.When Paddy asked what they had wanted with me, I said nothing much and suggested Joe might explore the market with us. He shook his big head emphatically; he could not be doing for long with mainlanders and their ways. He was glad to have seen us and hoped he soon would again, but his boat waited in the harbor, and the return journey to the Isles, against the prevailing wind, would not be easy.
    As we watched him stride away, I reflected that mine should not have been a difficult decision. Joe was returning to the place I knew and loved. It would be good to be with him there, still better to be the means of taking back Mother Ryan and Antonia and Paddy. Even if I did not trust the Sheriff, what could he do to harm us? The Demons had spoken, and I was confirmed as Master of Old Isle. And there was to be a new house built for us, to my specifications!
    Although I was free now to speak of it to Paddy, I found myself strangely reluctant. For one thing, I realized that talking about the restoration of my status as Master might well invite her ridicule. And my own feelings about what had happened were confused. It had been so unexpected, and much of it was stillpuzzling. I felt I needed to think about it before I spoke to anyone. Meanwhile, the market lay before us. I put consideration of the future to one side, and we