Free Blood and Clay by Dulcinea Norton-Smith

look less scared of Roger and
had let go of Alizon ’ s hand.

 
    “ Tell me little one, are you the fair faced one they call
Jennet? ”

 
    The
girl nodded and smiled a dazzling smile, eager to be noticed and to please.

 
    “ Well Jennet, I need to talk to your sister. Would you go
outside to my Constable and tell him that he can take you and your mother and
grandmother down to the river to sit awhile. I will call for him when I have
finished. ”

 
    Jennet
looked to Alizon, unsure of what to do. When Alizon nodded, she gave Roger
another dazzling smile and skipped out of the house, happy that all of the
drama was over and she had been chosen for such an important job. Once she had
left Roger turned back to Alizon.

 
    “ Tell me Alizon, do you believe in God? ”

 
    “ Of course Sir. ” Alizon said quietly then looked with
nervousness towards the door. Roger followed her gaze then gave a nod.

 
    “ Ah, but your family don ’ t know. ”

 
    Alizon
nodded.

 
    “ So your family, do they believe in God? ”

 
    “ I don ’ t rightly know Sir. I think they do. They believe in the
other one more though. ”

 
    “ The other one? You mean the Devil? ”

 
    “ Yes ” said Alizon looking down in embarrassment. ”

 
    “ Alizon does the Devil do their bidding? Do they seek to
cause others harm? ”

 
    “ Maybe, I don ’ t know Sir. They don ’ t tell me much; they think I am too
young. ”

 
    “ Are you too young Alizon? Too young for beliefs? ”

 
    “ I don ’ t know. I am fifteen, almost sixteen. I believe in God Sir
so maybe I am old enough. ”

 
    “ Do you believe in the Devil Alizon? ”

 
    “ Yes maybe I do for it ’ s not God that lives in my Mam and
Gran ’ s hearts. ”

 
    “ Alizon, were you with your Grandmother on the day that she
visited Richard Baldwin ’ s farm? ”

 
    “ Aye sir I was. She don ’ t walk far without me to guide her,
cos of her eyes. ”

 
    “ What happened when you got to the farm? ”

 
    “ We went as far as the gate to the farm Sir and then Mr
Baldwin came out to us. ”

 
    “ What did he say? ”

 
    “ He asked why we were there. He ignored me and just talked
to Gran. She said we ’ d come to get the money he owed my Mam. ”

 
    “ And what did Mr Baldwin say to you then? ”

 
    “ He said that he didn ’ t owe Mam any money. That she was a
work shy … . ” Alizon stopped speaking and looked at her feet once more.
Again the look of embarrassment crossed her face.

 
    “ What Alizon? You can tell me. I won ’ t judge you for just repeating a word
you heard. ”

 
    “ He said that my Mam was a work shy whore and a whore o ’ the Devil at that and that he weren ’ t going to pay her no monies. ”

 
    “ Well a gentleman shouldn ’ t talk like that in front of a lady.
Not even in front of one such as your Grandmother. I am sorry for that Alizon.
What happened next? ”

 
    “ Gran said that he would be sorry talking about her kin like
that. Mr Baldwin shouted some bad words at her and said we were to get off his
land and never go back or we ’ d be sorry. He waved his sheeping stick at us and tried to
hit me with it so we left. We haven ’ t ever been back since. ”

 
    “ Hmmm. ”

 
    Roger
stopped the questioning and leant back against the table again. During the chat
he had been leaning closer and closer in and the strain was now causing his
aging bones to complain. Fifty years old and suffering from the aches and pains
of age, Roger nevertheless felt in the prime of his life. This situation vexed
him however. He had no doubt that Demdike had caused the death of Emma Baldwin
yet Alizon said that they had left the Baldwin farm and not returned and Roger
believed her. As Roger stood in thought Alizon stared at his face, a nervous
look in her eyes. Roger wrinkled his nose. In the first time of quiet since
entering the house his nose had had time to notice the