Free The Dark Lord's Demise by John White, Dale Larsen, Sandy Larsen

rush and all wore clothes of comfort
and luxury. The younger people had on big floppy hats decorated
with long bright feathers; the Friesens had never before seen the
style in Anthropos. Everyone, no matter what age, strode along
with eyes straight forward or on the ground slightly ahead. All
looked as if they were on their way somewhere important.
    The Friesens strained to find a friendly face among the
crowds-if not a familiar one, at least a sympathetic one. They
tried hard to catch someone's eye. No one so much as glanced
their way. The further they went, the stranger it felt. Here they
were, an unmistakable group of prisoners in custody, yet no one showed any curiosity about them or about where they were being
taken. Not even young children stared or pointed. If the soldiers
had not purchased food on the street, the entire party could have
been wearing the Mashal Stone on one chain-and therefore
invisible. Wesley recalled that even the food seller had not even
looked at the prisoners or asked about them. Certainly he would
have hoped to sell more meat rolls. Were Wes, Lisa, Kurt and Betty
somehow all wearing the Mashal Stone? But if they were invisible,
how could the soldiers guard them?

    There was no clear answer. The group left the main avenue and
entered a maze of smaller streets. For the first time ever in
Nephesh, the Friesens felt lost and afraid.

     

    Kurt tried to memorize all the turns of their route through the city.
If they escaped, maybe they could retrace their steps and find their
way back to the passage through the city wall. But he got confused.
The harder he tried to remember, the more frustrated he became.
    Betty Riggs walked as though her legs were numb. She looked as
if she wanted to ask a hundred questions but was afraid to open
her mouth.
    At the entrance of a narrow cobblestone lane, it sign warned: Go
No Further. The two soldiers never paused. They herded the children into the lane. It made a sharp turn and became narrower,
darker and damper. Their feet slipped on wet slimy stones. Wes
wondered, What is this, the slums of Nephesh?
    They made their way around several more corners and stopped
before a heavy wooden door. One soldier knocked a complex
rhythm. In answer a panel slid back. Stern eyes peered out through
a small, barred window. The soldier who had knocked reported
crisply, "Four Regenskind arrested on the shore of Lake Bamah."

    "We have received orders concerning them," replied a voice that
seemed to belong with the suspicious eyes. "The charge is trea
    "Rebellion and treason," corrected the second soldier.
    The voice rose in annoyance. "Yes, yes, rebellion and treason!
Do you think we are ignorant fools here? Enter and take them to
the hall of inquiry."
    The children never saw the rest of the watcher behind the
barred window. As the door opened, their guards shoved them
inside and down a dim stone stairway. From below came uncertain
light, a bitter, smoky stench and a clamor of discordant voices. At
the bottom of the stairs they stumbled out into an airless room
where weird shadows danced over hunched shapes. Kurt thought,
Is this the hall of inquiry? Looks more like a waiting room. With a shiver
he wondered what these people were waiting for.
    Two distinct kinds of people occupied the room. One group sat
on benches against the sooty walls. They were men and women of
all ages, each with the unmistakable look of a suspect under arrest.
Some appeared fierce enough to commit murder without a
thought; others retained a sad dignity; others only looked bewildered. They sat silent or muttered to each other. The second group
of people were no-nonsense officials in dark woolen tunics, armed
with short swords like oversized daggers.
    All the accused were seated. The officials were on their feet,
except for a sharp-faced man with a wiry black beard who sat
behind a table half-buried in documents. Crumpled papers lay
around him on the filthy stone