Free TWO HEADS TWO SPIKES (The Pearl of Wisdom Saga) by Jason Paul Rice Page A

Penrose.
    “Penrose, hello,” said the Father with wide eyes and a lump in his throat.
    Suddenly, two small boys popped up out of the water right in front of the Father. Several seconds later, three more toddlers emerged around Father Enroy. The oldest boy couldn’t have been more than eight or nine.
    The Father’s face turned bright red as he asked, “Care for a swim?”
    “No thank you. I believe I shall wait outside your office for you, Father,” said Penrose as he scurried out.
    “I shall be right there,” shouted the naked Father as Penrose left the room.
    What in the hells? Two men together is one thing, but taking advantage of little boys is reprehensible. I should clean him up for the Gods. I can taste his divine blood already. Maybe that will cleanse my soul? Stop screaming at me.
    The voices berated him as he headed away from the bathe, demanding the Father’s blood. He made his way upstairs, through the chapel and toward the back, to the High Holy Leader’s office. The church made a fine spectacle. Stained glass windows with scenes from the holy writs surrounded the chapel. Diamonds and gemstones gaudily accentuated the windows. Masterfully constructed marble pews filled the room that could accommodate about two hundred and fifty wealthy worshipers. Opulent silk pillows more than ten feet long were secured to the ground for comfort when kneeling during prayer. They had the pattern of the black raven of the Faith on purple silk. The raven represented the brothers of the Faith delivering the messages of the Gods. Jade, ebony and ivory sculptures of the Gods were twice as large as mortal men and stationed up front on either side of the altar. Four stood on one side and three on the other. Penrose sat on the expensive bench and wrestled with his thoughts. The thunder resounded through his head again.
    I can kill him; I can kill him right now and it will be easy. Wait, no, I can’t kill him. He is the only one who can possibly save my soul. If I kill him nobody will absolve my sins. I can’t kill him .
    Sir Penrose Ellsworth looked like a guileless twenty year old. With long, curly blond hair past his shoulders and bright blue eyes, the ladies were very fond of him. But it didn’t matter because he was sworn to the King’s Guard and couldn’t marry. He spoke softly and eloquently, hardly ever raising his tone. Penrose’s daily activities kept him healthy and strong, but internal demons tore him apart. The knight battled constant stomach pains. Only a year ago, everything had seemed fine, but then he started hearing the voices. Penrose’s obedience seemed to feed the voices and silence them, but they always came back for more lifeblood.
    Penrose came from one of the most prominent houses in Fox Chapel. His father, Ichibod Ellsworth, was the High Lord of Lightview. Lightview was the most profitable district in Fox Chapel. They even traded with Mattingly behind the King’s back. Penrose had shunned land and money as heir of Lightview to live a life of honor. Anderley was the original heir and it fell to Penrose after his older brother left for the King’s Guard. It had crushed Ichibod Ellsworth to see Penrose follow Anderley to the Capitol.
    He stood up abruptly when Father Enroy arrived, garbed in a scarlet robe. He wore two gold belts to secure the hanging silk.
    He spoke first, “Penrose, I do apologize for that. Please do not think it was what it seemed.”
    “Can we forget about that, I would like to talk with you for a few minutes Father,” Penrose quietly proposed.
    The Father opened his office door and said, “Come in, my son.”
    Father Enroy offered a chair to Penrose and then sat down himself. The Father looked as though he was well into his sixties, but no one precisely knew his exact age. He lived life as a robust, compact man. Gluttony had fattened the Father and imbued him with a false sense of self-worth. The High Holy Leader, a bald man on top with gray hair hanging down the sides of