Wandering Spark - Part 15
Nila was sleeping in a hammock. Matted dark hair dangled out of the cells. Over the water, a bowl of grease burned, dimly lit up the huge bodies of sleeping serpanters.
Varan sat down on a stone. He clasped his shoulders, trying to stop trembling. He sat quietly for half an hour before Nila, for no apparent reason woke up:
"Who is here?!"
The water bubbled. Horned scaly heads rose slowly.
"It's me," Varan said without a voice. Nila was silent for a long time. Snake-ears calmed down and again went under the water.
"I told the owner that I’ll wait for you." Nila bit her lip.
"Thank you."
"I cleaned them, fed them ... I cleaned after them..."
"I'm sorry."
"Where have you been?!" Whispered Nila. Varan crossed his legs, leaned his elbows on his knees and began to tell.
"So they were executed," Nila said when he finished.
"They were simply taken to the prison."
"They will be executed before dawn. Law of the season: suspicion of robbery is enough. If they just take you in a suspicious place for a suspicious matter - you will be jailed without trial."
"But they took me as well..."
"You're a pod, that's another matter. Your father was protecting you, neighbors know you. You're all in sight... like this one, Galk. And those two were strangers, right?"
"Yes."
"They'll be hanged before dawn."
It became quiet. The fat cracked in the bowl.
"Why did not you go straight to the guard's head? You didn’t say you saw it?"
"I didn’t see anything... Someone attacked somebody. That's all."
"It was necessary to go at least with this."
"It was necessary, it was necessary!" Varan punched his knees. "What business do you have?"
"And maybe they had accomplices," Nila said, ignoring his offensive tone. "You said there was another guy. Where did he go?"
"I do not know."
It became quiet again.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Part 13
Part 14
