Part 49

Lowell and Oscar made quick work of tying David's hands and feet with pieces of Lowell's ruined shirt. David's protests were met with a filthy strip of cloth shoved into his mouth. Lowell added a reeking blindfold as well.

"You carry," Lowell growled. David heard footsteps, then felt himself being yanked off the ground, then dropped across one of Oscar Bartleby's wide shoulders. He grunted as the wind was knocked out of him, then the world swayed as Oscar started walking.

"MMM!"

David's muffled scream was met with a rush of footsteps, then something hard... most likely Lowell Vern's fist... clubbing him across the side of the head.

David lay quiet through the rest of the trip.

Occasionally he heard men approach, followed by snippets of conversation with Oscar, Lowell, or both. Then the footsteps moved away, usually at a run. David recognized some of the voices, and when the conversations included names, he recognized all of those as well. Silas Grieves was one of the first to arrive, then depart quickly. Segram Mills and Harper Groll came in rapid succession, followed by a small crowd that included the voice of Rinius Thorwold, the town's mayor.

Everyone seemed interested in David, but no one spoke to him. When Rinius arrived, someone grabbed David's chin and held his head up briefly.

"Aye, that's 'im," said Rinius.

"Who'd you think it'd be?" Lowell Vern snapped. There was a noticeable lessening of his standard growl with Rinius.

"Never can tell." said Rinius. "Always seems to be something with you and yours. Nothing ever goes the way it's supposed to.."

"Not mine any more," Lowell replied. "That part's done at least."

There was an awkward silence. David felt Oscar shift his weight several times.

"What about the body back there?" said Lowell. "He had magic; he might have friends too. Like that other stranger we saw earlier... anybody seen him since?"

"No time to worry about them now."

"There's plenty of-"

"I said there's no time. We've got one night... TONIGHT. I'd rather see this done before your damned family brings some other mishap down on us. We'll take care of the body afterwards. Bodies, if there's more."

"Someone said he'd been to the Hill," said Lowell. "Diggin' up the graves. Why would he do that, eh? How would he know what's there?"

"Perhaps some of us have had fast lips with the traders? Or not watchin' 'em as close as we ought to."

"He had magic," Oscar added. "Maybe that's how."

"I hate magic," Lowell Vern said with a sigh. "If there's more like him out there tonight-"

"All the more reason to get this done NOW," Rinius snapped. "Wouldn't you agree?"

Lowell grunted an uncharacteristicly meek agreement.

"Bring 'im!" Rinius said loudly, clearly addressing more than just Lowell and Oscar. Boots disturbed the grass all around them as the crowd shifted position. "You two go and collect that fat drunk back there; he's passed out again. And somebody find out where Fenton ran off to. Fetch the women! Gather EVERYONE! NOW!"

After that, their progress was faster, and louder. David managed to nudge the blindfold upward by rubbing the side of his head on Oscar's chest. There were forty people with them. Smaller groups and individuals still joined them. Some of the newcomers ran off, but others remained with the group as it made its way down toward the main road... then turned toward town.