"I waaantt tooo sseee agaaaain!"
The shriek echoed through the halls of the castle, seeming to shake the very stones, and the mad lord in his chambers took up his own wails in answer.
"To arms! To arms! Secure the doors!"
The Butler clenched his fists and squeezed shut his eyes in a barely controlled fury. For centuries he had performed his silent duties whilst the family of Malandil had whirled and lamented around him. But now, when escape from his doom seemed so near, it was all he could do not to scream his own frustrations and accusations to the winds and stones himself.
Instead, he willed himself to the prison, materializing before Anna, Calimiel and the prisoners, who were now crouched againest the farthest wall, clutching their ears and moaning in fear.
"Anna! Can I not trust you to do the simplest errands. What have you done to upset our young Lady now?"
"I've done nothing!" hissed Anna, who seemed to be forgetting her place the longer she haunted. "I came to feed the prisoners as you ordered, but look!" She whirled and pointed a the dead husks laying against the wall, noting sadly that the feas of these poor wretches had not lingered within the walls of Maladil. "O' happy dead." she thought.
The Butler's eyes widened as he hovered above the prisoners, both living and dead. Only three left? How could this be? They had only arrived at the Castle yesterday. Hadn't they? Time had ceased to have any meaning to The Butler, but the immaciated forms of the prisoners seemed to beg to differ on the length of their stay. Only three left, and but one a male? This was a disaster!
We have to find more! he thought in a panic. "Anna, see to these prisoners! If any more die, it will be on your head!" The Butler's form melted away, and catching a wind in the courtyard, he flew to the top of the wall, and stretching forth his arms, sent out a ghastly, reverberating wail, which shook the castle and rolled over the forest like a crack of thunder.
[ December 20, 2002: Message edited by: Birdland ]
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