Armageddon's Children - Terry Brooks [158]
He took a deep breath and blew it out. What was the point in chastising himself now? It was over and done with. They had caught him out, and he was their prisoner. He thought about how they had captured him. They hadn’t just stumbled on him; they had been waiting. That suggested that they knew about his meetings with Tessa. In all likelihood, she had been found out, too. If so, she would face the same fate they decreed for him.
For the first time he felt a ripple of fear.
Fighting it down, he climbed to his feet and began exploring the door to see if there might be a way out. They had taken all of his weapons, even the viper-prick, and he had nothing with which to spring the lock. Nevertheless, he kept searching, running his fingers along the seams and across the door, then all along the base of the walls, hoping that his captors might have left something useful lying around.
He was still engaged in this futile effort when he heard their footsteps approaching. He moved back to the center of the room and sat down again.
The door opened, flooding the room with daylight that spilled through high slanted windows from across the way. His captors numbered four—big and strong, too many for him even to consider attacking. So he let them bind his wrists and lead him out into the hallway and from there down several different corridors and up a series of steps to a room filled with people.
The only face he recognized was Tessa’s. She was seated in a chair facing a long table occupied by three men. An empty chair sat next to hers, and he was led to it. No one said anything to him. No one in the room did more than murmur softly. There must have been two hundred people gathered, perhaps more. The men leading him released his wrists and pushed him down in the chair.
One bent close. “If you try to run or cause trouble, we’ll tie you up again. Understand me?”
Hawk nodded without replying, his eyes on Tessa. His captor hesitated a moment, then moved away.
“Are you all right?” he asked her quietly.
Before she could answer him, the man seated at the center of the table across from them slammed his hand down on the tabletop so hard that it caused Hawk to jump. “Be quiet!” he said. “You will not speak unless asked to. You will not speak to each other. This is a trial and you will obey the dictates of this court!”
The man was big and craggy, his face and voice unfriendly, and his eyes dark with anger. Hawk looked at him, then at the other two, and his heart sank.
Their minds were already made up about what they intended to do to him. The best he could hope for was to deflect their anger from Tessa.
“State your name,” the big man said to him.
He took a deep breath. “I am Hawk,” he answered. “I am a Ghost, and I haunt the ruins of my parents’ world.”
There was subdued laughter from the audience, and the big man reddened.
“Is it your intention to mock this court, boy? Do you think this is a game?”
“Your Honor, he is only stating what is true,” Tessa said quickly. “He is a member of a tribe called Ghosts. Hawk is the name he has taken.”
The big man looked at her, glanced at the two seated next to him, and nodded. “We will call him whatever he wishes to be called so long as he remains respectful. He is accused—you are both accused—of stealing stores from the compound for personal use. The evidence is clear. Tessa, you were observed in the medical dispensary when you had no right to be there. Medicines were found missing. You claimed to have been conducting an inventory, but no inventory was authorized. You met this boy outside the compound walls without permission, a secret assignation, and you gave these medicines to him. If any of this is wrong, say so now.”
Tessa’s mouth tightened, and she straightened in her chair. “I took the medicines to save a little girl who was dying. Why is that wrong?”
“Your reasons for what you did are not relevant to this trial. Just answer the question. Is any of what I have recited wrong?”
Tessa shook her head slowly. “No, it is correct.”
“You, boy. Hawk.” The big man gestured