Never trust a dead man

[thuylam]

In the village , everyone was gathered around the house of Bowden , the headman . As many people as could fit were jammed inside , with the overflow in his yard and in the street . It was noisier than a feast day .

Thorne pushed his way indoors . Most of those who'd gone to fetch Selwyn were able to squeeze their way in , though that suddenly forced outside others who'd been there before them .

Anora , as Thorne had said , was weeping loudly , her normally lovely face puffy and red-splotched from tears . As soon as she saw Selwyn , she threw her apron up over her head --- the only privacy she could get with everyone watching her --- and she began rocking back and forth on her stool . People jabbed each other with their elbows and pointed . Derian the miller , the dead man's uncle , patted her leg and said , " There , there , " and glared at Selwyn .

" We brought them , " Linton announced , hardly neccessary with everybody starting already . " They gave us some trouble . " This was something else people could see for themselves , with the two of them bound and gagged , and their clothes all torn and askew , and Selwyn's father's right cheek turning purple from someone's knuckles . But Linton always tried to make himself important . He was the kind of man who would say , " Sure is raining hard , " in case you hadn't noticed . And if you had , and you answer , " yes , I can see , " Linton would try to convince you that it rained hardest of all over his house .

Bowden had a fire going , an extravagance on such a warm day . But he liked to show off that he was the wealthiest man in the village , even if his house had only one room , just like everybody else's . Still , Selwyn couldn't have been the only one to find it hard to catch a fresh breath , with the wood burning and the closeness of all those people .

Bowden stood , slowly , and asked Thorne , rather than Selwyn , " So what's the boy's story ? "

Why did everybody keep talking around him ?

" Home all night with his family , " Thorne answered with a slight shrug that could mean anything .

Selwyn thought at him : Your long nose and bright eyes make you look like a rat . This was the first time in all those years of knowing him that Selwyn thought this . Bowden , he decided , was like a bull --- lazy but dangerous .

Bowden turned those lazy , dangerous eyes on Selwyn's father , who was raging incoherently into his gag and struggling as though to burst his bindings . He asked him , " Supper till sunup : You willing to assure everybody there's no way your boy could have gotten out of the house in the dead of night , with everybody asleep ? " His father nodded vigorously , but Bowden continued , " You generally keep a guard on the door , to make sure he doesn't let himself out to get into mischief ? " to which there was no good answer , yes or no .

His father began talking into his gag again . Nobody could make out his words , but then Selwyn guessed Bowden was more interested in appearing clever than in learning facts .

" Now , Rowe , " Bowden said , " nobody's accusing you of having a hand in this . Everybody knows there were bad feelings between Selwyn and Farold over my Anora . "

Anora , who'd finally come out from under her apron , hid her face once more .

Bowden continued , " Young men and hot blood --- we've all seen it before . I blame myself , partly , for not seeing it coming , for not forcing Anora to make her choice faster . Still , once she chose Farold , that should have been the end of it . But Selwyn wouldn't leave it at that . We all saw the fight Selwyn provoked in Orik's tavern . And once Farold beat him in that , too ...... "

Bowden shook his head mournfully as though to say violence wearied him , though he'd been one of the onlookers that day , laughing and cheering , not caring who was the victor , just happy for the entertainment . " Of course , he was humiliated , only stands to reason . And it only stands to reason you want to protect him , him being your only boy and all . But , Rowe , this was no hot-tempered accident : Selwyn came up on Farold in the middle of the night , stabbed him while the man was asleep . Somebody that would do that ...... " Again Bowden shook his head meaningfully . " A temper like that , why , there's no telling what might set it off again . "

" No ! " Selwyn cried into his gag , shaking his head for emphasis in case anyone had any doubt as to what he was saying .

" Why not take the boy's gag off ? " someone in the room recommended . " Hard to get a sensible answer out of him otherwise . "

" Just the boy's , " Bowden said .

The gag came out , leaving Selwyn's mouth foul and dry . " I didn't do it , " he protested . " Yes , I was angry that Anora chose Farold . But I didn't hate him enough to kill him . " Farold wasn't all that bad , Selwyn once again forced himself to think , as though this generous thought could prove his innocence . Farold wasn't as bad as a runny nose when you were trying to impress a girl . Farold wasn't as bad as a case of hives on your bottom .

Bowden narrowed his eyes . " You're not saying it's Anora's fault for choosing Farold over you ? " he said .

That was all Selwyn needed --- to have Bowden fearing he'd go after Anora . Why couldn't the man ask simple questions with straightforward answers ? " No , " he said . " I'm saying I didn't kill Farold . "

Derian chose then to say , " Farold was always a good boy , " which , in other circumstances , Selwyn might have disputed . Which , in other circumstances , a lot of people might have disputed . Still , with Derian , one could never be certain how much of a conversation he actually heard . But the old miller was the one who had raised Farold , whose parents had died young . So if he was distracted , there was grief as well as deafness to account for it .

Bowden gestured to someone who was standing closer to the table . An object was picked up and passed from hand to hand . " Recognize this ? " Bowden asked .

Selwyn thought surely his heart was going to stop . " I --- I --- I --- " Of course he recognized the distinctive long-handled knife --- it was his own . It was a coming-of-age gift from this father , who had brought it back from his time of service in the war , and not another like it in the village . " I lost it , about the time of the harvest . " he glanced anxiously around the room . " Raedan " --- he had spotted one friendly face , then another --- " Merton . You remember I lost it . I looked around everywhere . I kept asking if anyone found it . "

" Aye , " Raedan said readily , and his brother Merton was nodding , too .

Selwyn turned to Thorne --- even if he did look and act like a rat --- whose word should count for more , not being one of his age-mates .

And Thorne did say , " I remember . "