A Spoiled Rule

Chapter 24

Liam hooked the suspensors onto his shoulders, and they expanded into a chest plate. He felt comfortable with them, as if they had been a missing piece of his clothes. He gazed at the progress they'd made. The wood from the neighboring dock had been stripped, and was now part of the expansion being built into the side of the ship. Harvey had given them permission to use the wood from his house, so they hazardly and very loudly took the beams that once supported it and used them to support the floor. A few days of solitude had passed to give the zombies time to settle, and now, the floor was nearly complete and they were building the walls.
Liam was about to fly in the air and help with the top of the walls, when someone stopped him. It was Theo. He hadn't been out thieving since they'd returned from Dínam, and he couldn't even if he wanted to. Stephen had ordered him to stay put until his foot healed, and the most surprising thing was that Theo obeyed. But now, he looked at Liam with a familiar eager gaze.
"There is something that I have to steal," he said, pulling from his shirt pocket a new drawing. It was of a golden ring, plain yet heavy.
Liam bit back an argument against the thief's plans. He knew any argument was in vain. He had to give Theo credit. He'd obeyed Liam's earlier request of notifying him before he went out to steal. "Now?" asked Liam.
Theo nodded. "It is the best time. The sun is in the sky. There are no clouds."
"How is your foot?"
Theo shrugged. "Great, with the bandages."
"And you still insist on being barefoot," wondered Liam.
Theo smirked and glanced at Gresham and Prima, who were helping Harvey and his crew with a particularly heavy wooden plank. They looked ready to yell at each other, whispering curses beneath their breath. "They'll stop teasing me if I start wearing shoes."
"Are you going out?" said Christopher, appearing from the hallway. He held his chef hat in his hands. "I need more supplies. We've been running low on food."
Liam didn't want to be reminded. His stomach ached at the thought. "Well, we shall go out together." He took off his suspensors and handed them to Gresham to use.
Theo smiled. "Today, you will once again be a thief!"
Liam hurried over to Prima, who was arguing with Gresham. She had become the overseer of the building project, so it was fitting to speak to her. "Prima," he said, "Would you be alright if Theo, Christopher, Jackson and I left to gather some supplies?"
Prima broke from her conversation with Gresham and turned to look at him. She waved her hand in dismissal. "Of course. We won't be going anywhere."
Gresham glared at her. "Would you like to help?"
Prima rolled her eyes. "Just don't let Theo do anything rash."
"Of course," said Liam with a smile. They both knew there'd be no stopping Theo. Once he'd drawn something, it had to come true.
Liam said goodbye to the others and to Stephen, who was on the main deck, sitting against a mast. He was beginning to look like Theo, with papers all around him.
"I'm comparing data," he said simply when Liam inquired of the mess. Liam was vividly reminded of this morning, when he'd given Stephen permission to stab a thick needle into his arm to collect a blood sample. How the man was supposed to analyze it without any equipment, Liam had no idea.
"Be careful," said Stephen. He glanced at Theo. "Please don't step on anything sharp."
"I'll try not to," said Theo.
They climbed down a ladder that was thrown over the side of the ship and began their trek into the kingdom. The sand muffled their movements, but Liam was worried of what would happen once they reached firm ground. The zombies that had been throwing themselves against the ship days ago had left, but Liam suspected they hadn't wandered far. They were smart, like the humans they once were.
As they walked, Liam could see the palace in the distance. The sun gleamed off of its every surface. Gazing at it did not make Liam feel good. He felt guilt every time he looked at it. So, he tore his gaze from the palace and focused on his surroundings. They were walking down one of the main roads, flanked by rich stores and overgrown parks. If they turned left, they'd enter a very prestigious religious part of the kingdom. Liam wondered if any of the churches had survived the plague, but he suspected not. They wouldn't close their doors, even if it meant death.
Liam glanced behind and spotted three zombies. They were a ways behind, and they weren't running, but they were still worrisome. He looked at Theo, and in the quietest whisper he could muster, asked, "Where do you need to go?"
Just then, a zombie ran in front of them. Jackson's reflexes were just as quick and he stabbed at the zombie, but he caught it in its neck. The zombie screamed, black blood spurting from its mouth. Jackson tried to pull out his knife, but it was stuck.
The zombie reached out and Jackson stumbled back. Liam grabbed his knife. The zombie lurched for Jackson, and Liam stabbed the blade through its temple. It collapsed, and Jackson stepped on its neck and retrieved his blade.
Christopher cried out. He had spotted the three zombies behind them, which all were running. Liam handed Christopher his knife. "Take it," he ordered. "You will need it more! Follow me!" He broke out into a run down a side street, Jackson at his side. The guard and he moved together, a closeness made possible only by the awareness that a guard could have. It seemed as though Jackson knew what Liam was thinking, too, for when Liam turned to enter a building, Jackson did as well without hesitation. The golden doors were open, and he slipped inside. He and Jackson closed the door shut after Christopher and used an old lock to secure the doors. A moment later, pounding sounded from the other side. Liam shivered, once again remembering the disaster at the palace. An impending feeling of doom settled in his gut.
A snarl came from behind. They turned, but before they could even react, Christopher had thrown the knife right between the zombie's eyes. It collapsed in an aisle between two seas of pews.
Christopher turned around and gazed at them with nervous pride. "I also know how to use a knife."
Liam clapped the chef on his shoulder. "And you have good instincts. Good for-" He stopped his praise
suddenly. He realized what the impending doom in his gut was for: Theo was not with them. He wasn't on the other side of the doors, begging to be let in, either. Liam realized he'd lost track of Theo as soon as he'd glanced behind and saw the three zombies a distance aways. Liam scoffed at himself. Of course Theo would use that as an opportunity to break away from the group, embark on his ambitious mission to find a golden ring.
"I am embarrassed to admit that I don't know which way he went," mumbled Jackson.
"That's alright," dismissed Liam. "It is not Theo's first time as a thief, and it is not his first time in Harksgold. We must continue searching for what we came here for." He said this not out of disregard but out of confidence that Theo would be alright on his own.
"We need food with a longer life," said Christopher. "I don't think we will be able to handle a lot, so we may need to ration whatever we collect."
Liam nodded. "Do you know where the nearest food bank is?"
Christopher nodded. "The churches are clustered around them. The nearest one should be on this street."
"There should be stairs leading to the roof," said Jackson. "For the bell."
Liam nodded. He gripped the back of a pew and told the two to go up. He said he'd be just a moment, and when he was left alone, he knelt on the floor. He glanced at the corpse lying behind him and clenched his jaw. Then, he gazed at the golden cross hanging from the ceiling. He bowed his head. The muffled sounds of the zombies outside seemed to fade, and for a moment, Liam felt an odd peace wash over him. He was safe. In that moment, his anguish-his guilt, fear, anger-disappeared.
He opened his eyes and stood, finding the stairs at the back of the church. They spiraled to the ceiling, and at the top, he opened a door that gave way to the sun above. Jackson and Christopher stood next to a tower with more stairs, giving access to a large golden bell.
"There," said Christopher, pointing across the street. The food bank was three buildings away, characterized by many doors and a row of columns.
Liam leaned toward the edge of the roof and caught a glimpse of five zombies beneath, trying to claw their way into the church. Then, a sudden movement caught his attention. It came from the horizon, gleaming under the sun. Liam would've thought it to be a bird if not for its shiny appearance. It was coming closer at an alarming rate.
"It looks like someone on suspensors," said Jackson. Still, he readied his knife.
"Could it be one from the ship?" asked Christopher. "Perhaps something has gone wrong."
Liam frowned. The ship would be somewhere to their left on the horizon, but this person was coming from the right. He reached for his knife but realized he didn't have it on him. He looked to Christopher.
Christopher handed him the blade, and when Liam turned back around, the figure was in clear view. Their complexion was gray. The zombies in the street began to snarl, but it wasn't a hungry snarl. It was a cheering one.
"Get back inside!" Liam ordered, but he knew it was too late. Before he could start to run, the zombie crashed into him. He tumbled onto the roof, grappling with the zombie's chest plate. Pain flared in his shoulder and his hands, but he didn't have time to waste. The zombie snarled and reached for Liam, but he kicked it away and stood. He could no longer feel his knife on him. He met Jackson's gaze and the guard threw his own blade to Liam, who caught it. He turned just in time to see the zombie stand and charge at him, but Liam drove the blade into the zombie's forehead. It crumpled under the weight of the suspensors.
"They can fly now?" said Christopher in bewilderment.
"My King," said Jackson, "You're hurt!"
Liam looked down at his hands. They were cut up and bleeding. He felt his shoulder, which felt as if it had been pierced by something. Amidst his racing heart, he knelt down and rolled the zombie over. The chest plate was filled with small spikes that would impale anyone who'd draw near. A sickening feeling settled in his gut. He exchanged a worrisome glance with Jackson, then stood. "I'm alright, the chest plate hurt me, not the zombie. It came from Dínam... the bad one."
Christopher frowned. "I don't understand... How did it find us? Are they looking for us?"
Liam was troubled by this. If Stephen's suspicions had become true and the fish were no longer safe to eat, it was only a matter of time before everyone turned. Maybe it had already happened. And how did the zombie know where to fly? How did it know how to fly? Something was wrong in his assumptions. It didn't make sense to Liam.
"A zombie couldn't figure out how to fly on its own," said Jackson.
Liam nodded. "You're correct. It's possible that this poor soul was injured, then attempted to fly, then turned to a zombie while in the air. He couldn't have been a zombie in Dínam. He'd have to make it through the water, and he couldn't do so with those suspensors. They are too heavy." Then, a striking thought came to him. "He must have come to the surface, then put on the suspensors. The sea would have been at his back, so he wouldn't have to worry about zombies from behind. But if he was about to be attacked, he could've flown into the sky to save himself, though that wasn't the case."
"You suspect this was planned?" Jackson asked.
Liam looked gravely at the guard and gave a nod. "It is a wild speculation, but I believe it to be true. I don't know how he found us, but he did."
"There could be another," said Jackson. He looked at the food bank across the street and sighed. "There is a back door that we can use to exit. We can loop around and sneak into the food bank that way."
Liam and the chef agreed. They returned into the heart of the church, where Liam took many deep breaths. He wasn't sure if he'd ever find himself in such a place again; a place meant for peace.
Jackson gently opened the back door and peered around the corner. He then gestured for them to follow, and they did so. Liam made sure to close the back door of the church as they left, out of respect.
They quickly passed an alley, where Liam caught a glimpse of the zombies still clawing at the church. He hurried forward, weaving between courtyards and workbenches used to fix broken bells. Jackson led them around the corner, where he was suddenly facing a somewhat oblivious zombie. Before it could react, Jackson stabbed its skull. They continued on. Across the street sat the food bank. Liam peered around the corner and spotted the zombies at the church, relentless in their desire to get inside. He then looked at the front doors of the food bank. They were closed, but he hoped that like the church, they'd be open.
Jackson silently counted down, then they ran across the street. They skipped up the steps and tried the doors, which were locked. Liam looked fearfully at the zombies, who had noticed them and began to run closer.
Just then, the doors began to open from the inside. In that moment, Liam made a tactical decision: he silently ordered Jackson to hide. The guard slipped around the corner and disappeared.
The doors only revealed a sliver of a man. But when he saw Liam, he opened the door wide. He and the chef burst inside the building and the man closed the door shut, locking it just as the zombies arrived, screaming in outrage.
Liam kept a hand on his knife, which was concealed beneath his clothes. Inside, the building was dark, save for a few candles that flickered ominously. The windows were boarded and their footsteps echoed off a marble floor.
"It's the king!" exclaimed the man loudly, making both Liam and the chef jump.
The man's eyes glowed in the dark space. "Your Highness, forgive us for the darkness! Allow me to light a lantern." A moment later, a lantern was lit.
Liam noticed the man's attire, which consisted of a priest's robes and a wooden cross hanging from his waist. Liam cleared his throat, preparing his mind for a political talk. The priests of Harksgold were generous people, but Liam hadn't heard from them in all of his rule. He'd suspected that the priests detested his claim to the throne. They may feel he was tainting the place. "Thank you for allowing us inside," said Liam.
"Of course!" said the priest. He began leading them away from the doors and through a large hall flanked with tables that were usually filled with food and clothes, but were now empty. "I am very surprised! I figured you'd be at the palace!"
Liam shared a wary glance with Christopher. "The palace was overrun," he said.
The priest hesitated in his step for just a moment, then continued. "I am very sorry to hear that," he said in a low voice. "I couldn't be sure of what had happened at the palace. My dear, you are hurt!"
Liam glanced at his hands, slick with blood from the cuts he'd sustained. His shoulder was stiff and throbbing, but despite this, he dismissed the man. "They are only cuts. I assure you, they are not from a zombie."
The priest simply nodded with a smile.
Liam tried to see through the darkness, but where there were no candles, it was in vain. He had noticed that the priest had mentioned 'forgive us.' There were more inside the building, and they all most likely despised Liam for reasons out of his control.
"Do you have any food here?" asked Christopher.
The priest stopped at a wooden door. "Yes, that is where we are going now. That is why you've come, yes?"
Liam nodded. "The collectors at the palace were contaminated."
The priest shook his head. "A shame." He opened the door and began down a flight of stone steps.
Liam could feel Jackson nearby. He was watching them, guarding them. That gave Liam enough courage to follow the priest. The stairs brought them to an underground passageway flanked by doors. "This is where the monks would sleep," said the priest. "But not many are with us now."
In the distance, a glowing light illuminated the end of the passageway. As they drew nearer, Liam could hear voices. They were quiet and calm, conversing of a topic regarding religion. When Liam turned the corner, the voices stopped. It was a group of five, three priests and two monks. Two were women. They were gathered around a table, breaking bread. A dozen or so candles lit the small space.
"Look who appeared on our doorstep!" exclaimed the priest. "The king of Harksgold!"
"That's wonderful!" said a woman, clasping her hands together. "Please, take a seat! We were just about to eat."
Liam would be a fool not to take a seat. His stomach ached gazing at the bread. He also spotted honey and water.
They bowed their heads and gave thanks for their food. Then, they began to eat. The two women talked amongst themselves, glancing at Liam then straightening their postures. The men argued about things of religion.
Liam broke a piece of bread, which practically melted in his mouth.
The priest who'd led them there had sat next to Liam. Liam could sense that the man was trying to find words to say. Fearful that the conversation would turn politically negative, Liam decided to find words before the man. "What should I call you?"
"Father Carmen," said the man with a smile. He looked across the table at Christopher. "Now that we are in the light, I can see that you are a chef!"
Christopher looked down at his coat with a frown. He was perhaps thinking he should have changed his attire. "I am," he said. "In fact, that is partly the reason we have come. We have run out of food, and I thought that this would be a good place to search."
Father Carmen spread his hands. "You're correct! Our meal here is small, but we prefer to take precautions. Besides, man does not need a full stomach to live."
Liam kept waiting for the onslaught to begin, but the wait was driving him mad. His mind was brought back to the peace he felt at the church, and its immediate evaporation once he left it. "Are you the only ones in this area that have survived?" he asked.
Father Carmen pressed his lips together and nodded. The others grew quiet, suddenly interested in listening. "We are the only ones that I know of," said the father sadly. "If you don't mind me asking, where are your guards?"
"None have survived," said Liam. He briefly remembered William's fate and his own heart saddened.
From across the table, Christopher looked at Liam, then briefly pointed behind him. He then pretended to itch his eye with his finger. Liam suppressed a surprised smile. He didn't expect such a smooth gesture from the chef.
Liam glanced briefly over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of Jackson standing at the end of the hall. His stomach dropped. If his guard would appear in sight, risking his cover, then there must be something very wrong... something that put Liam's life in danger.
Liam suddenly wished he hadn't eaten the bread. He stood, clearing his throat. "Father, please don't mistaken my behavior as rude, but we really must get going. We have traveled a long way and do not wish to be caught in the dark."
Father Carmen stood, rolling down the sleeves of his robe. "Of course, we understand!" He said goodbye to the others and led Liam and Christopher back down the hall, grabbing a lantern to light the way. Jackson had once again disappeared.
"We've moved the food down here, away from the diseased," said Father Carmen, stopping at another door in the hall. He pulled from his robes a golden ring of keys and used one of them to unlock the door. Inside, candles sat on shelves carved into the stone walls. A window near the ceiling was boarded up, and over a dozen tables sat crammed together, filled with preservatives, salt, and mounds of water bottles.
Christopher entered the room in a kind of stupor, taking slow steps, his jaw slightly dropped. "Forgive me, but this is... It is a beautiful sight, especially during such a time!"
"Take what you need," encouraged the father. Then, he lowered his voice and spoke to Liam. "Your Highness, this may be a good time for me to show you what I've been discreet about."
Liam frowned. He glanced at Christopher, who was busy counting the food.
"Chef, do you know your way around?" asked Father Carmen.
"Yes," said Christopher without sparing a glance.
Liam sighed. "Very well." He followed Father Carmen back into the hall and up the stairs from which they came. The lantern hardly lit the way, and Liam was forced to stay close. He peered through the gloomy space and saw Jackson standing near a door, beneath a candle. He disappeared into the shadows as soon as Liam had seen him.
Coincidentally, the father turned and began walking straight for the door. "I am ashamed to admit that there were factions among us." He stopped at the door and, with his head bowed and one hand gripping his cross, stood before Liam.
Liam could sense Jackson very close. If anything went awry, he would be ready.
"Factions that have existed for years, and were brought to their height when this plague started," continued Father Carmen quietly.
"I understand," said Liam. "There were factions within the palace."
"Oh, I am sure," said Father Carmen. He looked up quickly. "I don't mean to disrespect your rule."
At this, Liam couldn't help but to voice some of his doubt. "With respect, Father, I was under the belief that you may have some negative feelings towards me."
Father Carmen laughed softly. "Well, we all have negative feelings toward each other. It is a simple condition of humanity. But I don't despise you. After all, you are king, and you grant me to live in a place where I can express my beliefs freely."
"I admit that I am ashamed," said Liam. "I have not been as generous as I should have been. I have not even spoken to any of you since I came to rule."
"You are forgiven for that," dismissed Father Carmen. "Now, I must show you what is inside." He turned to face the door.
Liam laid a hand on his knife, ready for anything his mind could conjure.
When the door opened and nothing came running at him, Liam frowned. Briefly, he wondered if this was another space filled with food. Perhaps the father was being secretive because he was hoarding some food for himself.
That was not the case at all.
Inside the room, upon a large table, lie three sacks that would be used to carry starch. But these were different, in that they were not as plump as they should be and were blanketed by robes of a priest. There were candles, many of which were scented.
With slightly trembling hands, Father Carmen set down the lantern. "Some of us were overcome with temptation when the plague first started. It led to carelessness, which led them to become diseased. We had to relieve them of their suffering."
Liam took a tentative step closer, but no more. He didn't need to be very close to see that inside the bags were bodies. It also didn't take long for his senses to sharpen to the smell of the candles, and for a sickening odor to be revealed beneath it. His thoughts raced. He had relieved many of their suffering, but the situation seemed different... more dark... when Father Carmen spoke of it out loud.
Perhaps there was no political scolding in Liam's future. Regardless, he needn't worry of it now. He took a deep breath. "Thank you for telling me, Father. But I cannot offer you consolation or assurance. I'm no priest."
Father Carmen gave a weak smile. "Oh, I wouldn't expect you to." He grabbed his lantern and led him back out the door.
"What was the temptation, if you don't mind me asking?" said Liam.
Father Carmen inhaled sharply. "I am not sure revealing it would be best." Quickly, he added, "But I must. You see, some blamed you for the plague. But others-we who are left-did not. We knew better. Anger was the temptation; haughtiness."
Liam didn't know what to say. "Well... Thank you."
Father Carmen smiled. His voice became soft. "I know that you are a good king. We may not have heard from you or received donations, but we haven't gotten such attention for the past five rulers. Every man is different, so I don't believe it was really up to each to decide not to acknowledge the church. Would I be correct in assuming that another factor was at play?"
Liam paused for a moment to take in the father's words. He felt in a state of shock, and his thoughts were frozen. "You would be correct," he said. "But I... I was naive, and not strong enough to fight this other factor. Forgive me."
"Nonsense!" said Father Carmen. "But you are forgiven." He glanced around, as if suspecting someone was watching, and lowered his voice. "The church is similar to the kingship. I am familiar with factions and... well, the evil in people's hearts. I listen to it every day. It is not your fault that this has happened."
Liam's throat suddenly felt tight. He tried to clear it, but he couldn't. He felt as if a weight he'd been carrying inside was about to burst through his chest. He used his right hand to pat his own left shoulder. It was a signal he'd use to communicate with his guards to leave the room. As such, he felt Jackson's presence diminish. "I... I was not prepared to rule. I honor my parents' memories with respect, but I've found that they held secrets from me that came to hurt me. I am not well educated in all the things that a king should know. I am young, I am burdened with sickness. Because I did not have the strength to stand up for myself, I let my advisors kill Harksgold. I let them gain power and I could not rein them in."
Father Carmen gave an odd melancholy smile. "Allow me to give you the truth." He gently laid a hand on Liam's shoulder. "Humbleness and respect are two very important things that speak of a good character. You have just shown me that you have a good character. But guilt can dry up your bones. Do not let it overcome you. There is only so much I can say, but none of it will convince you unless you allow it."
Liam felt an urge to laugh, but he withheld it, for he didn't think it'd be wise in front of the father. "Do you say this on behalf of yourself?"
"I say this on behalf of what I know to be true," said Father Carmen. "The kings before you had their own flaws. Forgive me," he added quickly. "I only mean to say that a kingship is not only an opportunity to stand up for yourself, but an opportunity to grow. The church has not spoken directly to the king in a century. If your presence here does not show this growth, then I'm not sure I know what will. Now, allow me to pray for you." Father Carmen bowed his head, and so did Liam. As a prayer was uttered, Liam once again felt a sudden sense of peace.