Fire Angels

Chapter 21 Part 2 Captured

I could not tell if the servant who came to fetch me the following morning was very stupid or very discreet. When I asked him where we were going, he merely repeated that we were going to attend upon Ren Daniel. I couldn't imagine why he was being so secretive for we saw no one except servants and Tomas coming back from riding.

I was disconcerted when I discovered it was to be the very same chapel where I had had my confrontation with the demon of Beenac and with Bedazzer. I hoped this was not a bad omen, but on the other hand it was out of the way and an excellent place for a clandestine meeting.

Ren Daniel met me at the door and smiling a little nervously drew me down the room. The morning sun had only just begun to slide in at the high side windows and the chapel was dim and smelled of cold dust. How cold and bare it looked without the statues behind its iron grills. What a lot of people there were. I had not realized that there were so many doubting mages. Almost all the Gallians were there and many Morians as well. They stood very formally as if drawn up on parade. Their faces seemed grim.

Ren Daniel had drawn off to the side and I was standing facing them alone, wondering if I should just start speaking, when I heard a door closing behind me. I turned and saw a group of hooded men had come in behind me.

Their leader came up to me and pulled back his hood. I saw it was Garthan Redona. Fear started prickling down my spine. This had all the hallmarks of a trap. But why?

Garthan took out a paper.

"Enna Dion Holyhands, previously known as Dion Michealine, by the powers of the White Colleges of Gallia and Moria, I have a warrant here for your arrest. You are charged that in Gallia three summers ago you did willfully and with knowledge have congress with Andre Gregoriov, a necromancer and with his familiar demon. The charge therefore is necromancy."

"No! These charges are false," I gasped. "I never..."

"You deny you had knowledge of the demon before you fought with it," said Ren Garthan.

I was too startled to lie properly.

"No I..." What could I say to this? It was true, but how would it look if I agreed. "I'm not a necromancer," I said lamely. I could not believe this. Surely any moment now these grim faces would break into smiles. Many of these men had been my friends or at least I had thought so.

"How can you believe this of me? Ren Daniel, surely you cannot believe this of me."

"These are dangerous times, Enna Dion. How can we help but doubt you?" he said. "You have admitted yourself that you knew this demon before you fought with him. And I have seen guilty thoughts in your mind which would be better for examination."

"Such an insistence of innocence just makes you look more guilty. Save your breath for your trial," said Ren Garthan.

"Trial?"

"You must return to Gallia and be tried."

Gallia. Dear God. Back into the Duke's power. I could not. I must not.

"But I can't leave Lady Julia now. You..."

Suddenly I saw things more clearly. "You want to separate us, don't you? This is all to weaken her."

"It will weaken her even more to have a suspected necromancer in her train," said Ren Daniel. "Enna Dion, be reasonable."

"Reasonable! If you suspect me so, I offer myself for mindsearch. Here! Now! What need can you have to take me to Gallia? You know the Duke bears me no love."

"Nonetheless now the charges have been laid you must stand trial or stand for ever as a suspected necromancer. Necromancers are cunning creatures, Enna Dion, and you are a powerful mage," said Ren Garthan. "How can anyone here feel sure that what we shall see in your mind is the truth? The White College will be far more able to deal with this."