Braeland

Chapter 36. Prudence's Discontent

Prudence walked in Middle Town's only park.  There was frost on the grass and the few remaining leaves that littered the walk had turned into a slippery mush.  She kicked at a pile of pine cones that children must have collected during the day.  The sun was going down.  Soon she would have to be going back to the archives to meet her father and they would make one more trip with supplies before calling it a day.  

What was she?  At first it seemed glorious to be the one wearing the medallion. Peter was envious.  But the kinds of adventures he had last year in collecting the pieces of the medallion and the secret life he had lived that year were all denied to her.  She was more like a truck, hauling people and things from one place to another.  To the people of Braeland she was a kind of queen, a monarch.  But, she wanted to have fun.  How much fun did the Queen of England have?  The others were so busy: her father using electrical wizardry, Martin and Mortimer planning a war, Peter and Charlotte training the soldiers how to use the new technology, Rula training the women how to be soldiers, Mary and Anne assembling equipment.  But Prudence was left to be alone except when someone called for a lift, the Prudence-interplanetary express.  

Prudence would like it if Mortimer would spend time with her but he was probably the busiest person in Middle Town.  Besides, his half-sister Lara also wanted to get to know him better and she had many advantages.  Lara was like a mysterious Amazon, skilled in warfare and classically beautiful.  What chance would Prudence have against her in Mortimer's affections?  

A stray cat came out of the bushes.  It was thin and obviously hungry.  It came up to Prudence who bent down to pet it.  The cat hissed and backed away.  No matter of calling and gesture could bring it back.  Prudence tried mindspeak, "Come here kitty.  I will take you to be fed."  The cat became startled and ran away.  "Can't even make friends with a stray cat," Prudence said to herself.  

It was truly getting dark now and Prudence realized she was probably late in getting to the archives building.  She started off briskly.  As she crossed the park she saw four women that she had not noticed before gathered on the path.  They stood in a semi-circle and seemed to be engrossed in conversation.  The women were dressed in long dark dresses.  Prudence decided to pay them no attention and, stepping off the path and onto the grass, started in a wide circle around them.  She glanced at them as she went by but they were paying no attention to her.  But, just as she rejoined the path she felt herself being seized by strong arms.

"Now I have you, pretentious little vixen," hissed Priscilla.  She continued, "You thought you had beaten me, and that the ornament you and your brother stole was rightly yours!  While we shall see which way the pendulum swings when I wear it along with my chain.  Or, shall I say, we both probably will not see it unless you give it to me willingly right now, right this minute."

Prudence noticed how Priscilla had aged.  She had dark rings under her eyes.  How old was she, perhaps thirty?  But now she looked to be at least ten years older. 

Prudence shook her head.  No, she knew what her fate would be if she yielded the medallion – a body someone would discover in the park.  

"Then let us gather in a circle, ladies.  Let us be taken to Priscilla's mountain retreat and we shall find a way," said Priscilla.  

Prudence felt rough hands seizing hers and not allowing her to stop the turning or to fall to the ground.  To choruses of "round and round" from Priscilla and her three followers, the outline of skies and trees in the park began to fade.  Only then Prudence knew what would be her only chance to survive.  She tried to influence the direction of travel.  She thought at first of the archives where her father and Martin would be but Priscilla kept pulling them away and she could see the forming of mountain ranges.  Though moving round and round at a desperate rate she could see a cruel smile forming on Priscilla's face.  Then Prudence thought of her home in the city where Mary and Anne were and the mountain ranges started to recede to Priscilla's great consternation.  But then Prudence recognized that, by bringing these armed women into her house, she would still be in danger as would her friends. Oh, what to do?  As she pondered, the mountain ranges started to re-appear.  But then an inspiration came to Prudence, the mountain ranges disappeared, they were for a time in a blank place, and then they were somewhere with a sidewalk, cars going by, and cars of the same kind parked in front of a city building. Prudence forced them to come to a stop.  Priscilla drew out a dagger and Prudence screamed.  

They were right in front of the police station and two officers were standing outside, wondering where this odd grouping of women had come from and why someone was screaming.  "Stop what you are doing right now!  Put your hands up!" shouted one of the policemen.  

Immediately Priscilla sheathed the dagger and ran off swiftly with the other three.  One policeman took out his gun and ran after them while the other radioed in a report.  The four women had a good lead but the officer was gaining on them.  Priscilla glanced back and commanded the others to stop.  Instead of putting their hands up they joined them together in a circle and began turning just as the officer got close.  This time he ordered them to lie on the ground. They ignored him.  He held his gun trained on them, waiting for other officers who were now within a hundred feet.  Suddenly the four women disappeared. 

Over the next two hours the police examined the area of the "escape," developing various theories such as hypnotism and clever thin wires that extracted these women from the scene like puppets.  They knocked on all the doors in the neighborhood but the events had happened so quickly that there appeared to be no witnesses but Prudence and themselves. Prudence was escorted into the police station and questioned.  She said that she did not know these women but that they had kidnapped her as she was walking close to the police station.  She did not know where they were planning to take her.  Prudence was asked to look at many pictures of suspect women but none, of course, fit the description of the women who had kidnapped her.  She was asked if she had any fear of these women capturing her again and she said no, it seemed to be just a random thing.  After many hours, Prudence was driven home.  On a visit to the washroom she had removed the medallion and placed it in the sheath because a worrying thought had struck her.  The officer driving her there asked if she could speak with her father but Prudence pointed out, quite truthfully, that he was out of town on business.  The officer watched Prudence open the door of the house and then he drove off.  The night was dark and so was the house. Mary and Anne would be in the house but what about Priscilla?  Was she drawn to the medallion and would she soon be showing up there?  She was glad it was in the sheath but she would have to draw it out again soon.  

"Prudence, you're here.  We expected you and Jim much earlier.  Is there something wrong?" said Mary, sitting up in bed and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.  

"I'm sorry Mary.  It's not an emergency but you need to wake up and so does Anne.  I have to take both of you to Braeland," Prudence answered.

"Good heavens, what can it be, child?"

"I can explain everything when we get there but we need to leave the house in a few minutes.  No time to pack."