The Characterisation of Annabelle le Roux

Chapter Twelve: A source of rumour

The Lesser Lord George saw it as his duty to write a report to Radnor Colter once a week. He published the letter and posted it to the columns of Zilby's town hall. It was uncertain who read the letter. There were rumours either that Radnor Colter did not receive the letters, was illiterate or did not exist.

While Annabelle processed Phoenix's death, the Lesser Lord George wrote:

Great news My Lord Radnor. The community of Zilby has been terrorised for several weeks now by a certain shadowy organisation, led by a man too cowardly to be known by his real name, instead he goes by the pseudonym "Phoenix". He has falsely led the sheepherdless citizens to believe that he has their best interest at heart. But he had no forum for listening to them and besides how could he have any notion of how to serve the population when he hasn't served a single person in his life.

It is thought that he chose the name Phoenix because he says that he can rise out of the ashes. Last week, it was demonstrated just how baseless his promises are. The man caught no more than a cold, which then caused seizures and death. He could not even raise himself from the sniffles and yet he promised the people a rule without rules, and reward without cost.

We as Mamlish, always study the situation carefully before undertaking any decision. We are after all servants first and rulers second. We need to consider the entire ecosystem of society to ensure that the interests of everyone that we serve, are served in the long run.

Some say that we care only for profit. While it is true that profit is important to us and more importantly to our lords such as yourself dear Radnor Colter, we do not feel that the market is a place where there has to be winners and losers. We want to see all the sheepherdless well clothed in the finest woven cotton.

You, Radnor Colter, may get money from the sales from this, but if there is nobody to sell the sheepherdless clothing, what will they do, but run around naked?

Likewise, the Lesser Lord Simon wants for all your wine to be properly bottled and for the jam you create to have a place in the cupboard, free from mess. We are providing for the sheepherdless's needs in very real ways. Ways that Phoenix never considered. Phoenix had no concept of the struggles the sheepherdless would encounter without consumer goods.

7004 rolls of cotton where sold in the last week, up 2,1% from last year

All is Well in Zilby

No need to send assistance

Your profits will be sent with full accounting on 4 November.

Your Faithful Servant

The Lesser Lord George

After Annabelle had received her new body and clothes, she started walking the streets of Zilby. The place looked much like it always did. There were stalls up against stone walls. The citizen all wore brightly coloured clothes but had dour faces on their head. Annabelle felt all the contradictions that were in the scene. Everything looked so rich and prosperous but the people were suffering and starving, they were all sick and had barely the strength to face the day, let alone the large debt that they all had acquire and could not pay off.

There was a small boy that stood in the corner, he alone out of the crowd was wearing an old coat, it was dirty, but his face was clean and shiny and he had a mischievous grin. Annabelle saw him, he was watching the crowd, it was clear that he was trying to avoid detection.

Suddenly a great guard, clearly an indentured worker said "Hey you, why are you wearing old clothing"

"Who, me?" the boy asked dramatically "No, no, I brought this coat yesterday. Actually, I bought from that shop" he pointed across the street to nothing in particular. "Yes, yesterday, but it wasn't from that assistant, it was from the other one"

"There are holes in it" said the guard "How long have you been avoiding the purchase"

"Look, look, look here" the boy pulled out a receipt that indeed showed a new purchase for the day before. The guard seemed satisfied but then just as he was about to release the boy he stopped "Wait a minute, this is for a school uniform. You are not wearing a school uniform. Don't you know that the wearing of uniforms after hours is strictly forbidden"

The boy said nothing, instead he struggled fruitless against the guard who was at least double his size.

The guard scanned the boy's iris "What's this, it says that you haven't bought anything for three months. Even that school uniform receipt is a lie by the looks of it"

"Let me go, let me free. I have no money, my father died, and my mother is in prison."

"That's not what his scan says" said the guard. "It says that your parents are rebels, that gave shelter to Phoenix and his gang. You must be feeling pretty foolish now. Didn't you read the sign that the Lesser Lord George put on his column."

"I don't know what you are talking about" said the boy. It had been less than two hours since Phoenix's death, so the news hadn't spread very far.

"Phoenix is dead, he got the cough and is now dead." With each sentence the guard hit the boy "There is no one you rebels can rally behind. No one who can hide you from the Mamlish. They reign unchallenged"

"That's no true" said Annabelle, clearing out the street around her. "Phoenix may be dead, but his work continues on, his spirit will live on"

"Who are you?" the guard released his grip on the boy a slight bit. "Oh I know you" recognition filling the guard's features. "You are the floozy who kept on getting into trouble and then Phoenix would have to risk everything to save you from your own foolishness"

"And now you will need saving from your foolishness" said Annabelle.

"Just doing my job miss, but you don't frighten me" said the guard, he tighten his grip on the boy "You're in luck boy, they are having executions this afternoon so you won't need to suffer long"

"This is your last warning" said Annabelle "Let the boy go, clear his record or you will regret this.

"You see miss, I just told you that I am not frighten of you. This little boy might not have had time to read the notice on the column, but I have had. I know your boyfriend is dead. There is no one to save you. But if you want, I can take you to the execution halls along with this boy."

"No" said Annabelle. She jumped up and kicked the guard's hand, the one hand that was clutching the boy by the collar. He released the boy as a result, giving the boy time to scramble.

"You see that was a foolish mistake" said the guard, he was in no impressed that Annabelle had managed to drop-kick him. "I will definitively have to arrest you now"

The guard in uncoordinated way grabbed around his waist, clearly trying to pull out a weapon of some sort to attack Annabelle. While he was still fumbling, Annabelle jumped up and landed on the man's neck and she pinned him to the ground.

"You were saying' said Annabelle, but she used her hand to close the man's mouth so that he couldn't reply. She then with graceful cool, unsheathed the man's sword. "This is how you use it". She slid the sword across the man's neck leaving a thin red line. "They should have taught you that in training."

She wanted to check if the boy managed to escape and was alright after his ordeal. She saw him hiding behind a corner.

"Boy what's your name?" she asked.

"Larry, but my friends call me Little Larry. I don't think that it is right that they call me Little Larry, because I am getting quite big"

"Are you alright, did you get hurt" she asked. She scanned him up and down and other than perhaps a few bruises he looked like he had escaped largely unharmed.

"No, but it was super cool to be rescued like that. Did you heart beat so fast when you had to jump off the tower with Phoenix. I have never been so scared in my life"

"I am glad to see you are alright. Do you me a favour chap, don't come to market again and if you do come to the market, at least pretend to be wearing new clothes."