her.
'Do you
honestly think I have the power to send us back in time? Or control
people like Martha and Alfred – to make them trick you? I mean,
what would be the point?'
Pembrake
finally turned to her, and she could see that her words were
registering. There was a distinctly annoyed curl to his lips. 'What
are you doing here?'
'What am I
doing here?' she paused for effect, or rather to allow her addled
brain to catch up to her whip-crack tongue. 'I'm here to stop you
from making a huge mistake-'
'I told you to
leave me alone, witch,' Pembrake raised his voice slightly,
his eyes dark with warning.
Abby flinched,
expecting his words to echo through the crowd like the ring of the
giant bell beside them… except nothing happened. No one turned
around and called for the Guards, there was no hastily-assembled
mob to chase her from the town, or group of farmers with pointy
pitch forks ready to push her into a cave somewhere.
'How dare you.
I save your life and this is the thanks I get?'
Pembrake stood
silently watching her with his head cocked to the side, arms flexed
across his middle. 'You saved me-'
'Yes, I saved
you. I found your mother on the verge of tears, frantic with fear
that something might happen to you. Then I flew through that
godforsaken storm until I found you sinking into the ocean like a
lump of coal. I plucked your from the sea and got you to that cliff
– that was me, Pembrake. And this is the thanks I get.
Useless, baseless prejudice, you –' Abby cast around for the
correct word, 'hypocrite.'
Pembrake was
pale, either from the mention of his mother or from her accusation
that he of all people should understand the hypocrisy of prejudice.
'You're a witch,' he repeated the words, his voice unsure, but his
face still locked with dark menace.
'Yes I'm a
witch,' Abby virtually shouted, 'and you're an idiot. I think we're
even.'
An old woman
who had paused by the bell to sort out her purchases looked up with
interest. 'A new witch in the city! Oh well, isn't that good news!'
She nodded appreciatively at Abby. 'You'll be going to go and see
the Crone, I'm sure. I've heard she's been seeking out new recruits
ever since that business with the Colonel. And you look as if you
know your trade sure enough,' the old woman nodded again then
twisted her head into a shake when she looked at Pembrake, 'and
you, young man, should learn to show proper respect around
witches.'
'I-' the edge
of Pembrake's anger dissipated and he looked at the meddling old
woman with confusion.
'You should be
learning your place. You don't go harassing witches around these
parts, me lad, not if you know your proper place.' The woman took a
moment to glare at him from under her thick woollen hat and then
muddled off, her packages held awkwardly between her spindly
arms.
Pembrake
turned back to Abby and shook his head slightly. 'Don't think this
changes anything.'
'No, of course
not, why should a little thing like public opinion influence
someone like you.'
'And what does
that mean?'
'It means that
before this morning you'd never met me, Pembrake, well not properly
anyway. Then, when you found out I was a witch, you had sufficient
reason to blame all your problems on me and treat me like some kind
of wasp. Just because you have seen other people do it, just
because to the rest of society I am a convenient scapegoat. I bet
I'm the only witch you've ever met.'
Pembrake
narrowed his eyes but didn't interrupt her.
'But now we're
in the past, suddenly it's okay to like witches again. Suddenly
it's okay to treat us like actual people. So if you allowed
yourself to be so swayed by public opinion in the future, what the
hell is stopping you now?' Abby finished her sentence hotly, not
really knowing if it made any sense, or if the argument that had
been bubbling away in her head could convince even the stupidest of
Naval Commanders, but she still felt the tingle of victory at
having said her piece.
Pembrake faced
her but did not look
'Do you
honestly think I have the power to send us back in time? Or control
people like Martha and Alfred – to make them trick you? I mean,
what would be the point?'
Pembrake
finally turned to her, and she could see that her words were
registering. There was a distinctly annoyed curl to his lips. 'What
are you doing here?'
'What am I
doing here?' she paused for effect, or rather to allow her addled
brain to catch up to her whip-crack tongue. 'I'm here to stop you
from making a huge mistake-'
'I told you to
leave me alone, witch,' Pembrake raised his voice slightly,
his eyes dark with warning.
Abby flinched,
expecting his words to echo through the crowd like the ring of the
giant bell beside them… except nothing happened. No one turned
around and called for the Guards, there was no hastily-assembled
mob to chase her from the town, or group of farmers with pointy
pitch forks ready to push her into a cave somewhere.
'How dare you.
I save your life and this is the thanks I get?'
Pembrake stood
silently watching her with his head cocked to the side, arms flexed
across his middle. 'You saved me-'
'Yes, I saved
you. I found your mother on the verge of tears, frantic with fear
that something might happen to you. Then I flew through that
godforsaken storm until I found you sinking into the ocean like a
lump of coal. I plucked your from the sea and got you to that cliff
– that was me, Pembrake. And this is the thanks I get.
Useless, baseless prejudice, you –' Abby cast around for the
correct word, 'hypocrite.'
Pembrake was
pale, either from the mention of his mother or from her accusation
that he of all people should understand the hypocrisy of prejudice.
'You're a witch,' he repeated the words, his voice unsure, but his
face still locked with dark menace.
'Yes I'm a
witch,' Abby virtually shouted, 'and you're an idiot. I think we're
even.'
An old woman
who had paused by the bell to sort out her purchases looked up with
interest. 'A new witch in the city! Oh well, isn't that good news!'
She nodded appreciatively at Abby. 'You'll be going to go and see
the Crone, I'm sure. I've heard she's been seeking out new recruits
ever since that business with the Colonel. And you look as if you
know your trade sure enough,' the old woman nodded again then
twisted her head into a shake when she looked at Pembrake, 'and
you, young man, should learn to show proper respect around
witches.'
'I-' the edge
of Pembrake's anger dissipated and he looked at the meddling old
woman with confusion.
'You should be
learning your place. You don't go harassing witches around these
parts, me lad, not if you know your proper place.' The woman took a
moment to glare at him from under her thick woollen hat and then
muddled off, her packages held awkwardly between her spindly
arms.
Pembrake
turned back to Abby and shook his head slightly. 'Don't think this
changes anything.'
'No, of course
not, why should a little thing like public opinion influence
someone like you.'
'And what does
that mean?'
'It means that
before this morning you'd never met me, Pembrake, well not properly
anyway. Then, when you found out I was a witch, you had sufficient
reason to blame all your problems on me and treat me like some kind
of wasp. Just because you have seen other people do it, just
because to the rest of society I am a convenient scapegoat. I bet
I'm the only witch you've ever met.'
Pembrake
narrowed his eyes but didn't interrupt her.
'But now we're
in the past, suddenly it's okay to like witches again. Suddenly
it's okay to treat us like actual people. So if you allowed
yourself to be so swayed by public opinion in the future, what the
hell is stopping you now?' Abby finished her sentence hotly, not
really knowing if it made any sense, or if the argument that had
been bubbling away in her head could convince even the stupidest of
Naval Commanders, but she still felt the tingle of victory at
having said her piece.
Pembrake faced
her but did not look
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