cartridge probe, zapping the executioner square in the
chest with 30,000 volts in one powerful, bowel-watering charge of
electricity. Before the man dropped his axe, before he hit the deck
face-first, his limbs jerking with his seizure, the Taser was
jammed back in her pocket, and Greta was pushing the rosary into
her hands. She grabbed Ella’s hands with her own.
“Close your eyes!” she ordered.
Ella squeezed her eyes shut. At this point
she wasn’t totally sure creating the picture of earnest prayer was
just playacting. She heard the crowd quiet as if dazed. She could
sense people near her moving as if trying to look around for the
source of the mysterious attack. Given the setting, the sight of
two nuns huddled in prayer must not have looked all that unusual.
In the midst of the confused murmurings from the onlookers she
heard the whimpering of the boy and now the sounds of the mother
calling to him. The crowd began to get louder but Ella dared not
open her eyes to see what was going on.
Later, they left the market without buying
anything and trudged the long way back to the convent. Once they
were sure no one suspected them and they were safely in the dining
hall, Beatrix told how the crowd had lifted the boy from the bloody
stage and deposited him into his mother’s arms. Satisfied that the
executioner had been stopped by God Himself, the mob had acted
accordingly. For they could only believe that the boy must be
innocent after all.
That night after dinner, as Ella was washing
dishes with a young novice, Greta entered the dank kitchen and
dismissed the girl. She picked up a wet rag to dry the crockery as
Ella handed it to her.
“I’m not used to washing dishes without
soap,” Ella said. “Hope I’m doing it right.”
Greta smiled but didn’t answer.
“Something on your mind, Greta?”
“Your weapon,” Greta said as she stacked a
dry dish on the counter. “It made a loud report but the man you
shot lives and does not show any wound. It was not a gun you shot
him with?”
“No, it was a Taser. In fact, thank God, it
was one of the newer designs. Most Tasers would’ve shot out a
string of wires tracing back to my gun. This one is able to shoot
out a slug that does the job without wires. Which is good because
someone in the crowd was bound to see where they were coming
from.”
“Can this Taser be used again?”
Ella frowned and wiped the sweat from her
forehead. “Yes,” she said. “Normally. But I don’t have any more
cartridges with me.”
“Then it is a liability. I will have Gwen
bury it in the garden.”
“I guess that’s wise.” Ella paused. “Greta?
Did you know what we’d find in the marketplace today?”
The nun sighed. “I feared it but hoped for
the best. The square is the main site for executions and witch
burnings, I’m afraid.”
“It was horrible,” Ella said. “The most
horrible thing I’ve ever seen.”
“It had a happy ending today,” the nun said,
smiling.
“Except for that first guy.”
“Yes, except for him.”
“This is a dangerous place, Greta. It’s a
miracle you’ve survived this long.”
“It is a hard time. A brutal time.”
“No kidding it is. Don’t they have laws here
to protect people?”
“What you saw today with the young man and
the child was the law in action.”
Ella said nothing and the two worked
silently. She didn’t know Greta well yet but she was learning. The
nun would tell her in her own time.
“My ward, Hannah,” Greta finally said, “was
given to me at the foot of the execution square twelve years ago,”
she said.
Ella turned and looked at her. “Her mother
was killed?”
Greta nodded. “Burned at the stake.”
“Jesus! Sorry, sorry. But what a hellacious
world you choose to live in.”
“I can see why you would
think that.” The Mother Superior carefully stacked another clean
plate on top of the others. “Hannah would not speak at first. She
cried for her mother every night right up to the point
chest with 30,000 volts in one powerful, bowel-watering charge of
electricity. Before the man dropped his axe, before he hit the deck
face-first, his limbs jerking with his seizure, the Taser was
jammed back in her pocket, and Greta was pushing the rosary into
her hands. She grabbed Ella’s hands with her own.
“Close your eyes!” she ordered.
Ella squeezed her eyes shut. At this point
she wasn’t totally sure creating the picture of earnest prayer was
just playacting. She heard the crowd quiet as if dazed. She could
sense people near her moving as if trying to look around for the
source of the mysterious attack. Given the setting, the sight of
two nuns huddled in prayer must not have looked all that unusual.
In the midst of the confused murmurings from the onlookers she
heard the whimpering of the boy and now the sounds of the mother
calling to him. The crowd began to get louder but Ella dared not
open her eyes to see what was going on.
Later, they left the market without buying
anything and trudged the long way back to the convent. Once they
were sure no one suspected them and they were safely in the dining
hall, Beatrix told how the crowd had lifted the boy from the bloody
stage and deposited him into his mother’s arms. Satisfied that the
executioner had been stopped by God Himself, the mob had acted
accordingly. For they could only believe that the boy must be
innocent after all.
That night after dinner, as Ella was washing
dishes with a young novice, Greta entered the dank kitchen and
dismissed the girl. She picked up a wet rag to dry the crockery as
Ella handed it to her.
“I’m not used to washing dishes without
soap,” Ella said. “Hope I’m doing it right.”
Greta smiled but didn’t answer.
“Something on your mind, Greta?”
“Your weapon,” Greta said as she stacked a
dry dish on the counter. “It made a loud report but the man you
shot lives and does not show any wound. It was not a gun you shot
him with?”
“No, it was a Taser. In fact, thank God, it
was one of the newer designs. Most Tasers would’ve shot out a
string of wires tracing back to my gun. This one is able to shoot
out a slug that does the job without wires. Which is good because
someone in the crowd was bound to see where they were coming
from.”
“Can this Taser be used again?”
Ella frowned and wiped the sweat from her
forehead. “Yes,” she said. “Normally. But I don’t have any more
cartridges with me.”
“Then it is a liability. I will have Gwen
bury it in the garden.”
“I guess that’s wise.” Ella paused. “Greta?
Did you know what we’d find in the marketplace today?”
The nun sighed. “I feared it but hoped for
the best. The square is the main site for executions and witch
burnings, I’m afraid.”
“It was horrible,” Ella said. “The most
horrible thing I’ve ever seen.”
“It had a happy ending today,” the nun said,
smiling.
“Except for that first guy.”
“Yes, except for him.”
“This is a dangerous place, Greta. It’s a
miracle you’ve survived this long.”
“It is a hard time. A brutal time.”
“No kidding it is. Don’t they have laws here
to protect people?”
“What you saw today with the young man and
the child was the law in action.”
Ella said nothing and the two worked
silently. She didn’t know Greta well yet but she was learning. The
nun would tell her in her own time.
“My ward, Hannah,” Greta finally said, “was
given to me at the foot of the execution square twelve years ago,”
she said.
Ella turned and looked at her. “Her mother
was killed?”
Greta nodded. “Burned at the stake.”
“Jesus! Sorry, sorry. But what a hellacious
world you choose to live in.”
“I can see why you would
think that.” The Mother Superior carefully stacked another clean
plate on top of the others. “Hannah would not speak at first. She
cried for her mother every night right up to the point
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