conjure a spirit.’
E LIZABETH: ‘You creeping piece of soiled earth! He lies!’
P OTTS: ‘Why would he lie?’
E LIZABETH: ‘To save himself, you London fool!’
P OTTS stood up. He was short but he stood up and drew himself to his full height. ‘I will not be abused by a witch and a trollop.’
E LIZABETH: ‘I am glad to hear it, for I am neither the one nor the other.’
P OTTS: ‘Do you deny the charges against you?’
E LIZABETH: ‘I deny them.’
P OTTS: ‘You, James Device, will you testify against your mother?’
J EM: ‘I will.’
P OTTS: ‘And against all gathered here that were at Malkin Tower?’
J EM: ‘I will.’
P OTTS: ‘Then there is little more to say. Magistrate! I recommend that you commit this Malkin-trash to the prison and we shall hear them again, before a Judge, at the Lancaster Assizes.’
E LIZABETH: ‘If he is testifying against me, then I am testifying against him. He escaped Malkin Tower by turning himself into a hare!’
There was silence in the room. Jem started to laugh. ‘I am safe, aren’t I, Constable Hargreaves, and Tom? There’s nothing anyone will do to me. I’ll go home now and look after Jennet.’
There was silence in the room. Hargreaves was looking at the floor. Tom Peeper was looking out of the window. Potts looked up from where he was busily writing his notes. ‘Take James Device away with the rest. The Judge will decide.’
Jem bolted for the window, but it was too late. Strong hands held him. He looked imploringly, uncomprehendingly at Tom Peeper. ‘You said I would get a billet at a farm, and a suit of clothes, and food, and a sweetheart …’
Tom Peeper laughed. ‘If the Judge lets you off, maybe you will. But your own mother has admitted you changed into a hare, and, Your Honour, that is what he told me too, but I thought he was drunk.’
‘Shape-shifting is common,’ said Potts. ‘Temporary but common. I have his own confession, now corroborated by his mother. That is sufficient.’
Elizabeth Device started laughing. A high mad laugh. ‘Well done, my fine fellow out of my womb. What have you gained? Nothing! And oh, what have you lost? Everything!’
‘There’s Jennet!’ shouted Jem. ‘She has to be fed and cared for.’
Tom Peeper stepped forward. ‘I will take her on, Your Honours.’
Elizabeth laughed again, harsh and sick. ‘Will you then, after all these years? Well, well, and after all, you are her father.’
Roger Nowell looked aghast. Tom Peeper looked shifty. Constable Hargreaves looked at his boots. James Device had his mouth open. Then he closed his mouth, took his fists from his pockets and knocked down Tom Peeper with a single blow. The man was out cold on the floor.
‘There is one good thing you have done in your stinking life,’ said Elizabeth Device. ‘And it was no romance , gentlemen. Tom Peeper raped me. Said I should be glad of it, looking as I do.’
Jem turned to her with hatred. ‘You let me sell your own daughter to her own father.’
‘You would have sold her to someone,’ said Elizabeth. ‘At least he bought her a dress now and then.’
Roger Nowell stood up. ‘Enough. Get them out of here. The child Jennet will sleep and eat in my kitchen for the time being.’ He looked down at Tom Peeper. ‘Hargreaves, go and throw that live vermin into the pond. If he drowns, let him. If not, keep him out of my sight.
Hargreaves had his men lift up the senseless body.
‘You from Malkin,’ said Roger Nowell, ‘you will leave here at dawn except for Elizabeth Device and James Device who will leave at noon. Take them to the cellars. Feed them.’
‘There is one missing,’ said Elizabeth.
‘There is another witch?’ said Potts. ‘If you testify it will go in your favour.’
‘You lie!’ shouted Jem.
‘Will you make me a promise and have it witnessed?’ said Elizabeth Device.
Potts motioned for the others to be led away. Now there were only the three of them in the room.
‘I want
E LIZABETH: ‘You creeping piece of soiled earth! He lies!’
P OTTS: ‘Why would he lie?’
E LIZABETH: ‘To save himself, you London fool!’
P OTTS stood up. He was short but he stood up and drew himself to his full height. ‘I will not be abused by a witch and a trollop.’
E LIZABETH: ‘I am glad to hear it, for I am neither the one nor the other.’
P OTTS: ‘Do you deny the charges against you?’
E LIZABETH: ‘I deny them.’
P OTTS: ‘You, James Device, will you testify against your mother?’
J EM: ‘I will.’
P OTTS: ‘And against all gathered here that were at Malkin Tower?’
J EM: ‘I will.’
P OTTS: ‘Then there is little more to say. Magistrate! I recommend that you commit this Malkin-trash to the prison and we shall hear them again, before a Judge, at the Lancaster Assizes.’
E LIZABETH: ‘If he is testifying against me, then I am testifying against him. He escaped Malkin Tower by turning himself into a hare!’
There was silence in the room. Jem started to laugh. ‘I am safe, aren’t I, Constable Hargreaves, and Tom? There’s nothing anyone will do to me. I’ll go home now and look after Jennet.’
There was silence in the room. Hargreaves was looking at the floor. Tom Peeper was looking out of the window. Potts looked up from where he was busily writing his notes. ‘Take James Device away with the rest. The Judge will decide.’
Jem bolted for the window, but it was too late. Strong hands held him. He looked imploringly, uncomprehendingly at Tom Peeper. ‘You said I would get a billet at a farm, and a suit of clothes, and food, and a sweetheart …’
Tom Peeper laughed. ‘If the Judge lets you off, maybe you will. But your own mother has admitted you changed into a hare, and, Your Honour, that is what he told me too, but I thought he was drunk.’
‘Shape-shifting is common,’ said Potts. ‘Temporary but common. I have his own confession, now corroborated by his mother. That is sufficient.’
Elizabeth Device started laughing. A high mad laugh. ‘Well done, my fine fellow out of my womb. What have you gained? Nothing! And oh, what have you lost? Everything!’
‘There’s Jennet!’ shouted Jem. ‘She has to be fed and cared for.’
Tom Peeper stepped forward. ‘I will take her on, Your Honours.’
Elizabeth laughed again, harsh and sick. ‘Will you then, after all these years? Well, well, and after all, you are her father.’
Roger Nowell looked aghast. Tom Peeper looked shifty. Constable Hargreaves looked at his boots. James Device had his mouth open. Then he closed his mouth, took his fists from his pockets and knocked down Tom Peeper with a single blow. The man was out cold on the floor.
‘There is one good thing you have done in your stinking life,’ said Elizabeth Device. ‘And it was no romance , gentlemen. Tom Peeper raped me. Said I should be glad of it, looking as I do.’
Jem turned to her with hatred. ‘You let me sell your own daughter to her own father.’
‘You would have sold her to someone,’ said Elizabeth. ‘At least he bought her a dress now and then.’
Roger Nowell stood up. ‘Enough. Get them out of here. The child Jennet will sleep and eat in my kitchen for the time being.’ He looked down at Tom Peeper. ‘Hargreaves, go and throw that live vermin into the pond. If he drowns, let him. If not, keep him out of my sight.
Hargreaves had his men lift up the senseless body.
‘You from Malkin,’ said Roger Nowell, ‘you will leave here at dawn except for Elizabeth Device and James Device who will leave at noon. Take them to the cellars. Feed them.’
‘There is one missing,’ said Elizabeth.
‘There is another witch?’ said Potts. ‘If you testify it will go in your favour.’
‘You lie!’ shouted Jem.
‘Will you make me a promise and have it witnessed?’ said Elizabeth Device.
Potts motioned for the others to be led away. Now there were only the three of them in the room.
‘I want
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