"Heart of the Crown" Chapter 102

[seymoure]

Chapter 102

The Statue Spectators

“You are all aware;” the voice came into their heads a second after they lost the ability to move at all, “You can see, hear and know what is happening, but you have nothing to do with what follows.”

Cela tried to move her lips to begin a chant of protection, but even her tongue would not answer her mind’s call.

Hawk was straining as hard as is possible without moving a muscle. He thought his heart might give out with the pushing against his frozen fingers, but in truth nothing was changing within or without his body.

Slip was getting angry. Not only had he no use of his able flexibility, but he had been frozen looking straight ahead. At his height he was forced to look at everyone’s waistlines. It was yet another ignobility added to his world that would not be understandable to the others without yet more embarrassing explanation. He hadn’t noticed how nice Cela’s midriff was formed. One door closes and then another opens.

Robez found himself facing away from all the others, so he could see nothing. He decided to sleep, but the noise of the voice was keeping him awake.

The Count stood with his left hand extended, as he had wished to reach out to Hawk in comradeship. He had come to the conclusion that the two of them had more in common than he had ever considered before.

Smiga saw something that didn’t make any sense. He was at the rear of the group, and he saw something that made the voice that was holding them motionless incorrect. The large man he had met in his home place was walking forward. “He should not be able to do that,” the cat/reptile thought. Then he was corrected.

“You will not see the death of your companion,” the voice continued, “There is nothing you can do. There is nothing he can do for you. You will all be dead before I kill him.”

© 2008 C. Wayne Owens
Chapter 103 is here.