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"Where's John?" whispered Audrey. They were kneeling in the church praying to Helm, the watcher. The choir sangs choruses in the name of the protector. Kathleen sighed, "he's gotten into trouble again." A worried expression entered Audrey, the clergy member's face.
"What did he do this time?" They were speaking in whispered voices, but as they progressed, other subtle conversations ceased as those nearby listened in.
"He was playing with that boy Aldo, after I told him not to, that commoner rabble's nothing but trouble for John. Anyways, that Aldo provoked my sweet, innocent John into throwing stones through the neighbor's window." The silence spread as more began to eavesdrop.
"Awful, I hope you're disciplining him for it."
"Well... we did, but..."
"But?"
"We told him about how Helm is watching us all, and that one day, we will all be judged." Audrey nodded, "He wasn't very..." she paused, "receptive of it."
"What do you mean?"
Kathleen shifted uncomfortably. "He spoke," she paused again, "blasphemies." Audrey looked at her, waiting to hear. Kathleen opened her mouth, but closed it again, then opened it once again, just to close it once again.
"Well?"
Kathleen looked around, not quite sure if she had just seen several people turn away or not, then leaned in close, and whispered several words into her ear. Audrey's eyes widened as she gasped, and everyone in the temple stopped and looked at her, who was looking at a Audrey, who looked at Kathleen, who could look only at the ground.
"What words to be coming from the mouth of a child! What are you going to do about this?"
"He's being punished," Kathleen insisted, but her doubts reflected in her voice. "He's not stepping outside of the house for a month. He's locked up in his room as we speak, and one of my servants is personally watching the door to make sure he doesn't get out."
Everyone in earshot listening, and the choir had even stopped singing. Two other boys also listened to the conversation through the window, unnoticed. "Come on, Jack! Let's get out before they see us!" one said to the other. He nodded and they crept away.
"What did he do this time?" They were speaking in whispered voices, but as they progressed, other subtle conversations ceased as those nearby listened in.
"He was playing with that boy Aldo, after I told him not to, that commoner rabble's nothing but trouble for John. Anyways, that Aldo provoked my sweet, innocent John into throwing stones through the neighbor's window." The silence spread as more began to eavesdrop.
"Awful, I hope you're disciplining him for it."
"Well... we did, but..."
"But?"
"We told him about how Helm is watching us all, and that one day, we will all be judged." Audrey nodded, "He wasn't very..." she paused, "receptive of it."
"What do you mean?"
Kathleen shifted uncomfortably. "He spoke," she paused again, "blasphemies." Audrey looked at her, waiting to hear. Kathleen opened her mouth, but closed it again, then opened it once again, just to close it once again.
"Well?"
Kathleen looked around, not quite sure if she had just seen several people turn away or not, then leaned in close, and whispered several words into her ear. Audrey's eyes widened as she gasped, and everyone in the temple stopped and looked at her, who was looking at a Audrey, who looked at Kathleen, who could look only at the ground.
"What words to be coming from the mouth of a child! What are you going to do about this?"
"He's being punished," Kathleen insisted, but her doubts reflected in her voice. "He's not stepping outside of the house for a month. He's locked up in his room as we speak, and one of my servants is personally watching the door to make sure he doesn't get out."
Everyone in earshot listening, and the choir had even stopped singing. Two other boys also listened to the conversation through the window, unnoticed. "Come on, Jack! Let's get out before they see us!" one said to the other. He nodded and they crept away.