The woman could feel something in the room. She stopped crying and shivered, then looked up.
She knew who he was. She screamed. He was silent. She kept screaming. She lept up, grabbed a board lying on the floor, and swung wildly at him. He stopped the board neatly with one hand.
"Eliza Cassia Hesperos," he intoned, "You are hereby sentenced to death by the Spirit of the Raven for the murder of the late Patrick Hesperos." He couldn't hear himself speaking through her furious noise, but he knew she could. "Your sentence will be carried out in due course." He let go of the board and turned to leave.
"He deserved it!" she shrieked after him.
He stopped and turned his head just enough to meet see her face. "Maybe. But so do you." He slipped quietly through the wall just as she flung the board in his direction.
Eliza was truly wild now. She grabbed a small axe off the wall and ran for the open door. She could see Death's messenger walking unconcerned towards the woods. Her eyes were focused on him, and she tripped on the doorstep. Her head landed with a thud on a smooth stone and she lay still.
Telikos paused and looked over his shoulder. "That was rather quick," he said to the raven.
'She was making such frightful noise,' it explained, carefully preening its feathers. They went on.
"Why did she kill her husband?" he asked after a while.
'Her brother-in-law,' corrected the Raven. 'He was a terrible person. He had to be gotten rid of.'
"But that's what you do," said Telikos. "Why is she guilty for doing it?"
'She doesn't have the authority,' he replied haughtily.
She knew who he was. She screamed. He was silent. She kept screaming. She lept up, grabbed a board lying on the floor, and swung wildly at him. He stopped the board neatly with one hand.
"Eliza Cassia Hesperos," he intoned, "You are hereby sentenced to death by the Spirit of the Raven for the murder of the late Patrick Hesperos." He couldn't hear himself speaking through her furious noise, but he knew she could. "Your sentence will be carried out in due course." He let go of the board and turned to leave.
"He deserved it!" she shrieked after him.
He stopped and turned his head just enough to meet see her face. "Maybe. But so do you." He slipped quietly through the wall just as she flung the board in his direction.
Eliza was truly wild now. She grabbed a small axe off the wall and ran for the open door. She could see Death's messenger walking unconcerned towards the woods. Her eyes were focused on him, and she tripped on the doorstep. Her head landed with a thud on a smooth stone and she lay still.
Telikos paused and looked over his shoulder. "That was rather quick," he said to the raven.
'She was making such frightful noise,' it explained, carefully preening its feathers. They went on.
"Why did she kill her husband?" he asked after a while.
'Her brother-in-law,' corrected the Raven. 'He was a terrible person. He had to be gotten rid of.'
"But that's what you do," said Telikos. "Why is she guilty for doing it?"
'She doesn't have the authority,' he replied haughtily.
