THE BITTERBYNDE TRILOGY

Book One: The Ill-Made Mute

(c) Cecilia Dart-Thornton.

The wearing of the taltry hood was not merely a rule. To disobey it was a crime, punishable by beatings and deprivations. He must wear the heavy hood at all times, tied at the neck. It did not seem as important to wear it indoors, but outdoors was a different matter.

Later, Grethet took him aside and pointed to a slit of a window.

"Outside," she pronounced in the simplified language she used for him, "Outside. When outside, wear hood. Always." She took him by the shoulders and shook him to emphasise the instructions. Grabbing the drawstring of his hood she compounded the ordeal by half-strangling him. "Tie tightly," she hissed, "Like this."

The boy had examined his plain, mud-coloured taltry closely, finding the reason for its peculiar heaviness. Between the outer cloth and the lining was a fine, metal chain mesh, which could be felt through the cloth. Its purpose eluded him.

In the course of discharging of his limited, indoor employment, his toil in dark halls and cramped store-rooms, the foundling came to understand in greater measure the vast and complex structure in whose understoreys he dwelt.

Grethet sent him to one of the kitchens to fetch bread. As he entered the fragrant, smoking cavern, one of the under-butlers spied him and emitted a yell of rage. By this time, the un-named lad had become accustomed to loud vociferations of indignation accompanying his arrival anywhere. It had become part of his education.

"Get it out of here!" shouted the under-butler, brandishing a ladle, "It's not allowed in the kitchens!"

As the lad was being chased down the passageway he overheard a couple of scullery maids attempting to stifle their giggles.

"Its ugliness might cause Cook to faint into the soup," said one.

"Such an accident might add flavour," her companion retorted.

His appearance might have prevented his entry into some areas, but there were plenty of other tasks to be undertaken indoors.

Simply polishing the brass door furniture consumed much effort. There were knobs and handles, lock-plates and chased escutcheon plates embellished with the lightning insignia, engraved lock-covers, door-hinges and beaten copper fingerplates and cast iron door-stops in the shape of coats-of-arms. Sometimes, with a sinking heart, the polisher caught sight of a

BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGE      PAGE 8       FORWARD TO NEXT PAGE