Spread from THE GYPSY CROWN
by Kate Forsyth
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“Go! Go!” Beatrice cried frantically. “Get out of here!”
Glancing about, Emilia saw all her family had now been caught. Her Uncle Jacob had been seized, and Silvia huddled next to him Mimi shrinking into her skirt. Luka was kicking and squirming in the grasp of one of the constables, while Sweetheart, frightened by his yells, rose up on to her haunches and snarled.
“Performing bears are against the law!” the pastor shouted. “Shoot the beast!”
“No!” Jacob struggled to get to his beloved old bear.
Luka jerked Sweetheart’s chain so she reared up on to her hind legs. The constable, terrified, scrambled away. Luka turned and ran, Zizi shrieking and gibbering on his shoulder.
Emilia held down her hand for Luka, and he strained to reach her and Alida. But Coldham lashed out at him. Luka jerked away, letting go of the bear’s chain. In an instant the constable was upon him, while Sweetheart — finding herself free — roamed over to a market stall that sold honey and helped herself. One of the constables raised his pistol and pointed it at her, but people were running, screaming, everywhere and he dared not shoot.
Noah stumbled forward, his violin clutched to his chest, trying to escape.
“Here, Noah, here!” Emilia screamed. He turned towards her, hand groping out in entreaty. She kicked Alida forward, thinking for one glad moment that she could reach him and swing him up behind her. Then the pastor stepped forward and grabbed Noah, dragging him back. Noah cried out in fear, and hit out with his violin. The pastor wrested the violin from him and flung it down on the cobblestones, stamping upon it until it was smashed to smithereens.
“You devil!” Emilia cried, wild with fury and grief as Noah sobbed in despair. “How could you!”
The pastor glanced up at her, his thin twisted with loathing. He strode forward and seized Alida’s halter. Emilia kicked him square in the chest with her bare foot. One of his boots sipped on the filthy cobbles and he lost his balance and fell back, straight into a huge, gree, sloppy cowpat.
Emilia laughed. She could not help it. The pastor glared up at her and rose slowly to his feet, his face white and rigid. Emilia knew she had made an enemy. She wheeled Alida about, and brought the mare up on her hind hooves so that the constable trying to grab her reins stumbled back.
“Go, Milly, go!” Luka shouted. “Get yourself out of here!”
“Take Sweetheart!” Jacob shouted.
“Please, Milly, go!” Beatrice cried.
Emilia gasped a sobbing breath, then whistled to the bear and the dog. Obediently Sweetheart and Rollo turned and followed as Emilia galloped out of the market square, knocking over a cage of chickens and a barrow of apples on the way.
Behind her she could hear the pastor screaming, “Catch her and bring her back! We’ll see her burn in hell for this!”
From The Gypsy Crown. Text copyright © 2008 by Kate Forsyth. All rights reserved.
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