Disclaimer: I do not own Inkheart, or any of it's characters, Cornelia Funke does. I do not own National Geographic or Discovery Magazine. I own Joy, Basta Jr., and Kat.

Kat opened her eyes the same time the door to the holding cell was opening.

"C'mon Silvertounge, don't dawdle," growled a baritone voice, "out with all ye."

Silvertounge? What the heck? Kat asked herself, she looked around the holding cell, or whatever it was, lost for a long moment. Where was she? Why was she here? What happened? It slowly came back to her, going out the previous afternoon to take pictures of the not-so-abandoned village; driving away at hearing threats towards the same man, Silvertounge who she had met only a few hours ago; calling her mother in fear; staying in the hotel for only a few hours before Basta and Flatnose barged in; running out of the hotel in her nightgown; the man and woman in the lobby were only a quick blur in her memory; and finally trying to drive away from the hotel only to be rear ended by the men from the village.

"Get up," growled the baritone voice, Kat looked up and froze to see a man around the same height as the knife bearing man, Basta. The man's face was narrow, he wore what little of a beard he had in a goatee; his hair was jet black and stopped just below his collar. He wore a black suit with a black button down shirt underneath it, a rooster feather was stuck in the button hole of his jacket. "Huh, yer actually kinda pretty."

"Kat, get up," Mo's voice exclaimed to her, "these men aren't ones for playing around."

Kat craned her neck towards the door, nodded and slowly stumbled up, she nearly lost her balance until the black haired man caught her.

"Oy, now tha's a nice feeling," he smiled, "a woman dependin' on ya, a pretty woman, not an old ugly fat woman," he sneered at Eleanor.

"I beg your pardon, that woman did not ask for your help nor your support," Eleanor huffed, before Mo took her arm and pulled her out with Meggie.

"Good thing Basta's already married," the man brothe, "or he'd take ya, though I'm not sure he would...they call you Cat and your hairs black, black cat." He laughed, "Basta's extremely supersticious-"

"Enough chat, Cockerell," Flatnose exclaimed, "that little witch threw shampoo in my eyes last night! Bloody stuff still stings!"

Kat looked into Cockerell's blue eyes, they were filled with evil, hate, and mischief, she wanted him to let go of her now. She blushed hard when she realized she only had on her night gown and undies. As if knowing what she was thinking his eyes traveled down her form before he drug her out out of the holding cell, which she soon saw was actually the animal housing. She yelped when her feet made contact with the burning hot side walk, she curled her toes.

"Get o'er it," Cockerell growled, "a lil' sun burn didn't do anyone no harm! Let's go, Capricorn's waited long enough."

"Cockerell!"

"Huh?" He asked, Kat looked up, her face still blushing, she winced from the sunlight and from the soles of her feet burning on the side walk to see Joy walking up.

"I was sent to clean K-this woman up," Joy said, taking Kat's arm, "Mortola said Capricorn wishes to see no one in their pajamas."

"Did he now, Joy?" Cockerell asked, stepping foward.

Kat's heart pounded as she looked at Joy who stood her ground; was she lying to Cockerell, she must have been since the man looked rather used to being lied too. Kat swore the limping man was about to step on Joy's feet he was so close to her as he looked into her dark brown eyes.

"Yes," Joy replied sternly, glaring Cockerell in the eye, "she did. Do you want to speak with her yourself? She's yelling at the maids to get into the church and clean up from breakfast."

"Ye better not be lying to me, Joy," Cockerell growled, "wouldn't your husband be interested to know his little wife was taking matters into her own hands...Again?"

Kat gaped at Joy, though she was small, she really stood her ground against these guys; Kat bit her lip, if only she were braver, and smarter...If she had been she would have run into the small bar across the street from the lobby. She was sure bikers wouldn't mind hiding a woman in a night gown. It was too late for regrets, she thought to herself, she was just going to have to grin and bare it and hope for the best. Her hand went around her neck, the small pendant of the Lakota Thunder Bird still hung from the black cord around her neck. Thunder Bird, protector of all indians, please help me!

"Kat?" Joy asked softly, Kat opened her eyes to see Cockerell and Flatnose were leaving with Mo, Meggie, and Eleanor. "Let's get you some clothes," she said softly, "we need to be quick though, my husband is bound to be looking for me."

"Did that woman really send you-"

"No," replied Joy, "but she would consider it a favor for you to be properly dressed. I do not think even she would enjoy seeing a woman...Looked out by all of Capricorn's men the way Cockerell was looking at you." Joy's arm looped around Kat's as she led her across the village quickly into a small house.

Kat looked around she wondered how she had missed this house when she took her photos. The house had four rooms: a living room that was obviously now a bedroom; a small bathroom; a small bedroom; and what looked like a room converted into a nursery.

"Are you a mother?"

"Yes," Joy replied, nodding, "I have a son named Basta Junior, named after his father; I'm pregnant with another baby right now," she replied opening the drawer of the dresser she took out the sun dress, "I bought this when I was buying baby clothes for Basta Junior before he was born. My husband doesn't know I bought it, it's best you have it, I do not think I shall ever...be wearing it."

"Thank you so much," Kat smiled, taking the dress, "you've really done a lot for me, you don't even know why are you doing this?"

"Because, I know the feeling of being kept somewhere against your will," Joy replied, "and from how Cockerell took a shine to you I'm beginning to feel I will not be the only black jacket's wife here much longer."

"Wait, that guy with the limp? We can't get married, we don't even know eachother, I mean besides whose there to marry-"

"Trust me," Joy replied, pushing Kat into the bathroom, "Capricorn has men working for him, if Cockerell likes you even more...You may be Mrs. Cockerell before the sun sets today. I was taken to this village and on my twenty first birthday, my gift was being married to Basta. Now please, hurry!"

Kat nodded and took the dress, she closed the bathroom door and wrinkled her nose. The bathroom mirror was old, slightly dusty, and cracked down the middle. The corners had spider webs growing from them, a large hairy spider stared down at her, she jerked away in fear. The toilet, sink, and shower all seemed to work though and seemed rather new. She slid out of her night gown quickly, the door opened a crack and Joy tossed a bra into the bathroom.

"Thanks," Kat exclaimed, putting it on, she slid on the sundress and stepped out.

Joy smiled, "I think that dress was made for you, here step into these."

Kat looked down and stepped into a pair of sandals, before she could thank Joy again she found herself being quickly dragged towards the church. Joy didn't say a word, her dark brown eyes kept moving around looking for someone.

"JOY!"

Kat jumped at hearing Basta's rapsy voice, she looked up to see the man grab Joy's wrist.

"What took you so long?" Basta growled, "and where'd she get the clothes from?"

"I found the dress and sandals in the box from the main kitchen," Joy replied, as her hand let go of Kat's, Basta's hand wrapped around Kat's wrist and squeezed.

"Well," Basta growled to Kat, his breath reaked of peppermint, "you're lucky, I'd hit you but Cockerell is planning to ask Capricorn if he can hae your hand in marriage. You'll be married tonight if all fares well, just make sure you're loyal to Capricorn and bow - curtsey - to him."

"Let go of me you rasping monster," Kat sneered, "I'm not afraid of y-"

"Don't you ever lie to me," Basta growled, hauling her close so they were nose to nose, "you ran from Flatnose and me last night as if we were the devil and his demon chasing after you themselves. Don't you ever lie to me."

"Basta, she's scared be easier on h-" Joy started before Basta turned and let go of Joy's wrist only to smack her. Kat put a hand over her mouth, her eyes widening.

"Do not tell me what to do Joy, you learned that lesson long ago do not step out of line now."

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again," Joy replied, though something in her tone didn't sound completely truthful to Kat.

Basta glared at her before dragging Kat into the church and shoving her in, he then walked out and was gone for nearly five more minutes. Kat walked over to Mo, her eyes wide.

"Kat, are you alright?" Meggie asked.

Kat managed a shaky nod, "he...Basta...he...Hit...Joy..."

"Monster!" Growled Eleanor.

Mo sighed, "we've seen him hit her before, I have too. She was there when they brought me here; she took good care of me, as she did Meggie, Eleanor, and you."

Kat nodded and watched as the doors opened again, Basta walked through looking happier, "ah looks like Dirty Fingers is playing with his best friend again," he snickered, watching a scarred man playing with a match. Kat's eyebrows went up in confusion, then went down in anger at seeing Basta was pulling Joy behind him, in his free hand was a gas can.

"Basta, let Joy's wrist go, you're hurt-"

"Shut up, Dirty Fingers!" Basta growled, "she's mine! I'll do with her as I please, she's not yours, don't you dare look in her direction again or I'll cut your tounge out!"

Kat winced, poor Joy! Poor...Guy that played with fire.

"That's Dustfinger," Meggie whispered to her, "I thought he was a friend, but he wasn't..." she looked down.

Kat's heart went out to the little girl, she hugged Meggie close to her, she didn't know what words could be the right ones to say. Her eyes looked around the church, it had no pews, the altar was still there, but it had changed into more of a...stage than anything else. The walls were painted red, curtains hung over the windows, there were two long tables in the left hand corner of the church, maids were busy sweeping up crumbs from the floor and cleaning the tables. A chair that resembled a throne sat on top of the stage; then near the side entrance of the church a huge and ugly statue of a man the color of milk glared down at her. She looked away from it quickly, uncomfortable. She looked near the chair to see the second stair leading to the stage had been made into another level, chairs were lined up in rows.

"What...Is...This?" She whispered.

"Capricorn's church," Mo replied softly, "he's converted it to the way he wants it. Don't say a word, Kat, you too Meggie, you too Eleanor, let me do the talking. I don't want any one of you hurt."

Kat, Meggie, and Eleanor nodded, though Kat thought to herself, why are you protecting me when you don't even know me?

"You know, Basta, fire takes insults very quickly and lashes out at the person who offended it," DustFinger exclaimed, holding the match closer to Basta as the small flame danced around, Basta took a step back. Everyone in the church froze expecting Basta to either hit or kill Dustfinger.

"You're lucky I just cleaned my knife," growled Basta.

Kat looked over to see Joy talking to an older woman that resembled a Magpie. Joy's hands were clasped in front of her waist she didn't meet the old woman in the eye, instead she seemed to look at her chin. The woman had obviously ordered her to do something, maybe not to carry out the order just then, but Joy nodded, then walked back over to beside her husband.

"Did you enjoy your rest, Silvertounge?" Asked a knew voice, Kat looked up to see an albino walk in followed by a line of men that looked more like a bunch of crows. She raised an eyebrow, you didn't see a flock of crows following a pigeon just every day of the week. That should have made the cover of National Geographic, or Discovery Magazine, as far as she was concerned.

Mo glared at the man but didnt say a word.

"Cockerell I understand you wished to speak a small bit of business to me before we began," the man said softly, so softly that Kat almost didn't hear him as he sat down in his throne like chair.

"Yes," Cockerell replied, bowing deeply to the man, "the woman Basta and Flatnose brought back last night. The photographer."

"She is here?" The man questioned.

"Yes," Cockerell replied, turning and looking at her, Kat's heart leapt into her throat. No! She didn't want that albino seeing her, he made her feel like some poor frog that was about to be dissected and couldn't do anything to stop it.

"On with you," hissed Flatnose's voice as he shoved her forward.

Kat stumbled forward, Cockerell took her wrist and held her close, "bow," he hissed. Kat glared at him, then gave a small bow to Capricorn to avoid being hit or slapped.

"Why were you photographing my village, miss...?"

"Katherine Levingston," Kat replied, "I work for the Making History Foundation; they thought this village was abandoned and sent me to take photographs of it. If I had known that you owned it I would not have taken any photos, I would have turned and left. I knocked on doors and asked if anyone was there but noone answered-"

The man held up a hand, "this village is mine." He replied, his words were soft yet somehow terrifying enough to make Kat want to run for her life. This guy was pure evil. "It is not for sale, I saw your photographs they are well taken, you will not be leaving my village, I may have use for you."

Kat froze and swallowed, she had lost her voice.

"Capricorn, sir, I was wondering if I may take her hand in marriage, as Basta took Joy's hand in marriage," Cockerell questioned.

Capricorn paused, then looked intently on Kat as if deciding she was worthy enough of being Cockerell's wife.

"Yes, tonight you may marry Katherine," Capricorn nodded, "now...On to more important matters. Silvertounge, did you like my little surprise? I was thinking of not letting you see your daughter until the morning, but she brought me what I wanted for so long. I said to myself, Capricorn that child deserves something."

Mo glared at Capricorn, while Cockerell's arm wrapped around Kat's waist. Kat swallowed back her tears, now she understood how poor Joy felt.