Note: I split this and the last chapter, so this is a double update.
@Mistostrap: I have taken English for six years, it is my first foreign language. I also have French and Latin and know some words Japanese. But I think most of the English (besides the basics) I have learned by reading, especially reading fanfiction. I recommend it to all teachers! Make your pupils read fanfiction! Sadly, I am now way beyond the expected level of English, so class is very boring, even though I love the subject and like the teacher.
Thanks for r&r !
14 Chief of Liars
As the sun rose palely above the horizon it became clear that the day was going to be hot, humid and it would rain, soon. Boys were filing in. Gathering at the new meeting place, they threw wary glances at the sky as well as Jack and Ralph, who were sitting silently, with stony expressions, on their boulder. Finally, Jack raised his voice.
"Today we will have a meeting to decide about Roger's case."
They were gaping at him, blinking, some whispering with hushed voices. What they knew was, that Roger had missed the last meeting, as well as Samneric, that he was cruel and that he was nobody's friend but Jack's. So what was going on? The way Jack said his name meant no good.
"Where is he, anyway?" Maurice looked questioningly at Jack. He was one of the few who didn't call him chief all the time, and who dared to interrupt him. Jack didn't answer directly.
"Samneric!" he finally shouted above their heads.
"Bring him!"
Samneric came walking, Roger between them, armed with spears. Roger was walking upright and looked at no one in particular, somehow managing to keep his dignity intact despite being bound and full of bruises and dried blood. It even made him seem more remote and intimidating than before. The boys sat silent, in utter amazement, staring open-mouthed at the three.
The twins brought him to the centre of the gathering, in front of Jack. For once they didn't look identical. Sam's face was flushed with agitation and excitement, and in turn grinning sheepishly at the boys and looking seriously dark at Roger. But Eric's face was ashen, his eyes as cold and remote as Roger's, his bearing rigid.
"Roger is here to have his trial," Jack explained with a firm voice.
"He is accused of breaking the law, because he tried to kill, and he has hurt another member of the tribe."
"He tried to.."
".. he killed.."
"Roger has.."
"Who did he try to kill?"
"Me." Their eyes fell on Ralph, who had spoken softly and solemnly, yet everyone had heard him. Roger didn't say anything. His stare had settled on Jack, who, too, was looking at Ralph.
"The night of the feast he tried to kill me. He followed me into the forest and waited until we were alone, then he tried to kill me with his spear. You can still see the cut." He gestured to his chest. He said the words without emotion, like he had learned them by heart.
"But I saw it and stopped Roger. We have kept him as a prisoner until today. Today we'll decide what shall happen to him. Has anyone got to say something?"
In the beginning, Jack had believed it would be difficult to give away some of his power, to let them decide things. But in truth it was also a lot easier than having to everything yourself.
People were whispering, but then suddenly Sam spoke up, throwing a last glance at Eric.
"Yes. I want add something! He hasn't only hurt Ralph! There have been.." but he was interrupted by a storm of other voices.
"Yes!"
"Roger has hurt other too.."
"He has thrown stones.."
"He has kicked me..."
"Roger is mean! He ..."
Jack raised his hands impatiently.
"Let Sam speak!" Sam nodded thankfully.
"He has hurt a lot of us, hasn't he? Tell him, Eric. Tell him what he did."
Ralph raised his gaze and frowned. His eyes rested on Sam, trying to decide when and how he had changed. Had it always been there, this firm and decided seriousness? Or was it new, maybe grown out of the care for his twin? And what was he talking about? He turned towards Eric.
Eric's eyes were wide with .. betrayal? It made no sense, but his staring gaze seemed to burn with betrayal as he looked at his twin. His skin was chalk, sweaty, sick chalk. Between them stood Roger, motionless, still looking in Jack's direction, an ever so small smile lurking on his face. Jack became impatient.
"So what is it?" he asked demandingly. "Or can we go on now? Eric?" The boy's gaze flickered to his leader, and back to his twin.
"N.. nothing," he croaked.
"Eric!" gasped Sam. "This isn't true! You have to tell them! This is our chance for revenge!"
Slowly it Ralph ban to understand. A dark memory, buried under even darker ones came to the surface. He, hiding in the night, under ferns and grass, chewing at cold meat, and listening to cries that were faintly echoing in the darkness of Castle Rock. This was, what Sam was talking about, he was sure. The night Roger had made them turn in Ralph's secret hiding. And now Sam wanted his twin – who obviously had been the one Roger had tortured – to tell everyone. But Eric didn't want to. Why? Oh, but Ralph understood. Eric was ashamed. He himself felt ashamed when he thought of that night in the forest.
"Let him go, Sam."
"But –"
"Let him go." He made a step towards Eric, carefully avoiding Roger.
"Eric. Don't worry, you don't have to tell us. I know of that night. It's alright. I don't blame you. I never did." Eric's eyes, red and puffy, became watery. He moved his lips without making a sound.
Ralph glanced at Roger, with venom.
"It's over now. Nobody will blame you, Eric, nobody will hurt you. Just answer me, yes? Did Roger hurt you?" He and Sam smiled at Eric, and Jack nodded, although he seemed stiff and uneasy.
"No," Eric breathed.
"What?"
"No!" he cried at the top of his voice and trembling.
"Roger never hurt me! Roger never hurt me! It's a lie! You're a liar!" Everyone was troubled now, shifting and looking uneasy. Only Roger stood silently at Eric's side, smiling to himself.
"You are a liar!" Eric hurled at a perplex Ralph and suddenly rushed forward, trying to tackle the fair boy. Sam tried to hold him back but without even noticing his twin he pushed him aside and his fist contacted Ralph jaw. Ralph stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. The same moment Jack punched Eric, who took the blow and ignored it, rushing forward again, receiving another blow. His nose and mouth were bleeding, tears were running down his ashen face.
Ralph held his aching cheek and watched the turmoil. The trial seemed to end in a mess.
"Stop it!" he shouted at them. Nobody noticed him but Roger, who send him a cold sneer.
He jumped up and seized Jacks arm, nearly receiving a blow himself.
"Stop it, Jack. We have to do this reasonably, remember?" Jack grunted but tried to relax.
"You okay?" he asked gruffly. Ralph nodded in affirmation. They both looked at Eric, who had collapsed on the ground at Roger's feet. Sam was also slightly bleeding, from where Eric's fist had hit his lip. He looked hurt, and puzzled and also hateful at Roger's back. Jack groaned very lightly and turned to the other people.
"Well... now we know what Roger did, what d you think should be his punishment?"
Nobody answered their chief. This was way more than they could handle.
"He deserves death," spit Sam. Jack shook his head.
"Maybe, but we agreed that nobody shall be killed anymore."
"But he is dangerous! He'll do it again!"
"We could ban him," some former littlun suggested.
"And where to? This is an island, forget?" asked Maurice. "But there seems to be only one alternative, and that is holding him as a captive," he added with a more thoughtful voice.
Ralph nodded. This was also his opinion.
"But where?"
"We could build a prison-hut!"
"No that's –"
"We could –"
"Let's use the cave at Castle Rock!"
"Some has to –"
Jack waved his hands.
"The cave? That's a good idea."
"We'd have to block the entrance.. it's pretty big," said Ralph doubtingly.
"No, there is another one, a smaller one, we discovered it while you were ... it would be easy to block the entrance with some wood."
Everyone was listening to Jack's idea but Sam and Eric. Eric still crouched by Roger's feet, his hands clawing the sandy earth where blood was dripping down on it. And Sam stood behind Roger and his twin, his expression bitter and dark. Ralph felt bad for them. He held no grudge for the twins, instead he had always liked them and admired them for being two of the last one's who didn't join the tribe. They might not be very independent, but they were loyal and normally very nice. And now they looked shattered, no longer innocent. Of course... it would have been an idle illusion to think they had been innocent before. They hadn't been innocent when they had killed Simon, they had lost their innocence that night... but what had happened? Roger was bad, but how bad was he? Eric appeared to have changed so thoroughly ..
"Well then! Who thinks that Roger should from now on be held captive, that two of us will bring him food and water every day and control his prison, should raise his hand," Jack said loudly. They looked at each other and everyone raised their hands. Only Sam, Eric and Roger kept theirs down.
"Alright then! Maurice, Johnny, Harold and I will build the prison. Robert, Henry, you will take Roger back to the hut and make sure he doesn't try to escape."
He already smiled, happy to have the matter finally settled, when unexpectedly, for the first time, Roger spoke up. He sounded harsh and rough, like someone who hasn't talked for days, and his voice rang with contempt.
"Very good, my chief. You have done it, you have judged me, like your lapdog wanted you to. That is, if he really is your lapdog and not the other way round. Now you can go home and be happy, a happy liar. What is this? Justice? Is it justice, when the murderer judges the murderer? I tell you, something. Your justice is crap. All this voting is crap. How come you all of the sudden are so civilised? You were hunters! You ran with the pack, you threw stones when I threw stones, you made fire when I smoked out Ralph, you never complained! And you Chief, you are the worst of them all." He made a pause and looked at no one in the dumbfounded crowd but Jack . His eyes were cold like a fish's eyes.
" I thought you were a good leader. But you are worse even than Ralph is. Yes, I tortured Eric! I tortured the moron! And who stood beside me and laughed? Who told me not to let go? Who kicked him when he was not able to move or speak? Who patted me on the back with a grin afterwards? And who stood, not saying a word, in front of this 'trial', playing 'judge', and asked Eric : 'What did he do?'. You are a liar and a chief of liars!"
And with that he turned around and never looked at Jack again. Jack was frozen and remained so, until Ralph waved for Robert and Henry to take Roger back to the hut. When they had done this, Jack suddenly started to walk, briskly and without looking at anybody, until he was out of sight.
