You must not fear death!
You must stare him in the eye,
and force him back into the enemy ranks!
-Knight Captain Justice Walker
Josh and Matt were dumbstruck. Jericho was trembling. Beau smiled kingly. "I'm sorry my loves. I don't like to do that sort of thing, but time is short. Would you listen to me now?"
Josh, Matt and Jericho just stared.
"I will make this as simple as I can so let me start by telling you three things." She held up one stubby finger for them to look at.
"One. We're in London, as you know; but we're only in the Greater London Outer Crescent. There are 5 districts; the 2 London crescents, inner and outer, the two Greater London Crescents, the inner and outer, and Knighthood Taurus." Another finger was raised. "Two. It is impossible for normal people to move through these zones. There is too much danger. Also, the outer London crescents are only places able to be inhabited by normal humans. And third," She was displaying three fingers now, showing long, rough, bitten nails. "The Knights are the only humans able to move between the zones."
"What are The Knights?" Josh asked; he never heard of the Knights before.
"You've never - Of course, you haven't heard all the stories, have you? Well, children, the Knights were formed from a story of lore; an old book spoke of a mystical place called "Roads", where a group of Knights stood on the edge of an Empire, and held their ground against hordes of enemies."
The three of them stared back at Beau. Matt seemed to be hanging on her every word, while Jericho still seemed to be in shock about what happened moments ago.
"Anyway, children. We need you. Children are not welcome in any of the crescents, but they have their uses." Beau leant forwards, lowering her voice. "They are valuable."
Josh was silent. So were Matt and Jericho.
Beau smiled and nodded. "That's got you, my loves, hasn't it? This is the truth: nobody really likes children. Apart from their parents. Sometimes."
"Nobody likes us at all." Said Jericho.
"Well, you don't know about your parents, do you?" Beau pointed out.
There was a banging on the door and a voice shouted, "One minute, Beau!" She frowned to herself and swept her grey and greasy fringe away from her spectacles.
"Time is such a relative thing, such a nuisance. Always too much of it when you don't need it, and too little when you do."
"She's talking to herself." Whispered Jericho to Josh.
"I'm sorry, dears," said Beau. "I'm breaking too many rules this afternoon but we need to go. I'll help you, but if you can't get out of here, then there's not much use for you for us at all."
"You said you can help us." Said Josh, thinking of the Inquisitor with his sharp face and his hatchet nose.
Beau nodded at him. "Like I said, children are valuable. They have their uses. That's why something is stealing them; stealing them from this crescent and taking them to another place."
"Children can't be stolen," Matt said, in a murmur. "Not like that."
"Can't they?" replied Beau. "Can't they disappear? Think about street children you have known, Josh. Children who have vanished."
"Yeah, OK," said Matt. "They do disappear. But that's just the hunters and sometimes other people, weird people." Beau smiled at Matt, waiting patiently as he spoke. "And, well, you know, things like that."
Then he stopped talking because he knew that Beau was right. Children did disappear.
Beau was still smiling at him kindly. "Exactly, dear. Now as I was saying, there is a link from your crescent to this other place. Now, you see—"
"OK, Beau!" A voice boomed into the room. "Time's up! Come on and open the door!"
Beau sighed, and looked at the trio again. "Here, take this." Beau threw to the three a pistol and two sabres. After a moment of silent discussion, the three threw their hands forwards for the pistol. Josh grabbed it, and checked it out. It was heavier than the .22, and had an depression reading Colt anaconda down the barrel.
The two swords had a curved, single-edged blade and a large hand guard, covering the knuckles of the hand. They were light and balanced, almost like an extension of the hand. Jericho swung her sword hand back and forth, enchanted by the feel.
"We need to go, dears!" Said Beau, in an urgent tone. "We need to leave, before the teeth of the lion start tearing at us."
"The teeth of the lion?" Josh asked, as he pretended to shoot his gun, smiling.
"The ever brooding, ever calculating, ever manipulating Inquisitors." Beau responded, quickly.
"Inquisitors…" Josh said slowly, lingering over the word, enjoying the sound.
Beau frowned. "The Inquisitors are lies and death. Be very careful; they use promises and fear and torment to control the most treacherous tools of all."
"Which are?" enquired Matt.
"People, children, people." Her voice trailed off and she closed her eyes. When they flashed open, Josh humped.
"Trust no-one."
"Should we trust you?" Jericho asked.
"Of course not! And at the same time..." Beau pointed to the door behind which the hunters were waiting. "They have orders to let you come with me if you choose to. If you don't come with me you'll be theirs. It won't be nice for you."
"What are you after?" Jericho's eyes narrowed.
"We need you to help us." Said Beau. "We need you to steal something for us."
"Stealing is bad." Said Josh, sounding as if he didn't think stealing is bad at all.
"This stealing isn't bad." Said Beau.
"We're good at stealing!" volunteered Matt brightly.
"I know you are, my love." Said Beau.
"And fighting. We're good at that too."
"That's very nice, dear, it usually comes in handy." Beau removed her spectacles and wiped he lenses with the handkerchief before holding them up to the light to inspect them. Then she put them back on her nose and tucked the grimy rag up her sleeve. She then stared at the trio, and said to them, "Let's go. The ring needs you."