Treasure of the sea |Lesbian story|

CHAPTER XLII

Philadelphia was very different from the cities I was used to. There was a sense of community that English cities didn't have. Was this, then, life in the colonies? Most of the streets were not paved, they were mostly dirt, often clogged with garbage and mud. The houses had a large number of balconies, where men sometimes sat in the cooler and smoked. At the end of Second Street was a State House for meetings of the Governor and Assembly, decorated with many heavy pillars and many elegant carvings. The construction of the building, however, was not finished, yet it was evident that it would be the finest building in the whole city. Market days were held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The street in which it stood, called Market Street, was large and spacious, composed of the best houses in the city. In the shacks they sold all kinds of butcher's meat, as well cut and cooked as in a grocery store. They also sold chickens, fowls and wild birds, fruit, vegetables and spices.

The land near the sea was a light, sandy soil, but in the country they said there was very good land, but what was at present somewhat hindering agricultural production was a war they were waging against a tribe of Indians, who frequently attacked the Europeans and, it was said, fed on them. There was a great deal of fear spread throughout the town towards the natives. Terrible stories were going around about the Indians, their chilling habits and barbarities. A group of English soldiers was chasing them, with the aim of getting rid of them, but the Indians were good fighters and knew those lands better than they did. They knew where to go to hide.

I saw the trial and wasn't surprised to hear how they described Arenis. They accused her of every crime. They gave false evidence about how she had stolen the gold from the Royal Caroline, an English ship that had carried the king's gold years before, but which pirates had plundered. I knew she hadn't done it, but the lawyers kept accusing her of everything, finding in the figure of Arenis a scapegoat. She just sat there on that stage, her hands and feet bound, slipping off all those lies, her expression vacant. She'd looked for me in the crowd when she'd entered. Our eyes had met and we exchanged a long look. She seemed... pleased. Pleased to see me there, among ordinary people and not on that stage.

"A vile and cruel woman, and so immoral! A witch! Only a witch would be capable of subjecting men to her will! A witch who sold her soul to the devil! How many women has she corrupted? How many women has she drugged with her horrible potions and forced to perform obscene acts? Miss Eveline Adler is certainly one of her victims!"

All the eyes in the audience were on me. I felt them on me and they were so heavy, so full of indiscretion and disgust and pity. And then I felt Arenis', which unlike all the others was like a gentle caress.

I was sorry, I was so sorry to hear about all the mean things they said about her. She wasn't like that. They were misjudging her, yet there was nothing I could do to stop them. I tried, but to no avail. The next day I didn't show up at the trial. I didn't want to hear all those lies. I didn't want to be looked at like that. I stayed in my room for the whole day, my mind absent and my gaze occasionally pointed out of the window.

All that time I had wanted nothing more than to see my family again. Every morning I had managed to get out of bed with that goal in mind. It had been the motivation that had made me grit my teeth and allowed me to go on living.

Now the opportunity I had so longed for had presented itself.

Why wasn't I happy then?

My mind kept derailing, dwelling on Arenis and her crew. I understood all too well how it was going to end for them and the idea of seeing all those people I had come to know in those months hanging from the gallows made my heart clench. It was true, they had kidnapped me, they had stolen everything from me, they had forced me into a life I had never wanted, and yet... and yet I continued to despair and pine for that knowledge that soon they would all be dead.

It was on the day of sentencing that I again appeared in court. They were escorted in one by one to the judge, who pronounced the death sentence in a monotone. I saw Dilthey bow his head and hide his face from everyone, I saw Eddie start screaming with terror, I saw Stevenson staring angrily at all of them... They condemned them all. All of them. No one was saved. Not even Arenis. She was the last one to enter the courtroom. She walked with her shoulders straight, her expression stern and her eyes meticulously scanning everything around her. Her hair was shaggy, dirty, her clothes tattered, and yet somehow she seemed to have more dignity than most of the other people there. It was clear that they were afraid of her. Even the judge had to clear his throat several times before he began to speak. That was the effect she had, Arenis; there was something about her that exuded vehemence and power.

"Does the defendant have anything to declare before sentence is passed?" the judge asked her.

And then Arenis lifted her gaze to his and a gentle smile stretched across her lips. "No, nothing to declare."

"The court finds you guilty of piracy, witchcraft, indecency, murder, acts of violence and depravity. By the powers vested in me by God and the people you are therefore sentenced to death by hanging," he announced.

The audience cheered, clapped, and shouted with glee, in rapture. The roar was thunderous. The faces of the people were sprinkled with joy and triumph. Justice had been done. Then the insults and nastiness began. Arenis was covered with insults. People shouted everything at her and eventually they threw eggs, vegetables, even stones at her. Arenis dodged as best she could, though the chains didn't allow her to move much. A stone wounded her forehead and drops of blood began to run down her face.

"Bloody witch!"

"Bitch!"

"Murderer!"

"The sentence will be carried out tomorrow at sunset," finished the judge. "Court is adjourned."

The guards grabbed Arenis by both arms and pulled her away from the stage. The heavy chains she was wearing made a hellish clatter on the stone floor. As the courtroom began to empty, I stood up. My head was spinning and I staggered dangerously.

"Are you feeling all right, Miss Adler?" asked a woman next to me.

"I'm fine."

"Why are you crying, then?"

Surprised, I touched my face. It was true. My cheeks were wet with tears.