Chapter 18

Benjamin pulled off his shirt and made a compress for his head. He knew that he had to stop the flow of blood or he would bleed to death. He sank down to the floor of the cell and put his head in his arms and sobbed. He had little feeling for his own plight, but Maria had done nothing to deserve her fate.

After some time he became aware of a vile stench in the cell. He looked up and saw a vision starting to materialize in front of him. When he tried to get up he found that he could not move. The vision continued to materialize and he saw the outline of a man. He watched as the vision became the old wizard.

" Benjamin, I am here to extract my revenge for the deaths of Anne and Nora. They died at your hand as surely as if you sliced their throats with a sword. Anne killed herself because of you and Nora could not stand to live after you had seduced her. I see that you even have the blood of a Spanish girl on your hands."

Benjamin tried to talk to the wizard but he could not speak. He wanted to scream out Anne's name. Surely she had not killed herself because of their night together. And Nora, he knew that she would not kill herself. What was that twisted old mind trying to say?

The wizard made a gesture with his hand, "Stand up."

He tried to stand and found that he was able to move. He stood up and tried to dive for the wizard's throat. His feet seemed to be a part of the floor and he was held in place close to the wall.

The wizard made another gesture and he was pinned against the wall and could not move his arms or legs. The blood from his cut began to get into his eyes.

The wizard walked to him with an evil look in his eyes. He took hold of Benjamin's chin and tilted his head up. He put a small bottle to Benjamin's lips and poured a strong tasting liquid into his mouth. The liquid had a strange sweet and also a sour taste. He tried to spit the liquid out but he couldn't. He found that he could not breathe. In a panic, he swallowed the liquid and his breathing returned to normal, although he could still not move or speak.

The wizard moved back away from him, "Why did you have to take my lovely Anne and Nora to your bed? You didn't love them. You will pay dearly for your actions. Right now the crown has confiscated your lands and wealth. By now, your father is in jail for treason and his wealth and lands have also been confiscated. Several of the nobles that you have conspired with will be in jail soon."

Benjamin's head was spinning. What was the old man talking about? His father was a respected advisor to the King. What nobles had he ever conspired with?

The wizard seemed to be floating a foot above the floor of the cell, "From this minute forward, you will walk the earth forever. You may take that as a blessing now, but you will never find peace. Others will notice that you do not get a day older and try to kill you or those that associate with you. Any people that call you friend will be persecuted. Jails will not be able to hold you, lest people see that you do not age in a cell. You will pray for death often, but it will not come. If you are injured, the wound will heal immediately. Your bones will never break and all illnesses will cease to become a problem for you. If you marry, you will live to put your wife and children in the grave. People will hound you, search for you and revile you. I am damning you to an eternity of labor with no rest from your labors."

Benjamin still could not move. He noticed a movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked to see what had caught his eye and saw a snake slithering across the floor of the cell. The snake moved to the center of the floor and stopped. It rose upright until it had stretched its full length. The snake began to take a different form, growing larger and taller. The form grew and changed with each new second of time. The form grew until it became the most hideous being that man had ever seen. It was black as coal from head to toe. It had the body of a gorilla and the head of a tiger but much more fierce looking than a tiger. From the tiger's head two twisted horns protruded. Its eyes were huge and when one looked into its eyes he could see what seemed to be molten lava. Two fangs hung from his mouth and extended to a point below his chin. The arms of the creature hung down to its knees. What served for hands were three long, curved claws at the end of each arm. The legs were as of a goat but with the feet of a man. When the creature breathed a horrible stink came from its mouth.

It moved close to Benjamin and he was afraid that the creature's hot breath would burn him. The creature turned to the wizard and pointed at the floor. The wizard dropped to the floor shaking so hard the old man had no control of his body and his bowels emptied themselvs.

When the demon spoke, he voice shook the walls of the cell, "Old man what have you done. You know that this spell is mine alone. Only I have the right to curse someone with eternal life on earth. This spell is so powerful that even I have never used it. I order you to join this man in his travels. You will have no form except as a thought that he cannot shake from his mind. You will always be with him wherever he goes. His eternal travels will be your eternal travels. You have provided him a way to break the spell. I order this. If he should ever find the way to break the spell, you will immediately leave him and join me in the Land Of Shadows for eternity."

The creature waved a claw at the wizard and the wizard disappeared as if the old man was never there. The demon pointed a claw at Benjamin. Suddenly Benjamin saw a brilliant flash of light and he saw only the light, for what seemed like hours, but was only an instant. He got the sensation of falling and grabbed at the air to stop the fall. The light started to dim. After a short while, he saw that he was not falling and forms started to take shape. The light dimmed to darkness and he was startled to find that he was in a forest. How did he get out of his cell? He was naked and he set out to find some clothes. He hoped that he would stumble across a clothesline with clothes that would fit him.

He started walking through the woods. He had no idea where he was or what direction he was going. After walking for a long time he came to a dirt road. The road seemed to be a heavily traveled route, probably going to a city. He paused for a minute trying to decide which direction was the best. He started walking, not knowing why he picked that direction. After he had walked for a while, cutting his feet several times on sharp rocks, he heard voices up ahead. He could make out a candle glowing, casting a faint glow on two people. It had rained the day before and the leaves were wet so he could move without making much noise. He made his way to within fifty feet of the pair and crouched down to listen.

When his eyes became accustomed to the glow of the candle, he could make out the figures. It took it little time before he realized that he had stumbled onto the Cardinal and the priest that had raped Maria. He saw two horses tied about twenty feet from the pair. They had spread out blankets on the ground and were engaged on heated conversation. He was sure that they were just resting; they had not prepared any sleeping mats or a cooking fire. He moved twenty feet closer so that he could hear what was being said. The Cardinal seemed to be doing the most talking.

"Alonzo, you are mad. This trip is dangerous. Everyone knows that there is nothing out there except water and more water. This Columbus is leading 87 people to their watery graves. He couldn't find financing in Italy or Portugal and even the King of Spain refused. That idiot Isabella is the only one of the royalty that is dumb enough to believe that he can actually do it. Why would you volunteer as chaplain for this folly? The Pope has even made remarks that indicate that he feels it is blasphemy to believe the there are other people on the earth other than the ones we have already found. Accurate maps have been made of the world and they prove that there is nothing out there.

He heard the priest try to interject a though, but the Cardinal cut him off.

"I think that I am wasting my breath. You've made up your mind and nothing I say will change it. I wish you well and may God have mercy on your soul. Beware of this Columbus that he doesn't cost you your soul."

Benjamin saw the priest stand up and he said something to the Cardinal that he couldn't make out. The priest moved away from the campfire and headed toward him. Benjamin plastered himself against the tree and waited until the priest passed the tree that hid him. Quickly, he grabbed the priest and with a quick twist broke the neck of the cleric. He held the dead priest for a minute to be sure that he was dead and lowered him softly to the ground without making a sound.

Benjamin stood still for a minute to see if the Cardinal had heard anything. He saw the Cardinal still sitting on his blanket. He slowly started toward the man as silently as possible, picking up a fallen limb to use as a weapon. He paused when the Cardinal got up and stretched. The man started trying to see into the woods, trying to find out if the priest had finished relieving himself yet.

"Father Alonzo, come on. We have to hurry if you're going to make your ship."

The Cardinal turned to his horse and started to pack up the blankets to continue on their journey. Benjamin took this advantage to get behind him and raise the limb. The Cardinal heard something behind and started to turn around.

"Father Alonzo..."

Benjamin brought the limb down on the back of the cleric's head and the man dropped to the ground. Benjamin quickly searched for the dagger that he knew the Cardinal carried. He pulled the robes and cassock off of him, not worrying whether he tore them in the process. He cut the robes into stripes and bound the cleric securely. Holding the candle in front of him, he dragged the Cardinal deep into the woods. He lifted the unconscious man up and held him against the tree with the stripes of robe. He sat down on the leaves and waited for him the regain consciousness.

After a couple of minutes the Cardinal started to regain consciousness. When he realized that he was naked and tied to a tree he started to struggle against his bonds. Benjamin went to him and held the knife to his throat.

"Shut up! Answer my questions. What is this ship that you and that priest were talking about.

The Cardinal got a defiant look on his face and said nothing. Benjamin took his dagger and opened a deep gash on the man's face, from ear to chin.

"No! No! Please don't mark my face anymore. I'll tell you. Father Alonzo has volunteered to be the chaplain on the mission to find a western passage to India. Admiral Christopher Columbus has three ships to seek the passage. Everyone knows that they will sail for a while and then come back. The King has appointed Father Alonzo to be the chaplain. He has a letter from the King in his bag. Please let Father Alonzo and me go. The King will have your head if you harm us."

"Where was Father Alonzo going to meet the ship?"

"In Palos, east of here. Let Father Alonzo go, please. If he doesn't get on board the Santa Maria people will come looking for him."

Benjamin moved to the Cardinal, "Father Alonzo is already in hell awaiting your arrival."

He grabbed the Cardinal's cock and balls and with a quick movement cut them off and held them up for the Cardinal to see. The man opened his mouth to scream and Benjamin shoved them into the man's mouth. He quickly grabbed a strip of cloth that he had around his neck and secured the man's cock and balls in his mouth.

Benjamin knew from the glazed expression in the Cardinal's eyes that the man was in shock. He had no idea if the cleric heard his next words.

"As your life drains out of you from between your legs, ask your God to forgive you for what you did to that young girl."

He stood in front of the Cardinal until the man died. He stared at his handiwork and then spit on him and walked back to the body of the priest. Benjamin knew that as soon as it got light, that there was a chance that someone would be traveling on the road and pass the site where the two clerics had stopped to rest. He decided to clean up the area and make it appear as it was before they stopped. He crouched down next to the priest to think. He had to get out of Spain. He knew that as soon as he was caught he would be killed. First he had to get some clothes. He looked at the body and a plan started to form in his head. He striped the priest and then dragged his body to where the Cardinal sagged against his bonds.

He looked for something to make a bandage for the cut on his head. The blood had stopped flowing into his eyes. When he opened the Cardinal's bags he found a clean handkerchief. Gingerly he reached to feel the wound on his forehead. He felt all over his forehead for the wound. It was gone! He must have imagined it. The blow to his head had probably made him see things.

Benjamin pulled off the cassock of the priest. It was just a little short; otherwise he knew he could pass himself off as a priest in the cassock. The only problem was the language. As soon as he opened his mouth he would be found out. When he had cleaned up the area so that no one would think to have a second look at it, he went through the bags that were hanging on the horses. He found gold coins and several official documents. He tried to make out what the documents said but his knowledge of the Spanish language was limited. He saw a letter with the seal of the King of Spain and started to try and figure out what it said. When he saw the word Columbus on the page he thought that it might be the letter from the King appointing him Chaplain of the voyage. He read the letter several times and found enough words to convince him that the letter was the appointment and if he could find a way to show the letter to Admiral Columbus he might be able to find a way to get on the ship and out of Spain.

Tallorder64

Chapter 19