Julie

  “I’ve come to give you my report, MY LORD!” Julie shouted and saluted Michael the way a soldier salutes his superior, standing upright with her fist over her heart.

  The little boy with messy hair and a dirty nose, standing next to her, made the same gestures as she did, though his clumsiness was evident, and he didn't shout like her; instead, he greeted Michael in a shy little voice.

  Michael watched the little ones and Emma, who stood still as a statue on the sunny path, observing the strange scene unfolding between the three of them.

  At first, Julie didn't understand what was wrong. She wondered why Michael wasn't responding to her greeting. But as she followed his gaze and came across Emma's figure on the track, she realized she had made a mistake. She was sure Emma had heard her. She could already imagine her coming to question them about the strange situation they were in, and after satisfying her curiosity, she would drag her by the hair to her mother to be punished.

  But to her and her cousin's surprise, the priestess turned around and walked away. Michael sighed with relief as he watched her leave.

  "She doesn't seem interested in what we do... for now," Michael said. "Where were you, and why did you bring Kevin with you?"

  “I wanted to come alone, but he insisted on coming with me,” Julie replied.

  “I came to say hello,” Kevin said, smiling.

  “I saw your cousin Taylor and his mates recently. Haven’t you seen them?”

  The boy nodded. "We just saw them."

  “They were going to the library, or maybe the clinic,” Julie added.

  “They looked hurt,” Kevin said.

  “One of them had blood on his shirt,” Julie added.

  “I heard they had an accident,” Michael said. “Don’t you want to go to the clinic and see how your cousin is?”

  Kevin dropped his gaze. “No,” he said.

  “You don't like hanging out with him, do you? Not when he's with his mates.”

  Kevin shook his head.

  Michael watched him for a moment, then turned to Julie. “And why are you two together? Were you playing in the green?” he asked.

  "We were playing hide-and-seek with the other kids," Kevin replied.

  “It was the only way I found to free myself from Mum,” Julie said. “She wouldn’t let go of me.”

  “And where is she?”

  “In the library kitchen, talking with her friends.”

  "And the others?"

  “Ale and my sister are in the library reading, and Aunt Elsa is at the shrine.”

  “The adults are fighting over there,” Kevin said excitedly.

  “Why, what happened?”

  Kevin shrugged. “I don’t know. They won’t let us near, but we can hear ‘em yellin’ from outside.”

  “It’s all Agatha’s fault,” Julie said. “She and her friends started the fight when it was their turn to speak. That’s why Mom decided to go to the library with her friends. Other people left too and are hanging out at the green. Mom said that Agatha ruined the meeting.”

  “Did you manage to hear what they were arguing about?” Michael asked.

  “Something about peddlers and gambling. Mum and her friends didn’t talk much about it.”

  “Well, that doesn’t matter.” He looked at Kevin. “Sorry, Kevin, but I need to talk to Julie alone about something important. Why don’t you wait for her in the green with the rest of your friends? She’ll be there in a moment.”

  "What are you goin’ to talk about?"

  "It's a secret."

  "Is it big?"

  "Yes, big."

  "How big?"

  “It’s huge, gigantic, colossal," Julie said sarcastically, tired of Kevin’s questions.

  “As big as the Grandhouse?” Kevin asked with brilliant eyes.

  The little boy's innocence made Michael laugh. "Yes, Kevin, as big as Milton's cave. Go on, and wait for Julie in the green."

  “I will,” Kevin said with a sad voice. He walked away with his head down.

  ?"He's so stubborn," Julie said after Kevin left. "I tried to get rid of him, but he wouldn't listen to me. What a problem!"

  “Don’t speak badly of him. He only wants your friendship.”

  “I know, but he should understand when someone wants to be alone.”

  “That's the problem: he doesn't understand. You have to speak clearly to him, or his head gets all muddled. Next time, tell him you need to be alone.”

  “I will… Hey, can I ask you something?”

  “About what?” Michael asked.

  “What’s wrong with Taylor’s mates? Why doesn't Kevin like them?”

  “Because they bully him, and Taylor doesn't say or do anything about it, or perhaps he doesn't know what's going on. Who knows? I've advised him several times to stay away from his cousin and find friends of his own age, but he doesn't listen.” Michael scratched his chin, smiling. “You could say that he and I are alike in that regard.”

  “In what are you two alike?”

  “That we both hate being told who we should hang out with. And tell me, what happened with the job I asked you about?”

  "Done, well, almost. Was Emma with you? I saw her on my way here."

  “We talked for a bit, then she said she was going to the clinic. By the way, next time, be more careful with what you say. Not only did she hear you, but half the village did.”

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “I'm sorry. I was really excited,’ Julie said in a small voice, avoiding Michael's reproachful gaze. ‘Did she tell you why she was looking for you?”

  “She wanted me to help Richard with the meeting at the shrine, but it's too late for that now. Good thing I dodged that bullet. Let's forget about her and give me your report.”

  Julie stood up straight and gave a salute. “Mr. Luke and his assistant, Mr. Justin, are not currently present in the village at the moment. They left for the city in their wagon as soon as Mass ended. The man who runs the shop, Mr. Bastian, left the shrine shortly after the discussions about Pact Day began. I don’t know where he went. And finally, I spotted Mrs. Elisa, Luke's maid, in the library kitchen, talking with my mother and her circle of friends. End of report.”

  “Good job, my loyal squire. It would have been helpful if you had come earlier, but it doesn't matter. I know it's not your fault.”

  “Is it too late?”

  Michael sighed. “Aye, unfortunately. I saw Bastian heading towards the shop while I was talking to Emma. I didn't know the place was empty. I should have gone inside when I had the chance. This is what I get for hesitating.”

  “Why don't you try it now? Bastian is alone in the shop. He won't notice when you try to sneak into the workshop at the back.”

  “No, I don’t think it’s a…” Michael’s voice trailed off as he watched Bastian leave Luke’s house. He gestured to Julie to look.

  Bastian crossed the front yard down the stone path and headed for the road, but stopped suddenly when he saw Michael and Julie by the zegoto tree. He waved at them and continued on his way to the village green. He seemed to be in a hurry.

  “Look, look, Bastian is gone. Now’s your chance,” Julie said excitedly.

  "I wonder where he's going."

  “Does it matter? Perhaps he is going back to the shrine.”

  “It matters a lot. I need to know how much time I have to look for the boxes.”

  “I could follow him and see where he goes.”

  Michael shook his head. "No, I've decided: I'm going to do it. I can't waste another chance." He stood up and started walking. "You go back to the green and play with your little friends," he said without looking back.

  Julie was right behind him. “No, I’m too old to be playing hide-and-seek,” she protested. “I can stay and keep watch in case someone comes.”

  “No, it’s too risky. Go back to your friends. They’re a good alibi. And if anyone asks about me, tell them I went to the river.”

  "But..."

  "That's an order. Don't make me repeat myself," he said gruffly.

  Julie stopped and lowered her head. "Yes, sir."

  Michael glanced behind him, then stopped. "I'm sorry, Julie," he said. "It's just that I don't want you to get into trouble. You understand, right?"

  "I understand," she said. She avoided his gaze, clenching her small hands into fists.

  "Well, wish me luck," he said, and continued on his way.

  ?Julie saw Michael walk into Luke's house through the side yard on the right. He showed no hesitation in trespassing on someone else's property. He just launched himself into the attack with a firm and confident stride. Julie wondered what the others would have done in Michael's place. Esther would surely have chickened out at the last second and called off the whole operation. Helena would have opposed the idea from the outset, arguing that it was both dangerous and stupid to try. Victor would also have opposed the idea, but only because he always listens to and obeys his beloved little sister. But not Michael. He didn't care if it was dangerous or stupid; if there were consequences, or what others could think of him. When he had a goal in mind, nothing could stop him, even if it meant going against his own family. This was one of the many things Julie liked about him: the confidence in himself and in what he did.

  She stood there, watching the house and Michael sliding down the side yard to the back of the property, with one hand touching the wall. He stopped at the corner and put one knee on the ground. He leaned his body to peek around the corner and then looked back. He signalled to Julie to get lost when he saw her standing on the road.

  Julie turned around and left.

  She thought about Michael on her way back to the village green. She wanted to join him and help him look for the boxes her sister had mentioned earlier in the morning, like the good squire she was. But then she wondered how she could help him with the search. He had told her that he knew the layout of the house from previous visits, while she had never been inside. She also thought about ignoring his order and returning to keep watch on the area, in case Bastian, Elisa, or someone else approached. But then she wondered how she could warn Michael that someone was coming without attracting attention. She felt useless. Michael was right to forbid her from helping him. She would only get him into trouble.

  As she walked past the library, she saw a woman with enormous breasts coming out of the front door. Her black bodice could barely contain her two heavy melons. The woman closed the door and turned around. She stopped with a gasp when she noticed Julie staring at her. It was Elisa.

  “Oh!” Elisa said, putting a hand to her chest. “I didn’t see you there, little one. You frightened me.”

  "I'm sorry."

  The woman smiled gently. She had straight black hair and dark blue eyes. Besides having large breasts, she also had wide hips and was slightly plump around the waist, though not as much as Agnes or some of her fat friends. Julie recalled a night when she spied on a conversation between her aunt Natalia and Michael in the back of the manor. Natalia was drunk and talking a lot, though little of what she said made any sense. One of the few things Julie managed to half-understand was that, according to her aunt, Elisa was one of those rare cases where adding more fat improves the quality of the food. “It makes it look delicious,” her aunt had said.

  Julie looked Elisa up and down, unable to understand what her aunt had meant.

  She's a good person, she thought. I don't understand why Michael doesn't like her. He always gets tense when he runs into her. And he secretly calls her ‘Buttered bun’. Why does he call her that? I always ask him, but he just laughs like an idiot.

  “Are you going to see your mom?” Elisa asked.

  “No.”

  "So, will you continue playing with your little friends?"

  Julie glanced at Kevin and the other children racing through the birch tunnel on the village green. She didn't want to play. She was too old for childish games. However, she needed the alibi, as her cousin had said. “I suppose so,” she said.

  “Well, have fun.” Elisa started walking away

  "Where are you going?"

  "I'm going to my boss's house."

  Julie paled. She couldn't let her go, or Michael would be in trouble. "Why? I thought you were going to stay and talk to Mom a little longer."

  “That's what I thought, but Bastian came in a little while ago to remind me of all the work I have to do around the house.” She snorted. “He can take the day off if he wants to, but I can't. I have to scrape my knees in that house no matter what day it is. It's a bit unfair, don't you think? Lucky for him he's the owner's nephew.”

  “But why don't you get Bastian to help you? It's not fair that you're working and he's doing nothing.”

  “He doesn’t get paid to clean. Well, he practically gets paid to laze around.” The woman giggled. “Sorry, but I have to go. Take care, sweetheart.”

  Julie watched her leave without thinking of anything that could stop her. She felt useless again. When Michael needed her most, she was unable to help him.

  I'm no loyal squire. I should call myself The Useless Squire. Yes, that will be my new name from now on: Julie, The Useless Squire.

  ?"Julie! Julie! Come here! Hurry up!" Kevin shouted at her from afar. The other children started calling her too.

  She ignored them. She was too busy blaming herself to be playing hide-and-seek with children. She grabbed her two pigtails and shook her head in frustration like a maniac.

  At that moment, Emma came out of the library through the front door and stopped in front of her. “What are you doing standing there?” she asked, frowning.

  Julie said nothing, still reeling from Emma's sudden appearance. She was the last person in the world she wanted to run into.

  "Are you sick?"

  “No, I’m not. Why?”

  “Because I saw you banging your head while I was looking through the windows. Do you have a bug in your ear?”

  Julie almost screamed. Of all the people who lived in the village, it had to be Emma who saw her through the windows. “It’s nothing,” she said, smiling like an idiot. “I was just playing with my hair.”

  Emma looked at her with narrowed eyes. "What a strange game."

  Julie heard the children calling her name again. “I think my friends are calling me,” she said with a nervous smile.

  Emma looked behind her. "Yes, I see them... Where's Michael?"

  "He's... at the river! Yes, yes, he's at the river. He went there to relax."

  "That's great... So what are you waiting for? Aren't you going to join your friends?"

  Julie nodded and ran off. Kevin caught up with her, and they both joined the others. Emma continued to watch over her.

  I'm sorry, my lord. But your loyal squire is being guarded by the Eagle. I wish you the best of luck on your mission. She thought regretfully, as she ran with her companions through the rows of birch trees.