Marjani nodded as if she fully understood what Punch was suggesting. Joining hands, they knelt—their knees sinking into the cold mud.
“What are you doing?” Ulrika laughed.
“Some kind of Voodoo?” Giovanni Iantosca asked, peering out from behind Ulrika’s broad shoulders.
“You could say so,” Punch grinned. “Only this is the kind of voodoo what folks don’t seem to be scared of.”
“You begin, Mr. Punch.” Marjani whispered.
“Coo.” Punch sighed, his smile fading.
“Go on, tell the Holy Mother what you want her to hear.” Marjani encouraged.
“Dear Holy Lady Chum.” Punch began.
Ulrika and Giovanni watched, too entranced to be amused.
“We got here two folks what done a lot of bad. The fella’s one o’ them what takes people’s lives and steals the gold from their dead pockets. The woman—she’s pure wickedness who takes delight in makin’ other folk what did nothin’ to her suffer. But, that ain’t nothin’ you don’t already know. See, me chum, Marjani here, she explained it all to me, she did. She said that you and your son and your chum, the Lord (who ain’t a lord like me master were a lord afore he became a duke, but rather some kind of other Lord what lives in the sky and sees everything) already know what’s in the hearts of men. So, you don’t need me to tell you what these two are about.”
“Is he praying?” Giovanni whispered.
“Yes. I think he is, really.” Ulrika responded—unsure of what to do.
“Here,” Punch grunted. “It ain’t gonna help me if you’re gonna interrupt.”
“But, really, this is how you intend to punish us—by making us watch you pray?”
“No.” Punch scowled.
“So, what are you doing?” Ulrika asked.
“I’m hangin’ the hangman, I am.” Punch grinned. “Now, kindly, shut yer gob.”
Ulrika placed her hand over her mouth as a chill went up her spine.
“Thank you,” Punch sighed.
“Go on, Mr. Punch.” Marjani smiled. “You’re doin’ jus’ fine.”
“Where was I?” Punch muttered. “Oh, that’s it…” He cleared his throat. “Now, I don’t know a whole lot about what you do, Holy Lady Person, but me chum, Marjani, well, she seems to have a lot of faith in ya, and that’s good enough for me. You know these two here are no good. But, one thing I learned from me chums, 'specially Naasir what's dead and gone cuz someone hated him for no reason at all, is that holdin’ on to a lot of hate—that’s what makes a person no good. So, I ain’t gonna do it. It makes sense, don’t it? Look at Barbara. It were hate what made her mad. And, me mum. She were filled with hate and it made her do awful things. Nanny Rittenhouse, too. Maybe it’s somethin’ ‘bout that whole family. This Ulrika’s kin to Nanny. Either way, it’s hate what done all them folks in and hate what made all of us pay such a terrible price. I think that’s what’s wrong with these two. So, I ain’t gonna hate ‘em. I’m gonna do the ‘posite. And, see, I’m gonna forgive ‘em, and put them in the hands of you and them other folks up in the sky. I only got one request, I do. Make sure they live a long, long time, please. Make sure they live long enough to know what they done to other people were wrong. See that they feel the kind of horror and pain what they gave to other people. Then, maybe, they’ll finally understand. It ain’t out of meanness I say this, neither. It’s cuz I really want them to know so maybe they’ll get a chance to be happy finally and not make people suffer no more.”
Ulrika and Giovanni watched with wide eyes as Mr. Punch stopped speaking.
He looked at Marjani. “I think that’s it. Did I do good?”
“Very good, Mr. Punch. I’m proud of ya.” Marjani nodded.
“You got anything to say?” Punch blushed.
“I do.” Marjani nodded.
She paused and closed her eyes.
“Holy Mother, hear what Mr. Punch done jus’ told ya. May these two people live a long life. Now, I know what this means. I know that by them livin’, others will suffer. I know what sacrifice I must make, too. My own grandchild—Columbia, my only livin’ kin. One day, she, too, will suffer at the hands of these two poor, sad creatures. And, her sufferin’ will be the worst of all. But, still, with sadness of that fact, I say that Miss Ulrika and Mr. Giovanni—they need to live to see what they done. We all gotta make sacrifices for the greater good. You know that better than anyone. And, so, I do as you did with sadness and love. Amen.”
“We stand up now?” Punch asked.
“Yes.”
Mr. Punch helped Marjani rise to her feet.
Marjani shook her head at Ulrika. “Your end will be long off from now. But, when it comes, it’ll come slow, thick and hot. Don’t make my sacrifice be for nothin’. When you drown on the earth—for that’s how you’ll go—let the last face you see be the one you wronged the most. And, when you look into those eyes as the earth takes your life—let the thoughts you have be ones of love and not hate. Don’t make me a fool.”
Ulrika laughed.
“So, that’s it?” Ulrika snarled. “Your companions were ready to strangle me, and you—you offer a prayer for my long life? That’s your punishment?”
“A long time from now, someone’s gonna know the right way to live because you showed ‘em the wrong way.” Punch shrugged. “And, now, I hanged the hangman.”
With that, Punch put his hand on Marjani’s shoulder and together they walked to join Adrienne, Cecil, Robert and Fuller.
“What happened?” Robert asked, hurrying toward Mr. Punch and Marjani.
“Take us the foxes,” Marjani smiled. “The little foxes that spoil our vines for our vines have tender grapes.”
“I don’t understand.” Robert said, pointing. “They’re getting back in their carriage.”
“Their suffering is yet to come, and it’ll be a far greater pain than anything we could give ‘em.” Punch replied, hugging his friend.
Marjani nodded.
“Now, we can go home,” Punch sniffed.
Did you miss Chapters 1-416? If so, you can read them here.
4 comments:
Absolutely brilliant writing. Congratulations. I would so LOVE to see this book as a movie.
I so agree...this was more exceptional than usual. Mr. Punch is wise, and cute.
Very touching.
I appreciate your comments, everyone. I would, one day, like to see Mr. Punch make it on screen. Any ideas and connections to that end are welcome.
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