PreacherMan

But no mysterious voice answered him, all there was was silence. Lord Fred left the sight of his sister's demise and began a new trek. He disowned his own family right there and then; he disowned his own blood and was happy for it: what had the name of D'Honaire ever brought him? Only duties, responsibilities, and debts of honor. He walked and walked and walked, seemingly for days. Finally, after too many nights spent under the moon he found himself in an olive wood. Frederigo continued on, making his way through the forest of olive, soon he found himself a path, perhaps the makings of foxes or even of sheep. He followed the worn soil as it wound its way between trees and soon it began to rise as the land turned to hillock.

Still the memory puzzled him: "Thy punishment is immortality."

Finally he reached the crest and he saw, stretched out before him, a new land. It was not the Great Kingdom, it was a towneship of simple cottages made in the style of Hespan! Yet there was a stone Tower, a soldier's Keep constructed as if by the Engineers of Aritaine! How could this be?!!? One was a puny principality to the east of the Kingdom while the other was a grand player in the game of politics situated some many, many weeks to the south. What land was this that held prizes from both countries? The only way to discover this would be to enter the hamlet; and enter he did.

Frederigo approached the edge of the hamlet and saw a farmer coming in from the fields. Fred called to him saying, "Hold there, man. What name be given this land of yours?"

The farmer looked up at the now-dirt-encrusted nobleman, stained with blood (new and old). The farmer smiled and answered: "Why, this be the land o' Cogan, and this be lil' olde Innsmouth. Come, enter o' yer free will and lay yer feet upon the hearth and drink ye up some ale and eat ye up some sup. Come o' yer free will, we be a generous folk always ready to entertain new guests."

Frederigo's spirit seemed to climb at these simple words and the thought of rest and merriment heartened him greatly. He followed the farmer willfully into the village of Innsmouth and found an inn by the title of the Gilman House. Before he entered, however, there was a ruccus out in the main plaza.

A preacherman had entered the village and was speaking up a storm: "Repent ye sinners! The kingdom of God be at hand!"

Some of the villagers came out and began to remonstrate with him in a most aweful manner: "Go away old man!"

"Turn with free hearts to the Master of Creation!"

"WE are the Masters of our own lives!"

"Woe to the man who blasphemes so!"

"There is no blasphemy if there is no god!"

"Silence! God exists whether ye like it or not! He existed before the world began and invites all Man to participate in the drama of life; He directs the course of human history-and He does so to give Man a chance to love him."

"Old man, I have more juicier loves than an invisible god!"

"Blasphemy! History began in the Beginning, and it moves toward its End, Man has the freedom to love God or to reject God...I beg of ye, turn towards God and repent!"

"You all heard him...he's a beggar! We have laws in this hamlet, old man. No beggars allowed, off to the prison gates with him!"

The villagers dragged the preacherman away and Lord Frederigo watched in silent amazement. His heart was torn, the old man's words did indeed hit him hard.

1. Thoughts of remorse filled him, but just as quickly left him. Lord Frederigo turned his back upon the jailed preacherman and entered the inn looking for a saucy wench.
2. Feelings of remorse filled Lord Fred's heart and before anyone could stop him he ran from Innsmouth out into the countryside of Cogan to reconsider these past aweful days.

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