Excerpt Thursday: DEMONSOULED

It’s Excerpt Thursday! Today’s excerpt is from DEMONSOULED, my very first published novel lo these many years ago:

“A pity we couldn’t stop,” said Gerald. “I would have liked to make prayers at the monastery.”

“There’s a chapel at Castle Cravenlock,” said Mazael. “You can make your prayers there.”

“True,” said Gerald. “But it’s been so long since I’ve been at a proper church for a proper prayer.”

Mazael shrugged. “The gods are eternal. I’m sure they’ll wait two days for your prayer.”

Gerald made a sound that was a curious mixture of a laugh and a sigh. “You never did care much for the gods, did you?”

Mazael laughed. “You’ve known me for—what—ten years now, and you’ve just realized it? I thought I trained you to be more perceptive.”

“You know what I mean,” said Gerald.

Mazael shrugged. “So what? If the gods exist, then they either ignore us, which is fine, or they take interest in the lives of men, in which case they are obviously cruel.”

“That’s impious,” said Gerald. “A knight is sworn to be pious.”

Mazael laughed. “Actually, my father tapped me on the shoulder with his sword and shoved me out the door. You remember, Rachel? After Lord Richard defeated him, my father wanted no one to interfere with Mitor the Mushroom’s inheritance. He gave me a sword, a horse, knighthood, and told me to leave and never return.”

Rachel frowned. “Our father was a good man.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that,” said Mazael. “Generous and kind, but weak and none too bright. Gerald, did you know that Lord Adalon had twice the men Lord Richard did? My father could have sat in Swordgrim and waited for Lord Richard’s army to starve. Winter was coming. Instead, he marched out to meet Lord Richard in battle. He didn’t want to seem a coward, you see. As Rachel said, Lord Adalon was a good man, but he was no commander. Lord Richard tore his army to shreds, killed my two older brothers, and took Lord Adalon captive. Now, what sort of gods allow a weak man like my father to lead his land to ruin?”

“Evil comes from men, and good from the gods,” said Gerald.

“And now it might happen again,” said Mazael. “Instead of Lord Richard Mandragon rising against Lord Adalon Cravenlock, Mitor will rise against Lord Richard. Unless I talk some sense into the fool, Lord Richard will crush the Cravenlocks once again.” Mazael smirked. “Like father, like son.”

They rode in silence for a moment.

-JM