Two Coppers

*Posted by* Largehobbit

Posted: Mar 9, 2018, 9:57pm

18th August - The Sprawl - Late Evening

Gill moved through the room offering pamphlets to the men and women. Most of them barely glanced down at him as they took the paper in hand. They were mesmorised by the speaker.

"You got many left." Tommy whispered over to him and Gill waved his handful of papers towards the other boy. Tommy gave him a thumbs up waving his own small stack.

Gill didn't bother looking at the papers. He couldn't read them anyway. Tommy had told him it was something to do with the money grubbers up at Highholm. The people seemed angry about it what ever it was. The grubbers made everyone angry. His mum said they had killed his Pa.

"Can I have one of those?" Something about the mans voice caused him to look up. The man didnt look out of place. A little neat around the edges perhaps. Gill handed him a pamphlet and the man smiled. His teeth were bright white, not the usual stained yellow he was used to seeing. It was odd, but when the man handed him a copper and ruffled his hair Gill shrugged off his discomfort and chose to like the fellow.

"Thanks." Gill said, quickly shoving the coin into his pocket and checking to see if Tommy had seen. If he had he would have to share. Tommy was busy the other side of the room and was none the wiser.

He looked up at the man again but he was engrossed in the paper reading it carefully.
A white toothed man who could read... Gill shrugged, his mother would say it was a sign of something or other, she was superstitious like that. Not that he could tell her anyway, she was off working in the foundry and he was supposed to be at home in bed.

Eventually the pamphlets were gone and Gill joined Tommy at the back of the room where an elderly woman, a friend of Tommy's aunt gave them a copper each and a hot pie with a small mug of ale. They sat there then beneath one of the tables enjoying their spoils.

"What did I tell you." Tommy crowed, spraying the floor with pie crumbs. "Easy money."

The meeting eventually came to an end and Gill followed the crowd off into the night leaving Tommy behind to help clear up. He was getting an extra copper for that, but Gill already had two of his own and needed to get back before the steam-shuttle bought his mother home from work.

The crowds eventually dispersed and Gill found himself walking alone. In the distance he could here the sounds of people yelling and laughing as they came out of the taverns or returned home from a hard day. He quickened his pace as he walked through the dark and nipped through a familiar alley taking a shortcut towards his tenement.

It was then that he saw the two men ahead. They were just talking all friendly then the one suddenly had a knife in his hand. Gill fought back the urge to cry out as the blade stabbed forward and the other man fell heavily to the ground.

Gill stood in the shadow of parked steam-cart as he watched the murderer crouch over his victim emptying pockets of what he could find. The man stood then and walked away and Gill waited. There was no movement from the body and after several minutes Gill edged forward.

As the darkness gave way he gasped seeing that it was the man from the hall. Blood pooled from his mouth staining those bright white teeth. Gill crouched down next to him and whispered.

"Mr? can you hear me."

The man stared wide eyed at he sky not moving. Gill nudged him but nothing. He reached forward then and closed the mans eyes remembering something from his own Pa's funeral. He fumbled in his pocket and drew out the two coins. Gently he placed them over the mans eyes.

"Stay right there!" Came a sudden yell from further down the street followed by the sound of heavy footsteps. Gill looked up to see a member of the city watch charging towards him.

He scrambled to his feet and ran!