Blood and Clay Read online

  “Don’t Gran”

  “Don’t you tell me what to do you little wart. I’m dying and there's nowt no-one can do for me. Not Tibb and not your pathetic God. He turned his back on me a long time ago.”

  Gran closed her eyes again. Her breath came in shallow wheezes. Soon her breaths were two or three seconds apart, then five, seven, then nothing. I counted to ten and there was no breath. I started to pray for her to be forgiven, her soul to be saved but then she made a heaving intake of breath, like a fish gasping for air. Her eyes shot open.

  “Curses on you Lizard. I curse you to hang and curse your soul to wander unloved and unforgiven for an eternity. I gift your soul to TIbb.”

  I gasped. Her eyes closed again. This time I forgot to count between the breaths. My head spun. I didn’t want to believe that she had power over me. I didn’t want to believe in her powers at all but I knew better. I had seen enough folk suffer and die at her hand to know that her curses were real.

  “Ma!”

  I heard Mam scream and snapped my attention back in time to see her throw herself on the still body of Gran. I realised that I hadn’t been counting. When was the last time she had taken a breath? It must have been more than seconds ago. Minutes? Her eyes were open now, unblinking.

  I reached out to put my hand on Mam’s shoulder. She lay on top of Gran and sobbed. As she felt the touch of my hand she whipped her head up. Her hands were clutching onto Gran’s clothes, clenching and unclenching. She glared at me. I shrank back from the hate and poison in her eyes. They were focussed for once, this rarely happened and it made me stare. She looked almost normal.

  “You! It’s all your fault. I shoulda listened to Ma and got rid of you. You’ll bring about the death of us all Lizard.”

  Mam went back to sobbing over Gran’s body. I shuffled back to my corner feeling even lonelier that I had before. I tried to feel sad for Mam and Gran but no feelings came. I was empty. I was too exhausted to worry about the curse or the gallows or...well, anything. Hugging my legs for warmth I pressed further into the corner and closed my eyes. I tried to block all of the thoughts from my mind and concentrate on imagining that I was in my tree in the clearing or lying on the grass watching the shafts of sun coming through the canopy with Jennet.

  “Nettie! Where’s Nettie?” I cried. I couldn’t believe that I had forgotten about her. Selfish, selfish, selfish.

  Mam ignored me. She was silent now but still lay half on top of Gran.

  “Nettie! Where is Nettie?”

  I moved to Mama and shook her hard. I found I wasn’t scared of her anymore. What did I have to lose? Roger Nowell was going to take my life and Gran had cursed my soul. There was nothing that Mam could do to me to make it worse.

  Mam sat up and slapped me hard. I clasped my palm to my burning cheek and stared hard at her. A coldness and calm fell over me.

  “Where’s Nettie?”

  “Why don’t you ask your precious Mr Nowell? Found a new favourite he has now. Our Jennet is smart as a whip and she don’t care for you no more than she cares for the rest of us. Looking after herself now. I’d be proud of her if it weren’t my neck on the line. More guts than you have ever had Lizard. You’ll soon see your precious Nettie.”

  Chapter Twenty Six

  “Wake up witches”

  I woke with a start as cold liquid hit my face. The Warden stood over me holding an empty bowl with a last bit of liquid dripping from the rim. I sniffed and wrinkled my nose as I realised that it was the chamber pot which the Warden had emptied over me. My skin started to itch almost immediately.

  “You too, you bog eyed old crone” the Warden said as he kicked Mama in the ribs. The kick made a sickening thudding noise. She grunted and woke up, rubbing her eyes as she sat up.

  I stood and stretched. My limbs ached. I had slept in the corner as always and every part of me cracked as I stood up.

  “You an’ all you scratty old cow.”

  The Warden pushed Gran with his foot. She half rolled over then fell back again like a pile of sticks and pebbles in a sack.

  “Come on you lazy old hag, get up” said the Warden. He kicked her harder. She rolled over onto her stomach this time. Her limbs landed in an unnatural position.

  “She’s dead” I said.

  “What? Dead?”

  The Warden used his foot to turn Gran over onto her back again. He bent to look at her. He looked at her staring eyes then nudged her wrinkled, baggy cheek with his toe. Her head rolled to the side. She didn’t look so scary now, just a pile of skin and bone. A soul-less bag. I wondered if Tibb had been in the night to claim her soul.

  "Damned witches. What did you do to her?" asked the Warden. He didn't seem to care too much what the answer was. "Oh well. At least we got her testimony last night. One less witch to hang."

  The Warden chuckled and that sent Mam into a screaming fit. The Warden yelled as she flew at him and started scratching at his face as she sobbed. The Warden hit her hard with the back of his hand and she fell backwards onto the floor. She crawled back to Gran and sat stroking her hand.

  "Right time to let go of that bag o' bones. I'm here to take the pair of you to the court. Time to have your last say. Last time you'll get a word out before you hang I reckon."

  The Warden stood back and his two henchmen from the night before came into the room with the shackles. I tried not to wince when they put them on but they weren't too gentle. Once we were shackled together they pulled us to our feet and dragged us out of the cell and through the rest of the prisoners. Some laughed manically, some spat but most backed off and tried not to catch our eye. Once we were out of the cell we were dragged up the stone staircases that I had been up once before. As we were dragged through the main hall I was surprised to see that it looked different. There were a few housemaids scrubbing the rugs and the whole room seemed to be covered by dust. One of the walls looked to have had a big hole in it and it was now boarded up with planks of wood, though a stiff breeze blew through the wide gaps of the hastily built new wall.

  I slowed down slightly as I looked around. Mam didn't seem to notice and didn't slow down so I was pulled roughly forwards as she kept walking. Soon we were making our way along a new corridor, one I had never been in. At the end of the corridor stood a large wood door and in front of the door stood a man in a fancy coat. As we reached him he pulled open the door and stood back. Me and Mam were shoved through the doorway and into a large bright room. I blinked a few times. My eyes watered and itched to be rubbed but, as I lifted my hands to rub them, by bones jolted as she short chain between Mam and me pulled my shackles back. I rubbed my streaming eyes on my shoulder as best I could and blinked again to focus on the room.

  Big windows lined the top of the walls and the cold, white morning light shone through them. The room was crammed with wooden benches. They reminded me of the one time I had managed to sneak into church when none of my kin or the villagers were around. At one side was a big fancy table and chair. I jolted backwards and fell as the Warden yanked me and Mam’s shackles till we were sat on a bench behind us. We were facing the other benches and the fancy table. A door opened at the side of the room. My stomach lurched as Roger Nowell came in and sat at the fancy table. He didn’t even look at me. He sat for a while, writing on paper then gestured to a man stood by another door. The room was silent but as the man opened the door the air was filled with talk. Mam shrank down in her seat and the shackles pulled me closer to her. I stared at the door as a huge group of men and women came in, talking and laughing and all looking at us like we were animals or something. Suddenly something flew past me and hit Mama square in the face. Liquid splashed at me and I turned to look at her. Her face was covered in dark red mush and for a moment I thought that someone had thrown a rock at her, smashing her face, but then I realised it was just rotten fruit, a plum.

  “Remove that man!” shouted Roger and the man who had opened the door hauled a shouting, laughing man out of the room.

  “
Sit down all who wish to stay,” yelled Roger. “This is a court of law. You will show the respect whilst in here that you would show to our benevolent King. Be seated.”

  The noise died down a bit and Roger went back to writing. Mam was a muttering and a chunnering away next to me and I watched the people in the room finding spaces to sit or stand. I needed the toilet. The fear was making my bladder weak and my stomach throb. I began to get dizzy and thought I would fall off the bench but then Roger spoke again and snapped me out of my trance.

  “I am your Justice of the Peace Roger Nowell. When I speak you will be silent,” he said as he faced the crowd. Then he turned to look at me and Mama. His eyes were cold and sent a chill through me. He was like a messenger of God. He weren’t please with me and I’d wager God weren’t non to please either. I felt my stomach and bladder settle. There was no way out of this.

  “Miss Alizon Device and Mrs Elizabeth Device. When I speak to you, you will answer me. You will answer with the truth as this crowd and God as witness. Do you understand?”

  Mam snorted then went on chunnering but I nodded. A chance to speak might save my body but what of my soul? I’d lamed the peddler, what chance did my soul have to get into Heaven with that sin on my head?

  “Unfortunately the most wicked among you, the one known as Old Demdike, passed away in the night. May her soul be forgiven her sins. Before she was sent to the cells I had opportunity to speak with her and take her testimony. She admitted to witchcraft, torture, curses and murder. We have, this morning, seen the trials of the Chattox family and that of James Device. All seen so far will be hanged by the neck until dead. This will be happen on the morrow. We shall now commence our last two trials of the day; those of Alizon and Elizabeth Device.”

  “Mrs Elizabeth Device, we will discuss the charges against you first.”

  The Warden yanked on Mam’s chain and hauled her to her feet. I stood up too but the Warden pushed me back down, leaving me to sit with my arms stretched upwards, still linked to Mam’s. Mam’s chunnering and chattering came faster and louder and the front row of people in the room shrank back.

  “She’s cursing us,” squealed a woman.

  “Be quiet that woman. Mrs Device stop your wittering and be quiet.”

  As Mr Nowell spoke a small, shrewish man by his side sat scribbling with a quill and ink on a huge pile of paper. Mam stopped chunnering.

  “Mrs Device, you stand accused of witchcraft and murder by witchcraft. You are accused of the murder of Henry Mitton of Roughlee, John Robinson of Barley and James Robinson and the casting of curses on ten men, women and children of Pendle Forrest. How do you plead?”

  “T’would take a powerful witch to do all that and no mistake.”

  The crowd looked at Mam and leant forward to hear the first words from the witch.

  “Mrs Device, it would indeed take an evil and powerful specimen to do the things of which you stand accused but I am not afeart of you and I will not stand for your games in these Assizes. I ask you again, but one last time only or you’ll see a good whipping. How do you plead?”

  “Aye. I am that powerful witch. It were me.”

  The crowd gasped, some let out small screams, all leant in further. I looked at Mam. She looked right proud and ready to boast.

  “Well, I did not expect that answer but I am please that you intend to be honest. It is what you owe the good people of this County. Penance and repentance is good for the soul.”

  “I'm not repenting you fool. I’m proud. Right powerful I am and you should be shaking in your chair and the lot of you too.”

  Mam cast her rabid, rolling eyed gaze over the crowd. There were more screams and gasps and this time the crowd did move back a bit, all at once, like the room had taken in a deep breath and sucked the watching crowd towards the back wall and away from Mam.

  “I done all that and I loved it. Twas fun watching in my bowl of water to see Henry twist and turn in agony as he died. See allsorts in my bowl I do. Scrying and peeping on all the fancy, stupid folk of Pendle and those dirty old farmers. More ‘an one of em has had me in the haystack and they all loved it. Sick of their dour old cows of wives and turning to a fine powerful witch like me to get em satisfied. Call me beautiful when they want something then spit at me in the streets.”

  The men were looking interested, even more than before. The women were clutching their hands to their mouths looking shocked. I couldn’t look at Mam’s proud face any longer. It made me sick. I was doomed to be lost to God from the moment I was born. Mam was a witch and a whore and I had her blood in me.

  “Mrs Device, are you admitting to murders by witchcraft?”

  “Aye, I am. Henry Mitton, I made a clay doll of him alright; rolled the clay with blood and bugs. He died with earwigs and worms in his belly so he did; bloated and wriggling.

  John and James made pretty dolls too. Their deaths were slow and well deserved. Aye a powerful witch I am and you should all be scared.”

  Mam eyed the crowd and they shrank back from her squinting, rolling gaze again. A few of them made to leave the room but the crowd was too tight, there was no room for them to move to the door.

  “Comes to mind though that you be knowing about these murders. Comes to mind those men didn’t tell you so how do you know the ways of the witch eh? How did you come to know my name by theirs? Only three men I’ve killed and only three men you’ve named. How do you know my business; a witch yourself I’d wager.”

  The crowd gasped at her accusation then turned to look suspiciously at the magistrate. Mam was squinting at Mr Nowell now and for once she was making sense. Mam was always being accused of wrong doing but Mr Nowell had mentioned just three names and none other. How had he known that only those were the genuine victims of Mam? Even I hadn’t known.

  “Mrs Device, it seems we also have a witness. One who has been watching and listening to you and your kin more than you know. She has given us a lot of information about your deeds. Mr Potts please bring the witness in.”

  At this command the small man who sat, writing by Mr Nowell’s side stood up and hurried to the door from which Mr Nowell had entered the room. He opened the door and went out then returned seconds later leading a small, finely dressed girl into the room. Her shiny ringlets were hanging down from under her bonnet and her dress was a beautiful thick white material covered in embroidered blue and lilac flowers and edged in ribbon. I stared at her face for a few seconds before I recognised her. The perfect skin and tiny nose which I had known almost all my life and dressed like a little princess and now standing close to the right shoulder of Mr Nowell was Nettie, my Nettie.

  “No. Little cow, little bitch, what do you know? How can you know anything you little runt? Always cowering in a corner. How can you know of my powerful workings. Little spy.”

  Mam had started screaming and screeching at Nettie. I was pulled to my knees and bumped my cheek hard against the bench as Mam tried to get to Nettie and the shackles which held us together yanked me forwards. I was dragged across the floor as Mam managed to get closer to Nettie. Nettie gave a shriek and backed further behind Mr Nowell. Mam was going wild now; like a feral fox. She began to claw at the shackles, her nails tore as she scraped at the metal and her wrists sprouted dots of blood where her jagged nails snagged her skin. The crowd were in uproar now, pressing and pushing to get to the door.

  “Take the defendant from the room,” I heard Mr Nowell shout. My face was now throbbing from where my cheek had hit the bench and I could feel my lips swelling.

  “Mrs Device, you are charged with witchcraft and death by witchcraft. I find you guilty of all charges. I sentence you to hanging; death at the gallows. Warden take her back to the cells.”

  “No” screamed Mam “No, you can’t hang me. Ball, come to me my familiar, Ball, Tibb, come to me.”

  Mam looked madly around the courtroom but there were no familiars her. Just humans; humans who were still shouting and screaming as Mama spat curses at them. I felt a l
ightness as my shackles were released from the chain which tethered me to her.

  “I curse you all to death; I curse your souls to the burning pits of Hell. I will not die, my familiars will save me, I will not die.....”

  Mam’s voice died away as the Warden dragged her out of the room and down the corridor. A second man slammed the door behind them and the room started to settle and quieten. I was alone on the bench now. I turned to face the crowd. They were settling in their seats again but looked at me warily, as if ready to move back again if I flew into a fit like Mam. I turned to look at Mr Nowell. Mr Potts stopped writing and set his quill down. When Mr Nowell began to speak Mr Potts picked up his quill again.

  “Miss Device. We have heard your mother’s testimony. Earlier today we heard your brother’s”

  I looked at Mr Nowell in surprise. I had thought James drunk at home. I had no idea he had been caught.