"Miss Brigham, no! Don't listen to her."

"My dear, there's no point in carrying on this charade any longer. Those books came from my cellar. They belong to me."

"You brought this plague into our community?"

"These books aren't evil," Miss Brigham protested. "They're full of adventure and magic and love. I wanted the children to share in this, so I gave the books to Samantha and asked her to read them to the other girls."

"No, she's lying. Reverend, please, she's-"

"Quiet, you wicked child," the reverend snapped. His face turned dark, his lip twisting in a snarl. "Once more you have defied The Way and you have defied me. I entrusted you with the care of my flock, but I see now you are a wolf in disguise."

Reverend Crane released Samantha. She rushed forward to throw herself between the reverend and Miss Brigham. "Don't do this," she pleaded with Miss Brigham. "This isn't your fault. It's mine. I'm the one who found the books and read them to everyone. I'm the one who deserves to be punished."

Miss Brigham reached down to wipe the tears from Samantha's eyes. "I'm sorry, dear, but this judgment has been a long time coming. I'm proud of you, Samantha. No matter what happens, never forget that." She looked around at the other children, a smile once more on her face. "Goodbye, children. I will see you again."

Reverend Crane tore Samantha away and then escorted Miss Brigham out the door. Samantha tried to follow, but found someone holding her back. "Don't," Prudence said. "There's no good in you getting killed."

"This is your fault!" Samantha wailed. "I was going to take the blame. Why did you tell him everything?"

"I didn't have a choice. I don't want to go to Hell."

"Miss Brigham is going to be punished, maybe even killed. How can you stand here and accept that?" Prudence said nothing, looking down at the floor in shame. "Come on, we have to find some way out of here."

"But Mr. Pryde is out there," Wendell said.

"And his dogs," Rebecca added with a shiver.

"So what? There are thirty of us and five of them. We can do this if we all stick together. Who's with me?" No one came forward or said anything. "Fine. I'll do it by myself."

For at least the next hour Samantha paced furiously from one end of the church to the other, searching for a way out. In vain she threw herself against the door and against the windows, but they refused to budge. She tried to pry boards loose from the floor, but couldn't. Meanwhile, the other children resumed their seats, staring ahead to wait for the reverend's return.




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