Silfa - chapter seven

As Benny yelled "Get the frack off me!" a gag was tied over his mouth, shoving the coarse cloth between his teeth. With two meaty hands holding each arm behind his back he was hustled stumbling down the alley and into a open area past the buildings. Suddenly the stink off old burlap was overpowered by the stench of raw sewage.

When the gag was untied and the sack pulled roughly from his head Benny found himself staring into an open cesspool. He was suspended by his arms twisted behind his back. On each side of him were two very large men with none too intelligent expression on their faces. Benny's toes barely clung to the gravel edge of the pit. He recognized the two men as belonging to Jeremiah's stable of thugs.

"what the hell are you doing? Does Jer know what yer about." Said an all too familiar voice behind him.

"Jer, thank the gods, a voice of reason, call off these oxen please."

The "oxen" exchanged a look and let their grips slip a little. A rock slid from under Benny's right foot and bounced down the side of the pit and plunked into the offal choked water.

"Aye, hang on there."

"Benny, Benny..." Jeremiah said shaking his head slowly. "Do you know what it would be like to drown down there in that filth? Disgusting. I only come to a place like this out of my concern for you."

"Uh, thanks for your concern." Benny turned his face away from the cesspool. "But I was doing fine until a few minutes ago."

"So maybe you think I should just let the matter drop right here." Jeremiah nodded at his men and they let Benny slip another couple of inches."

"No, no, lets talk this over like reasonable folk."

"Fine, I'm glad to hear you are going to be reasonable. Pull him up a bit boys."

The goons hoisted Benny back to almost vertical while twisting his arms farther behind his back.

"Now to my concern." Jeremiah signaled his men to turn Benny around to face him. Benny looked at the fat balding man. He looked more like some one's kindly uncle than a man who would drown you in shit for a bad debt. "When I accept a man's note of promise it is a matter of honor that I collect when the time is due. So, you have been avoiding me and I am here to collect my 5,000 pieces of aluminum. Do you have it?"

"Jer, you know those games are crooked. I didn't ave a chance."

Holding up a hand silenced Benny.

"It's Jeremiah, not Jer. No one forced you to bet the wheel and I'll take that as a no, you don't have my money."

Benny hung his head in silence, glancing sidelong at the cesspool.

"Well luckily for you I think I have a way to settle this to everyone's satisfaction. You do a little favor for me and you don't have to eat shit for your last meal."

"What favor do you need?" Benny asked hopefully. Thinking maybe a little larceny could get him out of this bind.

"I need Jack Poleaxe to disappear. I don't care how you do it but it has to be tonight between 9 and 11. My men and I will be in a public place in view of many respectable witnesses when it happens."

"Jack, the village sheriff?" He must be mad. Benny thought. "Sure no problem, I'll do it at 10:00 sharp."

"Good, I knew we could come to an agreement with the right motivation." To the goons, "Let him go."

Benny shrugged off their grip and headed back down the alley.

"Don't try to cross me Benny, this village is too small for you to hide... in fact this world is too small for you to hide me if I take it in my mind to kill you. And believe me, it won't be pleasant.

Never is. thought Benny.

After Benny turned the corner Jeremiah said "You two keep an eye on him. He was a little too quick to agree to my proposal."

The oxen grunted in agreement and moved off down the alley.

--- Jerry