Page 26 of The Beast

“They are not for sale,” a man replied. “They are already sold.”

“What of that?” His father then pointed to sacks. “What is it?”

“Sugar,” the same man said.

“I will take it.”

They began to haggle. The entire trip was to Duncan a waste of time. His father would purchase the costly items and probably not resell them but keep them for himself. Not that Duncan cared one way or the other. He was not learning anything.

His father and the merchant both turned to him at the same time. There seemed to be some sort of silent communication. Instantly, Duncan felt ill at ease and took a step toward the door.

Just then the pressure of a hand on his shoulder made him turn. One of the vendors motioned for him to follow. “We have other items for sale. Ye may wish to purchase one before yer father does.”

When he turned to his father, he waved him away. The expression of greed now joined with a curve of lips.

He walked behind the man until reaching a room. The man pushed the curtains aside and shoved Duncan through the doorway and then came to stand next to him. “Yer choice. Yer father agreed to pay.”

Women lay on pillows. Most of them barely dressed. Each of them took him in and Duncan felt himself shrink back. Women would not find a lanky boy of ten and four to be enticing, much less wish to lay with him.

He knew about this kind of purchase as his brother Darach and his friends often spoke about it. But he’d never seen it.

“I do not wish to purchase anything,” he said and turned on his heel.

Just outside the doorway, two large men stood with arms crossed. The man who’d shown Duncan the room shrank back. “What do ye want?”

“Ye are payment for very exclusive merchandise.”

There was an awkward silence, one of them holding Duncan by the arm. “Ye will come with us.”

“M-my father has much coin. He is in the other room making large purchases. Allow me to return to him . . .”

One of the men huffed and continued to block the way out. “Ye should take advantage of what is presented. It may be the last time ye will have the opportunity.”

Just then the doors opened and the merchant who’d been haggling with his father appeared. He looked Duncan over.

“I am sure he will fetch a fair price.”

As Duncan went to scream for his father, one of the men who held hit him in the stomach. The large fist taking all his breath.

The merchant narrowed his eyes at Duncan. “Take him out the back. Keep him silent, so as not to scare away other customers.”

While being dragged out, Duncan struggled with all his might. Kicking, biting, and swinging his fists.

“Enough,” one of the men said and punched him so hard, he could barely see for a few moments. The second hit sent him into darkness.

Upon coming to, the swaying of the ship and the smell of rotten fish turned Duncan’s stomach. He was somewhere in the bowels of a large vessel. By the swaying, it was obvious they were not stationary, but moving at a fast speed.

Scrambling to his feet, he raced to the ladder and climbed up. On deck were several men, including one who’d been at the merchant’s. The man turned to him, but then promptly ignored Duncan.

“Why am I here?” Duncan asked the man. “I wish to return home.”

The man gave him an icy glare. “Ye are home.”

Beatrice sat back. “He was taken at ten and four? How long was he gone?”

“Duncan was gone for ten years.” Lady Mariel sighed. “He returned broken and hollow. For a long time, barely speaking. Not used to large open spaces, he spent many days in a small bedchamber, only venturing out for short periods. It took years before he was able to have a somewhat normal life.”

Tears pricked at her eyes and Beatrice allowed them to overflow down her cheeks. “I cannot fathom what happened to him all those years.”