Silhouetted against the full moon, its squat bulk made it look formidable. The ground floor was solid wall. The gaol’s small windows were highly placed in its forbidding walls, and they reflected the moonlight like a set of black mirrors.The ostler at the coaching inn who had given him directions...
Isolated buildings and disconnected settlements scattered the flat landscape. A raw wind whipped over the reed pools and dykes. Apart from a few lonely cattle on the horizon, there was no sign of life. Lavender cursed silently when he noticed that there was no church in the village either. There ...