Behind the Walls Read Online Free

the wind battered on its travels from miles away. The wind whispered its secret to the birds, the trees and whoever would listen. It carried the sound of a thousand feet or a thousand more, marching north over virgin forest floor, through streams of the purest water and bogs full of ancient history. The land did its best to impede the approach but it wasn’t enough. Nothing could stop this coming; it was a storm and it was man-made.
    A few short miles south-east of Derry, at Ling, eighty-nine-year-oldGabriel Murray watched the horizon change from black to grey and felt the shift around him. Looking towards the walled city in the distance, he saw the clouds thicken and fold into one another. He had seen many things throughout his long life and had learned how to read signs that would never be written down. His few animals, a handful of cows and an aging horse, were uneasy. To be sure, they continued to graze but they constantly lifted their heads to glance here and there, pawing the ground as if to reassure themselves that it was still there beneath their feet. Gabriel nodded to himself: it seems we’re all waiting for something.

Chapter Four
7 DECEMBER 1688
    A few weeks after Mrs Sherrard had given birth to baby Alice, Robert arrived home in the early afternoon. Daniel was reading aloud to his father. They looked up, startled, as Robert burst through the door in a state. ‘Quick! Everyone is being summoned to the Markethouse.’
    His mother had just managed to get Alice off to sleep and was much annoyed with the noise. ‘Hush! You’ll wake the baby.’
    Robert, however, had no interest in sleeping babies. Why were his family just staring at him as if he were a dragon or some wild beast? He gulped a short breath and said, ‘You don’t understand. You must come immediately . The townsmen and church elders have called an emergency meeting.’
    Daniel – good old Daniel – leapt from his stool and dropped the book on the table, ready to leave this very minute. Mr Sherrard was less eager to move for Robert’s approval. He needed more information. ‘What is this all about?’
    His father’s flat tone made Robert want to push the furniture over. He had kept the front door open, assuming that his parents would be exiting the house as soon as he bid them to. Now he pointed to the neighbours passing by, men, women and children, on their way to the Diamond. Mr Sherrard glanced at the doorway and then back at his son whose impatience was growing. Nevertheless, Robert knew his father would not budge until he was provided with a good enough reason. It didn’t matter what anyone else was doing.
    Actually, if Robert was honest with himself, this was a quality he admired in his father except that, right now, Robert had no time. Right now, his father’s stubbornness was only frustrating him. However, he was forced to give in and take the time to say, ‘A letter has been found. I’m not sure of the exact contents but it’s something about a Catholic army. That’s why they want everyone at the Markethouse. They’re going to read it out and decide then what to do about it.’
    Daniel looked at his father; surely he was going to move now. To Robert’s immense relief, Mr Sherrard did get upand straighten his clothes. ‘Alright, boys, let’s go then.’ This was followed by Mrs Sherrard declaring, ‘I’m coming too! Just let me get Alice.’
    Robert longed to be back at the Markethouse, but it wouldn’t do to run off on his parents, now that he finally had their attention. Daniel stood at his brother’s hip in his eagerness to be part of whatever was consuming him.
    Horace seemed ready to sacrifice his afternoon nap, but Daniel told him to stay where he was. ‘You’ll only get trampled on in the crowd.’ The dog pouted but knew there was no point in arguing. Nevertheless, he did sound out a few whimpers of protest that were completely ignored. Horace sighed and stared at the wall until it suddenly occurred to him that an