Page 111 of The Armor of Light
‘I know.’
‘You know, but what do you think about it?’
‘I have never hurt a woman and I never will.’
‘Swear that you’ll never hurt me or Kit.’
‘Don’t you trust me?’ He sounded pained.
She persisted. ‘I won’t marry you unless you make a solemn promise. But don’t promise unless you really mean it.’
‘I will never hurt you or Kit, and I really mean that, and I swear it, so help me God.’
‘I’ll marry you, then, and gladly.’
‘Good.’ He turned on his side to embrace her with both arms. ‘I’ll see the vicar about reading the banns.’ He was happy.
She kissed his mouth and touched his soft cock. She intended an affectionate pat, but it fattened quickly in her hand. ‘Again?’ she said. ‘Already?’
‘If you like.’
‘Oh, yes,’ she said. ‘I like.’
*
After the communion service in the Methodist Hall, Pastor Charles Midwinter made an announcement. ‘In the past few days, Prime Minister Pitt has created two new laws that we need to know about,’ he said. ‘Spade is going to explain them.’
Spade stood up. ‘Parliament has passed the Treason Act and the Seditious Meetings Act. They make it a crime to criticize the government or the king, or to call a meeting for the purpose of criticizing the government or the king.’
Amos knew this and he was against it. His attachment to a nonconformist religion had made him passionate about freedom of speech. No one had the right to stop another man’s mouth, he thought.
Others in the congregation had not thought about the new laws, and Spade’s blunt summary caused a hubbub of indignation.
When the noise died down Spade said: ‘We don’t know exactly how they will apply these laws but, in principle at least, a meeting such as the Socratic Society’s discussion of Archdeacon Paley’s book would be illegal. The court would not have to prove there was a riot, just that there was criticism.’
Lieutenant Donaldson said: ‘But we’re not serfs! They’re trying to go back to the Middle Ages.’
Rupe Underwood said: ‘It’s more like the Reign of Terror in Paris, when they executed anyone suspected of not being in favour of the revolution.’
‘Quite,’ said Spade. ‘Some of the newspapers are calling it Pitt’s Terror.’
‘How on earth do they justify such a law?’
‘Pitt made a speech saying that the people should look to Parliament, and Parliament alone, for the redress of such grievances as they might have to complain of, with a confident reliance of relief being afforded them.’
‘But Parliament doesn’t represent the people. It represents the aristocracy and the landed gentry.’
‘Indeed. Myself, I thought Pitt’s speech was laughable.’
Susan Hiscock, the wife of the printer who had been flogged, said: ‘Are we criminals just for having this discussion?’
‘In short, yes,’ said Spade.
‘But why have they done this?’
‘They’re scared,’ he said. ‘They can’t win the war and they can’t feed the people. Kingsbridge is not the only town to have had a food riot. It terrifies them when a crowd chants “Bread and peace” and throws stones at the king. They think they will all be guillotined.’
Pastor Midwinter stood up again. ‘We’re Methodists,’ he said. ‘That means we believe that everyone has the right to their own beliefs about God. That’s not illegal, yet. But we need to be careful. Whatever we may think about Prime Minister Pitt and his government, and the war, we should keep our opinions to ourselves, at least until we know how the new laws will operate.’
