CH.46.1 – Miss Lettie Pringle had swept, dusted the shelves and tables, tidied up the trays of movable type, and was about to turn out the lights of the Nosey News office, when someone began to pound on the door. Lettie glanced nervously around her. No one ever came by this time of night. Her employees had all left for the evening. She tip-toed to the door and stood still.
“Who is it?”
“Open up in the name of the king,” said a dark, rough voice.
Lettie looked out the curtained window and gulped. Four of the king’s largest soldiers stood outside on the porch.
She stood in silence, her hand over her heart. Now she was in for it. She had escaped the notice of the king for a long time. It had been fun to figuratively run up and tweak his nose, and then scamper back to her hiding place.
On the surface, Miss Pringle’s Nosey News was a small newspaper that published the latest fashions, gossip, recipes, tall tales, and other really unimportant matters. It was very popular among the common people, and she made a good living from it. Why would the Royal family even care about something like that?
Someone more discerning must have read her paper and realized that each article was in code and that the newspaper was a way of communicating for the rebellion. For a long time, one of her chief supporters had been Prince Ezra. She had sorrowed when she had learned what had befallen him.
“What do you want?”
“Open the door or we’ll break it down.”
Could she escape out the back? But she couldn’t bear the thought of them busting down the door and destroying her printing press. It had been a gift to her father from the gnomes. It was all she had left of him. Perhaps if she came quietly, they would leave it alone. “Hold on. I’m coming, I’m coming.”
She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. She could do this. Lettie put the broom in the corner, hung up her apron, and tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear.
Lettie slid the bolt to the side and opened the door.
“Lettie Pringle, you are under arrest for treason against the Kingdom of Nelsonia.”
“Why?” She gasped. “I’ve done nothing wrong.”
The soldier sneered at her, and then grabbed her arm and dragged her into the street. Another guard tipped his torch to the roof of her office building.
“No!” Lettie squirmed and fought, but the soldier was too strong.
As flames lit up the night, they marched her up the hill to the castle. Lettie wanted to weep, but she kept her head held high.
Carol Nicolas 