WITCH FEVER

- Book Extract Six -

A man walked on to the platform and lifted up a piece of parchment. He began to read.
‘Let all be witness that on the 7th day of November in the year 1587, two women stand accused of being witches. One Sister Marie and one Sister Beatrice, known also as Mother Lazurus, both of whom profess to be sisters of the Beguinage in Amsterdam.’
There were cries of ‘For shame!’ from the crowd and sundry other expressions of outrage that the Devil’s ministers should be hiding in a holy place.
‘It just goes to show that the Devil can hide these witches anywhere,’ said one man loudly just beneath Nathan’s tree. Nathan wanted to kick him.
The man on the platform continued.
‘These women have been examined and all magical properties have been removed from them. Salt has been laid upon this platform to protect all those present from malefice. You are urged to pray to Almighty God for deliverance from evil before we bring the accused forth.’
At this point a priest stepped up onto the platform and led the crowd in the Lord’s Prayer.