The Thorn of Dentonhill by Marshall Ryan Maresca Page A

went out the door.
    â€œOy, Prince!” The Rabbit captain was yelling at him. Colin didn’t know this one. Didn’t know any Rabbits, really. Weak bunch who barely held onto their corners. “We meeting or staring at Naps?”
    â€œMeeting,” Colin said, giving the Rabbit a hard glare.
    They went out to the main theater of the church, lit with candles all along the walls, the first bits of sun shining through the blue glass behind the large altar. All the gangs took places in separate pews, Jutie sitting behind Colin. Colin could feel Jutie’s leg shaking.
    â€œEase up, Jutie,” he whispered. “Friendly meet, that’s all.”
    â€œFriendly meet, sure,” Jutie hissed. He was glaring over at one of the Knights of Saint Julian. “That guy was giving me grief by the gates the other day.”
    â€œUni gates?” Colin asked. Blasted Knights. They’re pushing Prince territory again. “Can’t have that.”
    â€œOy!” the Hallaran’s Boys’ captain—Hannik— snapped. “We gonna do this, or what?”
    â€œAsk the Orphan,” the Knight captain said. He bared his teeth at her. Colin remembered he was called “Four-Toe,” or something like that.
    Yessa looked about. “I was hoping the Dogs and Kickers would make it.”
    Colin shrugged. “You scramble a meet at dawn, you get what you get.”
    Suddenly the Knight Jutie had been staring at got on his feet, pulling a knucklestuffer out of his pocket. “You think you can throw, Prince?”
    Jutie was up and over the top of the pew before Colin knew what was happening, drawing his large knife out. “Take some of this!”
    Colin grabbed Jutie by the ankle and yanked him down to the ground. Jutie hit the floor face first, and tried to scramble away to get at the young Knight. Four-Toe grabbed his man, and everyone else was on their feet, shouting and accusing.
    â€œPeace! Peace, please!” A fair-haired young priest came charging up the aisle, putting himself in the middle of the fracas. He didn’t sound like he was from around here. “What in the name of God are you doing?”
    â€œThese two got a little excited, Reverend,” Colin said, pulling Jutie up onto his feet. “You going to apologize to the priest, Jutes?”
    â€œSorry, Reverend,” Jutie mumbled out, his eyes on the ground. Colin glared at Four-Toe. He gave his own man a shake.
    â€œI apologize, Reverend, if my actions disturbed the sanctity of the Church of Saint Julian.”
    â€œShow-off,” Jutie muttered.
    â€œChurch meet is supposed to be peaceful,” Colin told the priest. He hadn’t seen this priest before, not that he spent much time in the church. “Sometimes people forget.”
    â€œChurch meet?” The priest looked over the group of them. “I see. Very well, good gentles. You want to meet, then let’s meet. What are we discussing?” He looked around to the blank stares from the different gangs. “Come on, now.”
    â€œLook to the Orphans,” Colin said. “They called this.”
    â€œAh.” He looked at the different groups, following the eyes and pointed fingers until his gaze settled on the Waterpath Orphans. “Please, begin.”
    Yessa looked about uncomfortably. “You know, Reverend—”
    â€œIf you are here to discuss plans to break the law, young lady, I will not allow such things under this blessed roof.”
    â€œNo, that ain’t it, Rev,” Yessa said. “But, you know, you might not want to know about things that go on out there in the streets.”
    â€œThose are my streets as well, child. I want to know everything that I can. Anything you feel you can’t say in front of me should not be said in here at all.” Colin kept himself from laughing. This priest was not from Aventil. He probably wasn’t from anywhere in Maradaine.
    â€œAll