Act 1 Scene 1

It wasn't much of a church to begin with, but then Newarre wasn't much of a town. It didn't take long to burn down and It was already a lost cause before the first of the townsfolk arrived on the scene

"It were Blue, I tell you." Insisted Old Cob, " "Blue! and it lit up the sky like a beacon for miles around. Everyone must have seen it! I saw it meself with my own eyes from Shep's front porch. ."

"Now Really, Cob" said Hap shovelling another shovelfful of dirt towards the edge of the flames, "This hain't a time to be spinning yarn. 'how much did you drink at the wake last night? " 

"You tell him Jake, tell him what we saw." 

Jake looked uncomfortable. Staring daggers at his friend. "Aye, " Jake admitted "it did look a bit Blue at first, but after that lightning struck it were just normal fire again."

"After? I thought it were the lightning what started it"

"Well I only saw one lightning bolt and it sort of   went Up, if you can believe that. Like a Piller of fire, bright white fire, And It sort of sort of suvked all the blue away and after that, it were just normal fire. But it were already burning before that.

No no no, I tell you the lightning struck twice!. First strike and the church went up like a candle it did and im tellin ya it were burning blue!." "Then right when he sun broke the horizon the lightning came back again and this time it hit different. bang bang bang it went, three times in one spot. I watched it with my own eyes. And then it were gone, the sky was clear and the church was on fire. Just plain Normal fire colour fire."

"But it were blue at the beginning, I swear it by the ever moving moon. "

"Well," said Hap slowly "Then I guess I believe you. My da bought me up to respect my elders after all, but... Perhaps it mighn't be best if you kept that bit to yourselfs for now, it's frightening enough losing the town church without scaring folks further with any...demon talk. They'll just think you've  gone senile. You know how folks are round here, about talkin about, you know, bad things. It just ain't a good idea. Not that Im superstitious or nuffin, just careful like."

Graham arrived "You reckon Abbe Leodin was at home?"

"Well he's not been seen said Ham, "and I can't imagine where else he would have been at that time o night."

He might have been looking in on the widow Creel" said Old Cob, "even priests get lonely I hear."

"Well If we find any bones in there, they'l be his." Said Graham staring at the fiery pit. The iron wheel was about all that remained glowing red among the embers. Everyone stood staring lost in their own thoughts.

 Far too many unexplained things going on around here of late, we cant just ignore them any more. We need to do something. Let's talk to Old Lant. He's supposed to be in charge, we need to know what to do next

We need to hold a town meeting, and the church house aint available any more .The Waystone Inn would be best, and I could do with a Cider to get some of this smoke out of my lungs.

"Where is Kote anyway?" Said Graham "Id have thought hed be out here helping some." 

"Im not surprised that Bast isn't" muttered Jake." Born lazy was that kid"

Town meeting called. Send word out via kids. Everyone at the inn at midday.

Lets go knock up kote for a drink.

Scene 2

outside the Waystone

The door was locked. Graham banged it with fist fist. “Hoy, Kote! Open up in there”

“Surprised they wasn't out helping with the fire”

“Not Surprised Bast wasn't”

“Hoy, Bast! Are you in there?”

“Try the back door...

locked up tight...right sensible behaviour these days.

“There's a window open up there” piped in Kostrel, pointing to the upper end room.

“That's Basts room” said Mary raising not a few eyebrows at her intimate knowledge 

“Hoy Bast! Wake up man, this is an emergency”

the Inn was silent as a grave.

“Its not like Kote to be stillabed at this hour"

" Nobody could have slept through that, 

One of them is always about, you never know when a customer might arrive.”

What about that scribe fellah. Is he still here? Or did he start walking?

“Hoy Devan! Is there anybody in there?”

“Do you think they are alright? Perhaps something else has happened

Perhaps they were in the church with the priest when the fire started"

“Nah, Kote and Leodin didn't get on, everyone knows that.” rattled off Old Cob.

“He weren't at the burying last night, nor was he up at Shep's after.”

"Bast was, remember he showed up late, and Kote sent that bottle of Brand.

arguement

Graham threw some gravel up at the glass but Bast was clearly not at home either.

“Do you think they are alright?”

“We ought to check”

“I could climb up there “ said Kostrel, then I could come down on the inside and let you all in.

Scene 3

Inside the Waystone

Right foot rain barrel left foot window ledge, left hand drainpipe and he swung himself onto the porch roof.

Edging his way along the tar and tin he was soon inside Bast's room , the room was empty yet gloriously full of things to interest inquisitive young boys. *He stopped there and did something* before the calls from below snapped him out of it. He emerged from basts Room at the end of a long corridor with rooms along each side. At the other end was the staircase down into the Tap room where he stopped and stared for a long moment more.

The banging was finally answered and Kostrels white face was revealed

“What took you so long? Said Graham "You get lost or summat?"

Kostrel said nothing but swung the door openwide and stood back, pointing. There on the bar room floor was Kote, lying in a pool of blood as red as his hair.

Chapter two

the meeting.

We can't have a meeting with a corpse in the room, it aint right.

Wind him in these good white sheets ive found and put him in the cellar for now.

Town meeting, all attend

Later on they discover the body gone. 'someone unknown ' had dug a grave, under the Selas vines. there were blue flowers upon it. The body of Kote the Yllish Barman was dead and buried. Perhaps Bast did it, if he were still alive, but nobody knew where he might Be hiding