Excerpt: The Boy Without Glory

We finally entered the forest and the bright sun disappeared. It was the same as yesterday, green all around, leaves on the narrow path, forest sounds emitting from the bushes. I turned slightly and saw Emily looking around again. She found the forest fascinating, unlike her father who had his eyes closed.

It was still, except for the horse's trotting and the occasional chirp of a bird and rustling of leaves. Suddenly, the carriage gave way and one corner fell onto the ground and Emily shrieked and Mister Levinson grumbled sleepily.

The horse came to a stop and I went around to take a look.

Emily looked down at me. “What happened?”

“One of the back wheels broke.”

Mister Levinson was wide awake. “What! Didn't that man say he was a professional? We should have went to someone in town, not some man with a rickety shed!" Mister Levinson glared at me.

I crouched down to avoid his stern gaze and took a closer look at the wheel. It seemed to just have fallen off the peg. I tried to lift it back on… If I could just put it back on…

Emily let out a terrified scream.

"What is the meaning of this?" Mister Levinson demanded.

I dropped the wheel and ran around the edge and saw that a large man was now inside the carriage. He was dressed in black and his face was covered.

Emily screamed again as the man made a grab for her. He held onto her arm very tightly.

Mister Levinson yelled, “Let go over her! What are you doing!”

I jumped onto the carriage and grabbed at the large man’s arm and tried to pry him off of Emily. I had to use two hands, but even still his grip on her did not losen. I pounded on his back and Emily was kicking around and Mister Levinson was pulling Emily back. The large man, still keeping his grip on Emily, turned around at me. There were small holes in his dark mask for his eyes. He looked at me, pulled my hands off of his arm and then threw me over the side of the carriage. I felt the dirt under my face and pain seared through my leg.

Emily screamed louder and higher.

Mister Levinson grunted in struggle.

Before I could get up off the forest floor, the large man was jumping over me, Emily over his back. She pounded her fists on his back. Compared to him, she was a small child. She screamed and pleaded. He went around the other side of the carriage…

The horse gave a neigh. I heard it charge the man, and I heard the man curse, “stupid horse” and push the horse aside. Then he pushed the carriage easily. The carriage and Mister Levinson came crashing down on top of me.

Mister Levinson yelled his daughter’s name and struggled underneath the carriage’s weight. I scrambled out of the small crevice between the carriage and the dirt floor and started for the man, but all I could see was his retreating figure in the dark forest.

I considered going after him, but he was too far away and I wouldn’t be able to catch up anyways. I heard Mister Levinson grunt and cough. I went back to the carriage and pushed it upwards as far as my strength would allow. Mister Levinson crawled out from underneath.

“Who was that man!” His face was red with rage. “Who was that man! Why did he take Emily!”

“I don’t know,” I muttered.

Then Mister Levinson rounded on me. “Why didn’t you do anything!!!”

“I--I tried!” I stammered, “I--he was--"

“You obviously didn't try hard enough; my daughter just got kidnapped!” He looked where the large man had disappeared.

“We have to get back to town.”

I nodded and turned back to the carriage, which was still turned over. With any luck, Mister Levinson and I could turned it back over, but it would do no use because the horse was injured. It was lying on its side on the dirt road. I tried to pick it up, but it was too heavy.

I asked for Mister Levinson’s help and he tried to push the horse back up. The horse moaned softly. It staggered.

When the horse was finally upright, it was still leaning on me.

“We're going to have to walk,” I said. I looked back at the carriage and felt like I was leaving my home.