Excerpt: Vicit Vim Virtus

Excerpt Vicit Vim Virtus

High above the city of Haarlem the Damiate bells of the great St. Bavo Cathedral chimed the noon hour. The wind carried their bright, silvery sound far into the fields beyond the city's ramshackle ramparts.
Geertje hurried along the Grote Houtstraat, the main shopping street. She had to make haste to be home in time before her husband Arent came back from his work at Hasselaer's shipyard for his midday meal. She was about to turn right at the end of the street, to follow the canal that ran behind the Cathedral to avoid the busy Great Market, when she heard the bell of the townhall ring. It was not the ringing of the bell itself that made her look up in surprise; it was the way it was rung. Only five times and not very loud. The bell was usually rung long and hard to let the burghers of Haarlem know that there was an announcement from the city council they ought to read or hear about.
'What kind of nonsense is this, announcing an announcement you don't want anybody to know about,' Geertje thought.
Despite the efforts of the city council to keep whatever it was they had to announce quiet, a small crowd had begun to gather at the foot of the stairs of the townhall. She decided to find out what was going on.
As she approached the crowd she heard a woman cry up at the balcony where burgomaster Van Wamelen was standing.
"Why do WE have to pay for the King's wars? My children are starving!"
"Long live the Beggar!" a man's voice shouted defiantly behind her.
"Hold your tongue, man! I'll have none of that scum in my city," burgomaster Van Wamelen shouted back at him.
"Papist traitor!" another shouted.
Van Wamelen's face turned red with anger. He whispered something to bailiff Foppens standing next to him. The bailiff nodded and walked into the room behind the balcony.
Geertje spotted Kenau standing in the middle of the crowd; a brawny woman stronger and taller than any man. She feared Kenau. Everybody feared Kenau. Maybe she had better turn back before this turned into a riot. From the corner of her eye she saw the civic guard coming out of the King's street. Yes, she definitely had better turn back. She would hear soon enough what was going on.