Esmerelda

Esmerelda’s heart opted out of the procession as she was led to the guillotine along with the other vile, wretched criminals. Two men were guilty of pig thievery, three others had committed atrocious and unspeakable crimes against their fellow citizens and one had waited so long that no one remembered what he had done, just that he had done it. There were also two lewd prostitutes including the toothless one who said men preferred it that way and a crazed woman who cursed in such horrible outbursts that she was branded the town idiot.

Esmerelda’s crime was considered to be so much more insidious than any of the others. Her behaviour was more obscene than that of even the filthiest whore, toothless or otherwise. The fear of her influence sent the great men of the town into a cacophony of dire warnings.

“She will ruin all of mankind!”

“She must be stopped before this spreads any further and she contaminates our God-fearing citizens!”

“She has poison running through her veins, she is a curse on our town!”

The dastardly delinquents were herded into place in front of the townspeople who had gathered to witness justice in all its swiftness and righteousness. One by one, each criminal’s misdeed was proclaimed as the crowd enthusiastically voiced agreement with harsh punishment. The pig thieves muttered, the whores cackled, while the rest of the condemned screamed for God’s intervention as proof of their innocence, except for the idiot woman who merely cursed out at no one in particular. Finally Esmerelda’s transgression rang out over a suddenly hushed crowd, if only for a moment at the sheer horror or this sinful, wicked woman.

“Kill her, evil woman, vile woman!”

“Filthy swine-hag!”

“Terrible creature!”

“Unchristian!”
“Destroy her before she destroys us all!”

While Esmerelda suffered her fate, still hanging in the air over the crowd like a stinking, soiled, festering pestilence was the pronouncement:

THIS WOMAN IS LITERATE! SHE CAN READ!

*******

Erica awoke with a start and put her hand to her neck; it was so sore from its uncomfortable position atop a stack of books. She regained her present focus at the sound of the paper cutter’s menacing laceration.