Chapter 2By the time Geoffrey had mapped out the village and spoken at some length to the parson in his church, without the squire present to inhibit him, it was too late to talk to any of the actual villagers themselves. At least in their homes. So he set out for the inn.
While the squire might want him to draw his sword and go straight for the accused, Geoffrey preferred to build up a picture of the village, and the man, for himself. Accusations of misconduct moved very differently when a slayer was involved. There was usually no trial at the end, just a resolution to the situation. True preternaturals didn’t stand before a court of law; they were subject instead to the church’s decree of extermination.
Geoffrey was justifiably proud of the care he took in his role as a slayer. He cons
