Children of the Knight, Michael J. Bowler [classic book list txt] 📗

people are created equal, yet those words only apply to adults, not to the children who have no rights under that sacred document. These cast-off youth, whom your authorities seek not to aid, have become my new Round Table, dedicated to the cause of justice and the use of might for right.”

“From our earlier discussion, you explained that many of these children you’ve recruited have been, or currently are in gangs, and have been actively defiant of the law. How do you plan to change their behavior?”

“By example, Lady Helen,” Arthur replied with confidence. “And by giving them a purpose in life that befits their humanity. Measure my success not on what these youths have done in the past, but on what they do now and in the future.”

“And what would you say to your critics who’d likely claim that these gang members you’ve recruited, while a sizable number, are not the most violent, hard- core ones out there, nor do they represent the real heads of the most dangerous gangs that plague this city?”

“Milady, criticism without alternatives and a commitment to change is the purview of feckless people who, rather than make changes for the good, would maintain what be called in this era the status quo. Thus, their claims be without merit. As in all human history, it is the few who always step forward to effect real change, who make real improvements in the lives of others. That requires a measure of sacrifice the adult leaders of this city seem not willing to give.”

He paused and guided Lance into the shot with him, arm around his slender shoulders. Lance blinked a moment under the harsh lights, but kept his eyes on Arthur.

“Are not the children with me now, like my Lance here, who seek a new and better way of life, sufficient? Are they not the beginning? Perhaps the beginning of the end of this war against children? Must I turn the hearts of all to be in thine eyes a success? Thee and thine have not yet beheld what my knights can do.”

“And what will that be exactly?”

“Firstly shall be the restoration of the very neighborhoods which spawned these youth, neighborhoods savagely neglected by those of your people in power.”

“And how do you plan to carry out such an ambitious plan?”

“I appeal to the good people of this city,” said Arthur earnestly. “Thy waste be our want. Anything thou can spare will aid greatly our crusade. We should be grateful to accept any donation of whatever you may be discarding. All shall be put to good use.”

“And what will you do with all of this discarded stuff?”

Arthur grinned. “You must wait and see, milady.”

“You do know,” Helen went on in a deliberately cautionary voice, “that if the police find you, they’ll arrest you.”

“Alas, the law and justice do not always match up, Lady Helen. My knights, methinks, engender justice more than those who are supposed to.”

As planned ahead of time, Helen now turned to Lance and shoved the microphone under his chin as the cameras focused squarely on him.

Watching his face on the TV monitor, Jenny again thought how beautiful Lance looked, how charismatic, how radiant.

“Any final words, Sir Lance?” Helen asked expectantly.

Lance looked at her soberly. “Yeah, I do got somethin’ ta say. I grew up with no family. When I’s a baby, my mom sold me for drugs. I don’t even got a real last name. DCFS put me in foster homes where I got locked in closets and beat up and abused and… worse stuff, too.” He paused to compose himself and then gazed back into the camera, eyes shimmering beneath the lights. “I had nuthin’ growing up ’cept my skating, and I kill on a board. I’m goin’ to the X Games one day, an’ I’m gonna win a gold medal, so mark that all you people watchin’ out there.”

Helen gave a laugh of support.

“Arthur, he been everything to me. He took me in, he saved me, and he’s savin’ all these other kids, too. You grownups out there who say you care about us kids out here, well, you’re lying, ’cause if you did care we wouldn’t be out here on the streets in the first place. Arthur cares, and he’s doin’ somethin’ about it. We’re doin’ somethin’ about it. You all like to pretend we’re adults when we get in trouble out here, and then you throw us in prison. Well, if we’re so adult, how come we can’t vote or drive a car? I’m fourteen years old. I can go to prison, but I can’t drive a car.”

He paused a moment to let that sink in, pinning those piercing green eyes right to the camera lens.

“This Round Table we got going, we’re gonna show you all that we can be somethin’ in this world, that we’re important, that we can be better’n all the adults who been hating on us. Arthur—” He glanced at the king and grinned. “—well, he’s the once and future king, and us kids like me—we’re his future.”

The onlookers watching the interview burst into spontaneous applause. Lance beamed broadly, his face positively radiant under the camera lights.

“Well, I can’t top that, Sir Lance. This is Helen Schaeffer with King Arthur and Sir Lance for Channel 7 News.”

The cameras ceased, their red lights going dark. Helen gushed over Lance, as did all the other adults, praising his poise and his impassioned speech, clapping him on the back.

“Thank you, Arthur,” Helen said excitedly. “You were great. I’ve got to get back to the station so we can get this on air.” She turned to leave, and then hurried back. “On a personal level, I think what you’re doing is awesome and any time you need some coverage, just call me.” She slipped a business card into Arthur’s hand.

He gazed at it questioningly, and a laughing Lance took it from him. “I’ll handle that, Lady Helen,” he told her with a sly smile. “Arthur don’t got the hang of cell phones yet.”

Helen smiled and hurried to her van. In what seemed like minutes, all the news vehicles were packed up and pulling away.

Arthur gazed at Lance, his eyes brimming with pride. “Thou art truly my greatest treasure, Lance.”

Lance blushed. He looked like he might hug Arthur, but held back. “Thanks, sire,” was all he said.

At that moment, the onlookers from the neighborhood swarmed over and surrounded the duo, asking questions, shaking Arthur’s hand, offering encouragement, offering donations of stuff they didn’t need, all of which pleased the king. Some of the kids knew Lance from MTS and marveled at his clothes and wanted to hold his sword, asking what seemed like a thousand questions at once.

Jenny fell back, away from the crowd. Crowds made her uncomfortable. While happy for Arthur, and especially moved by Lance’s powerful speech, she’d developed a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach that, great as Arthur’s crusade was in theory, in practice it could easily spiral out of control. And what would happen to these kids then?

So mobbed were Arthur and Lance by the neighbors that they didn’t even see her slip away into the night.