“That’s only half the reason why I’m stalling ya’. But now that the brat has interrupted our bout, I’m willing to abandon the other reason for now.” Abraham chuckled.
“You mean to surrender?” the Prime Sentinel tilted his head.
“Oh fuck no. I’m out of ‘ere.” Abraham pointed his finger to the back.
“What?” the Prime Sentinel was genuinely stumped.
What? Evens stared at Abraham bemusedly.
“Why y’all lookin’ at me like that? I said what I said.” The hard-headed rebel held firm to his words.
“And who has given you that right?” the Prime Sentinel glared at him like daggers.
“Sorry, but I don’t take orders from ya’, Lord Prime. Ya’ sister would kill me if I would,” goaded Abraham.
“To run now would be to forsake all that your fallen friends have done for you thus far. Once retreated, you will no longer have the chance to claim their corpses for proper burials.” Even now, the Prime Sentinel intended to lecture Abraham.
“I dunno’ why ya’ care so much when ya’ wouldn’t have let me grab ‘em anyways,” Abraham scoffed. “Don’t speak about them like ya’ know anything. A heartless machine like ya’ under the guise of decency – ya’ don’t even know the first thing about what ya’ preach.”
What are you doing? Evens was baffled. “Wait, just a mome–”
“C’mon, kid. Let’s bounce out of ‘ere,” Abraham spun Evens all the way around and pushed him forward. “Thank you, Lord Prime. It was nice meeting ya’. Next time, I’ll take your head, I promise.” Abraham waved his hand while leisurely walking with his back turned towards his foe.
Evens shrugged Abraham’s hands off of him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing–” Evens’s tongue held in place. His instinct was telling him to focus less on speaking and more on hearing.
“You humans always have to make it so difficult…”
That was what Evens’s instinct was warning him. A lucid voice – though it shouldn’t be, from how far it was supposed to have come from.
Evens was perspiring despite just slowly walking, and his heart was beating wildly as if it would jump out of his chest at any time soon. Evens faintly glanced up at Abraham, and he, too, was sweating down his forehead, yet he still kept a still smirk.
Evens took another step forward – this time, there was nothing out of the ordinary.
Evens took another step forward – this time, the howling gale haunted his behind.
Evens took another step forward – this time, the shadow of a large beam appeared out of nowhere and clouded over his head. What’s that? Evens glanced up.
“Watch out!” shouted Abraham.
His instinct was right. Before Evens could even grasp what was happening, Evens hastily dashed to the left, with Abraham dashing to the right. As he tried to regain his footing, Evens saw it – the subject of his instinctual fear.
A storm of dust kicked up, accompanied by a swift descending wind torrent, followed by a violent crushing sound as if the very earth had been cracked – but that was actually what happened.
Is it still too late to run? Evens could not help but make jokes in such a ridiculous situation.
Standing between the dazed Evens and the tensed Abraham was the Prime Sentinel – his right leg slightly pointing forward, with its heel firmly dug a few inches into the ground. It was a mere downward kick, yet it felt like an axe or a hammer, the way it descended from the sky and crushed the soil and left behind a small crater.
The Prime Sentinel has closed in the distance between him and Evens and Abraham in mere seconds. Despite his large frame, his steps were so swift and silent that Evens didn’t even hear them coming – yet he never expected those same steps to be capable of caving in stones and earth.
The Prime Sentinel lightly lifted his foot up, specks of dust and rubbles sprinkled off the heel of his boot. “Not bad. As far as humans go, you both are amongst the faster ones I’ve faced.” His compliment largely fell on deaf ears.
“Evens!” Abraham hollered from the other side as he lifted up his warhammer with both hands.
Yeah… Evens nodded his head, having understood Abraham’s ploy. The brute knew Evens, and himself would never have been able to catch up to the Prime Sentinel, so he made the ecliant come to them instead. What a stupid plan… Evens sighed, it could have easily gone wrong – but it didn’t. Armed with his spear, Evens looked to Abraham – awaiting his signal.
With a nod from Abraham, the two struck their weapons at the foe cornered between them with all their might. Abraham’s warhammer swings were fierce and heavy. Evens’s spear stabs were quick and precise.
Yet despite their combined surprise attack – the hammer swing ended early, and the spear stabbed air instead of flesh.
You have to be kidding me… Evens grunted, unable to pull his spear back from the monster’s tight grip.
“An interesting effort – though rather childish and far too relied on luck. Seems like a plan my Wing would devise.” The Prime Sentinel still managed to chuckle amidst this situation. With his left hand, he held onto the shaft of Evens’s spear, halting it in place. With his right forearm, he blocked the warhammer swing from its shaft just inches before the metal face touched his golden hair. “Try again.” As if thinking himself to be a benevolent man, the Prime Sentinel released Evens and Abraham’s weapons.
“You’re gonna’ regret that,” Abraham smiled, trying to mask his panting.
I’m regretting this… Evens winced, the firm grips he had on his spear were wavering.
“Quit ya’ moping, kid. No regrets now,” Abraham shouted, having noticed Evens’s glower. “Balls out, Evens!” A strange battle cry from the giant, but one, nonetheless – and it somehow did calm Evens’s nerve.
“Yes, sir,” Evens answered instinctively.
The Prime Sentinel answered with his own faint smirk as if to say, “Come at me.”
From the left, Evens closed in swiftly. From the right, Abraham rushed in wildly. From the centre, the Prime Sentinel stood steadily.
A spear stab to the ecliant’s neck – he leaned forward.
A hammer swung across the ecliant’s head – he weaved down.
A downward spear thrust towards the ecliant’s legs – he sidestepped.
A barrage of hammer blows to the ecliant’s face – he swirled his head from side to side.
A flurry of spear thrusts to the ecliant’s abdomen – he parried and deflected them with ease.
An upward hammer swung to the ecliant’s crotch – he blocked the hammer’s face with the sole of his boot.
Why won’t you die? Evens grunted, reminding him of his first bout against this monster. Nothing they did would work against him.
“Surely this could not be all your efforts amount to?” the Prime Sentinel still lectured them amidst the battle. He’d rather run his mouth and parry oncoming attacks instead of attacking himself.
Just shut up already, Evens’s annoyance towards the preachy ecliant was more unbearable than his fatigue.
The hard-headed Abraham seemed to not be noticing his own fatigue despite practically drowning in sweat. Like a raging bull, he kept swinging his warhammer at the Prime Sentinel’s face with no coordination or reasons – or so Evens first thought. As useless as his barrage of attacks was, it did serve well to keep the Prime Sentinel occupied with dodging Abraham.
Using the chance that Abraham had opened for him, Evens leapt forward and low – aiming for a low swipe kick while his foe was engaged with attacks from above. “I got you now–”
An eerie crack – like stones being crushed. Evens could no longer speak without tasting blood and feeling his jaws dislocating. He could smell and even taste dirt and mud. As his head flung backwards, his eyes peeped at the sight of the heel of a giant murky boot.
Evens’s attempt failed once more. The Prime Sentinel flicked his foot backwards, landing a reverse upward kick to Evens’s chin with his heel – launching his body backwards. While falling back, the Prime Sentinel gripped hold of Evens’s arm, and as if he was holding a feather pillow – he bent his body and threw Evens over his shoulder and into the air.
Fucking hell… While airborne, Evens fixed his jaws in place – awaiting until he touched the surface for the next part of the plan.
One second.
“C’mon, kid!” Even with the wind in his ears, Evens could still hear Abraham’s voice coming closer and closer as he flew.
The Prime Sentinel will attempt to hurl Evens at Abraham – Evens had more or less suspected so, judging from him throwing the poor Firstkind rebel earlier.
Two seconds.
Hope this works! Evens braced himself, curling his body into a ball, before being caught by Abraham – yet he wasn’t set back to the ground.
Three seconds.
Using the momentum from the Prime Sentinel’s toss, Abraham redirected the force and used it to boost Evens directly up into the air – making Evens soared the sky, heads above of both Abraham and the Prime Sentinel.
Four seconds.
This is a pretty nice view… From how high he was, Evens could even see some of the nearby city parts – though he could not hear much besides the whistling breeze. The draft wafted through his ragged garment and tickled the many scars he had. His body felt so light when hugged by the wind – leaving him more force to pour into his right arm, where his spear was readied. In the sky, both Abraham and the Prime Sentinel seemed no bigger than children in his eyes – and they shall be struck down as such.
Five seconds.
Parry this, ya’ filthy ecliant! Evens would have shouted it out, but he did not want to eat any flying insects by mistake.
Six seconds.
Evens’s right arm tensed as hard as it could, to the point where it felt as though the scars on his body would tear once more. As he reached the zenith, the highest he could have flown, and began to tumble back down to earth – at that very moment, the spear released from his hold to strike down his foe from below.
Seven seconds. Those were all the times needed to execute their desperate plan.
The spear thrust through the air, coated by wind, it became faster and faster as it descended – aimed perfectly at the Prime Sentinel.
Die, asshole… Evens smirked as he, too, fell, the sky no longer welcomed him, but he’d be content with that so long that he could strike down the mighty foe.
Eight seconds.
Nine seconds.
Ten seconds.
No… Evens had nearly reached the ground, to be caught again by Abraham – yet the seconds still counted when it should have ended.
It shouldn’t have been possible. The spear was far too fast for even the mightiest ecliants, and to make sure, it was executed in a mere seven seconds – yet despite their best efforts, it was still not enough.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
In the last second, as the spear descended from the heavens and was just a hair away from piercing the Prime Sentinel’s heart – with inhuman speed, the ecliant twisted his body forward, evading the blow just in time.
Ark… This is too much… Evens could not believe what his eyes had just witnessed – he must’ve been in a daze when stuck in the sky. Even as he landed back onto the ground, and Abraham helped him back onto his feet – his vision and footing were shaking, struggling to keep balance.
The spear should have pierced him. He shouldn’t have been able to evade that in time. Yet, the Prime Sentinel stood tall – but for the first time, his face was no longer unmoved by the battle.
It was not much, but it was something. That certainly is… something… Evens laughed faintly as he regained his poise – his eyes could still not believe it all.
Their combined efforts reached the Prime Sentinel. A slit over his gambeson, slashed apart by the spear, revealing a drawing inked over his back. It was hard to make sense of it from where Evens stood, but it looked like a red serpent with talons and a set of sharp fangs. Its colours seemed to have slightly faded to a rather pale pinkish tint, yet the shape of the beast still looked as clear as it ought to be when first inked.
Fascinating drawing, Evens thought, he had never seen such a creature before, nor had he ever heard of tales or legends about it.
“Does my tattoo interest you, boy?” the Prime Sentinel asked as he reached his hand behind his back. Touching the cut, even though there was no blood, it was merely his vestment that was slashed.
“I’d be lying if I said no.” Evens chuckled tensely beneath his hood. “Didn’t think a man like you to have the eyes and hands of an artist.”
“This wasn’t my work, boy. I wouldn’t be able to replicate it in even a thousand years.” The Prime Sentinel gave a modest reply.
“Who drew it then?” asked Evens, as if he was speaking to a friend and not an enemy.
“I do not remember.” The ecliant answered coolly.
Convenient answer, Evens rolled his eyes. Yet before he could even take another glance at the marvellous inkwork, he was pulled away by his collar – dragging backwards like a sack of potatoes.
“How longer do you mean to gawk at him? We out of ‘ere,” Abraham panted as he sprinted. His right hand held firmly onto Evens’s collar and dragged him along while his left hand was hauling his warhammer.
Let me go, ya’ damned brute, Evens clawed at Abraham’s wrists to release him, but to no avail. He would not stop running, and he was making quite a good distance between himself and the Prime Sentinel, who was standing still. What is that man planning? Evens thought as he stared at the silhouette of the Prime Sentinel becoming smaller and smaller.
“To flee after such a magnificent display of might. How disappointing.” The Prime Sentinel shouted from afar. “But as a token of my respect, allow me to return the favour.” He claimed. With a firm stomp on its tail, Evens’s spear, which was lying flat on the dirt, bounced upward and landed in the Prime Sentinel’s grasp. Once the weapon was in hand, he planted his feet firmly and stretched his arm back as far as he could – just like how he did with the Firstkind rebel’s sword from earlier.
Oh shit, Evens cursed as he rapidly tapped onto Abraham’s arm. “He’s doing it again! Watch out–”
It was less than two seconds. The spear flew out of the Prime Sentinel’s grip as if it had a mind of its own. The sound it made when released was that of a storm being conjured. It was so fast that Evens swore he could have seen the afterimage it left behind as it glided through the sky.
Before either Evens or Abraham could even budge a single muscle, the spear had already reached them – yet its steel tip did not pierce either of them but instead collided against the shaft of Abraham’s warhammer. The precision to hit such a thin target from afar was beyond Evens’s grasp. The hammer’s shaft broke in half upon impact, bursting splashes of splinters, while the steelhead fell and buried itself in the dirt. Somehow, the spear remained whole after the clash, despite how shoddily Evens had forged it.
Even with his warhammer ruined, Abraham did not slow down his pace – but he did release Evens’s collar, allowing him to run by himself. “How could a monster like this even exist?” chuckled Abraham like a madman, throwing away the broken shaft of his warhammer.
Just run… Evens picked up his pace. He quickly dashed down and retrieved his spear – it was a modest piece of work but a resilient one at that, Evens could not possibly discard it now after such a magnificent showing.
Evens and Abraham ran as fast and as far as they could. Dashing from one streetside to another. Weaving into corners. Vaulting across piles of rubbles littering the pavements. Ducking oncoming city dwellers fleeing in the opposite direction they were running.
Yet no matter how far they ran, the Prime Sentinel was prowling behind their heels like a hound – encroaching closer and closer by the seconds.
He’s gonna’ catch up to us soon, Evens panted. Every time he turned his head back, the Prime Sentinel only seemed to get closer – while both himself and Abraham only seemed to get slower.
“Have we lost ‘em yet?” asked Abraham, he could barely squeeze out a coherent sentence amidst all his panting. For a man as large as Abraham, he did well for running so long, but it could only last so long.
Evens shook his head wearily; he did not have the energy to waste his breath either.
“Fuck…” Abraham cursed, his pupils beginning to shake. “Damn it all. Sorry, Frou.” He murmured to a woman who wasn’t there.
What is he doing? Evens stared at Abraham intently – he was acting odd.
The giant of a human rocked his head from side to side and scratched his bald dome like a madman. After his strange fit, he merely took in a deep breath and sighed. “Fuck it.” Abraham reached his hand under his auburn vest, and it was only now that Evens noticed there was a rather thick and long bump hidden there. His pace gradually decreased further and further after he unveiled that contraption out into the open.
What is that? Evens was baffled. It was of a shape and design that Evens had never seen or read of before – the second time that happened today.
It was about as long as Abraham’s forearm and almost as thick, looking as though it’d be about as heavy as a steel mace. The mace-like item had a wooden part at the back. Two narrow metal tubes stuck side-to-side were placed at its helm like they were sockets for eyes. A curvy handle protruded out at the bottom of the rod, allowing Abraham to grip over it tightly. His index finger poked through a tiny loop attached by the handle, hovering over a small button the size and shape of a fingernail.
“What tricks do you have now?” asked Evens, still trying to make sense of what he was seeing.
“Damn if I know,” Abraham looked equally confused about what was in his hand. “I wasn’t supposed to reveal it here and now. To be honest, I’m not even sure what it does, but I’m not so stupid as to not guess it.”
So can I… Evens swallowed his breath; he could not turn his glance away from the device. “Just don’t do anything stupid.”
“We’re way past that, kid,” chuckled Abraham wryly. “Forgive me, Frou. Not much use saving it if I die in the process, now would it?” He whispered to the weapon, his hand like it was alive.
“If you’re gonna’ do something, then it better be now,” Evens urged the musing giant, for the other giant was hot on their heels.
“Yeah, yeah. I know…” Abraham muttered his words like a timid lad before pointing out the club-like weapon. His awkward clutch made it look as if it was the first time he had held it. He slowed down his pace and aimed it directly straight behind – where the Prime Sentinel was. His finger was still hovering over the button. His right eye is closed, with his left eye staring at his target. “Here goes nothing–”
“Die!”
What? Who’s that? Evens turned his head – that voice was of no one he knew.
It came from his left. A rustling noise with heavy footsteps, accompanied by a piercing screech, echoed from a nearby alleyway. A woman stormed out of that dark and narrow corner; her pale face shrivelled like a prune. She was fast, an ecliant, no doubt – feisty and wrathful like the redness of her eyes. She wore Sentinel armour, with a steel sword held high in her hand – readied to swing down onto Abraham.
“On your left!” Evens screamed.
“Damn it,” Abraham hastily spun towards the woman, and without enough time for a single thought to be made – he shifted his weapon at her instead of the Prime Sentinel. The button pressed, at last.
The sword met the strange weapon – and a sound, so loud and piercing, erupted.
Evens had never heard such a sound before. Like a thunderclap descended by his ears, twice – quickly followed by sharp cracking noises that echoed throughout the street. Birds, mice, and residents alike all either flew away from the sound or stood still in fear. Evens’s head rang like bells, and his ears felt as though they’d been blown apart. Smoke flew out of the weapon’s head like a resting dragon. Whatever came out of the tubes was so strong and fast that it pushed a man as big as Abraham slightly aback, nearly flinging the weapon entirely off his hand.
What the… What was that!? Evens covered his ears, trying to relieve himself of the ringing, but it was not helping. His legs could barely stand after hearing such a sound. “Did you get her?” shouted Evens, though he wasn’t sure if Abraham could even hear him.
Instead of answering, Abraham merely grabbed Evens’s wrist and began running away once more, despite his own footsteps being wobbly and his face grimacing from the aftermath.
“Why are you running–” Evens ended his sentence early. The ringing was beginning to disappear, and his mind was returning clear. As he was being dragged away by Abraham, he turned his head back to the sight of the incident – only to then not trust that his mind had actually become clear again.
That lady Sentinel was unharmed, though rattled and crumbled to her knees like a scared little girl.
Someone took the blow for her. In his hands was the steel lid of a garbage bin – of which he held it by his chest like a shield. Even then, it did not serve that well as a shield. The steel lid was all tattered, torn, and filled with holes as if a meteras had gnawed onto it with its giant fangs. The flash of light that came out of Abraham’s weapon shattered through the shield and reached the wielder. The once mighty ecliant has fallen to one knee, with blood dripping from his chest as if his skin and flesh had been scraped off by a beast even fiercer than himself.
“So that’s what you were hiding…” The Prime Sentinel panted, still yet to collapse somehow, even with the vast wound over his chest. His golden eyes wide opened like a goldfish as if he were a scholar who just come to an epiphany.
How? Evens was at a loss for words, unsure whether due to the Prime Sentinel still being alive or the Firstkind possessing a weapon to bring such a monster down to his knee.
Abraham’s face was frowning, and his teeth gnawing – it’d be hard for Evens to get any answers from him right now.
So that’s why we’re running… As they ran further and further, Evens could see new Sentinel soldiers arriving to retrieve their bleeding Lord – they had one chance to kill the Prime Sentinel, and they failed. Yet even then, he could hardly care even for a moment whether there were ten or a hundred steelmen – for his eyes were solely fixed onto the oddly shaped club in Abraham’s hand, with smoke trailing out of its steel pipes. Evens has been asking a lot of questions throughout the day, often repeating himself like a parrot, but he must ask again – What is that?
Evens ran and ran, following Abraham’s footsteps, for he did not know where they needed to go, nor did he care at this point. His steps were heavy, like walking in water – having to use his spear as a walking cane. His hood was removed from his dark head, allowing the breeze to grace his face. His body and limbs ached all over – finally feeling all the pain that had accumulated now that he had managed to shake the Sentinels off his tail.
“Hey, Abraham…” Evens called out to the giant still sprinting in front of him.
“Yeah?” answered Abraham, his tone tempered and calm, unlike usual.
“Your arm doing alright?” Evens pointed at Abraham’s right arm, which was slightly crooked after the impact from using that weapon earlier.
The giant looked down at his arm with raised brows as if he hadn’t even noticed it. Using his left hand, he twisted and snapped his right arm back to shape. “All good now.”
“Good to see, I suppose…” Evens did not know whether to be impressed or scared. “So now care sharing with me what was that you just brandished? Must be a terrific piece of thing that even a freak as huge as you couldn’t wield it.”
“It wasn’t that I can’t wield it... I was just surprised, that’s all.” Abraham stuttered his words, lying was obviously not his strong suit. “Besides, I already told ya’ – I’m just as in the dark as ya’, kid.” He sighed exasperatedly.
“Your Chief seems to put far too much faith in clueless folks like you.” Evens sighed, he had expected such an answer.
“She’s our Chief now, kid.” Abraham leered back at Evens. “And I acted by myself. She had nothing to do with this. We were told to hold onto it and nothing more.” The giant spoke as he ran. His pace hasn’t waned at all, unlike Evens.
“And you failed that tremendously.” Evens jested.
“I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t needed to save your ass.”
“Don’t put the blame on me, old man. I saw your face back there – you were gonna’ use it whether I showed up or not.”
“Dunno’ what you’re talking about.” Abraham whistled away like a giant toddler.
I swear to Ark… Evens sighed, speaking with him was as frustrating as speaking with the likes of Blueyard. Yet, as much as he hated it, it was far better than enduring an awkward silence as they ran. “Do you have a name for it?” It was the first question off the top of Evens’s head.
Abraham grimaced at the question, but he answered it nonetheless. “The Chief called it a shotgun or something like that, but I call it Lincoln.”
What the hell is a shotgun? Evens thought. He did not remember being taught that word by his mother growing up. “And what is that supposed to mean?”
“Have you not been paying attention, kid? I dunno’. All I know is that the Chief was the one who invented it.”
“Her? No offence, but she does not strike me as an inventor. A swindler who’d steal others’ inventions, perhaps.”
“You’ll hear no grievances from me, kid. I’m just as doubtful as ya’.” Abraham burlesqued his own leader. “But whoever invented it hardly matters.”
“Can’t disagree on that.” Evens shrugged. “A shotgun… It almost brought down the Prime Sentinel... Incredible, really.” Evens mumbled. He glanced down at the weapon in Abraham’s hand. His eyes sparkled with awe.
“It seems to have the capability, yes. But that bastard was definitely holding back – as if he was plotting something.” Abraham clicked his tongue before rocking his head in a fit of temper. “And to think I could’ve killed his ass then and there if it just wasn’t for that meddling girl. Wasted both shots on that blunder.”
“It could only be used twice?” asked Evens.
“It’d seem so. From what was given to me.” Abraham lifted up the shotgun, shaking it up and down like an empty can of lentils.
“If she didn’t want you to use it, then she might as well have just left it empty.” Evens pointed out, somewhat disappointed. “Why give someone a ceremonial bow and then an arrow as well? If not to draw, then what else?”
“It does sound like something the Chief would do.” Abraham nodded his head. “Theatre kids, I tell ya’. They live for the spectacle, no matter how horrid it makes their reality.”
She couldn’t have been that simple… Right? Evens tried to convince himself that the cause he had signed himself into was more mature than that, though not to great success.
Losing track of the day, body aching all over, and deep in thought – Evens decided to shut his mouth. They kept on running across the desolate townscape; it wouldn’t be long before the day ended and the raging battle subsided. Abraham, who was leading the escape, came to a halt. He quickly leapt and hid in a narrow alleyway, and Evens followed his steps.
Abraham faintly peeked his giant head out of the corner “Those your friends over there?” Abraham pointed his finger forward.
What? Evens, too, peeked his head out. “Yeah…” Evens gulped and answered. Sure enough, Owlem, Rupert, and Blueyard were there across the street – chained and apprehended by the Sentinels.
“Great,” Abraham sighed deeply like a tired old man. “Well then. Make sure not to bite your tongue.” Abraham clapped his hands together.
“What do you mean by that–”
Before Evens could finish his sentence, his body tumbled forward from a forceful push. Evens fell and rolled across the dirt like a wooden barrel. He must have rolled for quite a distance. His head was spinning, and he could hardly tell where he had landed. By the time his mind had returned to shape, he had checked his hand, only to find his spear missing – either he had dropped it, or someone had stolen it. I definitely didn’t drop it, Evens lifted himself up and spun his head around, but no spear could be found lying on the ground. Amidst his search, he could hear the approaching footsteps towards him from all directions, accompanied by the clanging of steel armour and arms. Shit… As Evens sat flat on the dirt, with swords and spears pointed to his necks, all he could see through the horde of steel was the man who betrayed him.
“See ya’ in prison, kid!”
Those were the last words Evens caught from that giant brute’s smirking mouth, waving his hand like a fool while holding onto the spear he had snatched from Evens’s grasp. I shouldn’t have saved him… Evens sighed and palmed his own face filled with scars, contemplating his own bad decision while surrounded by Sentinels’ cold steel blades – he ought to have a lot of time to regret his choices once he is behind iron bars.