The Trials Full Treatment

In another timeline...

The Atlantic Ocean, Some time after 1575.

A group of seven British vessels cross the Atlantic Ocean, headed for the new world. The waters are very rough and storms loom in the distance. The ships are of various sizes and uses. The largest is the Hopewell, which is a 160 ton vessel, and is a passenger ship. Captain Edward Kettell surveys the storm. A private, Erasmus Clefs, awaits his orders. Kettell tells him to prepare for the storm. Erasmus grabs two more privates and directs them towards the mast. They start climbing.

The night is pitch black, the moon and stars obscured by the massive storms. The only visible light comes from intermittent lightning strikes and a lone lamp on the deck of the Hopewell. Kettell holds the lantern and the railing on the deck. His grip on either is tenuous at best. Kettell tells him to check everything and that they'll have to stop in Puerto Rico.

Erasmus and other privates work their way to various parts of the deck, checking to see that everything is tied down. Erasmus notices that a rope holding a beam in place is loose. He reaches for it, but the ship dips sharply to the side as it is raised by a wave. Lightning strikes the mast and travels downward. Branch lightning strikes Erasmus. He and falls to the deck, unconscious.

Erasmus stands before a small colonial village on a hill. Everything’s on fire: the buildings, the villagers, the fields of crops below the village. Silhouetted in the ruins of the village is a group of a dozen or so women. He can’t see their faces. They move towards him. He bursts into flame.

Erasmus sits up in bed, screaming. Captain Kettell places his hands on Erasmus’ shoulders, calming him down. Erasmus says he hates the ocean. Kettell says every sailor feels that way from time to time. What matters is whether or not you let the sea beat you. Kettell turns to address a doctor, William Willes. Kettell asks Willes if Erasmus let the sea beat him today. Willes says Erasmus will live. Everyone smiles. Kettell and Willes leave. Erasmus goes back to sleep.

Captain Kettell stands on the deck with Governor John White. They survey an island in the distance. White says it's not Roanoke. Kettell shakes his head. He says it's Puerto Rico and the other ships need to stop for repairs. White nods. He asks what the plan is. Kettell says they'll transfer most of the supplies to the Hopewell, then head north with the Tiger then they'll offload the supplies and settlers. Then they head home. White is pleases and says he'll put in a good word with the queen.

Kettell frowns and say "oh, no." White sees Kettell staring at someone behind him. He turns to see a priest, Thomas Hewet. Kettell finds Hewet vexing. White says he'll keep an eye on Hewet.

Hewet asks for a word in private with White. White puts on a political smile. Hewet looks around, to make sure no one is eavesdropping. Hewet says he's appalled that the frequency of sin exceeds any in his experience. White waves him off and says to submit the complaint in writing. Hewet is taken aback. He tries to impress upon White the importance of his complaint. White says it's a colonial problem, not a naval one. He has no legal authority until they step on dry land. Hewet frowns and asks if White will take it seriously once they're on land. White nods with a condescending smile and says if time permits, as he's returning to London and won't be back for three years. Hewet’s frown slowly turns to a smile. White says Hewet should address his concerns with the clerk, Dyonis Harvie. Hewet says they'll have to crack down once they reach the colony. We’re going to have to crack down once they reach the colony. White ignores him and goes back to talking to Kettell. Hewet tries to get the governor’s attention, but White ignores him. Kettell says they have measles and smallpox amongst the colonists. White nods. Embarrassed, Hewet walks away. Silently, Kettell and White watch him go. They have concerned looks on their faces.

On the top of a hill, construction is under way on buildings and a wall around them. In the valley below, various farmers plant and maintain various crops. Dyonis Harvie overlooks the construction. Hewet approaches him. Harvie sees who it is and he frowns. Hewet tells Harvie how to do his job. Harvie is offended. Hewet says they have a lot of problems to deal with, but Harvie may not be the man to deal with them. He say he'll take care of the problems himself. He rudely turns and walks away. Harvie stares after him.

The town meeting hall is filled with all of the settlers. Harvie stands at a podium at the front. Erasmus stands with other young people against the back wall. Hewet sits in the front row, self-satisfied look on his face. The crowd is loud, small conversations, throughout the hall. Several women in red cloaks and hoods sit in the audience, spread out. Harvie bangs a gavel on the podium. Harvie tries to quiet them down. The crowd keeps talking, ignoring Harvie. Harvie turns to David Salter, who wears a badge. Salter stands up. He emits a massive whistle. The room calms down and gives Harvie their attention. Salter nods and sits down. Harvie clears his throat. He’s nervous, starting to sweat.

Hewet asks if they can dispense with the pleasantries? A few nods and murmurs of assent come from the men around him. Harvie stares at the grinning Hewet for a moment. Harvie calls on Hewet, but Hewet crosses his arms and stays seated. Nicholas Swabber stands to talk. Swabber pays respect to Harvie, but questions his leadership. Swabber asks the colonists if they feel safe. A mixed reaction. Some do, some don’t. Harvie wonders what Swabber's question is. Swabber asks what Harvie you doing to keep the colony safe? Harvie says since they arrived, he's worked for their safety. He stares at Swabber. Swabber looks away in shame. Harvie says he scouted this location, which is easily defensible location. He directed the building of the village, including the wall that protects them. Swabber tries to interrupt, but Harvie shuts him down. Many in the crowd are taken aback by Harvie’s rudeness and defensiveness. Harvie says he sought out and negotiated peace and support from the Tuscarora Indians. Harvie gives Swabber a chance to respond, but he never makes eye contact with him again. Edward Chipping stands and asks about the other tribes. Harvie says the Tuscarora have agreed to help them with the other tribes, including protection, if necessary. Silvester Beching frowns. He asks what that will cost them. He tells Beching that Edward has the floor and Beching is out of order. Beching dismisses him with a wave. Edward says there’s no way they can grow enough food to last the winter. And with so many tribes in the area, hunting is scarce. He asks what they're gonna do. Beching says they're gonna starve. Hoots and hollers from the crowd. Harvie bangs his gavel. The crowd calms down. Swabber asks if they are to be slaves to the Tuscarora? Cries of no from the audience. Roger Baily raises his hand, but doesn’t stand. Roger asks why they didn't have a plan for winter; why they're coming up short. Harvie says they haven’t run short yet. Vincent Cheyne stands and points at Harvie, saying they will. Harvie bangs his gavel. The meeting has descended into chaos.

Hewet stands to take charge. He says the real concern is their spiritual safety. Harvie puts his face in his hands. Hewet shames him. Then he says God will provide. He's worried that the spiritual commitment of this settlement is severely lacking. Everywhere you look, you see signs of moral decay; you see people spitting in God’s eye. If the clerk doesn’t start addressing these issues, God will. Hewet is satisfied. A growing chorus of settlers congratulates him. 

Harvie walks from the meeting hall, wiping sweat from his forehead. He sees Hewet speaking to a small circle of men, including Swabber, Chipping, Baily, Beching and Cheyne. They speak in low tones and go quiet when Harvie passes. Hewet says "nice meeting." Harvie says he did his best. Hewet ridicules him. The men around Hewet laugh. The priest’s smile grows. Harvie hurries away.

Erasmus stands in front of town hall, waiting for someone. Elizabeth Glane arrives. She shakes Erasmus’s hand. She tells him to call her Elizabeth. He's reluctant, but he does so. They walk down the main throughway of the settlement.

She says they're just doing a census. She hands him a book and pencil. She says each building was given a marker. She wave towards town hall. A “1” is clearly marked above the front door. Erasmus looks around and sees the numbers above each of the town’s buildings.

They need to go to each house and record the names of everyone living there. And they need to record gun ownership. Erasmus flashes a look of concern. He asks why they need to track guns. She says it's for hunting and protection against animals, the Spanish and the Indians.

She says they'll do the first one together. They walk towards building #3. Elizabeth knocks on the door. There’s a rumbling and grumbling from inside. Erasmus looks at Elizabeth with concern. She reassures him with a hand on the shoulder. He looks and the hand and smiles. He’s shocked when the door is ripped open by Edward Ketcheman.

Everyone greets each other. Elizabeth says they are here on orders of the clerk to create a census. Ketcheman answers questions fine until they ask about guns. Then he gets indignant. He says they can tell Harvie that if he wants to know about my guns, he can come ask himself. He’ll be glad to show Harvie each gun personally. He slams the door on them.

She walks away. Erasmus follows dutifully. In the distance, a woman in a red cloak and hood walks by.

Harvie approaches town hall. He’s in a hurry. He sees Hewet talking with a group of townsfolk. The group is bigger this time. Loud laughter erupts from the group around Hewet. Harvie frowns and hurries inside.

Harvie enters a room, where a group of men is already seated. He apologizes for being late. Waiting for Harvie are the doctor, William Willes, Sheriff David Salter, two of Salter’s deputies, Richard Ireland and Thomas Bookener. Erasmus sweeps the room, listening to the men talk.

Salter says some of the settlers have been drinking whiskey they got from the Tuscarora. They’ve been getting drunk and firing off guns. The Tuscarora are unhappy. Harvie says winter’s approaching. They have less food to spare. And they want more for it than the trinkets the settlers have been giving them.

Willes asks what they do want. Harvie says they haven’t said yet. But I fear it’ll be something the settlers don’t have or can’t spare. Harvie says the Tuscarora report that some of their tribe have come down with new and unknown sickness.

Hewet and his men enter. The group is growing in size. Hewett tells Harvie that if he's worried about damnation, maybe he should listen more carefully to the advice Hewet provides. Harvie gives a flip answer and Hewet gets angry. He says Harvie's disrespect may come back to haunt you. The two men stare at each other intensely. Neither backs down. Harvie says he got the message. 

Hewet looks at Harvie and each of his men in turn. When he looks at Erasmus, the boy looks away and goes back to sweeping.

Hewet asks if Harvie and his men have been discussing important town information without the presence of God. Harvie says God is everywhere. Hewet looks at him sharply. He questions Harvie's temerity. Harvie stares at him. Hewet’s men grow restless.

Hewet tells Harvie he should think carefully before speaking to him  that way. He demands to know what they were talking about. Hewet looks from man to man. They all look away from his glare. 

Harvie says they are done. Harvie’s men walk out the door. Hewet’s men make it awkward, but let them leave. Harvie follows them.

Hewet says they'll settle their differences soon. Harvie glares at him. Harvie leaves. Hewet Smiles.

Erasmus walks down the main throughway, looking at his book as he goes. He scans the nearby buildings until he finds number 42. He walks to the door and knocks. Frances Whitton opens the door. She wears a red scarf on her head. Erasmus is immediately smitten. He fumbles.

Erasmus introduces himself and tells her of the census. She questions why he has that job and didn't take on a more traditionally masculine job. He says he's not that kind of boy. She asks what kind of boy he is. He says he's an artist.

She tells him to show her. He takes a deep breath. He turns pages in his book. At the back is a series of drawings: landscapes, animals, nature scenes. He hands her the book and she flips through the pages, studying each image. She’s very impressed. She asks if he drew all the pictures. He nods shyly. She says they’re amazing and that he's very good. He thanks her. She hands the book back to him. She grins. She’s smitten as well. 

Gunshots go off nearby. They both look afraid. Elizabeth runs up to them. Frantic. She says it’s a small raiding party and they need to get to shelter. Frances grabs Erasmus by the hand and pulls him inside. Elizabeth follows. She slams the door behind them. An exchange of gunfire rings out. It’s closer now.

Erasmus is walking with his book, continuing his census work. He sees Frances talking to a woman, Jane Jones. Both wear red cloaks with red hoods. Frances sees him. She smiles and waves. He returns both. Frances turns back to Jane and continues what appears to be a very deep conversation. Jane glares at Erasmus. He’s not sure how to take it, so he looks down. Lightning strikes within the village wall. It immediately starts pouring rain. Erasmus rushes inside the mess hall, which is only a few feet away. He stands just inside the doorway and watches Frances go inside Jane’s home. He sees several more women wearing red cloaks and hoods. Jane makes eye contact again, glaring at him. She slams the door shut, not breaking eye contact until they can’t see each other anymore.

Harvie is the last person to enter the mess hall. He slams the door behind him. Erasmus and Harvie greet each other. Harvie looks the young man up and down. Harvie shakes the water off, careful not to get Erasmus wetter. Harvie says they should get some food. Erasmus follows him to a table just outside the kitchen. Chef George Eseven stands behind the table. 

Harvie introduces Erasmus and Eseven. Eseven asks Erasmus about the census. Erasmus sys it's almost done. 

Eseven hands Harvie a half-full bowl of stew and a hunk of bread. He gives Erasmus the same. Harvie asks if that's all. Eseven says they're short on food and they've started rationing,

Harvie leads Erasmus to an empty table. They have a seat. Harvie tells Erasmus to eat up and waste nothing. Erasmus nods. They eat quietly for a while.

Erasmus wonders if he can asks Harvie a question. Harvie has a mouth full of food. He nods while chews. Erasmus asks who the women in red cloaks are.  Harvie shows no recognition. He finishes chewing, then drinks water to wash things down. He asks Erasmus what he's talking about. Erasmus is surprised. Erasmus says he's been seeing the women around town. Harvie hasn't.

Erasmus considers asking more, but things feel strange. He decides not to. He finishes his stew. He’s hungry and looks around at other people’s food longingly. He stands up and gives his dirty dish to the chef.

Harvie, Sheriff Salter, and his deputies, Ireland and Bookener, stand at the open gate. On the other side are a dozen Tuscarora Indians. The two sides engage in a heated exchange, with one of the Tuscarora translating. The conversation ends with neither side happy. The Tuscarora leave and Salter shuts and locks the gate. Harvie and the other men walk towards town hall. They walk past Erasmus. He follows behind them, eavesdropping as he goes.

The Tuscarora say someone is stealing from them. Salter says he'll canvass the village for the stolen items. The Tuscarora promise violence if the theft continues. The look on Erasmus’s face goes from interested to scared.

Erasmus finishes his census work with Thomas Gramme. Gramme shuts his door and Erasmus finishes writing in is book. He turns to walk away. He sees two women in red walking down the throughway. Sees multiple women in red. One of them is Jane Jones. She turns as makes eye contact with him.
He is afraid, and ducks behind the closest building. He leans against the wall, breathing deeply. Eventually he catches his breath. He peaks around the corner of the building. Jane is further away, but she still makes eye contact. Erasmus turns and runs in the opposite direction.

Elizabeth pours Erasmus a cup of coffee. He takes a sip. It’s hot and he recoils. He blows on it. Erasmus thanks her. She asks what's got him so spooked. He says he's been seeing women in red cloaks. He asks if she's seen them. She shakes her head. He questions his sanity. She says he seems fine and tells him to get some rest. He takes another sip of coffee. Elizabeth watches him, her face concerned.

A severe thunderstorm batters the settlement. Everyone shelters inside.

Harvie and Salter walk through the valley below the town. The crops are devastated. Salter says this isn't good. Harvie says add it to the list. They walk towards the gate.

Harvie, Salter, Hewet and a few others discuss the crop failure. Erasmus sits nearby, listening. Salter says it could be a portent. Harvie doesn't believe in magic. Hewet says they should take it as another sign from God. Harvie is exasperated.

Hewet says he's listening to God. He glares at Harvie. Harvie glares back. The silence makes everyone uncomfortable.

Erasmus and Frances walk through the settlement. Close, but not touching. He asks where she's from. She says Paris. He's from Ipswich. He came to the New World for opportunity. He asks about the women in red cloaks. She’s surprised he can see them, but she tells him he's not ready to know yet. She stares at him. He stares back. They smile gently.

Elizabeth and Erasmus stand at the front of the hall. Harvie, Hewet, Salter and a dozen other men are in audience. Elizabeth says it's time to present the census. She looks around for approval. None is forthcoming.

She thanks Harvie. Harvie nods. She thanks Erasmus for his help. Erasmus smiles and says he enjoyed it. Elizabeth smiles. She asks Erasmus to read the summary totals. 

He pulls out his book and opens it to the middle. He reports they have exactly 100 residents in the settlement as of today, including 17 women and nine children. She says White and Kettell will return with more. 

Salter asks when that is. Harvie says it'll be a three-years round-trip and it has been 11 months since they left. Salter asks if their population will be 100 for the full three years. Hewet says not if they continue defying God. 

Harvie waves Hewet off and tells Elizabeth to continue her report. A look of anger grows on Hewet’s face. He tamps it down and returns to his hollow smile. Elizabeth calls on Erasmus again. He opens up his book. He says that not everyone would answer, but I counted 53 various firearms.

Hewet stands up with purpose. He’s been waiting for this. He wants to know why they're asking about firearms. Elizabeth puts a hand on Erasmus' arm to quiet him. Harvie says he instructed them to ask.

Hewet frowns. He asks why they are questioning free men about their property? Harvie says he's in charge of the settlement’s militia, and he needs to know what I’m working with. Hewet says the first step towards tyranny is the disarming of free men. Harvie says he's not disarming anyone.

Hewet says then there’s no reason to make a list of who has guns unless you plan on confiscating them. Harvie calls that ridiculous. Hewet says one way or another, we will have freedom in this, what will be a godly colony. Hewet walks out of the room. Most of the audience follows him.

Erasmus walks through the town. He sees a notice posted to various buildings. He walks to the closest one and reads it. It reads: "Town Meeting Tuesday/Election for Governor Of the Roanoake Colony/Clerk Dyonis Harvie, Incumbent/Father Thomas Hewet, Challenger/All Adult Males Eligible to Vote"

Erasmus is puzzled. He looks up to see Hewet speaking to a small group of men. They seem very interested in what he’s saying, nodding along. Erasmus frowns.

Frances and Erasmus sit at the edge of the valley, sharing an apple. They sit close, but do not touch. Frances takes a bite of the apple and passes it to Erasmus. He takes a bite. They chew in silence for a bit.

Erasmus sys they're really low on food. They won’t make it through the winter. Frances says THEY will be fine. He doesn’t catch her meaning. Frances says they'll save themselves. He’s puzzled. She says she means the women in red cloaks. He's surprised she knows about them. He thought he was losing his mind. She says he worries too much. He doesn’t know what to say. She kisses him again.

Salter leads Harvie through the valley. The crops that weren’t destroyed by the weather are covered in bugs. Harvie asks if they can save any of it. Salter shakes his head and says it's a total loss.

Hewet stands with a group of men, watching. He says they've been bug-free for a year. He blames witchcraft. The men around him recoil in shock and fear. Gramme can't believe it. Ireland says someone ought to do something about. Hewet implies that he will. Harvie refuses to look in Hewet’s direction.

Swabber leads Harvie and Salter towards the back of his house. Hewet, Cheyne and several other men follow. He leads them to a pen that once held live goats. Now the goats are all dead. Their bodies have been turned inside out. He points to the bloody corpses of the goats. Cheyne says no animal could do that. Swabber says no man, either. Hewet says it's the devil’s work. The other men nod and murmur agreement.

William Willes walks through his office into the morgue. Harvie and Salter. All three hold scarves over their mouths and noses. He points to the body of a deceased man on a slab.

Willes identifies the body as John Prat. He says the other infected have already been buried in order to stop the pox from spreading. The other deceased were George How and Jane Mannering. Harvie nods. He and Salter leave the way they came. 

Outside Hewet watches the doctor’s office. He smiles when Harvie walks by. Hewet asks Harvie if the census needs to be revised. Harvie ignores Hewet. The other men look on with concern.

Pretty much the entire population of the settlement is crammed into town hall. The crowd is buzzing. Salter presides over the meeting. He bangs the gavel on the podium. Everyone quiets down. Salter says he'll be presiding over the election. A smattering of applause.

He says the floor is now open for nominations. Thomas Bookener nominates Harvie. A smattering of applause. Some grumbling from opponents. Salter bangs the gavel. Richard Ireland stands. Ireland seconds the nomination.

William Willes nominates Hewet. The crowd erupts in applause from Hewet supporters, of whom there are many. Harvie supporters are shocked. Harvie glares at Willes. He is betrayed. Willis avoids making eye contact. Roger Baily seconds Hewet's nomination. 

Everyone surveys the room. No other candidates are nominated. Salter bangs the gavel, saying the election is between Dyonis Harvie and Father Thomas Hewet. The crowd applauds. Salter bangs the gavel.

Salter opens the floor to speeches. Harvie says "All of you know me. I’ve been here for you since day 1. We built this village together. We’ve eaten well. We’ve been safe. We’ve made an alliance with the Indians. We’ve survived bad weather, disease and isolation. You know me. You know my record. You know I’m a fair man. I’ve been here for you every moment of every day. You know I’ll stay dedicated to the success of this colony until the day I die. Don’t fall to the words of a man who would divide us and punish us for our human failings. Vote for our shared past and vote to secure our future." A relatively strong round of applause. More people applaud Harvie than will vote for him. Salter bangs the gavel.

Hewet says "If you’re happy with the status quo, by all means, vote for Mr. Harvie. If you’re happy with crop failures and impending war with savages, please vote for Mr. Harvie. If you have seen the punishments God has visited on this colony, you know what to do. But if you want a leader who will invite God into our settlement... if you live righteously and want a leader who does the same... if you love the Lord and are fed up with leaders who don’t, I humbly offer my services." The crowd breaks into thunderous applause. Salter bangs on the gavel. Hewet sits down, a satisfied look on his face. Several women in red sit among the crowd, they do not applaud. Erasmus and Frances watch from the back of the room. Erasmus is afraid. Frances is amused. Salter bangs his gavel.

Salter says it’s time to vote. Grumblings of approval from the audience. They do a standing vote. Harvie’s supporters stand. There are no more than two dozen of them. Harvie hangs his head.

Salter waits for everyone to settle. He bangs the gavel. The bulk of the crowd, 60 or so people, stands for Hewet. The crowd erupts with a big cheer. Salter tries to gavel them down to no avail. Harvie walks out of the room, head held high. His supporters follow, including Erasmus, Frances, Elizabeth and the women in red. Salter continues to bang the gavel. He is ignored.

Hewet walks in like he owns the place. Waiting for him are Sheriff Salter, deputies Ireland and Bookener, Elizabeth, and two other men, Thomas Smart and William Wythers. Smart and Wythers are large, muscular men. Hewet takes a seat behind the desk and gets comfortable.

Hewet fires Ireland and Bookener. Ireland and Bookener exchange a panicked look. They look towards Salter. Salter says Hewet can't be serious, but the preacher threatens him, too. Salter looks towards Ireland and Bookener and shrugs. Hewet glares at them. He tells the fired men to get out. Ireland and Bookener leave in a hurry.

Hewet tells Salter his new deputies are Smart and Wythers. Salters nods.

He questions Elizabeth and says her job is safe for now. Elizabeth frowns. He asks if she'd rather leave. She shakes her head. He tells her to smile when he does her the favor of letting you keep your job. She hesitantly smiles. Hewet is satisfied. Elizabeth walks to the back of the room.

Hewet hands Salter a lengthy list of people to arrest for witchcraft. Everyone stares at Hewett, who sits and smiles. Salter leads Hewet through the jail. The cells are jam-packed with people who frown and scowl at Hewet. Those jailed include Jane Pierce, Thomas Hulme, Roger Deane, Audry Tappan, Alis Chapman and Joan Warrem.

Hewet notes the jail is very crowded. Salter says they'll need to expand if Hewet continues. Hewet says he'll definitely continue. Salter says he'll start on expansion plans. Hewet is satisfied.

Roger Deane rushes to the front of the cell and grabs the bars. He damns Hewet. Hewet smiles and says he's not the one facing damnation. Deane asks why everyone is imprisoned. Hewet says they know what they are guilty of and they'll have a chance to face their accusers in court.

Deane reaches through the bars and tries to grab Hewet. He misses. Salter swats Deane’s arm with a club. Salter warns him that he is a prisoner. Deane rubs his sore arm and asks how long that will last. Hewet says until they are tried, convicted and ready to be punished. Hewet leaves. Salter follows.

The room is packed. Almost every settler is present. Hewet sits in the presiding judge’s seat. There are no other authorities present. Salter pours a line of salt around Hewet’s chair and table. Hewet bangs a gavel on the table.

Hewet pulls out a document and establishes the authority of the court under the Papal bull, Summis desiderantes affectibus, issued by Pope Innocent VIII in 1484. He has Erasmus read a passage to the audience.

He pulls out the Malleus Maleficarum to describe witchcraft. It asserts three requirements before witchcraft takes place: 1. It starts with “the permission of God.” God gave us all free will. If witchcraft has taken place, God has given permission. 2. Second is the evil intentions of the witch. Again, if witchery has taken place, the witch MUST have intended it. And as all witchcraft is evil... 3. Finally, the witch needs assistance from the Devil. This one is also self-evident. The fact that a witch casts a spell means the Devil has answered her dark prayers.

Hewet says the combination of the Papal bull and Malleus Maleficarum gives the court the right to try, convict and punish witches, up to and including death. Some gasps from the crowd.

He says witches are known to engage in six activities... one, they enter into a pact with the devil. Two, they have sexual relations with the devil. Three, they engage in flight to attend devilish activities. Four, they attend an assembly presided over by Satan himself. Five, they practice maleficent magic. Lastly, they slaughter babies. The crowd is shocked.

He says any of these sins is sufficient to mark one as a witch. One or more is all that is need to try, convict and punish someone for the crime of witchcraft. Hewet bangs the gavel to quiet the unruly crowd.

He calls forth the first of the accused, Jane Pierce. The crowd erupts. Some condemning Pierce, others defending her. Pierce is brought in wearing chains. Hewet bangs his gavel. He asks her a set of questions about witchcraft. She answers negative to all of them. She claims the current trial is Satanic. The crowd erupts with anger. Hewet bangs the gavel so hard, it breaks. 

Hewet has her removed and calls the first witness, Ms. Lawrence? Margaret Lawrence takes the stand. He asks her why she thinks Pierce is a witch. She tells her story: "Elizabeth and I were walking through the forest, looking for flowers. We came out of the woods near Ms. Pierce’s house... A few seconds after we came out of the woods, Ms. Pierce joined us. She was carrying s fox she killed. I questioned her about hunting on the Sabbath. She ignored us and started skinning the fox. I asked her ‘who works on Sunday? She told me to mind my business. Then she threw the fox’s severed foot at us. We ran. She chased after us for a bit but she gave up. We called her a sinner as we ran away, but she didn’t follow."

Margaret goes back to her seat in the audience. Hewet calls Elizabeth Viccars. She takes the stand. He asks her for additional evidence against Pierce. She replies: "As we were running away, Ms. Pierce yelled after me. She yelled how ‘she knew me’ and called out my name. She said ‘I won’t forget this’ and I ran as fast as I could." and "That night, I was lying in my bed. Ms. Pierce appeared to me in her spectral form. She said to shut my mouth and told me that if I told anyone, she would revisit me in person and shut my mouth for me."

Margaret’s mother is afraid Pierce is going to get them now. The crowd erupts with outrage. Most attack Ms. Pierce, but a few call for calm and deliberation. Pierce sobs, mostly in fear. She promises she won't harm anyone. Few people believe her. Hewet stands and yells at the crowd, telling them to quiet down. They do. Elizabeth leaves the stand.

Hewet calls Emme Merrimoth to the stand. She testifies: "I was at Ms. Pierce’s home, helping her with housework. My parents rent my cleaning services to other families. One day, I think it was three weeks ago..."

Flashback to: Emme finishes hanging wet laundry on a clothesline. She wipes her hands on her dirty dress and goes inside the house. Emme searches the house, finding no one. She arrives at the door to Pierce’s bedroom. The door is slightly ajar. Emme moves close and peers through the small space between the door and jamb. She sees Pierce sitting at a desk that faces the door. She is very clearly writing with her left hand. Emme takes a deep breath in shock. She tries to cover her mouth, but she’s too slow. Pierce glares at her with the evil eye. Pierce says a magic phrase.

A wave of force flies across the room. The door slams shut. The wave knocks Emme down and she hits her head on the floor. Hard. She cries out. She scrambles to her feet and runs from the house. The flashback ends. Emme returns to her place in the audience.

Hewet tells Pierce to take the stand again. She does. Pierce denies the other women's testimony. Hewet asks her more questions, all of which she denies. 

Hewet ends the day's hearing. He stands up and gathers his papers and broken gavel. The crowd disperses.

Erasmus and Frances walk along a forest path outside the colony. He says the town is going to Hell. Frances laughs. He says Hewet fired him. She jokes about him not doing enough cleaning. He thinks Hewet suspects him of being connected to the witchcraft accusations. She knows he's not. She takes off running. It's a race. He watches her run for a moment, then chases her.

The room is packed. Hewet comes in and takes his seat. He has a new gavel. He sits down and bangs the gavel. The crowd quiets down and they take their seats. Hewet says if they have any outbursts like yesterday, he’ll clear this courtroom and there will be further... punishments. The crowd is dead silent.

He says punishments for those convicted of witchcraft will be handed down after they have heard all the witnesses and testimony. He says not to confuse the fact that no one is getting punished now with lack of guilt for any of the accused. The crowd is afraid.

He says to get full confessions, they may have to resort to enhanced interrogation. The prisoners in the cell shake with fear. Hewet says the court will bring justice to the colony in the name of God, no matter what it takes. He waits for anyone to respond. It’s a dare?

Hewet calls Thomas Hulme to take the stand. Salter lets Hulme out of the cell. His arms are still chained. He takes the stand. He asks Hulme the basic questions, all of which Hulme answers negatively. Hewet orders Hulme back to his cell.

Hewet calls Silvester Beching to the stand. Beching testifies against Hulme: "Mr. Hulme invited me to his house for dinner. He said he was 'experimenting' with new recipes and needed someone to try them and give him feedback..."

Flashback to Hulme standing in his kitchen, preparing dinner. Beching sits at the dining room table, drinking wine. He finishes his glass. He gets up and walks into the kitchen. Hulme quickly hurries him back out of the kitchen. Hulme waits until Beching sits, carefully watching until Beching rests in his chair. Hulme goes back to the kitchen and refills the wine glass. Then he refills his own glass. He walks back to the dining room and hands the glass back to Beching. Hulme holds his glass up to toast. Beching joins him. Hulme returns to the kitchen and finishes cooking. Hulme places two plates on the table, grabs his wine and sits down. Beching looks down at his place. The cabbage and carrots are obvious, but the small strips of meat aren’t recognizable. Beching asks about the meat. Hulme protects his culinary secrets. Hulme eats a piece of the meat. He savors it. Hulme eats another piece. Again he savors it. Then he washes it down with wine. Hulme chides Beching into trying it. Beching picks up a piece with his fork and smells it. He recoils from the scent. Hulme nods for him to go ahead. Hesitantly, Beching puts a piece in his mouth. He chews slowly, expecting it to taste bad. But as he chews, he starts to enjoy it more and more. He swallows and takes another bite.

An evil grin crosses Hulme’s face. Beching eagerly takes another bite. Hulme says it's human. Beching is shocked into silence. He stops chewing. Hulme confirms it's a baby. Horror grows on Beching’s face. Hulme nods. His grin almost inhumanly large. Beching leaps to his feet, spitting out the meat as he goes. He starts screaming and doesn’t stop for a long time. The flashback ends.

Hulme leaps to his feet and grabs the bars of the cell with his chained hands. He rages on the bars as he yells. He calls Beching a liar. Salter unlocks the cell. He smashes a truncheon into Hulme’s stomach. He falls to the ground in pain. Salter locks the cell again. All along, Hewet has been banging his gavel.

Hewet recesses for the day. The crowd disperses

The town is dark. Erasmus goes to an outhouse. He comes out second later. He sees Marke Bennet and Wenefrid Powell, carry as much as they can as they make their way out of town. Forever.

Erasmus walks towards the Inquisition building. Frances joins him. He tells her he saw people fleeing town. She says maybe they should go, too. Erasmus stops in his tracks, contemplating the thought. Frances continues walking. She doesn’t look back.

Once again, the courtroom is packed. Hewet calls up Roger Deane. Salter removes Deane from the cell, hands still chained and delivers him to the stand. Hewet asks him the standard questions, Deane answers negatively. Hewet finishes his basic questioning of Deane. Salter returns Deane to his cell.

William Wythers takes the stand. He testifies about Deane: "I was doing some construction on Mr. Deane’s house. It was damaged in the last storm..."

Flashback to Wythers works to fix a hole in the roof of Deane’s house. He notes Deane's library. Deane pulls on his coat and heads out for food. Deane leaves. Wythers continues working in silence for a while. After a while, he puts is hammer and takes a rest. He walks into the kitchen area and pours himself a glass of water from a pitcher. He drinks from the glass and sighs. Wythers peruses the bookshelves. He doesn’t understand most of what he sees. He notices a handle clumsily hidden behind a few books. He moves the books aside and pulls the handle. A door opens, revealing a small windowless closet, lined with bookshelves. The closet is packed from ceiling to floor. He discovers a secret book collection? He browses the hidden tomes, but they’re hard to read. He pulls a few off the shelves and reads the covers: Malleus Maleficarum... The Grimoire of Honorius... The Hecate Scriptures... The Codex Gigas... Picatrix... The Key of Solomon... Theologia Summi Boni... Ars Amatoria... The Satyricon... Wythers opens several books and is shocked at what he sees: medical drawings of nude human bodies, sexual artwork, drawings of monsters eating humans, humans tortured, humans in Hell. He runs screaming from the house. He doesn’t put anything back and doesn’t close any doors. Flashback ends.

Wythers is visibly shaken on the stand. He says "The evil in those books was so palpable... the images so vile, I’ll never stop seeing them in my mind. I cursed myself by opening that door. As Mr. Deane wanted." Hewet glares at Deane.

Deane is on the stand again. He says he collect ANY books. He has the largest collection in the new world. Hewet asks if he collects Blasphemous books? Heretical books? Obscene books? EVIL books? Deane’s confidence is slipping.

Hewet accuses him of hording and coveting books known to actively harm people. Hewet is furious. Deane denies it, but Hewet silences him. He has Salter and his deputies remove Deane from the room.

Erasmus returns from a solo hunting trip. He carries several dead rabbits over his shoulder. He sees movement outside the colony wall. It’s Elizabeth. And Jane. He ducks behind a large tree to avoid being seen by Jane. Erasmus carefully peaks around the tree. He sees the two women share a long, close embrace. The break and he sees them talking and laughing. They’re clearly flirting. The two women walk away, out of Erasmus’ line of sight. He runs for the gate, making it inside without the women seeing him.

Erasmus and Frances sit across from each other eating stew. They are close, but don’t touch and aren’t close enough to be accused of sin. He tells her he saw Elizabeth and Jane in a lesbian embrace. She makes fun of him. He drops his head in shame. He’s busted. She knows of his lust for her. 

She’s surprised but not upset. She wants the same. Erasmus looks up and they match toothy grins. She tells him they can't act on it. Yet. He smiles.

She tells him Elizabeth and Jane are lovers. Erasmus’ eyes go wide. Frances quietly shushes him with a finger over her lips. They laugh.

Hewet oversees Salter and the deputies as they strip the clothes from the prisoners. Pierce protests, but Hewet threatens her. Pierce cries. She’s fully naked now. Wythers shaves her head as Smart holds her still. 

Salter question's Hewet's latest actions. Hewet says they're authorized by the Malleus Maleficarum. The other prisoners are stripped naked and shaved. Hewet says the goal is to find the witch’s mark. Salter looks at Hewet incredulously.

Hewet stands in the center of town square. A cage next to him holds the three naked prisoners. Pierce covers herself with her hands. Hulme covers his penis. Deane doesn’t care and he stands fully exposed. Salter and his deputies stand beside the cage. The colonists are in full attendance and crowd around Hewet and the cage. They watch with rapt attention.

Hewet says "We have successfully prosecuted three witches. We will now give them a chance to confess. We will encourage them to confess using various enhanced interrogation techniques. God save their souls." The crowd murmurs. They are discontented, worried and afraid.

Ireland calls the proceedings a farce. At Hewet's instruction, Smart silences Ireland with a punch to the mouth. He falls to the ground. Smart and Wythers gather him and take him to the jail.

Hewet calls Pierce forward. Salter gets Pierce from the cage and he presents her to Hewet. He gestures towards a small third nipple on her upper abdomen, calling it a witch teat. He smiles, satisfied with himself.

He calls for more questioning of Pierce. Hewet motions to Salter. He calls for the thumbscrews. Smart forces Pierce to sit on a chair. Salter takes the thumbscrews and places them over Pierce’s fingers. She screams and tries to pull away. Smart and Wythers hold her in place. Pierce slumps down in the chair, sobbing. Wythers holds Pierce’s arms up. Her thumbs hang limply from the torture device. Hewet holds a hand up to his ear.

Pierce confesses she's a witch to stop the torture. Gasps from the crowd. Hewet waves his dismissal of Pierce. Salter and Smart return her to the cage. Hewet struts around, proudly.

Salter removes Hulme from the cage and presents him to Hewet. Hulme looks up and makes eye contact with Smart. Smart punches Hulme in the head, saying he won't be bewitched. Hulme bleeds from a wound on his head. They present him to Hewet.

Hewet points to several moles on Hulme’s head. If his head weren’t shaved, they wouldn’t be visible. These are supposedly witch's marks. Hewet gestures towards something large hidden beneath a sheet. Salter and Smart walk towards it. It's a rack. Gasps from the crowd.

Salter and Wythers lift Hulme and put him on the rack. Smart straps him in. Hulme is stretched on the rack. His face is wracked with agony. Hulme cries. He confesses he's a witch. Hewet grins. 

Salter removes Deane from the cage and presents him to Hewet. Hewet points to several skin tags under each of Deane’s arms, supposedly witch's marks. Under questioning, he admits to owning the books. Gasps from the crowd.

Hewet smiles. Deane denies he's a witch. Gasps from the crowd. The smile fades from Hewet’s face. He’s genuinely surprised. Deane says the books are to help fight evil. Hewet laughs.

Hewet says the Bible and texts from the Church give us everything we need to know. To think otherwise is to blaspheme. Deane says he has never engaged in witchcraft or made a deal with the devil. Hewet smiles.

Hewet calls for the mouth-pear. Salter brings the torture device to Hewet. Hewet takes the mouth-pear and sticks it in Deane’s mouth. Deane screams as the crowd looks away: part fear, part shame. Smart unscrews the torture and removes it from Deane’s bloody mouth.

Deane tries to spit blood, but can’t because his lips are shredded. He just lets the blood pour from his mouth. Deane speaks with his ruined mouth. It’s barely comprehensible. He confesses to being a witch. The crowd reacts more with pity than anything else. Hewet grins. Then he realizes he doesn’t know what to do next and he frowns.

Hewet walks back in front of the crowd, which is silent except for the quiet sobs of several women. He says this isn’t getting them anywhere. They need to capture and interrogate the ringleaders of the witchery. he crowd murmurs. They’re speculating who’s next.

Hewet names Dyonis Harvie. The crowd gasps. Hewet grins. Salter, Smart and Wythers wade into the crowd, looking for Harvie. Harvie doesn’t hide, so he’s east to find. Wythers spots him and grabs his arm. Smart rushes over and grabs Harvie by the other arm. The deputies escort Harvie to Hewet.

Harvie says this was Hewet's plan all along. Harvie calls him a traitor. Smart punches Harvie in the face, breaking his nose. Blood gushes down over his shirt.

Hewet says they have no further need of testimony from witches. Harvie says he has rights. Hewet tells him to recite the Lord's Prayer under the premise that a witch can't. Harvie tries but gets a word wrong.

Hewet corrects him with a grin. Hewet appeals to the audience. None can defend Harvie. Hewet tells his men to prepare the leg irons.

Smart grabs a pair of tongs and pulls a pair of heated leg irons from a fire. Wythers helps him with a second set of tongs. Salters holds Harvie in place. Smart and Wythers place one of the leg irons on Harvie. The screaming starts. Harvie lays on the ground, clearly unconscious.

Hewet asks Harvie to deny that he has practiced witchcraft in service of the devil? Harvie doesn’t respond. Wythers kicks him. Harvie moans, but doesn’t wake. Hewet declares him guilty. The crowd is shocked into silence.

The four prisoners are bound individually to pyres. Hewet says God commands him to burn the witches. Hewet grabs a torch from Wythers. He walks to Harvie and lights the man’s pyre. Hewet smiles, gloating directly in Harvie’s face.

Hewet moves to Hulme and lights his pyre. He hands the torch to Smart, telling him to finish up. Smart light’s Deane’s pyre, then Pierce’s. Harvie starts screaming. Much of the crowd looks away or averts their eyes as their fellow colonists start to burn. Only Hewet and his closest men are happy. The screams make everyone uncomfortable except Hewet. Eventually the screams start to die down.

Hewet wonders who they should interrogate next. He looks around, but no one responds. He says they will not stop until they have executed all the witches.

The crowd stares at him in fear. Valentine Beale steps forward, raising her hand. She asks for a private audience. Hewet is taken aback. He says they'll take a short recess and that no one should leave.

Hewet, Beale and Salter go inside town hall. Hewet takes a seat. Salter watches over Beale like she’s a prisoner. Hewet’s temper grows short. She says she saw Elizabeth Glane having unnatural relations with another woman.

Salter’s eyes widen in shock. Hewet grins as big a grin as he can. Hewet tells Salter to grab Glane. Hewet quietly celebrates another of his enemies falling into his clutches.

Erasmus and Frances lean against the side of town hall. Not close enough to draw any suspicion. He asks her why Jane wasn't arrested. She says because they can't see her.

She tells him he'll understand everything soon. Erasmus nods. He trusts her.

Salter brings Elizabeth from the cage and presents her to Hewet. She covers her naked body. Elizabeth looks towards the audience. She makes eye contact with Jane. Jane smiles and nods her head. Reassuring Elizabeth. Smart slaps Elizabeth’s face. Smart tells her to face forward. 

Elizabeth looks toward Hewet. Jane frowns. She is angry. Hewet says Salter discovered the witch’s mark. He points to a scar on her abdomen. She says it's not a witch's mark, it's from a hunting accident. Hewet says they need no testimony from a witch. Elizabeth is dumbfounded.

Hewet tells Valentine Beale to take the stand and tell his story. Beale steps up to a makeshift stand.

Flashback: Valentine Beale walks out of the forest. She carries a basket of freshly-picked berries. She sees Erasmus and Frances run past, going inside the wall. She smiles at the young people in love. Movement catches her eye at the edge of the colony’s wall. Beale sees Elizabeth and Jane run around the corner. They’re holding hands. Beale frowns. She follows them. Beale walks and walks, getting further and further from the front gate. She hears laughter from ahead. Beale rounds the corner and sees the two women lay down on a blanket. Beale jumps back, hiding herself behind the corner of the wall. She takes a deep breath. She peeks at the women.

Both women are now topless. Jane leans in and kisses Elizabeth. They lay down and start to make love. Beale covers her mouth and flattens herself against the wall. Once she’s sure the women are still occupied, she runs for the gate. Flashback ends.

Hewet grins as Beale finishes her story. She says she couldn't make out the other woman. Beale fades back into the crowd. She hides herself from the eyes of her fellow colonists. 

Hewet glares at Elizabeth. He asks what they need to do to get her to confess. She admits she's a witch. Hewet is shocked. So is the crowd.

Hewt declares her guilty and tells the men to put her on the pyre. Salter and his men grab her. Elizabeth is strapped to the pyre. Hewet, Salter and his deputies surround her. She keeps her chin up, refusing to show fear to Hewet.

Hewet says "This is your last chance for salvation, Ms. Glane. Tell us who the other woman was and we will spare your life." She says no. Hewet runs red with rage. He screams "Tell us now or join your fellow witches in Hell! Who is this mystery harlot!" Elizabeth says she'll neve tell him.

Hewet prepares to light the pyre. Jane steps forth. People see her for the first time. Hewet asks who she is.

Jane walks forward. Hewet takes a step back in fear. She says there's no reason to burn Elizabeth, she, Jane, is the woman in question.

Jane makes eye contact with Elizabeth. They exchange a comfortable smile. He asks who she is, he doesn't know her. She says her name is Jane and she says Elizabeth is no witch.

Hewet frowns. He holds the torch closer to Elizabeth’s pyre. He asks how she know. Jane says she knows because SHE is a witch.

Gasps from the crowd. Jane tells him to move the torch away from her. Or else. Hewet starts to protest. Jane raises a hand. As she does flames shoot up from the torch in Hewet’s hand, engulfing the man in flames. Jane say "In the name of Croatoan, let them all burn!"

The women in red emerge from the crowd. People see them for the first time. They use their hands to cast spells. The fire spreads. Jane turns her attention to Salter. She blasts him with fire. Erasmus runs towards the gate. Frances grabs his hand and pulls him between buildings.

Frances says he's not a target, so he's safe. Erasmus is afraid, but he trusts her. 

A door flies from a nearby building and decapitates Nicholas Swabber. Fire blasts Edward Chipping and Edward Ketcheman. A tree falls, crushing Silvester Beching. Jane throws fire onto the nearby buildings. Other witches transfer fire to the other buildings. Soon, every building is in flames. The crowd has gone crazy and runs in every direction. Jane pulls the gate closed magically, sealing everyone inside. The crashing gate closes on Roger Baily’s hand. The fence catches fire and Baily soon burns. Vincent Cheyne runs into the gate. He’s already on fire. The fire grows as he screams. Thomas Smart and William Wythers are blasted with fire. The wall of town hall crashes down on Margaret Lawrence, Elizabeth Viccars, and Emme Merrimoth. Valentine Beale is shoved into a fiery building and screams till she dies. Erasmus watches the mayhem.

Frances grabs him by the hand. They run through a hole in the gate and into the forest. Chaos reigns. Witches burn colonists. Everybody dies. Everything burns. The witches disappear into the forest.

The Hopewell approaches the coast. The ship drops anchor. Captain Edward Kettell scans the beach.

Kettell, Governor John White and a half dozen sailors approach the beach in a rowboat.

Kettell and White follow a scout through the forest. He leads them into a grassy area and stops. He consults his map and compass one last time. The scout tells them this is the location, White doesn't believe him. Kettell notes there's nothing there. The scout shrugs. The scout confirms the location.

The men fan out and searching the area for signs of life. White notices that the grass has grown over a burnt area. The scout finds a random piece of burnt wood. He holds it up for the others to see. White asks if that's it? No one answers.

Kettell points to a tree. About chest height, the bark has been peeled away. The word “Croatoan” is carved into the tree. White asks what it means. No one knows.