The Man Who Laughs Part I, Book the First, Chapter II - Left Alone

In which a motley band of ragged travellers, bound by a secret purpose, embark stealthily from a dark cliff in a Spanish hooker adorned with sacred figures, while a lone, neglected child waits obediently but is left behind in the haste of departure. The unfolding scene, rich with whispered tongues and hidden faiths, paints a portrait of urgent escape and communal mystery beneath the shadowed veil of night.