[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
The figure kept coming, heading right for her.
There was only one thing to do. She would have to bring down the sky demon.
Jon hefted her sling, fitting a rock. She waited, teeth clenched, determined not to let the sky person
close.
The figure came nearer, and with it a whooshing noise like a great wind from the nostrils of a gigantic
flying dragon. Jon was terrified, but she knew that if this demon got her, her brother could be doomed.
Chapter 25 Interpretation
As soon as the guards had left, taking John Knight with them, Kelvin had set about trying to think of a
way that he and King Rufurt might escape. It was obvious to him that his father was really powerless to
resist Queen Zoanna. Certainly that was the case while he, Kelvin, remained hostage for his father's
cooperation.
"I think," he said to the King when they were alone, "that we'd better act fast. Is there any decent soil
here?"
"There's manure from rats, and slops," the King said. "But "
"That will do. Gather a pile of it and wet it down."
"Look, young man, I may be a prisoner, but I'm still a king! I don't do that sort of work!"
Kelvin had forgotten the man's rank for the moment. "Okay, I'll do it myself. But time is of the essence."
"You have something in mind?"
"I have a few seeds I saved," Kelvin said, fishing them out of his pocket. "Some of them seem to
respond better to roundears than to natives. If I can grow something special, it might help us escape."
"Impossible," the King said. "It would take weeks to grow anything, and there's no decent daylight
here."
"Um, yes." Then Kelvin's questing fingers found the shriveled husk of the flower he had plucked. It bad
lain for weeks in his pocket, forgotten. He drew it carefully out. It was battered but intact: a desiccated
spicerose. "But maybe I can revive this."
"You can speak to flowers?" the King asked, amazed.
"Oh, sure. Flowers and fruits like me, I don't know why."
"I recognize that species," the King said, excited. "That's the shade-blooming spicerose one of the
a
a
T
T
n
n
s
s
F
F
f
f
o
o
D
D
r
r
P
P
m
m
Y
Y
e
e
Y
Y
r
r
B
B
2
2
.
.
B
B
A
A
Click here to buy
Click here to buy
w
w
m
m
w
w
o
o
w
w
c
c
.
.
.
.
A
A
Y
Y
B
B
Y
Y
B
B
r r
most prized flowers! I used to grow them in my chambers, but they would respond to only one
gardener."
"Yes, that's why I saved it," Kelvin agreed. "A mooear trampled the plant and broke the stem, so I
thought I might restore it when there was someone who could appreciate it. But then things got
complicated, and I forgot."
"You can restore that rose?"
"Yes, I think so. They prefer shade, and we have that here, so "
"I'll get the damp manure!" the King exclaimed. He busied himself, scraping the stuff up from the edges
of the cell, while Kelvin cradled the dry rose in his hands, breathing on it. Already it was beginning to
revive.
The King brought a double handful of fairly foul stuff. "Hold it there," Kelvin said. "I'll just put the stem
in, and then talk to it..."
This time the King did as he was bid without protest. He held the manure, while Kelvin planted the rose
in it, then cupped the faded blossom with his hands and whispered to it. "Oh, lovely spicerose, bloom
again for me, if you please," he said to it. "I long for your rare fragrance."
"It's working!" the King exclaimed. "The petals are filling out!"
"Yes. But it won't last; it's been dry too long."
"Careful! When the fragrance comes, a single sniff can put you out."
"No, it doesn't affect me that way," Kelvin said. "I like the smell, but it doesn't put me into a dream."
"The glory and penalty of being a roundear," the King remarked sagely. "To have the power to restore a
rare flower, but to be unable to reap its proffered reward."
"That seems to be the nature of heroism," Kelvin agreed with a shrug. "If I had my choice "
They heard the steps of the guard returning. "But a native " the King said.
"Yes. Pretend you want it, so he notices."
"I understand. Tell me when the rose is ready. I don't dare smell it myself."
The guard returned to his station outside the cell. He was bored, of course, just waiting until his shift
changed.
Kelvin nursed the rose along. The petals filled out and pale red color came. The smell manifested.
"Ready," Kelvin murmured.
"Hey, boy," the King said abruptly. "Save some of that for me!"
"No, it's mine!" Kelvin replied, playing the game.
a
a
T
T
n
n
s
s
F
F
f
f
o
o
D
D
r
r
P
P
m
m
Y
Y
e
e
Y
Y
r
r
B
B
2
2
.
.
B
B
A
A
Click here to buy
Click here to buy
w
w
m
m
w
w
o
o
w
w
c
c
.
.
.
.
A
A
Y
Y
B
B
Y
Y
B
B
r r
"But I'm the King! I am entitled to the first sniff!"
The guard came alert. "What's that?"
"He's got a spicerose, and he won't share," the King said indignantly.
"A spicerose!" the guard exclaimed. "I don't believe it!"
"You fool," Kelvin said. "Don't tell him! He'll just take it for himself!"
"You bet I will!" the guard said, spying the rose. "Give it here!"
"But it's mine!" Kelvin protested.
"Give it here, or I'll club you on the head!" the guard said.
With obvious regret, the King brought the handful of manure and the rose to the bars. The guard leaned
forward and took a deep sniff of the rose. His eyes glazed, his mouth curved into an idiotic smile, and he
fell against the bars.
"Get his keys!" the King said urgently, holding the rose to the man's descending nose.
Kelvin reached through and grabbed the keys. Then he unlocked the gate, stepped out, and unlooped the
rope he kept coiled beneath the waistband of his pantaloons. Made of lightweight thistlehemp fiber, it
had gone unnoticed by his captors. He passed it around the body of the slumped guard and tied him
securely.
"But we may need that rope," the King said, setting manure and flower down.
Kelvin agreed. So they tied the guard again, this time using strips torn from his own uniform. They
hurried, because the blissful sleep produced by a spicerose lasted only a minute or two. This rose had
been good for about two sniffs; now its petals were shriveling again. Its moment of glory was over, and
there would be no reviving it again.
"You did well, rose," Kelvin said, and it almost seemed that the petals gave a final quiver before they
curled up in death.
"Too bad it did not have a worthier subject for its joy," the King remarked.
"Now," Kelvin said, "maybe we can get out of here."
"Follow me," the King said, and started running full tilt up the stairs. The guard was stirring, but would
be unable to free himself in time to do them any harm.
Kelvin followed, surprised at how fast the old King could run after months, no, years, of confinement.
Perhaps all those exercises the King and his father did each day had kept them in better condition than
even they could have hoped.
"This way," said the King, taking a branching flight of stairs. "This leads to the secret passage I had
constructed. Even the Queen doesn't know."
a
a
T
T
n
n
s
s
F
F
f
f
o
o
D
D
r
r
P
P
m
m
Y
Y
e
e
Y
Y
r
r
B
B
2
2
.
.
B
B
A
A
Click here to buy
Click here to buy
w
w
m
m
w
w
o
o
w
w
c
c
.
.
.
.
A
A
Y
Y
B
B
Y
Y
B
B
r r
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]