you. How many years ago was that?”
“I think seven of your years, my lady.”
“Seven years. And I am now twenty-two. So this girl is twenty. Not a girl. Although she looks like one.”
As we spoke, the girl turned her head to follow our conversation. She still said nothing. I looked at her. She fascinated me. Why did she look so much like a child? She had the body of a child. The voice of a child. Still thin and reed-like. She reminded me of Ffion, my sister, whom I had not seen for those seven years.
I walked round and perched on the edge of the table in front of her. She pushed the chair backwards, away from me. “How does this light switch off?” I asked her.
“It does not,” she said in her little voice.
“You mean it’s on all the time? But why?” I lifted the lamp off the table. It was surprisingly heavy. As I did so she reached out with one hand.
“Stop,” she said. “Do not touch it.”
I put it down, not wishing to upset her too much. “So. Are you going to tell us why you are here?”
“My name is Arachne0644,” she said.
“We know that. Answer my question. Why are you here?”
“My name is Arachne0644,” she repeated.
Eluned moved from her position in the doorway and crossed the room to stand behind her. Without warning, she grabbed a clump of her hair and twisted it. The girl screamed.
“Enough, Eluned,” I said. “We don’t want to hurt her.”
Eluned relaxed her grip but did not let go. “Why are you here?” she said.
The girl put her hand up in a feeble attempt to remove Eluned’s hand from her hair. “My name is ...” she began, but screamed again as Eluned twisted her hair. Eluned removed her hand. “The girl is stupid, my lady. We should go. I will dispose of her. We will take the clothes.” She turned the girl so that she was facing her.
“No,” I shouted, fearful that she was about to deliver one of her killing blows to the girl. “You cannot kill her. She does not deserve it.”
Eluned looked at me. She turned back to the girl and said, “Remove your clothes.” Still terrified, the girl slowly started to unbutton her shirt, with one hand, the other desperately clutching her Bible. Eluned pulled the book from her hand and threw it across the room. “Quickly,” she said.
The girl started to cry as she peeled the shirt off and handed it to Eluned. “The rest,” Eluned said. Still sitting, the girl unbuckled the belt on her trousers, unbuttoned them and pushed them down her legs and off. Eluned scooped them up and put them on the table with the shirt. Turning to me, she said, “This?” pointing to the girl’s underwear. I shook my head. Eluned picked up the discarded clothing and gave them to me. “For you, my lady.”
I picked them up and turned to go into the bedroom. “Don’t harm her,” I said. Eluned smiled and followed me out of the room, shutting the door behind her. She took the girl’s other uniform set from the cupboard, discarded her shift and started to put them on. I looked in the cupboard and saw that there was also an overcoat, a raincoat and a shelf with some underwear and socks. I took one set, threw off my shift, and dressed. It felt most peculiar to be wearing underwear and socks again. All the years I had been away I had worn nothing but a shift.
Soon we stood there, both looking very different. The clothes were tight-fitting as they were made for the girl, but they must have been loose on her. In a shirt and trousers Eluned looked most odd, and I suppose I must have looked the same. We both laughed.
“No shoes,” Eluned said, lifting out a single pair of boots from the bottom of the cupboard which were definitely not going to fit either of us. I took off the socks and stuffed them, together with a spare pair and a spare set of underwear, into the pockets of the coat, which I then struggled to put on. Eluned took the raincoat and did the same. This left nothing in the cupboard except the shoes and a
“I think seven of your years, my lady.”
“Seven years. And I am now twenty-two. So this girl is twenty. Not a girl. Although she looks like one.”
As we spoke, the girl turned her head to follow our conversation. She still said nothing. I looked at her. She fascinated me. Why did she look so much like a child? She had the body of a child. The voice of a child. Still thin and reed-like. She reminded me of Ffion, my sister, whom I had not seen for those seven years.
I walked round and perched on the edge of the table in front of her. She pushed the chair backwards, away from me. “How does this light switch off?” I asked her.
“It does not,” she said in her little voice.
“You mean it’s on all the time? But why?” I lifted the lamp off the table. It was surprisingly heavy. As I did so she reached out with one hand.
“Stop,” she said. “Do not touch it.”
I put it down, not wishing to upset her too much. “So. Are you going to tell us why you are here?”
“My name is Arachne0644,” she said.
“We know that. Answer my question. Why are you here?”
“My name is Arachne0644,” she repeated.
Eluned moved from her position in the doorway and crossed the room to stand behind her. Without warning, she grabbed a clump of her hair and twisted it. The girl screamed.
“Enough, Eluned,” I said. “We don’t want to hurt her.”
Eluned relaxed her grip but did not let go. “Why are you here?” she said.
The girl put her hand up in a feeble attempt to remove Eluned’s hand from her hair. “My name is ...” she began, but screamed again as Eluned twisted her hair. Eluned removed her hand. “The girl is stupid, my lady. We should go. I will dispose of her. We will take the clothes.” She turned the girl so that she was facing her.
“No,” I shouted, fearful that she was about to deliver one of her killing blows to the girl. “You cannot kill her. She does not deserve it.”
Eluned looked at me. She turned back to the girl and said, “Remove your clothes.” Still terrified, the girl slowly started to unbutton her shirt, with one hand, the other desperately clutching her Bible. Eluned pulled the book from her hand and threw it across the room. “Quickly,” she said.
The girl started to cry as she peeled the shirt off and handed it to Eluned. “The rest,” Eluned said. Still sitting, the girl unbuckled the belt on her trousers, unbuttoned them and pushed them down her legs and off. Eluned scooped them up and put them on the table with the shirt. Turning to me, she said, “This?” pointing to the girl’s underwear. I shook my head. Eluned picked up the discarded clothing and gave them to me. “For you, my lady.”
I picked them up and turned to go into the bedroom. “Don’t harm her,” I said. Eluned smiled and followed me out of the room, shutting the door behind her. She took the girl’s other uniform set from the cupboard, discarded her shift and started to put them on. I looked in the cupboard and saw that there was also an overcoat, a raincoat and a shelf with some underwear and socks. I took one set, threw off my shift, and dressed. It felt most peculiar to be wearing underwear and socks again. All the years I had been away I had worn nothing but a shift.
Soon we stood there, both looking very different. The clothes were tight-fitting as they were made for the girl, but they must have been loose on her. In a shirt and trousers Eluned looked most odd, and I suppose I must have looked the same. We both laughed.
“No shoes,” Eluned said, lifting out a single pair of boots from the bottom of the cupboard which were definitely not going to fit either of us. I took off the socks and stuffed them, together with a spare pair and a spare set of underwear, into the pockets of the coat, which I then struggled to put on. Eluned took the raincoat and did the same. This left nothing in the cupboard except the shoes and a
Similar Books
