Rivers of Fire (Atherton, Book 2) by Patrick Carman
Authors: Patrick Carman
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, Children's Books, Action & Adventure, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Action & Adventure - General, Fantasy & Magic, YA), Children's Fiction, Ages 9-12 Fiction, Science Fiction; Fantasy; & Magic, Social Issues, Orphans, Social classes, Children: Grades 4-6, Friendship, Science fiction; American, Orphans & Foster Homes, Science fiction (Children's, Children's & young adult fiction & true stories, Earthquakes
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his eyes.
110
"Then you will be pleased," said Lord Phineus. His eyes glared heavily at the boy. "The blue line stops here, Samuel. You've found what you came for."
Lord Phineus hauled Samuel along the wall a few more feet and yelled behind him to Sir Emerik.
"Seize her!"
Sir Emerik took hold of Isabel and led her forward. He did not look well. What hair he had was matted grotesquely against his face. His eyes were bulging--not as much as Lord Phineus's were, but bulging nonetheless. And the terrible twitch remained, jolting in the firelight.
The men dragged Samuel and Isabel along until they arrived in front of a door. The door was of average size top to bottom and side to side, but it had a feeling of thickness that could not be measured. There was a latch of a kind Samuel had never seen. Putting down his torch, Lord Phineus took hold of it.
"You came looking for the source of water," said Lord Phineus. "You shall find something altogether different."
He jerked the heavy door open forcefully. When the door was open far enough Samuel was thrust inside and Isabel thrown in behind him. Lord Phineus followed, for he had reason to want to see the boy's reaction to what would be found inside. But this was a disastrous mistake. The moment he entered, Sir Emerik slammed shut the door and locked the three inside.
Every part of Sir Emerik shook with excitement. He had finally rid himself of Lord Phineus.
111
"No one remains! I am lord now, Lord Emerik, Lord of the Highlands!"
But the truth was Sir Emerik had been bitten by the Crat, and his weak mind was already awash in madness. He heard a o familiar, quiet sound coming from the distance in Mead's
Hollow.
Eeeeeeeek! Eeeeeeeek! Eeeeeeeek!
Sir Emerik touched the wall at his side and began running.
112
*** CHAPTER 13 THE SECRET AT THE SOURCE
Sir Emerik ran until his breath was gone, and still he heard the sound of the Crat behind him. They were on him, and this time they would not relent. Ten, maybe more, huddled in close. They had been denied a victim among many opportunities for too long, and Sir Emerik felt a deep concern that this time the creatures would not relent.
This was the first time Sir Emerik could really see the Crat. They were not as small as he'd supposed. The Crat were a full three feet long--five if you counted the hairless tail twitching behind--and powerfully built. They were black, which made them hard to see, but now it seemed that they wanted him to see them.
If Sir Emerik had ever seen a large house cat or a common
113
city rat, he would have said the creature before him looked like both at once. This would have been correct, because that's exactly what the Crat were--a hybrid species dreamed up by Dr. Maximus Harding and left to roam Mead's Hollow. He'd had great hopes for the Crat but found them wild and unpredictable. And yet, as with so many of his creations, he could not bring himself to destroy the Crat. He preferred to hide his flawed inventions, and Mead's Hollow had seemed as good a place as any.
Sir Emerik whipped the torch back and forth and managed to set one of the Crat on fire. He watched it roll and scream and smelled its burning hair. It reminded him of having his own hair burned off by Edgar, and for a moment he was distracted, letting down his guard.
It was then he felt the pain. Looking down, he saw the Crat at his boot. Its long, sharp teeth had pierced the leather, and jaws that seemed capable of crushing gravel into dust were clamping down around his big toe. He kicked furiously and set the beast on fire with the torch, but it would not let go. It wasn't until Sir Emerik batted the creature repeatedly with the torch that it finally released him. He kicked the flaming animal out into the darkness and to his astonishment it ran off, rolling the fire off its back as it went, until he could see it no more.
"Get back! Leave me alone!" he shouted. Having witnessed the man set fire to not one but two of the Crat, the
110
"Then you will be pleased," said Lord Phineus. His eyes glared heavily at the boy. "The blue line stops here, Samuel. You've found what you came for."
Lord Phineus hauled Samuel along the wall a few more feet and yelled behind him to Sir Emerik.
"Seize her!"
Sir Emerik took hold of Isabel and led her forward. He did not look well. What hair he had was matted grotesquely against his face. His eyes were bulging--not as much as Lord Phineus's were, but bulging nonetheless. And the terrible twitch remained, jolting in the firelight.
The men dragged Samuel and Isabel along until they arrived in front of a door. The door was of average size top to bottom and side to side, but it had a feeling of thickness that could not be measured. There was a latch of a kind Samuel had never seen. Putting down his torch, Lord Phineus took hold of it.
"You came looking for the source of water," said Lord Phineus. "You shall find something altogether different."
He jerked the heavy door open forcefully. When the door was open far enough Samuel was thrust inside and Isabel thrown in behind him. Lord Phineus followed, for he had reason to want to see the boy's reaction to what would be found inside. But this was a disastrous mistake. The moment he entered, Sir Emerik slammed shut the door and locked the three inside.
Every part of Sir Emerik shook with excitement. He had finally rid himself of Lord Phineus.
111
"No one remains! I am lord now, Lord Emerik, Lord of the Highlands!"
But the truth was Sir Emerik had been bitten by the Crat, and his weak mind was already awash in madness. He heard a o familiar, quiet sound coming from the distance in Mead's
Hollow.
Eeeeeeeek! Eeeeeeeek! Eeeeeeeek!
Sir Emerik touched the wall at his side and began running.
112
*** CHAPTER 13 THE SECRET AT THE SOURCE
Sir Emerik ran until his breath was gone, and still he heard the sound of the Crat behind him. They were on him, and this time they would not relent. Ten, maybe more, huddled in close. They had been denied a victim among many opportunities for too long, and Sir Emerik felt a deep concern that this time the creatures would not relent.
This was the first time Sir Emerik could really see the Crat. They were not as small as he'd supposed. The Crat were a full three feet long--five if you counted the hairless tail twitching behind--and powerfully built. They were black, which made them hard to see, but now it seemed that they wanted him to see them.
If Sir Emerik had ever seen a large house cat or a common
113
city rat, he would have said the creature before him looked like both at once. This would have been correct, because that's exactly what the Crat were--a hybrid species dreamed up by Dr. Maximus Harding and left to roam Mead's Hollow. He'd had great hopes for the Crat but found them wild and unpredictable. And yet, as with so many of his creations, he could not bring himself to destroy the Crat. He preferred to hide his flawed inventions, and Mead's Hollow had seemed as good a place as any.
Sir Emerik whipped the torch back and forth and managed to set one of the Crat on fire. He watched it roll and scream and smelled its burning hair. It reminded him of having his own hair burned off by Edgar, and for a moment he was distracted, letting down his guard.
It was then he felt the pain. Looking down, he saw the Crat at his boot. Its long, sharp teeth had pierced the leather, and jaws that seemed capable of crushing gravel into dust were clamping down around his big toe. He kicked furiously and set the beast on fire with the torch, but it would not let go. It wasn't until Sir Emerik batted the creature repeatedly with the torch that it finally released him. He kicked the flaming animal out into the darkness and to his astonishment it ran off, rolling the fire off its back as it went, until he could see it no more.
"Get back! Leave me alone!" he shouted. Having witnessed the man set fire to not one but two of the Crat, the
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