Rivers of Fire (Atherton, Book 2) by Patrick Carman Page A
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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creatures seemed to rethink their idea of taking him down. They screamed horribly but moved off.
114
[Image: MEADS HOLLOW.]
115
Sir Emerik felt a searing pain inside his boot, as if all of the skin had been torn off his toe. It was a pain that matched very closely that of the wound on the shin of his opposite leg. He had been bitten twice now.
Sir Emerik heard the snapping sound of a whip from somewhere in Mead's Hollow. "Who could that be?" he muttered to himself. He looked toward the sound and saw light coming his way. "Maybe it's that Tyler come to find me. How long have I been down here?" Sir Emerik heard the whip cracking again. "Tyler!" he howled. "Tyler, I'm here, against the wall! Follow the blue line!"
Sir Emerik felt suddenly better, as if he might escape Mead's Hollow after all. He remembered that he was in charge, that he was Lord Emerik now and would rule, if only he could get out. And then it was as if these indulgent thoughts of power were almost too much for him to bear and his head were swelled to overflowing. His brain felt full of a liquid rumbling, like it was turning wet and about to run out of his nose. He was slowly losing his mind.
Eeeeeeeek! Eeeeeeeek! Snap! Snap! Snap!
The Crat and the whip traded turns echoing through Mead's Hollow while Sir Emerik stood with his back to the wall, waiting for Tyler to find him.
But of course it was not Tyler who came upon this broken man, but Edgar, Dr. Kincaid, and Vincent. Vincent cracked the whip several times for good measure, and what Crat remained scattered at this new threat.
116
"Who are you?" said Dr. Kincaid, gazing at Sir Emerik as if he didn't belong in Mead's Hollow. "Who let you in here?"
Sir Emerik did not answer. His eyes lay heavy on Edgar, and he was consumed with one thought--to take the torch in his hand and set Edgar on fire. How could this terrible boy have climbed down in the Flatlands and yet be standing before him? Sir Emerik's face contorted with rage, and he lunged toward Edgar.
Edgar was a very quick child, as we have come to know, and he dodged the oncoming flames without difficulty. Vincent snapped the whip toward Sir Emerik and caught him with a stabbing pain in the ear. Trying to set Edgar on fire qualified as a violent act, and Vincent acted in kind.
"Who are you?" Dr. Kincaid asked once more.
"It's Sir Emerik," said Edgar. "He serves Lord Phineus."
This seemed to baffle Dr. Kincaid even further. "But what's he doing down here? He shouldn't be here."
There was a little anger in his voice, as if he felt Mead's Hollow was a sacred place for only a few and that he alone could invite people into it. It struck him that Sir Emerik was not the kind of person he would invite.
"Children!" cried Sir Emerik, touching the new wound on his ear inflicted by the whip. "Children will be my undoing!"
He was raving, but something about what he'd said made Edgar jump. "What do you mean?"
"I mean Samuel and that girl, and now you! Why must you all torment me?"
117
This was a shocking piece of news for Edgar. Could Samuel and Isabel be trapped in Mead's Hollow?
"You mean there's more?" said Dr. Kincaid, bewildered by the idea of so many people wandering around in such a forbidden place.
Even as he was losing control of his own mind, Sir Emerik had the capacity to dream up evil schemes. He stared at the group before him and heard the distant scuffling of the Crat.
"I will tell you where to find the boy and the girl, but you will let me pass. I must get free of this place, and of him!" Sir Emerik pointed to Edgar is if he were a monster, and wished with everything in his black heart that the Crat would tear the boy apart.
"You've been bitten, haven't you?" said Dr. Kincaid. "You should know it won't end well. A few hours, a day at most, and you'll be finished."
"Shut up, old man!" cried Sir Emerik. "I've never felt better in my life. And you should be more polite when talking to the lord of all Atherton. There are many who fear
114
[Image: MEADS HOLLOW.]
115
Sir Emerik felt a searing pain inside his boot, as if all of the skin had been torn off his toe. It was a pain that matched very closely that of the wound on the shin of his opposite leg. He had been bitten twice now.
Sir Emerik heard the snapping sound of a whip from somewhere in Mead's Hollow. "Who could that be?" he muttered to himself. He looked toward the sound and saw light coming his way. "Maybe it's that Tyler come to find me. How long have I been down here?" Sir Emerik heard the whip cracking again. "Tyler!" he howled. "Tyler, I'm here, against the wall! Follow the blue line!"
Sir Emerik felt suddenly better, as if he might escape Mead's Hollow after all. He remembered that he was in charge, that he was Lord Emerik now and would rule, if only he could get out. And then it was as if these indulgent thoughts of power were almost too much for him to bear and his head were swelled to overflowing. His brain felt full of a liquid rumbling, like it was turning wet and about to run out of his nose. He was slowly losing his mind.
Eeeeeeeek! Eeeeeeeek! Snap! Snap! Snap!
The Crat and the whip traded turns echoing through Mead's Hollow while Sir Emerik stood with his back to the wall, waiting for Tyler to find him.
But of course it was not Tyler who came upon this broken man, but Edgar, Dr. Kincaid, and Vincent. Vincent cracked the whip several times for good measure, and what Crat remained scattered at this new threat.
116
"Who are you?" said Dr. Kincaid, gazing at Sir Emerik as if he didn't belong in Mead's Hollow. "Who let you in here?"
Sir Emerik did not answer. His eyes lay heavy on Edgar, and he was consumed with one thought--to take the torch in his hand and set Edgar on fire. How could this terrible boy have climbed down in the Flatlands and yet be standing before him? Sir Emerik's face contorted with rage, and he lunged toward Edgar.
Edgar was a very quick child, as we have come to know, and he dodged the oncoming flames without difficulty. Vincent snapped the whip toward Sir Emerik and caught him with a stabbing pain in the ear. Trying to set Edgar on fire qualified as a violent act, and Vincent acted in kind.
"Who are you?" Dr. Kincaid asked once more.
"It's Sir Emerik," said Edgar. "He serves Lord Phineus."
This seemed to baffle Dr. Kincaid even further. "But what's he doing down here? He shouldn't be here."
There was a little anger in his voice, as if he felt Mead's Hollow was a sacred place for only a few and that he alone could invite people into it. It struck him that Sir Emerik was not the kind of person he would invite.
"Children!" cried Sir Emerik, touching the new wound on his ear inflicted by the whip. "Children will be my undoing!"
He was raving, but something about what he'd said made Edgar jump. "What do you mean?"
"I mean Samuel and that girl, and now you! Why must you all torment me?"
117
This was a shocking piece of news for Edgar. Could Samuel and Isabel be trapped in Mead's Hollow?
"You mean there's more?" said Dr. Kincaid, bewildered by the idea of so many people wandering around in such a forbidden place.
Even as he was losing control of his own mind, Sir Emerik had the capacity to dream up evil schemes. He stared at the group before him and heard the distant scuffling of the Crat.
"I will tell you where to find the boy and the girl, but you will let me pass. I must get free of this place, and of him!" Sir Emerik pointed to Edgar is if he were a monster, and wished with everything in his black heart that the Crat would tear the boy apart.
"You've been bitten, haven't you?" said Dr. Kincaid. "You should know it won't end well. A few hours, a day at most, and you'll be finished."
"Shut up, old man!" cried Sir Emerik. "I've never felt better in my life. And you should be more polite when talking to the lord of all Atherton. There are many who fear
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