hasn’t told you. First he says there’s gold under the Hill, then he says it’s a treasure of the Old World, but he won’t say what it is, then he sends you in here alone without even a syllable of warning—I mean, didn’t you ever hear the tale of Al-Adhinn and the enchanted lamp?”
Maddy began to feel annoyed. “One-Eye’s my friend. I trust him,” she said.
“Your choice.” Lucky shrugged.
“No one
made
me come here, you know.”
“Maddy, he’s been feeding you tales of World Below since you were seven years old. I’d say he’s got you well trained by now.”
Maddy’s fists clenched, just a little. “What are you saying? That he lied to me?”
“What I’m saying,” Lucky told her, “is that a man may plant a tree for a number of reasons. Perhaps he likes trees. Perhaps he wants shelter. Or perhaps he knows that someday he may need the firewood.”
Now Maddy’s face was pale with anger. She took a step forward, the runemark on her palm flaring suddenly from russet brown to angry red. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Look, all I said was—”
In an instant Maddy’s hand was aflame; a bramble of runelight sprang from her palm. It was
Thuris,
the Thorn, angriest of runes, and Maddy could feel it wanting to bite, to sting, to lash out at the cause of her rage—
Alarmed, she flung it at the wall.
Thuris
discharged harmlessly into the rock, leaving a sharp scent of burned rubber in the air.
“Nice aim,” said Lucky. “Feel better now?”
But Maddy had already turned her back. Who in the Nine Worlds did he think he was? He was only an accidental player in this game, a bystander, just clever enough to enter World Below but not enough to get out again, just a glassblower’s prentice with no magic and no glam.
And yet,
she thought,
what if he’s right?
She shot him a look over her shoulder and saw him watching her curiously. Serve him right, she thought, if she left him here. Let him rot underground or be caught by goblins. It would be no more than he deserved. She stood up abruptly and turned to the cave entrance.
“Where are you going?” Lucky said.
“I’m going to get the Whisperer.”
“What, now?”
“Why not?”
Now there was alarm in Lucky’s voice. “You’re crazy,” he said, catching hold of her arm. “It’s late, you’re exhausted, you haven’t got a clue—”
“I’ll manage,” she snapped. “I’m a lot smarter than you give me credit for.”
Lucky gave a rueful sigh. “Maddy, I’m sorry,” he said. “Me and my mouth. My brother always said I should have it sewn up, do everyone a favor.”
Maddy glared and would not turn around.
“Maddy. Please. Don’t go. I apologize.” Now he even
sounded
sorry, and Maddy found herself relenting. He couldn’t be expected to take all this on trust. His world was very different from hers, and it was only natural for him to be suspicious. He had no magic, knew nothing of the Whisperer, and more importantly, she reminded herself, he didn’t know One-Eye.
The question remained, Maddy thought—did
she
?
5
The doubts he had awakened were not easily put aside. After a rather silent supper of leftover fish, Maddy found herself tired but unable to rest. While Lucky slept, apparently oblivious, she tried in vain to find a comfortable position on the rock floor but again and again found her mind going back to the same words.
A man may plant a tree for a number of reasons.
What had been One-Eye’s reason? Why had he taught her so much and yet kept so much from her? Most of all, how could he know anything about a treasure that had been lost since the Winter War?
Behind her, Lucky was still asleep. Maddy couldn’t see how he
could
sleep in such relentless heat, with the sounds of World Below echoing and rumbling like thunder around them, but there he was, twitching a little, as if at some dream, curled comfortably into a hollow in the rock with his jacket rolled up beneath his
Maddy began to feel annoyed. “One-Eye’s my friend. I trust him,” she said.
“Your choice.” Lucky shrugged.
“No one
made
me come here, you know.”
“Maddy, he’s been feeding you tales of World Below since you were seven years old. I’d say he’s got you well trained by now.”
Maddy’s fists clenched, just a little. “What are you saying? That he lied to me?”
“What I’m saying,” Lucky told her, “is that a man may plant a tree for a number of reasons. Perhaps he likes trees. Perhaps he wants shelter. Or perhaps he knows that someday he may need the firewood.”
Now Maddy’s face was pale with anger. She took a step forward, the runemark on her palm flaring suddenly from russet brown to angry red. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Look, all I said was—”
In an instant Maddy’s hand was aflame; a bramble of runelight sprang from her palm. It was
Thuris,
the Thorn, angriest of runes, and Maddy could feel it wanting to bite, to sting, to lash out at the cause of her rage—
Alarmed, she flung it at the wall.
Thuris
discharged harmlessly into the rock, leaving a sharp scent of burned rubber in the air.
“Nice aim,” said Lucky. “Feel better now?”
But Maddy had already turned her back. Who in the Nine Worlds did he think he was? He was only an accidental player in this game, a bystander, just clever enough to enter World Below but not enough to get out again, just a glassblower’s prentice with no magic and no glam.
And yet,
she thought,
what if he’s right?
She shot him a look over her shoulder and saw him watching her curiously. Serve him right, she thought, if she left him here. Let him rot underground or be caught by goblins. It would be no more than he deserved. She stood up abruptly and turned to the cave entrance.
“Where are you going?” Lucky said.
“I’m going to get the Whisperer.”
“What, now?”
“Why not?”
Now there was alarm in Lucky’s voice. “You’re crazy,” he said, catching hold of her arm. “It’s late, you’re exhausted, you haven’t got a clue—”
“I’ll manage,” she snapped. “I’m a lot smarter than you give me credit for.”
Lucky gave a rueful sigh. “Maddy, I’m sorry,” he said. “Me and my mouth. My brother always said I should have it sewn up, do everyone a favor.”
Maddy glared and would not turn around.
“Maddy. Please. Don’t go. I apologize.” Now he even
sounded
sorry, and Maddy found herself relenting. He couldn’t be expected to take all this on trust. His world was very different from hers, and it was only natural for him to be suspicious. He had no magic, knew nothing of the Whisperer, and more importantly, she reminded herself, he didn’t know One-Eye.
The question remained, Maddy thought—did
she
?
5
The doubts he had awakened were not easily put aside. After a rather silent supper of leftover fish, Maddy found herself tired but unable to rest. While Lucky slept, apparently oblivious, she tried in vain to find a comfortable position on the rock floor but again and again found her mind going back to the same words.
A man may plant a tree for a number of reasons.
What had been One-Eye’s reason? Why had he taught her so much and yet kept so much from her? Most of all, how could he know anything about a treasure that had been lost since the Winter War?
Behind her, Lucky was still asleep. Maddy couldn’t see how he
could
sleep in such relentless heat, with the sounds of World Below echoing and rumbling like thunder around them, but there he was, twitching a little, as if at some dream, curled comfortably into a hollow in the rock with his jacket rolled up beneath his
Similar Books
