walls.'
'What about the block, can you feel it?'
He nodded, saying he said he had heard no talk of machines, but that the Druid's helpers had a special place to work in where no one was allowed to go.
I nodded impatiently. 'Keep an ear out but don't ask any questions that will make anyone wonder about you. Remember, you're a gypsy. Where's Darga?'
'He disappeared when they brought us inside,' Jik said, miserably.
'Darga's a smart dog,' I said. 'He's probably gone to look for the others, or Domick.'
Jik's face brightened. 'Do you think so?'
'Come on,' Emmon called.
I patted Jik on the shoulder and ran to join Emmon.
I was taken in to the Druid by one of the acolytes. I wondered curiously if the Druid were trying to start up his own opposing order. I had the feeling the Druid's order would be as bad as the Herder Faction, whatever Gilbert believed. Entering the Druid's meeting chamber, I heard a tantalizing snatch of conversation.
A voice said, 'If she is telling the truth, I don't see any need to waste more time on the mountains. I said all along it was your old friends that we bumped into. Herders.'
'That may be, but I think it is too late to stop the soldierguards from investigating Obernewtyn.' That was the Druid. I hesitated at the door, hoping to hear more, but the Druid looked up.
'Come in, Elspeth. I want you to tell me again all you saw at Obernewtyn . . .'
I was there for the rest of the afternoon. Fortunately my story was simple and I resisted the temptation to embellish in case he asked me to repeat it again. I quickly realized what he really wanted to know was if Rushton were continuing Alexi's researches.
I was unsure how much he knew of the truth. It was common knowledge Alexi and Madam Vega had been involved in illegal research into the Beforetime, and that Rushton had stopped them, at the same time rescuing two Councilmen. At one time, Henry Druid had befriended Rushton, knowing him to be the true heir to Obernewtyn. Rushton had told him that Alexi and Madam Vega were searching for weapon machines from the past. Yet he could not know Alexi based his search on the work of his stepmother, Marisa Seraphim, a brilliant scientist devoted to studying the technology of the past. She had discovered and resurrected the Zebkrahn machine. In his eagerness to possess his stepmother's secrets, Alexi had murdered Marisa, only to find her notes cryptic and secretive. Originally the research Alexi conducted into Misfit abilities had been a cover, but he had learnt that some Misfits possessed a remarkable sensitivity to the written word, which might be used to decipher Marisa's notes, if he were able to find a Misfit with a strong enough sensitivity. He quickly found that pain enhanced sensitivity.
Trapped into revealing my abilities, Alexi was yet unaware I was strong enough to decipher his stepmother's notes without help. Ironically, under torture by Alexi and Ariel, I had seen not only the map Marisa had secretly commissioned carved into two doors, showing the whereabouts of the weapon machines but, somehow, I knew the machines were those which had caused the terrible Great White Holocaust. The Druid could not know that, because I had told no one, not even Rushton.
As far as I knew, Henry Druid had learnt nothing about Alexi's Misfit research from Rushton, who had recognized the Druid's obsessive hatred of mutations was a danger to us, and had gradually severed communication. Ironically, this must have convinced the Druid that Rushton was continuing Alexi's search for Beforetime weapons. The snatch of conversation I had overheard told me the Druid no longer saw Rushton as an enemy. Just the same, while taking care to present myself as an ignorant, self-centred gypsy, I made sure Rushton sounded as if he were verging on mania, trying to rebuild the shattered Obernewtyn.
Dismissed at last, I went back to the wash house.
'What did he want?' Kella asked. 'You've been ages!'
I told her of Emmon's antics, then
'What about the block, can you feel it?'
He nodded, saying he said he had heard no talk of machines, but that the Druid's helpers had a special place to work in where no one was allowed to go.
I nodded impatiently. 'Keep an ear out but don't ask any questions that will make anyone wonder about you. Remember, you're a gypsy. Where's Darga?'
'He disappeared when they brought us inside,' Jik said, miserably.
'Darga's a smart dog,' I said. 'He's probably gone to look for the others, or Domick.'
Jik's face brightened. 'Do you think so?'
'Come on,' Emmon called.
I patted Jik on the shoulder and ran to join Emmon.
I was taken in to the Druid by one of the acolytes. I wondered curiously if the Druid were trying to start up his own opposing order. I had the feeling the Druid's order would be as bad as the Herder Faction, whatever Gilbert believed. Entering the Druid's meeting chamber, I heard a tantalizing snatch of conversation.
A voice said, 'If she is telling the truth, I don't see any need to waste more time on the mountains. I said all along it was your old friends that we bumped into. Herders.'
'That may be, but I think it is too late to stop the soldierguards from investigating Obernewtyn.' That was the Druid. I hesitated at the door, hoping to hear more, but the Druid looked up.
'Come in, Elspeth. I want you to tell me again all you saw at Obernewtyn . . .'
I was there for the rest of the afternoon. Fortunately my story was simple and I resisted the temptation to embellish in case he asked me to repeat it again. I quickly realized what he really wanted to know was if Rushton were continuing Alexi's researches.
I was unsure how much he knew of the truth. It was common knowledge Alexi and Madam Vega had been involved in illegal research into the Beforetime, and that Rushton had stopped them, at the same time rescuing two Councilmen. At one time, Henry Druid had befriended Rushton, knowing him to be the true heir to Obernewtyn. Rushton had told him that Alexi and Madam Vega were searching for weapon machines from the past. Yet he could not know Alexi based his search on the work of his stepmother, Marisa Seraphim, a brilliant scientist devoted to studying the technology of the past. She had discovered and resurrected the Zebkrahn machine. In his eagerness to possess his stepmother's secrets, Alexi had murdered Marisa, only to find her notes cryptic and secretive. Originally the research Alexi conducted into Misfit abilities had been a cover, but he had learnt that some Misfits possessed a remarkable sensitivity to the written word, which might be used to decipher Marisa's notes, if he were able to find a Misfit with a strong enough sensitivity. He quickly found that pain enhanced sensitivity.
Trapped into revealing my abilities, Alexi was yet unaware I was strong enough to decipher his stepmother's notes without help. Ironically, under torture by Alexi and Ariel, I had seen not only the map Marisa had secretly commissioned carved into two doors, showing the whereabouts of the weapon machines but, somehow, I knew the machines were those which had caused the terrible Great White Holocaust. The Druid could not know that, because I had told no one, not even Rushton.
As far as I knew, Henry Druid had learnt nothing about Alexi's Misfit research from Rushton, who had recognized the Druid's obsessive hatred of mutations was a danger to us, and had gradually severed communication. Ironically, this must have convinced the Druid that Rushton was continuing Alexi's search for Beforetime weapons. The snatch of conversation I had overheard told me the Druid no longer saw Rushton as an enemy. Just the same, while taking care to present myself as an ignorant, self-centred gypsy, I made sure Rushton sounded as if he were verging on mania, trying to rebuild the shattered Obernewtyn.
Dismissed at last, I went back to the wash house.
'What did he want?' Kella asked. 'You've been ages!'
I told her of Emmon's antics, then
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