Archon by Lana Krumwiede

Author:Lana Krumwiede [Krumwiede, Lana]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6768-9
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Published: 2013-08-17T04:00:00+00:00

When it was time to camp for the night, Amma cleared the ground for the bedrolls and Gevri got out his cooking equipment. Taemon went to get water from the stream.

His shoulder was still numb, but he was used to that. His clumsy legs were more of a challenge right now. He couldn’t very well use a walking stick with Gevri around — not if he wanted to avoid difficult questions — but all the hiking was brutal on his legs.

As he squatted near the stream to fill the water flasks, his left leg gave out on him. His knee was now covered in mud. Across the stream, a group of geese seemed to be cackling over his little mishap.

Out of nowhere, Jix leaped into the cluster of geese and killed one — no, two. The suddenness of the jaguar’s presence and the squawking of the geese startled Taemon, and he dropped the flask into the water. He fished it out of the cold stream, and the jaguar glanced at him as she sauntered away. That cat gave him the tremblies.

By the time Taemon returned to the campsite, Gevri and Amma were cleaning a goose. Jix had settled in to a spot on the edge of the site and was gnawing on what Taemon assumed was the other goose. He shuddered.

“Roast goose for dinner tonight,” Amma said with a smile.

“I thought we couldn’t have fires.” Gevri had told them that a fire would attract too much attention this close to the outpost.

Gevri plucked feathers by the handful. “No fire.”

“How do you roast a goose without a fire?” Taemon asked.

“I came prepared,” Gevri said.

When the goose had been cleaned, Gevri carved off portions of the meat, sprinkled them with some seasoning he’d brought, and wrapped them in a strange kind of paper.

“I don’t see how paper can cook meat,” Amma said.

Gevri smiled. “Just wait.” From his bag he pulled out a box about the size of a book. He pushed a button, and the thing expanded into a cube. He lifted the lid and placed one of the goose packages inside.

Gevri handed the box to Amma. “Here. You do it.”

Amma took the box slowly, giving Gevri a puzzled look.

“Close the lid, then push the button.”

Amma did as she was told. When the box started to hum, she flinched.

Gevri chuckled. “Don’t worry. It’s safe.”

A few seconds later, the humming stopped.

“Open it,” Gevri said, handing her a plate. “Be careful: it’s hot.”

Amma opened the lid and dumped the goose package onto the plate. It steamed with a heavenly aroma.

Taemon and Amma exchanged an incredulous look as Gevri busied himself with cooking the next goose package. In no time, they were devouring the delicious meal. Taemon couldn’t help but wonder what other surprises they would find in the Republik.

Taemon was licking his fingers, savoring every greasy drop, when Gevri spoke up.

“There are some things I haven’t told you yet,” he said. “Things that are . . . unpleasant, but that I think you need to know.

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