Jack the Giant-Killer by Charles de Lint

Author:Charles de Lint [Lint, Charles de]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Fiction, General, Contemporary, Fantasy Fiction, Magic, Fantastic Fiction, Fantasy Fiction; Canadian
ISBN: 9780312869595
Google: FcODdbHfSbgC
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates
Published: 1987-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

Jacky and the new captive were unceremoniously hauled off to one side where the bogan remained on guard, while the rest waded into the excited creatures that were trying to get through Skraker. There was more of the Host here now, Jacky realized. A lot more. Their numbers seemed to have tripled. The fact of her doom pressed down on her like a heavy weight once more and she leaned back against the wall, fighting back tears. The noise in the arena made it impossible to think. The squabbling creatures, each more horrible than the next, just brought home her helplessness.

It was a good ten minutes before some semblance of order returned. Skraker came back to stand guard over Jacky, talking with the leader of the new patrol of bogans.

They both kept an eye on the ever-growing crowd of the Unseelie Court.

“The Big Man better get here soon,” Skraker said, “or I’m throwing both of them out to that crew—minus a leg or two.”

“Hot damn!” the other bogan said. His own patrol was now lost in the crowd out on the floor. “A taste of Royal blood—now wouldn’t that be something.” Skraker shook his head. “The Big Men don’t eat those.

Keep ‘em for trade. But I’d eat ’em, sure would. You know, Gooter, sometimes I just…”

The two bogans drifted mercifully out of Jacky’s earshot. She closed her eyes, but that brought no relief.

Something touched her shoulder, light as a feather… She blinked her eyes open wide to see that it was a feather, or at least the tip of a wing. She almost laughed at the weirdness of it all. But she knew that if she laughed, that’d be it. GameOver and That’sAllFolks. Because she’d never stop.

“You’re a mortal,” the swan man said.

Jacky pinched herself again, waiting for the pain to bring her down to earth. At this rate, between the Host and herself, she wouldn’t have an unbruised spot on her body. She managed to nod and then cleared her throat.

“You… you’re not?”

He shook his head. “I’m Eilian Dunlogan.” The look on his face said, Don’t you know me? Then a half-smile, self-mocking and bitter, touched his lips, adding, And why should you? “I’m the Laird of Dunlogan’s son,” he said aloud.

Jacky nodded wisely, still in the dark, though there was something familiar about the name. “I’m Jacky Rowan,” she said. “What did they do to your arms?”

“Do? They did nothing. All the Lairdsblood can wear the shape of a swan or seal. They’ve just used one of their damned spells to bind me between shapes. They’re not stupid, though you wouldn’t think it to look at some.”

“But can’t you just… just fly away?”

Eilian shook his head. “These wings could never support a man’s body. You see, with my wings, I can’t get the nettle tunic off, and with the tunic on, I can’t complete my change. It’s a very clever trap—especially for such as these.”

Jacky bit at her lip. This seemed a little too simple.

Couldn’t she just pull

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.