Leapfrog by Barbara Gaskell Denvil

Author:Barbara Gaskell Denvil [Denvil, Barbara Gaskell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gaskell Publishing
Published: 2018-08-10T22:00:00+00:00

It was a long way to Pickles, but Messina, whose powers had now all returned in strength, and Ferdinand both arrived immediately and without even a minute’s delay. They appeared in the upper streets where no one could see them, and then hurried down the back lanes towards the port and the two grand white houses overlooking the ocean.

There was a darkening star-studded sky now over the land and sea, and many people in the cottages had lit lanterns or candles, which flickered through the windows. But when Messina came to the port and the two big white houses, no lights showed at all. “Which one?” whispered Ferdinand. “We have no way of knowing. I vote for the ugly house.”

But Messina said, “I have no idea, but I can find her with magic, and will go to her immediately. You must go first to your cottage and make sure your wife is safe. Hurry.” Then as Ferdinand marched off into the shadows, she raised both her arms, saying, “Take me inside the room where my mother is facing danger.”

Everything happened at once. With a rattle and a bump, both Messina suddenly appeared next to the strange woman in green silk as she swept across the floor to point at the great orange splash of paint behind which Sherdam stood, looking miserable and confused. Granny, Nathan and Alfie whirled around and were so delighted, they all clapped their hands with big smiles and waves.

The woman called Laksta loomed over them all. Although Messina was a tall woman, Laksta was taller than she was, yet so thin she could have squeezed through a plug hole. Her red hair continued to blow around her face, and her eyes glittered like green candles. Her arms were unnaturally long, her legs even longer, and she seemed as though someone had squeezed her out like sauce from a bottle.

She was not pleased to see the new arrival. Now she was seriously outnumbered. The thud, thud, thud continued, beating hard and fast. Messina immediately felt the sense of threat, but stood directly before Laksta and said, almost growling between her teeth, “Release the man Sherdam. I also have strong magic. If you do not release him at once, you will regret it.”

The woman laughed. It sounded more like a hiss. “No one hurts me, fool. And I never release anyone from my farming caves.”

“What do you farm?” demanded Granny. “Fear? Misery? Hunger?”

“I farm my own entertainment,” laughed the other woman. “This Lashtang country of yours is a dreary place without happiness or pleasure. I make my own. I farm it in the worlds of my own invention.”

Actually Alfie was quite impressed, but he didn’t say so. Instead he shouted, “You sound really happy to be watching people suffer. If you like pain so much, then I can show you some. And so can all of us. You’ll get pain all right.”

She raised one long skinny arm, the long fingers pointing at him. Alfie immediately toppled over, and lay shaking on the black floorboards.

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