Of Sea and Stone by Kate Avery Ellison

Author:Kate Avery Ellison [Ellison, Kate Avery]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Juvenile Fiction, Girls & Women
ISBN: 9781495470028
Google: p8-BoAEACAAJ
Publisher: Createspace Independent Pub
Published: 2014-02-17T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY

AT THE END of the week, as directed, I returned to Merelus’s study with the device. He was at his desk when I entered, just as before. Nol was in the chair by the wall. Neither looked at me.

“Please sit,” Merelus said without raising his head. “I will administer your test shortly.”

I sat, cradling the device. I wondered if he was going to take it from me, and something in my stomach twisted. This portal of knowledge was precious to me. Knowledge was power, even more precious than gold coins, and I needed lots of it if I ever wanted to change my situation.

Finally, Merelus finished his task and stood.

“Have you been using the pryor?” he asked.

The pryor must be the device. I nodded, but said nothing. Explaining how I’d cherished my hours with it every evening felt too vulnerable to reveal. I’d let my learning speak for itself.

Merelus studied me. “You measure your words. I admire that. Too much talking leads one to reveal more than one might wish when speaking with an enemy.”

“Are you my enemy, then?” I asked. The words tasted bold on my tongue, but I wagered Merelus might appreciate my honesty.

Nol’s head jerked up. He looked at me with surprise and perhaps a little admiration. I didn’t care. I didn’t want his admiration.

Merelus’s mouth quirked in a faint smile. Apparently, my boldness pleased rather than angered him. “That remains to be seen. Perhaps it depends on what you’ve learned this week. Are you ready to be tested?”

I didn’t know if I was, but confidence seemed to impress him the most. “Yes.”

“Good.” He stood and approached me, carrying a book thick with pages of text. “I want you to answer every question as well as you can.”

He gave me paper and a writing stylus, and I spent the next hour scribbling across the page. The words flowed from me easily, and since I’d spent hours pouring over the device from Merelus’s desk and learning from it, I knew many answers and was able to guess many others. When I’d finished, I set the book and the pages I’d filled with my scrawl on his desk. Merelus eyed them.

“We’ll see how you did next week. You may go. Keep the pryor. I think it will be useful to you.”

I went to the door and stopped. I turned. My hands trembled and my heart pounded.

If he said no, then I would have no recourse.

“Excuse me, sir.”

“Yes?” Merelus raised an eyebrow.

“I heard you speaking about peace at dinner a few nights ago. I— I am interested about what that might entail.”

“Oh?”

“I’d like to know more.”

“I’ll take that under consideration,” he said, and I was dismissed.

It was the best I could do.

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