On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson

Author:Andrew Peterson
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780307446657
Publisher: The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group
Published: 2008-06-12T16:00:00+00:00

Nia peeked her head through the door to the children’s bedroom. She listened for a moment and heard the deep breathing of sleep coming from all three. Only Nugget stirred. Snuggled tightly beside Leeli, he raised his head, cocked it to one side, and wagged his tail slowly for Nia. Nodding to Nugget, she smiled and pulled the door closed.

Podo was nearly asleep in his chair with his leg propped up on the footstool. He had unstrapped his peg leg and the wooden stump lay on the floor beside him.

“Fire’s getting low, lass,” he said with a yawn.

Nia sat down on the couch and yawned too. She stared at the flames and thought long before speaking.

“He can’t come near them, Papa.”

“Eh?” he said, scratching his head and stifling another yawn.

“Peet.”

“Ah.” Podo roused a little and stared into the fire as well. They were silent for a long time again.

“Tomorrow morning I’ll have a talk with the children,” Nia said. “I’ll forbid them to ever speak with him again.” She sighed and let her hair down from the bun. “These last few days have been the longest I’ve lived through since we came here, Papa, and I pray to the Maker that the danger passes soon. If my maggotloaf is good, and if we can last until that Fang, Sloop—”

“Slarb.”

“—is transferred to another village, I think we’ll be all right. At least we’ll be together. And we’ll be alive.”2

“Aw, but this ain’t life, lass!” Podo said. “Not as it’s meant to be. Do you see the way the people’s heads bow? Do you see the fear that leaks out of ’em and sits on this town like a fog on the sea? Bah! They’ve forgotten what it is to live anymore. But yer Podo hasn’t.” He smiled at the fire and closed his eyes. “Today when I was ridin’ through the wood I remembered what it was like to have the wind in me hair and the world unrollin’ before me eyes.” Podo looked hard at Nia. “If Esben was still kickin’, he’d have a thing or two to say about these Fangs breathin’ their venom down our necks. He’d have somethin’ to say about that Carriage rattlin’ up these hills to carry off the youngsters—”

“Enough, Papa. He’s not here. And that recklessness is exactly what got him killed.”

“No, lass,” Podo said. “The Fangs is what got ’im killed.”

“But if he had run, if he had come with us and laid low, then he’d be here now—” Nia cut herself short. She was on the verge of tears. “He’d be here now,” she repeated to herself.

Podo put one of his weathered old hands on her arm.

“It’s all right, lass. And don’t you worry about having any long talk with the bitties about ol’ Peet the Sock Man. You know as well as I do that for young lads, a warning is about the same as an invitation. They’ll not be able to stop thinkin’ about ’im if you do that. I say just let it go.

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