Power of Three by Diana Wynne Jones

Author:Diana Wynne Jones [Jones, Diana Wynne]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter

10

MOST OF THE WAY TO GARHOLT, THE TWO GIANTS, in their different ways, were wondering what to do about Ayna, Gair and Ceri.

“Poor little souls!” Brenda said, in the sentimental way which never failed to set Gerald’s teeth on edge. “I feel so responsible! Can we hide them? Or should you tell your dad?”

“No,” said Gerald.

“We ought to tell someone,” said Brenda. “What’ll any of them do when the Moor’s flooded? Tell that man your dad’s having tonight. Tell him the Moor’s crowded with—Lymen and he mustn’t make it into a reservoir.”

“You don’t understand!” said Gerald, fingering Gair’s warm collar. He had never been more surprised and honored by any gift in his life, and he felt he owed it to Gair to stop Brenda doing anything so stupid. “Those people have a whole way of life. If we go and show them to a stupid Government official, that’ll be the end of it. He’ll probably make the Moor a reservation and trippers will drive over on Sundays to goop at them. Ceri would probably end up in a circus—and Ayna—and the rest would all be selling carvings and gold collars. Like the Red Indians.”

“They’d make a lot of money,” Brenda observed. Gerald made a rude noise.

“Well, it’s better than being drowned,” said Brenda. “And you’re still the rudest boy I know.”

“Good,” said Gerald.

Luckily for the peace of their mission, Brenda saw a bird just then. She shied like a carthorse. “A Dory! Look!”

“It isn’t,” said Gerald. “And what would you expect me to do about it if it was?”

“Shoot it,” Brenda said simply.

“Only if it goes for us,” Gerald said irritably. He sighed, and a gloomy, sick feeling, which he was rather used to, came over him. One way or another, he had shot quite a quantity of birds in his life. He had shot rabbits and hares, and a number of things moving in the long grass which he had never found. Any of them could have been Dorig. Some of the vanished ones could have been Gair’s people. He found himself remembering, with unpleasant clarity, the red blood on the silver leg of the Dorig leader. He wished he had not had to shoot him.

Brenda distracted him by insisting they had missed Garholt. “He said beyond the wood. That’s two woods we’ve passed.”

“When he said wood, he meant wood, not three bushes,” Gerald said grumpily, and kept on.

They passed the steep banks which concealed the village. Soon after, they passed the wood. It was unmistakable.

“There’s nothing,” said Brenda.

Gerald was dismayed, too. He had thought there would be some sign to show Garholt was there. But all there was was a rounded stretch of green hillside. He plodded crosswise up it. Brenda lumbered and gasped behind him.

“Ow!” she shrieked. “There’s bees in holes!”

Gerald slithered back to see. Where Brenda stood sucking her finger, a few bees were buzzing around what seemed to be rabbit holes. A few more came out to investigate Gerald. Gerald retreated hastily downhill, hoping they would realize he meant no harm.

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.