The Escape by Kathryn Lasky

Author:Kathryn Lasky [Lasky, Kathryn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2014-09-10T04:00:00+00:00

There were seventeen horses in the newly constructed stables beneath the pyramid. Each horse had its own stall, and Hold On was placed next to Estrella. The grooms had left the saddle on him, and he’d stopped trying to shake it off. The old stallion had gone completely silent. His eyes were clamped shut and he was shivering hard.

“Why did they leave the saddle on you?” Estrella whinnied softly. Her restraints had been removed.

She hoped Hold On would answer. He had stood completely silent since they had put him in the stall.

After what seemed countless minutes, he answered, “To get me used to it. I’ll pretend. What other choice do I have?”

“We’ve lost everything, haven’t we?” Estrella said.

“Everything but our wits,” Hold On replied. He was quiet for what seemed a long time. “Understand this, Estrella. We are safe only as long as we pretend.”

The humiliation was creeping back. “Pretend we’re not wild, not free? Pretend to like being caged and — and —”

“Enslaved?” Hold On said.

“How long do we have to pretend?” Estrella asked softly.

“I hope not long.” He paused. “They are going to think they’ve broken me.”

“But they haven’t?”

“Wait and see.”

Estrella sniffed and a drop of blood fell on the straw. “My muzzle is bleeding.”

“That’s good,” Hold On said almost cheerfully.

Estrella sent him a sharp glance. “Good? What are you talking about?”

“I saw how some of the Chitzen looked at you as we crossed the causeway. There is not much blood on your muzzle, but they saw it. They were … how shall I put it? Surprised. And maybe relieved.”

“Why?”

“Gods don’t bleed,” Hold On said quietly.

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