The Wolf Hour by Sara Lewis Holmes

Author:Sara Lewis Holmes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Days later, Magia still felt fuzzy. Meanwhile, Mama rose in the mornings to the clock’s awful screeches:

RAWK! RAWK! RAWK! RAWK! RAWK! RAWK!

And then Mama, after staring and swaying in front of the clock for a few moments, seemed to come to life, at least enough to order their days around its equally awful ticking—

CHOC! Time for breakfast.

CHOC! Time for lessons!

CHOC! Time for chores!

CHOC! Time for prayers, and bed! And then …

RAWK! RAWK! RAWK! RAWK! RAWK! RAWK! Time to start all over again.

When Magia tried to complain to Dorota about the strangeness of all this, her sister only said she liked having their days so precisely planned. As for Jan, he was so happy to be eating Mama’s food that he didn’t mind doing it at the exact same time every day—or listening to Mama talk about how fine the meals in Białowieża were. As for Tata, he was hardly ever home anymore.

Today, under Mama’s direction, Magia sat at one end of their table, and Dorota dutifully sat at the other. Both girls had just haltingly recited a poem Mama said was written by a great poet from the city. Between them, Jan had set up the chess set. Nearby, Mama dug her thumbs into the bread dough, which had already risen once in its thick brown pot.

“Come on, Mama,” said Jan. “Let Magia play a game with me. Then we can do more lessons.”

Magia stared at the board with the double line of carved wooden men on each side. She didn’t feel like chess or lessons. All she wanted to think about was the memory of the pup’s eyes as they opened, or when she’d first seen him, a trembling, hurt ball under that tree. How he rained down wet snow upon her as he’d tried to run. How her hat had bitten her as she’d held tight to him instead.

“Try moving a pawn,” said Jan helpfully. He reached over and moved one for her. “Look! That puts my knight in danger.”

“Put the board away. Chess is for after lunch,” said Mama. “The morning is for lessons.”

“But, Mama, we can—”

“No,” said Mama, covering the dough again and leaving it to rise once more. She looked at the clock. “We only have so much time, and there is much to learn. You want to be an intelligent and brave soldier, don’t you?” She untied her apron and put it over the chessboard, hiding the pieces.

CHOC! said the clock. CHOC! CHOC!

Magia, as always, winced at the sound. She wished Tata wouldn’t wind the clock every day before he left for the Puszcza.

“Now,” Mama said firmly. “Ask Magia her multiplication tables. When she misses an answer, she can drill you. It will be a battle. A battle of wits.”

Jan winked at Magia. “Yes,” he said. “We’ll see which little pig is the most prepared.”

Magia said nothing.

“Six times six, Magia,” he said, giving her an easy one to start with.

Magia couldn’t concentrate. What had happened to her wolfling after he had run from her? Was he wondering what had happened to her, too?

“Magia,” prompted Mama.

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