Tomorrow's Magic by Pamela F. Service

Author:Pamela F. Service [Service, Pamela F.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-49833-5
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2007-08-25T04:00:00+00:00

THE WAGES OF POWER

Keeping very still, the four huddled together within the stone enclosure. After the sound and the dark shapes had passed down the valley, Welly whispered, “Were they ours?”

Earl answered, “I doubt it. None were wearing the Pendragon badge.”

“But it's too dark to be sure of that,” Kyle pointed out.

“I have good night vision,” Earl answered simply. “But whether they are brigands or others, an armed party of that size should not be wandering around in Cumbria. We'd better follow and see what they're up to.”

“But surely that's not our job,” Kyle complained.

“Hey,” Welly said, “one of the reasons the Cumbrian dukedoms accept Arthur as King is that he maintains order. And anyone who's sworn allegiance to him has to help in that.”

“Besides,” Heather added while quickly saddling her horse, “wasn't adventure one of the things you came here to find?”

“Well, yes,” the Irishman admitted. He refrained from adding that authorized adventure was one thing, but playing around at night with kids pretending to be heroes was another. At the same time, he had no desire to be left in this strange, bleak land by himself.

Soon they were packed up again and on the road, moving eastward. Their quarry was some distance ahead, but although the pursuers gradually gained ground, they were afraid to draw too close and risk being noticed. In the eastern sky, a blurred half-moon cast faint mists of light over the fells.

After threading down the narrow valley, the road rose steeply until there came a brief moment when the armed men were darkly outlined against the gray-black sky. They disappeared over the pass, and the four hurried after them.

When they, too, reached the pass, they saw on the slope below a scatter of campfires twinkling through the dark. Silently Earl motioned a halt.

“There's a second troop camped down there.”

“Are they more of the same?” Heather asked.

Earl stared into the night. “No. Some of the ones around the campfires are wearing black and gold badges. It must be one of Arthur's patrols.”

“Then who are … ?”

Welly's unfinished question was answered by a sudden eruption of sound. Out of the dark, from where they had stealthily circled the camp, the first group of armed men broke into savage yells and swept down in attack.

Instantly all was chaos. Around the fires, startled men jumped up, grabbed weapons, and began flailing at the mounted attackers. Noise of battle jarred the cold, silent valley.

“We've got to do something!” Heather screamed. “Our soldiers are being attacked!”

“What can we—?” Kyle began.

Earl turned in the saddle. “Get off,” he ordered brusquely. Startled, Kyle slid off the mare, and quickly Earl unfastened the walking stick that had been strapped to the saddle. Raising it over his head, he spurred his horse downhill toward the fight.

Suddenly it seemed he was holding a torch. From the end of his staff, purple flames soared upward, spewing a cloud of glowing smoke. The smoke pulsed with light and life as it rose higher and higher into the night air.

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