Crown of Kings by Kelly GJ & McNabb Linda

Author:Kelly, GJ & McNabb, Linda [Kelly, GJ]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Southern Star Publishing
Published: 2014-02-12T16:00:00+00:00

***

“I keep telling you, Drake, it wasn’t magic.” Garin protested later, fiddling nervously with the purple feather while Drake beamed happily. “I was wearing the backpack when Wizard Kazar chanted us here, that’s all.”

“And made it produce food, just when I was getting peckish,” Drake insisted, wiping crumbs from his lips with the back of his hand.

“It’s just some dried fish that I packed back in Portsan. You remember? Taya brought it the night before we left.”

“So says you.” Drake winked. “Now, if you’ll, uhm,” Drake pointed at the iron door, “you know?”

“Drake,” Taya huffed. “He’s trying to tell you something. He’s not a real wizard.”

“Now look, missy…” Drake began, looking stern. But Taya leapt to her feet, and cut him off, jabbing a finger into his chest and driving him back across the cell as she spoke.

“He’s not a real wizard! Do you know what we used to call him in Portsan? Do you? The Apprentice Fool. The Wizard’s Walking-Stick, that’s what we used to call him!

“Do you have any idea how many times the Apprentice Fool set fire to Eyan’s cottage? Do you? Dozens. Once, during the summer fayre when the whole village was dancing and enjoying the sunshine, do you know what happened? The Mayor’s house burst into flames. And why? Because the Apprentice Fool thought it would be nice to make the climbing roses yellow instead of red…”

Garin flushed, remembering all the dreadful failures. A knot of shame and rage seemed to tighten in his stomach and he shut his eyes, desperately trying not to hear the words streaming from Taya's lips…

“…and then there was the ointment he made to treat a rope-burn on Captain Hared’s leg. Within moments of applying it, all the Captain’s hair fell out. All of it, including his beard and the hair on his chest and legs. And this is the Master Wizard you’re so fond of, Garin the Great, the Wizard of Portsan! The Apprentice Fool you’re following in the name of Duty!”

“But missy…” Drake spluttered, dazed in face of her assault.

“Don’t ‘but missy’ me!” Taya cried, tears streaming afresh down her face, “Do you know how hard my father and brothers have to work for their catch? Do you know how hard it is to go cap in hand to the Wizard's Walking-Stick just for some miserable lamp-oil so my grandfather can find enough peace to sleep? Do you?”

Something seemed to break deep inside Garin as he sat clutching the feather. He remembered all the taunts, jibes and insults ever hurled at him. All he’d ever done was try to help the poor folk of Portsan and all he ever received was sniggers, sneers and cruel jokes. And now, here in the dark misery of the dungeon, there was more…

“…where was your Great Garin when the king or Jervais or whatever his name is was ordering his lackey to punish me? Where was Garin the Great with his all-powerful staff then?” Taya demanded.

Drake stared down at Garin and blinked, and then stared back at Taya.

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