Goblin Outcast by Gerhard Gehrke

Goblin Outcast by Gerhard Gehrke

Author:Gerhard Gehrke
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lucas Ross Publishing
Published: 2020-01-30T00:00:00+00:00


Chapter Thirty-Three

THE LIBRARY NEEDED her.

Thistle had a stack of twenty books that she had carefully cleaned. She had gently brushed down their hard covers and the tops of the pages, which had been caked with dust. They still had a few mold spots, but the pages and bindings were intact enough that she considered them saved.

The next batch was taking more time.

She scraped away the fungus that pockmarked the covers, but it permeated the pages. A few covers had to be removed. With scissors she trimmed the ruined edges of the pages where the paper had grown decrepit and the growth threatened to spread. These would need to be rebound. An alarming pile grew that would need wholesale recopying.

She almost forgot about the guard. That she wasn’t free to leave. That Candace was keeping a mother from her newborn. That their guide, Brook, still hadn’t shown up.

Unlike her brother, Thistle could work through her anger and not let it show.

There was a bowl of rabbit and carrot stew with a few lumps of sweet potato. It had grown cold by the time she finally got around to eating some. By then her stomach was beyond protesting and the hunger pangs were impossible to ignore. The stew gave off the aroma of onions and bay. She didn’t stop eating until she was using her finger to wipe the last traces of thick broth from the bowl.

Where was Wren?

Another night in the village would be too much. It was already past midafternoon. There would be a gap with the guards if she was patient. Hadn’t the ones watching Jacob stopped to eat? But leaving Wren was not an option.

Woozy.

As she squinted at a page she realized the type was blurry.

She thrust the book aside and grabbed the bowl. Smelled it. Had they given her something? She couldn’t detect anything, but a thick tingle covered her tongue. The room spun. She fell over her stool.

Candace opened the library door and rushed to her as Thistle tried to rise.

“There, there, child. My sweet daughter. We care for our own, Thistle. We always do. And now it’s time we care for you.”



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