Kingdoms of Light by Foster Alan Dean

Author:Foster, Alan Dean [Foster, Alan Dean]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Young Adult, Adventure, Science Fiction, FIC000000, Adult, Fantasy
ISBN: 9780759520974
Amazon: 0759520976
Goodreads: 1319994
Publisher: Oxmoor House
Published: 2001-02-20T08:00:00+00:00

ELEVEN

One by one, they approached the narrow opening Taj had accidentally discovered and peered through the gate. Though only a small gap, it was enough to permit them to see clearly within. The panorama that greeted their anxious, impatient gazes was sufficient to banish any fears.

The light within the Kingdom of Yellow was almost normal. Not to the point of allowing other colors to exist, but close enough to what they remembered from home so the travelers felt more comfortable with what they were seeing than at any time since they had entered the rainbow. It was a pleasant, comforting light that imparted a warm glow to everything it touched upon—this although the sky was noticeably overcast, to the point where the visitors cast no shadows upon the yellowish ground.

There was no guard post, no barracks full of angry gatekeepers waiting to challenge those with the temerity to simply walk in. Instead, fields of waving wheatlike grass stretched to the distant horizon, interrupted only by isolated thickets of slender, buttery-yellow trees that rose from the flavescent savanna like stiff whiskers on a cat’s face. There was just enough of a breeze to moderate the temperature, which itself was far from unpleasant. The air had a bracing freshness to it that had been lacking in the torpid kingdoms of Red and Orange, and was suffused with a faint perfume Oskar could not identify.

They could not see the color of the sky, hidden as it was by the yellowish gray overcast. The occasional stronger breeze whistling in their ears, they stepped cautiously through the gap and into the kingdom. Having been the one to open the door, Taj thoughtfully closed it behind him. Looking down at himself, he saw that he was once again a delightful yellow.

Stretching his arms high and wide, Cezer inhaled deeply of the pure, delicious air. “What a wonderful place! If we weren’t in such a hurry, I’d lie down right here and now and have a nap.”

“Have you forgotten that Nugwot and his followers may still be on our trail?” Cocoa reminded him. “Not to mention Quoll and his bloodsucking pair of retainers.”

“With any luck, by now Quoll and the others should be thoroughly marigolded. As for Nugwot and his happy-sappy sycophants, even if they are uncompromising enough to continue their pursuit, I don’t think they’re likely to give us any trouble for a long time, if ever.” Shyly, Taj stepped aside to reveal the single large, iron bolt he had thrown. The enormous gate was now locked securely behind them.

“Good for you, featherhead!” Strolling over, Cezer clapped the smaller man hard enough across the shoulders to bruise the skin, following which substantial gesture of affection he yawned and began to inspect the ground. “Now, who else is for that nap?”

“We can’t just curl up and go to sleep in the middle of the day,” Mamakitty admonished him firmly. “Cats do that. Not people on a mission.”

“Grouchy old sardine-head,” Cezer muttered.

Deep yellow-green eyes narrowed. “What did you say?”

The swordsman sighed resignedly.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.