The Sand Timer by Sam Feuerbach

Author:Sam Feuerbach
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: samfeuerbach.com
Published: 2014-10-11T22:00:00+00:00

who is Belch?

Suddenly, the cabin door was flung open with a crash, causing Karek to flinch. Belch entered.

‘Captain,’ said Karek in greeting. ‘Would you please knock the next time?’

Belch grinned. ‘I only knock my opponents. Not on a pitiful wooden door.’ Belch sat down. ‘Now we have a little peace and quiet. Only the sea surrounding us. We need to talk about what to do next.’

‘You are right. I have a lot of questions first, though.’

‘As do I.’

Suddenly the cabin door was flung open with a crash, causing both Karek and Belch to flinch. Nika entered.

‘Nika, would you please knock the next time?’

‘Do I look like a woodpecker? I’m not going to knock on your pitiful wooden door.’

Karek looked from one visitor to the other.

Well, you could both knock me down with a feather. This is getting weird – the two of you are like chalk and cheese and yet you certainly have things in common.

Karek sat down at the small table. ‘Good that the two of you are here. There are things that need discussing. Belch, everything that I told you a few days ago in the shrubland was true. We were looking for a particular artefact. Which was why we weren’t in Fortress Beachperch when it was attacked and destroyed by Schohtar. Now we are mortal enemies, and you can imagine what he will do if he gets his hands on me.’

‘He would at the very least have a powerful bargaining chip when dealing with your father, King Marein.’

‘Schohtar wants the crown. He has declared himself King of the South and has destroyed anyone who is not on his side.’

Belch shrugged his shoulders. ‘What does it matter to me if the Toladarians want to make mincemeat out of each other. In fact, I find it rather pleasing.’

Karek looked into Belch’s eyes. ‘I respect your openness. There is no need for any of us to be hypocritical. Toladar and Soradar were never bosom buddies. The war between our countries has almost become a tradition.’ Karek leaned back. ‘But why, in fact? To what purpose?’

Belch looked curiously at Karek but said nothing. Instead, he used his fingers to play with his earring.

‘My theory goes as follows – it is the cravings of the mighty which are setting on our people against each other. The common folk have little desire to knock each other’s heads in. Why would they? Everyone wants to live their life in peace and quiet, enjoying occasional moments of happiness. When our two groups encountered each other in the scrubland, it was reason that won the day. In fact, there had been no good reason for physical fighting.’

No-one said anything for a while. Then Belch asked: ‘Tell me, Karek – how old are you?’

Karek hesitated. What was the purpose of such a question at this juncture?

He’s probably going to accuse me of being a precocious brat who has no idea of the adult world and tell me I would be better off keeping my mouth shut. But who cares? I merely said what I believed.

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