The Tigers in the Tower by Julia Golding

Author:Julia Golding
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781782643180
Publisher: Lion Hudson LTD
Published: 2020-07-30T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

Sahira half-expected Mr Pence to say she was forbidden to return to the menagerie but she had not factored in his desire to carry on receiving her wages. No one tried to stop her as she went out after morning lessons. She ran with her halting stride all the way to the Tower, desperate to put as much distance between herself and the orphanage as she could. She changed quickly and painfully, swollen fingers clumsy on the strings and buttons, then went in search of the tigers.

She kneeled before the bars, rather too close if truth be told. She could feel the warm breath of Sita huffing on her skin as she crouched before her.

“Sita, I really, really… h… hate London.” She’d been holding in her tears since her beating but now she let go. Her crying was messy – chest wracked with sobs, nose running, mouth a grimace of misery – but it didn’t matter as there were only the tigers to see. She wanted to run away with them.

The tigress grunted, circled, and took a place so that her back was pressed against the bars. Swiping a sleeve across her face, Sahira tentatively reached out and stroked the fur, something she’d never dared do before. The rough silk soothed her. Rama sat proudly beside his mate, watching them both, perhaps guarding his girls. It was hard to say what was going through his mind. He must blame Sahira for bringing him here, yet he seemed to like her as much as a tiger could like anyone.

The door banged open and Ned ran in. Sita got up and prowled further off, as if embarrassed to have been caught comforting a human cub.

“Sahira! I’m so pleased you’ve come. I missed you this morning. This is just the most wonderful place I’ve ever been! Nebbie has stolen three half pints of ale already. He’s so funny, such a clown!”

She tucked her hands under her arms and hoped he couldn’t see the tear stains across her face. “You’re supposed to be stopping him doing that.”

“Oh, I do, but I let him have the occasional sip – he so likes it. Good morning, tigers!” He waved enthusiastically at her friends. If there hadn’t been bars between them, Rama would have put an end to such familiarity with a leap. As it was, he turned his back on Ned, tail a-twitch with disdain. Ned just laughed.

Sahira got up, shaking off the pins and needles in her calf muscles. She gave her eyes a stealthy wipe with her sleeve before facing Ned. “So it’s working out well for you?”

“Like a dream.” Ned took a second glance at her. “Are you feeling all right, Sahira? You look sad. Have you been crying?”

She couldn’t deal with anyone’s sympathy at the moment, not unless they had four paws and whiskers. “I’m fine,” she lied. “Tell me what’s going on here.”

“The big news is that the old lion is sickening.” He pulled Sahira along to the cage next to the tigers.

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