Страница 57 из 73
He worked his way farther back into the big room. The stacks were so high, the ways so zigzagging and irregular, that it was like working his way into a maze. The napkins gave off a sweet, dry, cottony smell. He finally reached one of the far corners, and here he reckoned he would be safe. He overspilled a stack of the napkins, spread them out, and took another handful for a pillow.
It was by far the most luxurious mattress he had ever lain upon, and, hungry as he was, he needed sleep much more than food after his long walk and the frights of the night. He was asleep in no time at all, and he was troubled by no dreams. We will leave him now, with the first part of his job well and bravely accomplished. We will leave him turned upon his side, right hand curled under his right cheek, sleeping on a bed of royal napkins. And I would like to make a wish for you, Reader that your sleep this night be as sweet and as blameless as his was all that day.
94
On Saturday night, as De
They had made the sort of rough camp people make when they mean to spend only a few hours and then push on. Naomi had seen to her beloved huskies while Ben put up a small tent and built a roaring fire.
Shortly, Naomi joined him at the fire and cooked deer meat. They ate in silence, and then Naomi went to check the dogs again. All were sleeping except for Frisky, her favorite. Frisky looked at her with almost human eyes, and licked her hand.
“A good pull today, m’dear,” Naomi said. “Sleep, now. Catch a moon rabbit.”
Frisky obediently put her head down on her paws. Naomi smiled and went back to the fire. Ben sat before it, his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms around them. His face was somber and thoughtful.
“Snow’s coming.”
“I can read the clouds as well as you, Ben Staad. And the fairies have made a ring around Prince Ailon’s head.”
Ben glanced at the moon and nodded. Then he looked back at the fire. “I’m worried. I’ve had dreams of… well, dreams of one it’s better not to name.”
She lit a cigar. She offered the little package, which was wrapped in muslin to prevent drying, to Ben, who shook his head.
“I’ve had the same dreams, I think,” she said. She tried to make her voice casual, but was betrayed by a slight tremor.
He stared around at her, eyes wide.
“Aye,” she said, as if he had asked. “In them, he looks into some bright glowing thing and speaks Peter’s name. I’ve never been one of your skittish little girls who screeches at the sight of a mouse or a spider in its web, but I wake from that dream wanting to scream aloud.”
She looked both ashamed and defiant.
“How many nights have you had it?”
“Two.”
“I’ve had it four a-ru
“This bright thing… at the end of my dreams, he seems to blow it out. Is it a candle, do you think?”
“No. You know it’s not.”
She nodded.
Ben considered. “Something far more dangerous than a can-dle, I think… I’ll take that cigar you offered, if I may.”
She gave him one. He lit it from the fire. They sat a while in silence, watching the sparks rise toward the dark wind which trawled nets of powdery field snow through the sky. Like the light in the dream they’d shared, the sparks blew out. The night seemed very black. Ben could smell snow in that wind. A great deal of snow, he thought.
Naomi seemed to read his thought. “I think such a storm as the old folks tell about may be on the way. What do you think?”
“The same.”
With a hesitation utterly unlike her usual forthright ma
He shook his head. “I can’t tell. Danger to Peter, that much is clear. If it means anything else-anything I can ken-it’s that we must hurry.” He looked at her with an urgent directness that made her heart speed up. “Can we reach Peyna’s farm tomorrow, do you think?”
“We should be able to. No one but the gods can say that a dog won’t break a leg or that a killer bear who can’t sleep his winter sleep won’t come out of the woods and kill us all, but aye… we should be able to. I exchanged all the dogs I used on the run up, except for Frisky, and Frisky’s almost tireless. If the snow comes early it’ll slow us down, but I think it will hold off… and off… and for every hour it does, it’ll be that much worse when it finally comes. Or so I think. But if it does hold off, and if we take turns jumping off the sledge and ru
“I don’t know.” Ben sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. What good, indeed? Whatever it was the dreams foretold, it would happen at the castle, not at the farm. Peyna had sent De
“Bent”
“What?” Jerked out of his thoughts, he turned to her.
“What did you think of just now?”
“Nothing.”
“Yes, something. Your eyes gleamed.”
“Did they? I must have been thinking of pies. It’s time you and I turned in. We’ll want to be off at first light.”
But in the tent, Ben Staad lay awake long after Naomi had gone to sleep. There were a thousand places in the castle to hide, yes. But he could think of two rather special ones. He thought he might well find De
At last he fell asleep…
… and dreamed of Flagg.
95
Teter began that Sunday as he always did, with his exercises and a prayer.
He had awakened feeling fresh and ready. After a quick look at the sky to gauge the progress of the coming storm, he ate his breakfast.
And, of course, he used his napkin.
By Sunday noon, everyone in Delain had come out of his or her house at least once to look worriedly toward the north. Everyone agreed that the storm, when it came, would be one to tell stories about in later years. The clouds rolling in were a dull gray, the color of wolf pelts. Temperatures rose until the icicles hanging beneath the eaves of the alleys began to drip for the first time in weeks, but the old-timers told each other (and anyone else who would listen) that they were not fooled. The temperature would plummet quickly, and hours later-perhaps two, perhaps four-the snow would begin. And, they said, it might fall for days.
By three o’clock that afternoon, those farmers of the I
Animals were skittish. People were nervous. Wise meadhouse keepers would not open their doors. They had observed the falling mercury in their barometric glasses, and long experience had taught them that low air pressure makes men quick to fight.