Read Online Chains of Destruction by Selina Rosen - Free Book Online
Authors: Selina Rosen
Tags: Science-Fiction
Ads: Link
priest saw a different sparkle in our eyes than he had in the siblings that were born before us, and so whack! They deform you and ruin you for anything but what they wanted you to do. Which, in essence, is to help them make the people into puppets."
"They cut out your tongue before you had a chance to know if you could sing, and they cut off my hands before I knew what it was like to pick fruit from a bush, hold a friend's hand or throw a rock. They say the procedure causes little pain, but what do they know of my pain? The pain I feel when I see lovers holding each other, gladiators in mock warfare, or even the simple act of a child throwing a ball. All of these things were stolen from me as your ability to speak was stolen from you."
The man nodded his head and made hand signals that only the two of them could read. Haldeed had been with him as long as Taleed could remember; he was his personal servant and his best friend. Haldeed was his hands, and he was Haldeed's voice. They'd had this talk many times before because both were unhappy with their lots in life. Haldeed said what he often did. That someday Taleed would be King, and when he was in charge he could change all the rules.
"But my father is not an old man, and he is in good health. I may be old and gray before I come to power, and then what life is left to either of us? No! We must leave here and go out on our own. Start anew someplace far from the palace where no one knows us," Taleed said. "We must have an adventure.
Haldeed took a deep breath and tried to talk sense to his old friend. He reminded him that they had run away six times before and had been caught every single time in no more than a few hours. It hardly seemed worth the effort to him. He reminded Taleed how hard it was to hide a handless man and a mute.
"Ah, but last time we did hide longer than ever before, and I think we grow wiser with age. Let us at least try again. If nothing else it will give us a break from palace boredom."
* * *
Once again Haldeed found himself digging through his wardrobe and dressing himself and the Prince in the simple sleeveless tunics made of rough linen that were worn by the peasants.
"Oh, and I need a pair of gloves," Taleed said.
Haldeed shot him a strange look and then laughed making the one sound he could make that sounded close to normal.
"I'm not kidding," Taleed said. "I've got an idea."
Haldeed found a pair of old gloves and held them out to Taleed with a questioning look on his face.
"Stuff them full of cotton or something. We'll glue them to the ends of my stumps, and then it will look like I have hands," Taleed said.
Haldeed nodded his head in excitement. They would probably only be caught again, but at the very least they might have a few hours of adventure. While looking for some cotton and glue he found some old wire. He rushed back to Taleed in excitement. He put a piece of wire into one to the fingers of the glove and bent it. He looked at Taleed's face to see what he thought, and Taleed smiled.
"Great idea, Haldeed. We can pose my hands – make them look more real. We can even change them every once in awhile."
It took a while for Haldeed to construct the 'hands,' but when he had glued them onto the Prince's arms they looked real enough.
Taleed was silent for a moment as he looked down his arms at the fake hands. He found himself filled with emotion. "I
. . .
I look like a whole person."
Haldeed made hand signals.
"Yes, we just might make it this time. Come on. Let's go."
* * *
RJ walked through the ship with Poley at her side. "I should have known looking at the size of the hold that this was no cargo ship," RJ said thoughtfully as they looked into yet another long narrow bunk hall.
"I knew," Poley said matter-of-factly.
"Then why didn't you say something, tin pants?" RJ asked harshly.
"You didn't ask," Poley said shrugging.
RJ sighed
"They cut out your tongue before you had a chance to know if you could sing, and they cut off my hands before I knew what it was like to pick fruit from a bush, hold a friend's hand or throw a rock. They say the procedure causes little pain, but what do they know of my pain? The pain I feel when I see lovers holding each other, gladiators in mock warfare, or even the simple act of a child throwing a ball. All of these things were stolen from me as your ability to speak was stolen from you."
The man nodded his head and made hand signals that only the two of them could read. Haldeed had been with him as long as Taleed could remember; he was his personal servant and his best friend. Haldeed was his hands, and he was Haldeed's voice. They'd had this talk many times before because both were unhappy with their lots in life. Haldeed said what he often did. That someday Taleed would be King, and when he was in charge he could change all the rules.
"But my father is not an old man, and he is in good health. I may be old and gray before I come to power, and then what life is left to either of us? No! We must leave here and go out on our own. Start anew someplace far from the palace where no one knows us," Taleed said. "We must have an adventure.
Haldeed took a deep breath and tried to talk sense to his old friend. He reminded him that they had run away six times before and had been caught every single time in no more than a few hours. It hardly seemed worth the effort to him. He reminded Taleed how hard it was to hide a handless man and a mute.
"Ah, but last time we did hide longer than ever before, and I think we grow wiser with age. Let us at least try again. If nothing else it will give us a break from palace boredom."
* * *
Once again Haldeed found himself digging through his wardrobe and dressing himself and the Prince in the simple sleeveless tunics made of rough linen that were worn by the peasants.
"Oh, and I need a pair of gloves," Taleed said.
Haldeed shot him a strange look and then laughed making the one sound he could make that sounded close to normal.
"I'm not kidding," Taleed said. "I've got an idea."
Haldeed found a pair of old gloves and held them out to Taleed with a questioning look on his face.
"Stuff them full of cotton or something. We'll glue them to the ends of my stumps, and then it will look like I have hands," Taleed said.
Haldeed nodded his head in excitement. They would probably only be caught again, but at the very least they might have a few hours of adventure. While looking for some cotton and glue he found some old wire. He rushed back to Taleed in excitement. He put a piece of wire into one to the fingers of the glove and bent it. He looked at Taleed's face to see what he thought, and Taleed smiled.
"Great idea, Haldeed. We can pose my hands – make them look more real. We can even change them every once in awhile."
It took a while for Haldeed to construct the 'hands,' but when he had glued them onto the Prince's arms they looked real enough.
Taleed was silent for a moment as he looked down his arms at the fake hands. He found himself filled with emotion. "I
. . .
I look like a whole person."
Haldeed made hand signals.
"Yes, we just might make it this time. Come on. Let's go."
* * *
RJ walked through the ship with Poley at her side. "I should have known looking at the size of the hold that this was no cargo ship," RJ said thoughtfully as they looked into yet another long narrow bunk hall.
"I knew," Poley said matter-of-factly.
"Then why didn't you say something, tin pants?" RJ asked harshly.
"You didn't ask," Poley said shrugging.
RJ sighed
Similar Books
