Read Online Fire And Steel (The Merryweather Chronicles Book 2) by Lesley Woodral - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lesley Woodral
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you talking about?"
Goldman blinked at Brandon and said. "We all have secrets, do we not? Those secrets are his. As mine belong to me." His smile was sly and far too knowing. "And yours to you."
"Stop talking in riddles, Mr. Goldman." Brandon said. "What do you know of my family and our secrets?"
"My friends call me Arch. My father is Mr. Goldman and always will be." He surprised Brandon by rising and offering his hand.
Brandon shook the man's hand, surprised by the strength of the old man's grip. He was suddenly ashamed of his harsh tone. "I'm--I'm sorry. I shouldn't have raised my voice like that, Mr. Gold--Arch, I mean."
Arch waved away the apology, leaning back in his chair and shaking his head. "I knew your father, as I said, and you are much like him. You have the same passion. The same temper, as well."
Brandon looked around the shop, his eyes lighting upon the book in the display window. He asked. "If you and my dad were so close, why weren't you at the funeral?"
"I am an old man, Bran." Arch made a small gesture, giving a sad shake to his head. He said. "I wish I could've undertaken the journey in person, but know that I was there in spirit. Your father never strayed far from my thoughts, even after he left Matheson behind." He shook his head again. "Stephen was a good man. A good friend. The world became a far darker place with his passing."
Brandon said. "Can you tell me about him? There's so much I never knew about him? About his time in Matheson, when he was my age? What was he like? How did he come here?"
Arch shrugged. "As I said. He was a quiet boy. Always studying the world around him, as if trying to memorize everything he saw. Perhaps the writer in him was already gleaning what it could, to use in the fantastic stories that would come later? He was always quick to protect those weaker than himself, though I never saw him raise his hand in anger."
Brandon asked. "Was he a warrior?"
Arch snorted. "Foolish question, boy. Stephen Merryweather, a warrior? Why would he want to do something so stupid as make wars? Oh, no." The man sounded proud. "Stephen was a scholar. A pacifist."
"A coward, you mean?"
"Don't be stupid, Bran. It doesn't become you." Arch shook his head. "It takes a far braver man to stand up to evil without a weapon, than with. Your father did great things without resorting to violence against others. His courage, his strength, saved a great many people."
Brandon could think of nothing to say to that. He looked around the shop, at the strange objects and books that Arch surrounded himself with, and imagined his father standing where he was now. Arch must of saw something of his thoughts on his face because he broke the silence, saying. "Your father was an amazing person, Bran. He helped countless people in his life. You can be proud. Cherish the time that you had with him and your mother. Cherish it always. Don't let yourself forget them, no matter how it hurts to remember. They deserve to be remembered by the person they loved most in this world."
Brandon left Goldman's shop a few minutes later, awash in thoughts of his parents and feelings that he'd been ignoring for weeks and weeks. He was already late for school, so there was no point in hurrying. Albert was long gone, probably already sitting in class, so Brandon walked alone. His step felt noticeably lighter since his visit with the old man. Arch hadn't revealed much more about his father than that he was heroic, self sacrificing, and kept his secrets close, but it was refreshing to see his father from a new prospective. Knowing that his father had wandered these streets, the same as he was doing now, made Brandon feel closer to him.
Brandon was crossing the high school parking lot when he saw the Kruegers drag Albert into the old gym. There were
Goldman blinked at Brandon and said. "We all have secrets, do we not? Those secrets are his. As mine belong to me." His smile was sly and far too knowing. "And yours to you."
"Stop talking in riddles, Mr. Goldman." Brandon said. "What do you know of my family and our secrets?"
"My friends call me Arch. My father is Mr. Goldman and always will be." He surprised Brandon by rising and offering his hand.
Brandon shook the man's hand, surprised by the strength of the old man's grip. He was suddenly ashamed of his harsh tone. "I'm--I'm sorry. I shouldn't have raised my voice like that, Mr. Gold--Arch, I mean."
Arch waved away the apology, leaning back in his chair and shaking his head. "I knew your father, as I said, and you are much like him. You have the same passion. The same temper, as well."
Brandon looked around the shop, his eyes lighting upon the book in the display window. He asked. "If you and my dad were so close, why weren't you at the funeral?"
"I am an old man, Bran." Arch made a small gesture, giving a sad shake to his head. He said. "I wish I could've undertaken the journey in person, but know that I was there in spirit. Your father never strayed far from my thoughts, even after he left Matheson behind." He shook his head again. "Stephen was a good man. A good friend. The world became a far darker place with his passing."
Brandon said. "Can you tell me about him? There's so much I never knew about him? About his time in Matheson, when he was my age? What was he like? How did he come here?"
Arch shrugged. "As I said. He was a quiet boy. Always studying the world around him, as if trying to memorize everything he saw. Perhaps the writer in him was already gleaning what it could, to use in the fantastic stories that would come later? He was always quick to protect those weaker than himself, though I never saw him raise his hand in anger."
Brandon asked. "Was he a warrior?"
Arch snorted. "Foolish question, boy. Stephen Merryweather, a warrior? Why would he want to do something so stupid as make wars? Oh, no." The man sounded proud. "Stephen was a scholar. A pacifist."
"A coward, you mean?"
"Don't be stupid, Bran. It doesn't become you." Arch shook his head. "It takes a far braver man to stand up to evil without a weapon, than with. Your father did great things without resorting to violence against others. His courage, his strength, saved a great many people."
Brandon could think of nothing to say to that. He looked around the shop, at the strange objects and books that Arch surrounded himself with, and imagined his father standing where he was now. Arch must of saw something of his thoughts on his face because he broke the silence, saying. "Your father was an amazing person, Bran. He helped countless people in his life. You can be proud. Cherish the time that you had with him and your mother. Cherish it always. Don't let yourself forget them, no matter how it hurts to remember. They deserve to be remembered by the person they loved most in this world."
Brandon left Goldman's shop a few minutes later, awash in thoughts of his parents and feelings that he'd been ignoring for weeks and weeks. He was already late for school, so there was no point in hurrying. Albert was long gone, probably already sitting in class, so Brandon walked alone. His step felt noticeably lighter since his visit with the old man. Arch hadn't revealed much more about his father than that he was heroic, self sacrificing, and kept his secrets close, but it was refreshing to see his father from a new prospective. Knowing that his father had wandered these streets, the same as he was doing now, made Brandon feel closer to him.
Brandon was crossing the high school parking lot when he saw the Kruegers drag Albert into the old gym. There were
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