Read Online Rivers of Fire (Atherton, Book 2) by Patrick Carman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Patrick Carman
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through all the houses. Make sure there are no more juvenile Cleaners hiding in the village. And someone should check with the scouts to see if they've heard or seen anything approaching."
They had been smart enough to set up a line of villagers around the village and toward the Flatlands, a line that this one delinquent Cleaner had managed to avoid in the night. Big Cleaners were not quiet on their approach as a group, or so Vincent had told her, and hopefully the scouts' forewarning would allow them a small amount of time to prepare.
"Give us just a little longer and we'll have our plans set," finished Maude. She turned to Horace and Briney and the group started back for the inn. She stopped short and called back to them.
"I'm told you can eat them," she said, "but I'm not going to be the first."
The villagers all looked back at the ghastly thing that lay dead on the ground, its slimy green insides oozing out into the dirt, and nobody dared even think of eating any part of it.
75
***
What the villagers didn't know wouldn't hurt them, at least for a few more hours. This was the thought Maude had while walking back to the inn to finish talking to Horace and his men. Some of the crowd walked along with them, asking questions about the plans for the village, but Maude remained stoic in her response.
"We need more time," she had kept telling them. She had wasted no time speaking her mind to Horace and his men the moment they were back inside the inn and the door was closed behind them.
"They have no chance," Maude had said. "No hope whatsoever."
"We don't know that," Briney had replied, coming to the defense of the villagers, as usual.
"They can't build a shelter of stone that doesn't fall over," she began. She was building up a head of steam and her voice rose as she continued. "Did you see those weapons? I told them to make spears and they walk around with sticks in their hands. And even if they could make real spears, they don't have the courage or the training to use them. This village couldn't fight off ten Cleaners, so what's going to happen when a hundred of them show up? They could be here in an hour or a day, but I know they're coming. Either way, we don't have time to whip this village into fighting shape. It can't be done."
Briney sat down. Then his chest began to sink inward, and soon he was staring at the floor. She was right. The village and
76
everything in it would be destroyed. Maude put her hand on Briney's shoulder, and her emotions threatened to get away from her.
"The Highlands have been deserted," said Horace, and this refocused her attention on the matter at hand.
"Everyone has fled?" she asked.
"All who haven't lost their minds."
This was where they'd left off before being called out by the villagers. Now that they were back, Maude wanted more answers to questions she'd been thinking about.
"Where have all the people and those big animals, the horses, gone to?" asked Maude. She stumbled on the word "horses," still getting used to the very idea of these foreign creatures.
One of Horace's men who'd been silent until then now spoke up. He was black-bearded and wide across the face and shoulders, and his bright eyes cut through the darkened room.
"We took them out of the Highlands on the other side," he said. "As far away from here as we could get them. The people of the Highlands fear you, as they feared Lord Phineus, and fear is fertile ground for fighting."
Horace broke in. "Once there were three villages on Tabletop, and now there are four--at least for a short time. The people of the Highlands are far away, but we need to find a way to bring them to us. We'll need the horses."
"Who leads this group if not Lord Phineus?" asked Maude.
The man with the black beard looked at Horace. "He leads us."
77
It was mildly comforting amid all the bad news to know that Maude had befriended the leader of a people she feared. She paused a moment, gathering her thoughts, and then she asked Horace
They had been smart enough to set up a line of villagers around the village and toward the Flatlands, a line that this one delinquent Cleaner had managed to avoid in the night. Big Cleaners were not quiet on their approach as a group, or so Vincent had told her, and hopefully the scouts' forewarning would allow them a small amount of time to prepare.
"Give us just a little longer and we'll have our plans set," finished Maude. She turned to Horace and Briney and the group started back for the inn. She stopped short and called back to them.
"I'm told you can eat them," she said, "but I'm not going to be the first."
The villagers all looked back at the ghastly thing that lay dead on the ground, its slimy green insides oozing out into the dirt, and nobody dared even think of eating any part of it.
75
***
What the villagers didn't know wouldn't hurt them, at least for a few more hours. This was the thought Maude had while walking back to the inn to finish talking to Horace and his men. Some of the crowd walked along with them, asking questions about the plans for the village, but Maude remained stoic in her response.
"We need more time," she had kept telling them. She had wasted no time speaking her mind to Horace and his men the moment they were back inside the inn and the door was closed behind them.
"They have no chance," Maude had said. "No hope whatsoever."
"We don't know that," Briney had replied, coming to the defense of the villagers, as usual.
"They can't build a shelter of stone that doesn't fall over," she began. She was building up a head of steam and her voice rose as she continued. "Did you see those weapons? I told them to make spears and they walk around with sticks in their hands. And even if they could make real spears, they don't have the courage or the training to use them. This village couldn't fight off ten Cleaners, so what's going to happen when a hundred of them show up? They could be here in an hour or a day, but I know they're coming. Either way, we don't have time to whip this village into fighting shape. It can't be done."
Briney sat down. Then his chest began to sink inward, and soon he was staring at the floor. She was right. The village and
76
everything in it would be destroyed. Maude put her hand on Briney's shoulder, and her emotions threatened to get away from her.
"The Highlands have been deserted," said Horace, and this refocused her attention on the matter at hand.
"Everyone has fled?" she asked.
"All who haven't lost their minds."
This was where they'd left off before being called out by the villagers. Now that they were back, Maude wanted more answers to questions she'd been thinking about.
"Where have all the people and those big animals, the horses, gone to?" asked Maude. She stumbled on the word "horses," still getting used to the very idea of these foreign creatures.
One of Horace's men who'd been silent until then now spoke up. He was black-bearded and wide across the face and shoulders, and his bright eyes cut through the darkened room.
"We took them out of the Highlands on the other side," he said. "As far away from here as we could get them. The people of the Highlands fear you, as they feared Lord Phineus, and fear is fertile ground for fighting."
Horace broke in. "Once there were three villages on Tabletop, and now there are four--at least for a short time. The people of the Highlands are far away, but we need to find a way to bring them to us. We'll need the horses."
"Who leads this group if not Lord Phineus?" asked Maude.
The man with the black beard looked at Horace. "He leads us."
77
It was mildly comforting amid all the bad news to know that Maude had befriended the leader of a people she feared. She paused a moment, gathering her thoughts, and then she asked Horace
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