Read Online Terrible Beast of Zor by Gilbert L. Morris - Free Book Online
Authors: Gilbert L. Morris
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found the other Sleepers ready and waiting.
“Did you get a good horse for the prince?”
“I want my own horse,” Prince Alex said.
“Not a chance,” Sarah said quickly. “It would be recognized right away. What you need is a good, solidhomely horse with no attractiveness whatsoever.”
“Just the one I’ve got.” Dave patted the rump of a mousy brown animal. It looked strong but certainly not flashy.
“Quick, then. Everybody mount. We’ve got to get away from here,” Josh urged.
They swung into the saddles and rode out. The gates were opened for them without a question, and they passed out of the palace grounds and thundered down the road. Josh led the way at a full gallop, wanting to put as much distance as he could between the prince and the palace.
“Where are we going?” Sarah asked him.
“To a place called the Deep Forest. It’s a place Dethenor told me about it. Hardly anybody goes there, he says. People think it’s haunted.”
“Good,” Sarah said. She was leaning over her horse’s neck. When she looked back, she could see the prince riding bolt upright. The moon was coming up, and she could even see the soot on his face. “We’ve got the prince out, but what good does it do us in the long run?”
“Don’t know. At least we’ve got time now.”
Sarah kept even with Josh, and the others followed closely. Finally she said, “And it gives us time to work on Prince Alexander. He’s got to learn the hard way how life is—just like us ordinary mortals do.”
8
The Prince and
the Firewood
J osh came out of a sound sleep very slowly. He was aware that his body was sore all over, and he rolled over and snorted and tried to go back to sleep. Then a bird began singing close by, and opening his eyes to a slant, he saw that dawn had arrived.
With a groan he sat up and looked around. The other Sleepers and the prince were all lumps in the gray darkness, wrapped in their blankets against the cold of the night. He staggered to his feet and stretched his aching muscles.
“That was a hard ride and a hard piece of ground,” he muttered. “But at least we’re away from the palace.”
The bird began singing a louder song now, and Josh grumbled, “What have you got to be so cheerful about so early?” He’d grown rather expert at telling time without a watch since coming to NuWorld, and now he estimated that it was almost six o’clock. He walked over to where Wash was sleeping and poked him with his socked foot. “Get up, Wash,” he said. “It’s past sunrise.” Moving on, he did the same with Dave and was greeted with a hoarse voice saying, “Get away and leave me alone!”
Josh grinned, went back, and pulled on his boots. They had all slept in their clothes and hadn’t eaten supper. They’d been too weary to cook a meal after riding half the night.
He walked down to the stream and washed his face in its cold water, snorting and shivering. He ran his hands through his hair, then turned back to the camp, where he found everyone more or less awake. The girls had found a private spot to sleep, and as they rejoined the boys, Abbey was complaining as usual about her looks.
“I’m a mess!” she said. “I’ve got to wash my hair.”
“Wash all you want to, but the first order of business is to get something to eat.”
“That’s a good idea,” Jake said. “My stomach thinks my throat’s been cut.”
The prince was standing off by himself. They had paused long enough last night for him to wash the soot off his face and to clothe himself in an outfit that was very unprincelike but clean. It was a simple costume of rough brown material consisting of britches and a tunic. The shoes were made of leather but were old and cracked.
Recalling what Sarah had said about teaching the prince something about humility, Josh had an idea.
“We’ll divide up the work. Wash, you cook the breakfast this morning. Prince Alex, you go cut the firewood.”
As Josh had expected, Alexander
“Did you get a good horse for the prince?”
“I want my own horse,” Prince Alex said.
“Not a chance,” Sarah said quickly. “It would be recognized right away. What you need is a good, solidhomely horse with no attractiveness whatsoever.”
“Just the one I’ve got.” Dave patted the rump of a mousy brown animal. It looked strong but certainly not flashy.
“Quick, then. Everybody mount. We’ve got to get away from here,” Josh urged.
They swung into the saddles and rode out. The gates were opened for them without a question, and they passed out of the palace grounds and thundered down the road. Josh led the way at a full gallop, wanting to put as much distance as he could between the prince and the palace.
“Where are we going?” Sarah asked him.
“To a place called the Deep Forest. It’s a place Dethenor told me about it. Hardly anybody goes there, he says. People think it’s haunted.”
“Good,” Sarah said. She was leaning over her horse’s neck. When she looked back, she could see the prince riding bolt upright. The moon was coming up, and she could even see the soot on his face. “We’ve got the prince out, but what good does it do us in the long run?”
“Don’t know. At least we’ve got time now.”
Sarah kept even with Josh, and the others followed closely. Finally she said, “And it gives us time to work on Prince Alexander. He’s got to learn the hard way how life is—just like us ordinary mortals do.”
8
The Prince and
the Firewood
J osh came out of a sound sleep very slowly. He was aware that his body was sore all over, and he rolled over and snorted and tried to go back to sleep. Then a bird began singing close by, and opening his eyes to a slant, he saw that dawn had arrived.
With a groan he sat up and looked around. The other Sleepers and the prince were all lumps in the gray darkness, wrapped in their blankets against the cold of the night. He staggered to his feet and stretched his aching muscles.
“That was a hard ride and a hard piece of ground,” he muttered. “But at least we’re away from the palace.”
The bird began singing a louder song now, and Josh grumbled, “What have you got to be so cheerful about so early?” He’d grown rather expert at telling time without a watch since coming to NuWorld, and now he estimated that it was almost six o’clock. He walked over to where Wash was sleeping and poked him with his socked foot. “Get up, Wash,” he said. “It’s past sunrise.” Moving on, he did the same with Dave and was greeted with a hoarse voice saying, “Get away and leave me alone!”
Josh grinned, went back, and pulled on his boots. They had all slept in their clothes and hadn’t eaten supper. They’d been too weary to cook a meal after riding half the night.
He walked down to the stream and washed his face in its cold water, snorting and shivering. He ran his hands through his hair, then turned back to the camp, where he found everyone more or less awake. The girls had found a private spot to sleep, and as they rejoined the boys, Abbey was complaining as usual about her looks.
“I’m a mess!” she said. “I’ve got to wash my hair.”
“Wash all you want to, but the first order of business is to get something to eat.”
“That’s a good idea,” Jake said. “My stomach thinks my throat’s been cut.”
The prince was standing off by himself. They had paused long enough last night for him to wash the soot off his face and to clothe himself in an outfit that was very unprincelike but clean. It was a simple costume of rough brown material consisting of britches and a tunic. The shoes were made of leather but were old and cracked.
Recalling what Sarah had said about teaching the prince something about humility, Josh had an idea.
“We’ll divide up the work. Wash, you cook the breakfast this morning. Prince Alex, you go cut the firewood.”
As Josh had expected, Alexander
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