Read Online The Boys of Fire and Ash by Meaghan McIsaac - Free Book Online
Authors: Meaghan McIsaac
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leaped back into a crouch, dagger drawn, and Digger and I readied ourselves for a brawl.
The man stared at Av a moment, then threw up his arms and made a “Bah” noise before stumbling off in a different direction.
“Hey! Hey!” Blaze rushed over to Av and tried to pry the dagger out of his grip. “Put that away, will you? Wanna get us arrested?”
Av didn’t answer, I guess because like me he had no idea what that meant, though Blaze didn’t seem to be waiting for us to respond. He pulled a pouch from his pocket and began counting a handful of silver pieces as he continued farther through the crowd.
Av looked to me, his wild eyes making it clear he didn’t want to venture into the masses. Neither did I. I shrugged my shoulders, defeated, and followed after Blaze.
Children shrieked and giggled as they ran by and through our legs. Large, rusted metal objects rattled as they plowed through the streets. I recognized some from the Landfill back home. They hissed and roared as they thundered by, the people they carried shouting at everyone to get out of their way. I could see Digger ahead of me, cowering behind Blaze with his eyes shut tight, his hands over his ears. Sharp whistles cut through the air as men waving colorful fabrics fought to get my attention; the jingling of trinkets and screams and cries of babies surged and waned as peoplemoved by me. I’d never heard noise like this, and a new panic swelled in my chest.
Blaze stopped by a stand and spoke to the boy behind it. I wanted to know what they were saying, what Blaze was up to, but the words were not mine and I wondered where Blaze had picked them up. Did all Brothers who left learn how to speak with the words the Abish used? Or just Blaze? Spongy, golden-brown bricks were lined up along the table, and their sweet scent mercifully overtook the smells of sweat, spice, and dirt that had been assailing my nostrils. The boy handed Blaze two of the sponges, and Blaze gave him several silver pieces in exchange.
A man behind the stand to my right was barking at me, waving something as if he needed me to take it from him. It was bright and orange, and when I looked closer it looked like Blaze’s flint box. All the trinkets at the man’s stand looked like Blaze’s flint box. Different colors and sizes all dangled from hooks and lined the walls. Cubby could have had any color he wanted. The man grunted again and I reached out to take it, to keep it for when I got Cubby back.
Blaze’s hand shot out and grabbed me by the wrist. “No, no. He wants you to buy it.”
“Buy?”
Blaze rolled his eyes and shoved the flint box at the man. “Trade for it,” he told me. He said a couple of words I didn’t know, and the man reached down, pulling out a dark colored bag. Blaze turned it over, dumping out some shiny-looking stones. With a nod, Blaze flicked the man another piece of silver.
I saw Av standing in the middle of the street. He was being bombarded by another large Abish man offering him objects that looked a lot like Blaze’s pistol.
“Hey, no!” yelled Blaze, Digger still clutching to his back, which left me to be the one to collect Av.
Higher voices screeched around me, strange words flooded the air, and the ache in my head was becoming a pounding pain. The light, the loud noises, the weird smells—I threw my arms around my head, covering my ears and eyes for a second of relief. Suddenly I felt someone pulling on my arms, then tugging at my back. There was a smell, dust and body odor, choking my throat. I opened my eyes and found myself surrounded by several drooping creatures pawing and droning at me in crackly voices. Crevices and lines dragged down their faces, heavy bags and flaps of skin sagged around their eyes and mouths.
The fattest dangled a string of feet that looked like Cavies’ in front of my face—bright, vivid colors I’d never seen. I pushed it back from me and reached for my knife but it wasn’t there. I cursed. I’d left
The man stared at Av a moment, then threw up his arms and made a “Bah” noise before stumbling off in a different direction.
“Hey! Hey!” Blaze rushed over to Av and tried to pry the dagger out of his grip. “Put that away, will you? Wanna get us arrested?”
Av didn’t answer, I guess because like me he had no idea what that meant, though Blaze didn’t seem to be waiting for us to respond. He pulled a pouch from his pocket and began counting a handful of silver pieces as he continued farther through the crowd.
Av looked to me, his wild eyes making it clear he didn’t want to venture into the masses. Neither did I. I shrugged my shoulders, defeated, and followed after Blaze.
Children shrieked and giggled as they ran by and through our legs. Large, rusted metal objects rattled as they plowed through the streets. I recognized some from the Landfill back home. They hissed and roared as they thundered by, the people they carried shouting at everyone to get out of their way. I could see Digger ahead of me, cowering behind Blaze with his eyes shut tight, his hands over his ears. Sharp whistles cut through the air as men waving colorful fabrics fought to get my attention; the jingling of trinkets and screams and cries of babies surged and waned as peoplemoved by me. I’d never heard noise like this, and a new panic swelled in my chest.
Blaze stopped by a stand and spoke to the boy behind it. I wanted to know what they were saying, what Blaze was up to, but the words were not mine and I wondered where Blaze had picked them up. Did all Brothers who left learn how to speak with the words the Abish used? Or just Blaze? Spongy, golden-brown bricks were lined up along the table, and their sweet scent mercifully overtook the smells of sweat, spice, and dirt that had been assailing my nostrils. The boy handed Blaze two of the sponges, and Blaze gave him several silver pieces in exchange.
A man behind the stand to my right was barking at me, waving something as if he needed me to take it from him. It was bright and orange, and when I looked closer it looked like Blaze’s flint box. All the trinkets at the man’s stand looked like Blaze’s flint box. Different colors and sizes all dangled from hooks and lined the walls. Cubby could have had any color he wanted. The man grunted again and I reached out to take it, to keep it for when I got Cubby back.
Blaze’s hand shot out and grabbed me by the wrist. “No, no. He wants you to buy it.”
“Buy?”
Blaze rolled his eyes and shoved the flint box at the man. “Trade for it,” he told me. He said a couple of words I didn’t know, and the man reached down, pulling out a dark colored bag. Blaze turned it over, dumping out some shiny-looking stones. With a nod, Blaze flicked the man another piece of silver.
I saw Av standing in the middle of the street. He was being bombarded by another large Abish man offering him objects that looked a lot like Blaze’s pistol.
“Hey, no!” yelled Blaze, Digger still clutching to his back, which left me to be the one to collect Av.
Higher voices screeched around me, strange words flooded the air, and the ache in my head was becoming a pounding pain. The light, the loud noises, the weird smells—I threw my arms around my head, covering my ears and eyes for a second of relief. Suddenly I felt someone pulling on my arms, then tugging at my back. There was a smell, dust and body odor, choking my throat. I opened my eyes and found myself surrounded by several drooping creatures pawing and droning at me in crackly voices. Crevices and lines dragged down their faces, heavy bags and flaps of skin sagged around their eyes and mouths.
The fattest dangled a string of feet that looked like Cavies’ in front of my face—bright, vivid colors I’d never seen. I pushed it back from me and reached for my knife but it wasn’t there. I cursed. I’d left
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