Read Online The Transall Saga by Gary Paulsen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Gary Paulsen
Tags: Fiction
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her eyes.
"Stop!" Mark yelled in Tsook. He stepped between her and the man.
The executioner’s eyes flashed. With his free hand he shoved Mark out of the way and raised the sword.
Mark gathered himself and charged. He rammed the warrior with his shoulder, knocking him off balance.
Surprised, Sarbo stumbled and turned on him, swinging the heavy sword in a wide arc. Mark dropped to the ground and the death blow missed him by inches. He rolled to the side and sprang to his feet, waiting for Sarbo’s next move.
"Ho yat Sarbo," Dagon commanded the warrior.
Sarbo hesitated, his sword still raised. He gave Mark a contemptuous look, spat at his feet and swaggered back to his mount.
Mark looked up into Dagon’s eyes. They were like cold, black stones. He couldn’t read any emotion. Why this man continued to spare his life was a mystery.
Dagon ordered Mark back to the line.
Mark hurried to Leeta and looked at her injured foot. The gash was deep, slicing through the clear thin web between two of her toes. Without waiting to see what the men would do, he took the roll of cloth from his boot, gently wrapped the wound and slipped one of his threadbare socks over it. Then he told her to climb up on his back.
A tear slipped down Leeta’s cheek. She nodded gratefully and threw her arms around his neck. Mark shifted her weight and took his place in line.
They moved on.
chapter
22
That night they camped in a small clear-
ing on a tree-studded ridge. The Tsook were running low on food and water so the prisoners had to do without.
The men were restless and their tempers were constantly on edge. Sarbo tried unsuccessfully to pick fights with several of the warriors. Mark did his best to stay out of the big man’s way.
He understood enough Tsook to know that they were almost at the end of their journey, two more days at best. As he rewrapped Leeta’s foot he tried not to think about what that would mean.
"There. That ought to do it." Mark had ripped the insole out of his boot and used it as a cushion for the bottom of her foot. "Does that feel any better?"
She didn’t answer.
He glanced up. The way she was looking at him made him uncomfortable. She had an odd smile on her face, as if she knew something he didn’t.
Confused, he scratched the back of his neck. "I ... guess we’ll be at the Tsook village tomorrow."
Leeta nodded. She gently stroked the broken watch he had given her and kept smiling at him.
"Uh, well, it’s late ... ksee tu. Better sleep now." Mark scooted down on his back and closed his eyes. The last thing he needed was for Leeta to start acting weird on him.
The Tsook had left him untied. He turned over. If ever he had a good chance to escape, this was it. The men were tired and quarrelsome. And they were so close to home they probably wouldn’t even bother hunting him.
On his own he would be able to move faster. He could make it down the mountain in less than a day and then cut cross-country and head straight for the dark jungle.
The dark jungle. Willie had probably given up on him and gone back to live with the other monkey-bears by now. And of course there was the blue light. It was out there somewhere. He had to start looking for it again.
There was no way to be certain, but he estimated that he had been in this world for well over a year. Perhaps even two years. That would make him close to fifteen years old. Had his parents come to terms with his disappearance? Were they getting on with their lives? He sighed, then shifted and opened his eyes. Leeta was still sitting beside him, caressing the watch. He frowned. What would the Tsook do to her if he left?
"You go?" she asked.
How did she know? It was almost as if she could read his mind. Mark stirred uneasily.
He closed his eyes again. "Go to sleep, Leeta."
chapter
23
Mark set Leeta down and let her walk for
a while. They were on a well-traveled road in the bottom of a beautiful red valley. The crimson grass was knee high and there were
"Stop!" Mark yelled in Tsook. He stepped between her and the man.
The executioner’s eyes flashed. With his free hand he shoved Mark out of the way and raised the sword.
Mark gathered himself and charged. He rammed the warrior with his shoulder, knocking him off balance.
Surprised, Sarbo stumbled and turned on him, swinging the heavy sword in a wide arc. Mark dropped to the ground and the death blow missed him by inches. He rolled to the side and sprang to his feet, waiting for Sarbo’s next move.
"Ho yat Sarbo," Dagon commanded the warrior.
Sarbo hesitated, his sword still raised. He gave Mark a contemptuous look, spat at his feet and swaggered back to his mount.
Mark looked up into Dagon’s eyes. They were like cold, black stones. He couldn’t read any emotion. Why this man continued to spare his life was a mystery.
Dagon ordered Mark back to the line.
Mark hurried to Leeta and looked at her injured foot. The gash was deep, slicing through the clear thin web between two of her toes. Without waiting to see what the men would do, he took the roll of cloth from his boot, gently wrapped the wound and slipped one of his threadbare socks over it. Then he told her to climb up on his back.
A tear slipped down Leeta’s cheek. She nodded gratefully and threw her arms around his neck. Mark shifted her weight and took his place in line.
They moved on.
chapter
22
That night they camped in a small clear-
ing on a tree-studded ridge. The Tsook were running low on food and water so the prisoners had to do without.
The men were restless and their tempers were constantly on edge. Sarbo tried unsuccessfully to pick fights with several of the warriors. Mark did his best to stay out of the big man’s way.
He understood enough Tsook to know that they were almost at the end of their journey, two more days at best. As he rewrapped Leeta’s foot he tried not to think about what that would mean.
"There. That ought to do it." Mark had ripped the insole out of his boot and used it as a cushion for the bottom of her foot. "Does that feel any better?"
She didn’t answer.
He glanced up. The way she was looking at him made him uncomfortable. She had an odd smile on her face, as if she knew something he didn’t.
Confused, he scratched the back of his neck. "I ... guess we’ll be at the Tsook village tomorrow."
Leeta nodded. She gently stroked the broken watch he had given her and kept smiling at him.
"Uh, well, it’s late ... ksee tu. Better sleep now." Mark scooted down on his back and closed his eyes. The last thing he needed was for Leeta to start acting weird on him.
The Tsook had left him untied. He turned over. If ever he had a good chance to escape, this was it. The men were tired and quarrelsome. And they were so close to home they probably wouldn’t even bother hunting him.
On his own he would be able to move faster. He could make it down the mountain in less than a day and then cut cross-country and head straight for the dark jungle.
The dark jungle. Willie had probably given up on him and gone back to live with the other monkey-bears by now. And of course there was the blue light. It was out there somewhere. He had to start looking for it again.
There was no way to be certain, but he estimated that he had been in this world for well over a year. Perhaps even two years. That would make him close to fifteen years old. Had his parents come to terms with his disappearance? Were they getting on with their lives? He sighed, then shifted and opened his eyes. Leeta was still sitting beside him, caressing the watch. He frowned. What would the Tsook do to her if he left?
"You go?" she asked.
How did she know? It was almost as if she could read his mind. Mark stirred uneasily.
He closed his eyes again. "Go to sleep, Leeta."
chapter
23
Mark set Leeta down and let her walk for
a while. They were on a well-traveled road in the bottom of a beautiful red valley. The crimson grass was knee high and there were
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