Read Online The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner - Free Book Online

stone. It is the stone. No other has that heart of fire. And it was by me, and I did not hear it call.”
    He sat, his eyes clouded, a tired, world-weary, old man.
    Then wrath kindled in him, and spread like flame. He sprang from his chair with all the vigour of youth, and he seemed to grow in stature, and his presence filled the cave.
    â€œGrimnir!” he cried. “Are you to be my ruin at the end? Quick! We must take him in the open before he gains thelake! I shall slay him, if I must.”
    â€œNay, Cadellin,” said Fenodyree. “Hot blood has banished cool thought! It is near an hour since the hooded one strode swampwards; he will be far from the light by now, and even you dare not follow there. He would sit and mock you. Would you want that, old friend?”
    â€œMock me! Why did he leave these children unharmed, if not for that? It is not his way to show mercy for mercy’s sake! And how else could despair have been brought to me so quickly? I am savouring his triumph now, as he meant me to.
    â€œBut what you say is reason: for good or ill the stone is with him. All we can do is guard, and wait, though I fear it will be to no good purpose.”
    He looked at the children, who were standing dejectedly in the middle of the cave.
    â€œColin, Susan; you have witnessed the writing of a dark chapter in the book of the world, and what deeds it will bring no man can tell; but you must in no way blame yourselves for what has happened. The elf-road would have been but short refuge from him who came against you this day – Grimnir the hooded one.”
    â€œBut what is he?” said Susan, pale with the memory of their meeting.
    â€œHe is, or was, a man. Once he studied under the wisest of the wise, and became a great lore-master; but inhis lust for knowledge he practised the forbidden arts, and the black magic ravaged his heart, and made a monster of him. He left the paths of day, and went to live, like Grendel of old, beneath the waters of Llyn-dhu, the Black Lake, growing mighty in evil, second only to the ancient creatures of night that attend their lord in Ragnarok. And it is he, arch-enemy of mine, who came against you this day.”
    â€œNo one in memory has seen his face or heard his voice,” added Fenodyree. “Dwarf-legend speaks of a great shame that he bears therein: a gadfly of remorse, reminding him of what he is, and of what he might have been. But then that is only an old tale we learnt at our mother’s knee, and not one for this sad hour.”
    â€œNor have we time for folk-talk,” said Cadellin. “We must do what we can, and that quickly. Now tell me, who can have seen the stone and recognised it?”
    â€œWell, nobody …” said Colin.
    â€œSelina Place!” cried Susan. “Selina Place! My Tear went all misty! Don’t you remember, Colin? She must have seen my Tear and stopped to make certain.”
    â€œHa!” laughed Fenodyree bitterly. “Old Shape-shifter up to her tricks! We might have guessed the weight of the matter had we but known she was behind it!”
    â€œOh, why did you not tell us this when we first met?”the wizard shouted.
    â€œI forgot all about it,” said Colin: “it didn’t seem important. I thought she was queer in the head.”
    â€œImportant? Queer? Hear him! Why, Selina Place, as she is known to you, is the chief witch of the morthbrood! Worse, she is the Morrigan, the Third Bane of Logris!”
    For a moment it seemed as though he would erupt in anger, but instead, he sighed, and shook his head.
    â€œNo matter. It is done.”
    Susan was almost in tears. She could not bear to see the old man so distraught, especially when she felt responsible for his plight.
    â€œIs there nothing we can do?”
    The wizard looked up at her, and a tired smile came to his lips.
    â€œDo? My dear, I think there is little any of us can do now. Certainly, there will be no place for