Read Online The Wolf Tree by John Claude Bemis - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: John Claude Bemis
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Hammer.”
“I do not know, Conker. I did all I could just to save you.”
“It’s lost then?”
The roasting meat crackled, sputtered fat onto the flames. “You have been through so much, and it will take time for you to regain your strength. Please do not worry now.”
Conker laid his forehead on his knees and was silent. Jolie continued to stare at him, hardly believing he was finally awake after so long. And now she felt as if she had done little to prepare herself for what to do next. Pulling her gaze away, she checked on their breakfast, rotating the spit.
“Where’s the others?” Conker asked, lifting his head slightly.
Jolie shook her head. “I do not know.”
“Ray? Nel? Si? You ain’t seen them?”
“Not since we jumped from the train.”
Conker looked at Jolie for a long time. “You’ve been alone, watching over me for … a year?”
“When I fell in the river, I found you first. I do not even know what happened to Ray. I knew only one way to save you and that was to take you here.”
Conker reached out his enormous hand and Jolie took it. “I don’t even know how to begin thanking you, Jolie.”
“You are my friend, Conker. I am just glad you are better.”
“I’m weak. I feel it. But that meat smells real good. Is it near ready?”
“Soon.”
“Tell me what has happened. Tell me what you’ve done these many months.”
“It will be a boring story, I fear.”
“I want to hear it all the same.”
Jolie began the story that began atop
The Pitch Dark Train
. She told how she carried Conker to the well. She told him of the passing seasons and her dreadful thoughts of losing Ray and the others and her resentment toward her siren sisters for their abandonment. She told Conker about Cleoma and of the sickness in the Terrebonne.
“What should we do now?” Jolie asked Conker. “Should we search for those pirates you befriended? They might know where Nel has gone with the others.”
“I’ve been thinking on it while you were talking. I want to find Nel, to let him know I’m alive. He must think I’m dead….” A deep sorrow broke on Conker’s face. “Butbefore that, can you lead me back to the trestle over the Mississippi?”
“I could find it again. But why?”
“We’ve got to look for the Nine Pound Hammer.”
“Maybe Nel and the others found it.”
“Maybe,” Conker said. “But we don’t know where they are. First, the river. I need you to search the river for it.”
Jolie nodded. “Yes, when you are strong enough to travel.”
“After that, Jolie, I think you ought to go back to the Terrebonne. The Gog is dead and your sisters have returned. They need you. You’ve spent too long looking after me.”
Even after he had finished the entire turkey and the groundhog, Conker’s appetite only seemed to grow. He was able to get to his feet but was still too weak to help Jolie hunt. She set off on her own, using her siren song and her conch shell knife to capture more game. Conker walked around the stream, gathering strength slowly.
That evening Jolie was amazed at how much Conker ate. No sooner had one meal been cooked than he was ready for another. She emptied every root and tuber from her cache in the cave, baking them in the coals until they were tender enough to be eaten.
By the next day, Conker was getting stronger. He tired quickly, but he was able to join Jolie to search for berries and nuts. As Jolie cut his hair with her knife, Conker asked, “What is this place?”
“The spring?”
“How did you know it was here?”
“I heard about it from my sisters. There are other springs like this—with waters that heal. This one is called
Nascuits ai Élodie
, or Élodie’s Spring.”
“Who was Élodie?” Conker asked as black knots of hair fell to his lap.
“My mother.”
Conker looked around at Jolie, his eyes wide. “Your mother?”
Jolie pushed his head back down and continued with the knife. “Yes. I did not know her. Do you know why I
“I do not know, Conker. I did all I could just to save you.”
“It’s lost then?”
The roasting meat crackled, sputtered fat onto the flames. “You have been through so much, and it will take time for you to regain your strength. Please do not worry now.”
Conker laid his forehead on his knees and was silent. Jolie continued to stare at him, hardly believing he was finally awake after so long. And now she felt as if she had done little to prepare herself for what to do next. Pulling her gaze away, she checked on their breakfast, rotating the spit.
“Where’s the others?” Conker asked, lifting his head slightly.
Jolie shook her head. “I do not know.”
“Ray? Nel? Si? You ain’t seen them?”
“Not since we jumped from the train.”
Conker looked at Jolie for a long time. “You’ve been alone, watching over me for … a year?”
“When I fell in the river, I found you first. I do not even know what happened to Ray. I knew only one way to save you and that was to take you here.”
Conker reached out his enormous hand and Jolie took it. “I don’t even know how to begin thanking you, Jolie.”
“You are my friend, Conker. I am just glad you are better.”
“I’m weak. I feel it. But that meat smells real good. Is it near ready?”
“Soon.”
“Tell me what has happened. Tell me what you’ve done these many months.”
“It will be a boring story, I fear.”
“I want to hear it all the same.”
Jolie began the story that began atop
The Pitch Dark Train
. She told how she carried Conker to the well. She told him of the passing seasons and her dreadful thoughts of losing Ray and the others and her resentment toward her siren sisters for their abandonment. She told Conker about Cleoma and of the sickness in the Terrebonne.
“What should we do now?” Jolie asked Conker. “Should we search for those pirates you befriended? They might know where Nel has gone with the others.”
“I’ve been thinking on it while you were talking. I want to find Nel, to let him know I’m alive. He must think I’m dead….” A deep sorrow broke on Conker’s face. “Butbefore that, can you lead me back to the trestle over the Mississippi?”
“I could find it again. But why?”
“We’ve got to look for the Nine Pound Hammer.”
“Maybe Nel and the others found it.”
“Maybe,” Conker said. “But we don’t know where they are. First, the river. I need you to search the river for it.”
Jolie nodded. “Yes, when you are strong enough to travel.”
“After that, Jolie, I think you ought to go back to the Terrebonne. The Gog is dead and your sisters have returned. They need you. You’ve spent too long looking after me.”
Even after he had finished the entire turkey and the groundhog, Conker’s appetite only seemed to grow. He was able to get to his feet but was still too weak to help Jolie hunt. She set off on her own, using her siren song and her conch shell knife to capture more game. Conker walked around the stream, gathering strength slowly.
That evening Jolie was amazed at how much Conker ate. No sooner had one meal been cooked than he was ready for another. She emptied every root and tuber from her cache in the cave, baking them in the coals until they were tender enough to be eaten.
By the next day, Conker was getting stronger. He tired quickly, but he was able to join Jolie to search for berries and nuts. As Jolie cut his hair with her knife, Conker asked, “What is this place?”
“The spring?”
“How did you know it was here?”
“I heard about it from my sisters. There are other springs like this—with waters that heal. This one is called
Nascuits ai Élodie
, or Élodie’s Spring.”
“Who was Élodie?” Conker asked as black knots of hair fell to his lap.
“My mother.”
Conker looked around at Jolie, his eyes wide. “Your mother?”
Jolie pushed his head back down and continued with the knife. “Yes. I did not know her. Do you know why I
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