Read Online Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Heather Tomlinson
Tags: Fiction, General, People & Places, Asia, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, Children's Books - Young Adult Fiction, Science Fiction; Fantasy; & Magic, Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9), Love & Romance, Siblings, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Fairy Tales; Folklore & Mythology, India, Blessing and Cursing, Fairy Tales, Stepfamilies, Fairy Tales & Folklore - General, People & Places - Asia, Stepsisters, India - History
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followed."
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"Word of God!" the prince exclaimed softly. The crowd's excited buzzing drowned the governor's astonished curse.
Diribani scooped up the flowers and jewels she had just spoken. The prince urged his horse closer and leaned from the saddle to accept them. Thin, strong fingers plucked the offering from her hands, leaving her briefly dizzy, as if he had relieved her of a greater burden.
She shook her head, denying the fanciful thought. Hunger or fear was a more likely cause for the strange moment of lightheadedness. This day was nothing like any other she had known.
Ma Hiral's wailing was lost in the cries of wonder that filtered through the crowd as those in front told their neighbors what had happened. Steel rang, soldiers drawing swords from sheaths. The prince motioned his men to keep their places, and the governor followed suit.
Reluctantly, Diribani thought, glancing over in time to see an avaricious light gleam in the governor's eyes. A great calm descended, stilling her wild thoughts. She must be prepared to meet the destiny Naghali-ji had assigned her. Wisdom. Good fortune. Death.
"What foul sorcery is this?" Alwar demanded, though he licked his lips when the prince handed him Diribani's offering. The governor dropped the flowers into the street. The gemstones he rolled in his fleshy hand.
"No sorcery, sire." Diribani continued to address the emperor's son. Ma Hiral had been right about the governor; Prince Zahid was the man she needed to convince. "The goddess Naghali-ji blessed me earlier, at the well."
The crowd murmured again, some touching their foreheads to
69
the ground in reverence. A few white-coats muttered "witch," but not loudly, outnumbered as they were by worshipers of the twelve.
"Did she?" The prince's eyes lingered on Diribani's features, as if he found them as pleasing as she found his. He had kept back a branch of jasmine. He sniffed it thoughtfully before tucking the spray of flowers into his horse's headstall.
"The girl's a menace to public safety, Your Highness," Governor Alwar interjected. "We'd be putting down riots whenever she showed her face in the street." His fist closed around the jewels. "I'll take charge of securing her, lest she break the emperor's peace again in this wanton fashion."
"Please, no, Your Highness," Ma Hiral sobbed. "Don't let him take her!"
"Your mother?" Zahid asked Diribani.
After she had spoken with a goddess, how could a mere prince awe her? Diribani breathed deeply. "My stepmother, sire. Ma Hiral has treated me like her own daughter."
The royal eyebrows lifted in appraisal of the lotuses and lilies, diamonds and emeralds that sprinkled Diribani's pink lap. "Are there more of you at home?" the prince asked. "Other daughters blessed by this Gurath divinity?"
"No, sire," Diribani said, but then she hesitated. "At least," she added, needing to be absolutely truthful with him, "Tana hasn't come home yet, so we don't know--"
"Yes, Your Highness," hissed a familiar voice beside her. "The goddess has touched me also."
70
***
CHAPTER EIGHT Tana
SNAKE !" Governor Alwar wheezed. "Kill it."
A tan-and-gold shape slithered in front of the prince's horse, which neighed and pawed the air. "Steady, Dilawar." Zahid turned the bay in a tight circle. "It's only a ratter, no danger to you." He spoke more to reassure the people nearby, Tana thought, than his horse, which had already responded to Zahid's calm hands on the reins.
A white-coat who wasn't afraid of snakes? Tana's opinion of the young man climbed. She knelt between her mother and Diribani. Setting down her full pitcher, she touched the back of her fingers gently to her sister's bruised cheek. Diribani's face was full of amazement and curiosity, but no fear. Tana tucked the memory of her sister's expression away in her heart. She knew she would cherish it in days to come. Assuming, of course, she lived past sunset. At the moment, it didn't seem likely.
"Tana." Her mother clutched her arm.
68
"Word of God!" the prince exclaimed softly. The crowd's excited buzzing drowned the governor's astonished curse.
Diribani scooped up the flowers and jewels she had just spoken. The prince urged his horse closer and leaned from the saddle to accept them. Thin, strong fingers plucked the offering from her hands, leaving her briefly dizzy, as if he had relieved her of a greater burden.
She shook her head, denying the fanciful thought. Hunger or fear was a more likely cause for the strange moment of lightheadedness. This day was nothing like any other she had known.
Ma Hiral's wailing was lost in the cries of wonder that filtered through the crowd as those in front told their neighbors what had happened. Steel rang, soldiers drawing swords from sheaths. The prince motioned his men to keep their places, and the governor followed suit.
Reluctantly, Diribani thought, glancing over in time to see an avaricious light gleam in the governor's eyes. A great calm descended, stilling her wild thoughts. She must be prepared to meet the destiny Naghali-ji had assigned her. Wisdom. Good fortune. Death.
"What foul sorcery is this?" Alwar demanded, though he licked his lips when the prince handed him Diribani's offering. The governor dropped the flowers into the street. The gemstones he rolled in his fleshy hand.
"No sorcery, sire." Diribani continued to address the emperor's son. Ma Hiral had been right about the governor; Prince Zahid was the man she needed to convince. "The goddess Naghali-ji blessed me earlier, at the well."
The crowd murmured again, some touching their foreheads to
69
the ground in reverence. A few white-coats muttered "witch," but not loudly, outnumbered as they were by worshipers of the twelve.
"Did she?" The prince's eyes lingered on Diribani's features, as if he found them as pleasing as she found his. He had kept back a branch of jasmine. He sniffed it thoughtfully before tucking the spray of flowers into his horse's headstall.
"The girl's a menace to public safety, Your Highness," Governor Alwar interjected. "We'd be putting down riots whenever she showed her face in the street." His fist closed around the jewels. "I'll take charge of securing her, lest she break the emperor's peace again in this wanton fashion."
"Please, no, Your Highness," Ma Hiral sobbed. "Don't let him take her!"
"Your mother?" Zahid asked Diribani.
After she had spoken with a goddess, how could a mere prince awe her? Diribani breathed deeply. "My stepmother, sire. Ma Hiral has treated me like her own daughter."
The royal eyebrows lifted in appraisal of the lotuses and lilies, diamonds and emeralds that sprinkled Diribani's pink lap. "Are there more of you at home?" the prince asked. "Other daughters blessed by this Gurath divinity?"
"No, sire," Diribani said, but then she hesitated. "At least," she added, needing to be absolutely truthful with him, "Tana hasn't come home yet, so we don't know--"
"Yes, Your Highness," hissed a familiar voice beside her. "The goddess has touched me also."
70
***
CHAPTER EIGHT Tana
SNAKE !" Governor Alwar wheezed. "Kill it."
A tan-and-gold shape slithered in front of the prince's horse, which neighed and pawed the air. "Steady, Dilawar." Zahid turned the bay in a tight circle. "It's only a ratter, no danger to you." He spoke more to reassure the people nearby, Tana thought, than his horse, which had already responded to Zahid's calm hands on the reins.
A white-coat who wasn't afraid of snakes? Tana's opinion of the young man climbed. She knelt between her mother and Diribani. Setting down her full pitcher, she touched the back of her fingers gently to her sister's bruised cheek. Diribani's face was full of amazement and curiosity, but no fear. Tana tucked the memory of her sister's expression away in her heart. She knew she would cherish it in days to come. Assuming, of course, she lived past sunset. At the moment, it didn't seem likely.
"Tana." Her mother clutched her arm.
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