steady.
The bearded one rested his left hand on the earth, palm down, to steady himself. His arm rose up like a tree, at least twice as wide as my body. I could see the muscle and sinew.
“Lité?”
he asked, and his voice rumbled through my chest. “We await you.”
I looked up into his face. His brown eyes looked half-focused, as if he were farsighted. The young one’s blue eyes were also half-focused.
Could they even see me?
“Its heart beats fast,” said the young one. The bearded one nodded.
Sky above. They could hear my heart. I pressed my free hand against my chest.
Just keep talking.…
“Watch!” I commanded, and held the cheese aloft.
Their heads moved closer, and I began to squeeze. The dust had absorbed all of the cheese’s moisture. For a moment, I didn’t think I could squeeze anything from it. But water gathered underneath it almost as soon as I tightened my hand. A drop fell to the dusty road.
The giants jerked their heads in surprise.
“You heard it, didn’t you?” I shouted, wrapping the last of my courage around me. “Now listen for the other two. I am ashamed to take so long.”
They eyed me warily until two more drops of water plunked into the dust. Then they jumped up, surprised. It was like a small earthquake, with hills rising into mountains and blocking out the sky.
I hardly flinched this time when the earth shook.
A glance behind me: Will was moving more slowly now. Still, no one came to help him, though I saw movement along the tops of the city walls.
I couldn’t leave yet. What if the giants followed me back across the bridge?
All thought fled as the air shattered around us. I dropped to my knees, hands clapped over my ears. The giants shouted with a sound like thunder. When I looked up, leaves showered down over us. A few stunned birds fluttered to the ground.
A new crater pocked the road beyond us. A cannon! The city had fired a cannon at the giants while I stood there.
Cowards. Idiots!
Another explosion as a second cannon went off. I hunched over, but the younger giant swept his arm through the air as if swatting at something. It wasn’t until he opened his palm that I understood what I’d seen.
He’d caught the cannonball.
He straightened with a growl and lunged toward the bridge, ready to hurl the cannonball at Reggen’s walls, but the bearded one held him back.
No!
Will had to get home first.
I turned toward the city, waving my arms. “Stop! Stop!”
I thought I saw movement around other cannons, but I couldn’t look for long. The giants were muttering again, and I swung to face them.
“Look!” I called to the young one. “One trial of strength proves nothing. Let us have one more.”
I thought of the birds that had fallen from the tree, of the cannonball in his hand, and I knew what the trial should be.
“Let us see who can throw a stone the highest.” I motioned at the cannonball. “If you are feeling weak, you may throw that.”
He dropped it immediately.
The bearded giant laughed. Without a word, he swept up a boulder and heaved it at the afternoon sun. My eyes burned and filled with tears as I tried to follow its path.
The young giant muttered encouragement while we waited for the stone to fall. I felt it strike the earth while I wiped the sun tears from my eyes.
“Is that the best you can do?”
The giant huffed in surprise, then muttered, “It always shouts.…”
Of course. I must sound loud if they could hear my heart.
“Perhaps you should try a smaller stone,” I told the young giant.
He shook his head and picked up a boulder as big as the one his friend had chosen. He’d tried to stomp me to oblivion moments before, but I felt a twinge of respect that my taunts hadn’t swayed him.
He slowly drew back his arm. With a terrific grunt, he launched the boulder toward the sky. It took longer to fall to earth. As the giants pounded each other on the back, I looked for Will. Someone was finally carrying him toward the
The bearded one rested his left hand on the earth, palm down, to steady himself. His arm rose up like a tree, at least twice as wide as my body. I could see the muscle and sinew.
“Lité?”
he asked, and his voice rumbled through my chest. “We await you.”
I looked up into his face. His brown eyes looked half-focused, as if he were farsighted. The young one’s blue eyes were also half-focused.
Could they even see me?
“Its heart beats fast,” said the young one. The bearded one nodded.
Sky above. They could hear my heart. I pressed my free hand against my chest.
Just keep talking.…
“Watch!” I commanded, and held the cheese aloft.
Their heads moved closer, and I began to squeeze. The dust had absorbed all of the cheese’s moisture. For a moment, I didn’t think I could squeeze anything from it. But water gathered underneath it almost as soon as I tightened my hand. A drop fell to the dusty road.
The giants jerked their heads in surprise.
“You heard it, didn’t you?” I shouted, wrapping the last of my courage around me. “Now listen for the other two. I am ashamed to take so long.”
They eyed me warily until two more drops of water plunked into the dust. Then they jumped up, surprised. It was like a small earthquake, with hills rising into mountains and blocking out the sky.
I hardly flinched this time when the earth shook.
A glance behind me: Will was moving more slowly now. Still, no one came to help him, though I saw movement along the tops of the city walls.
I couldn’t leave yet. What if the giants followed me back across the bridge?
All thought fled as the air shattered around us. I dropped to my knees, hands clapped over my ears. The giants shouted with a sound like thunder. When I looked up, leaves showered down over us. A few stunned birds fluttered to the ground.
A new crater pocked the road beyond us. A cannon! The city had fired a cannon at the giants while I stood there.
Cowards. Idiots!
Another explosion as a second cannon went off. I hunched over, but the younger giant swept his arm through the air as if swatting at something. It wasn’t until he opened his palm that I understood what I’d seen.
He’d caught the cannonball.
He straightened with a growl and lunged toward the bridge, ready to hurl the cannonball at Reggen’s walls, but the bearded one held him back.
No!
Will had to get home first.
I turned toward the city, waving my arms. “Stop! Stop!”
I thought I saw movement around other cannons, but I couldn’t look for long. The giants were muttering again, and I swung to face them.
“Look!” I called to the young one. “One trial of strength proves nothing. Let us have one more.”
I thought of the birds that had fallen from the tree, of the cannonball in his hand, and I knew what the trial should be.
“Let us see who can throw a stone the highest.” I motioned at the cannonball. “If you are feeling weak, you may throw that.”
He dropped it immediately.
The bearded giant laughed. Without a word, he swept up a boulder and heaved it at the afternoon sun. My eyes burned and filled with tears as I tried to follow its path.
The young giant muttered encouragement while we waited for the stone to fall. I felt it strike the earth while I wiped the sun tears from my eyes.
“Is that the best you can do?”
The giant huffed in surprise, then muttered, “It always shouts.…”
Of course. I must sound loud if they could hear my heart.
“Perhaps you should try a smaller stone,” I told the young giant.
He shook his head and picked up a boulder as big as the one his friend had chosen. He’d tried to stomp me to oblivion moments before, but I felt a twinge of respect that my taunts hadn’t swayed him.
He slowly drew back his arm. With a terrific grunt, he launched the boulder toward the sky. It took longer to fall to earth. As the giants pounded each other on the back, I looked for Will. Someone was finally carrying him toward the
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