Read Online The Death of Yorik Mortwell by Stephen Messer - Free Book Online
Authors: Stephen Messer
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“I’ll consider it.” He turned away from the fireplace.
The Dark Ones on the captain’s shoulderscontinued hissing. “There is no longer any reason to ground the
Indomitable
,” the captain said angrily. “She’s ready for flight.”
“The mechanical problems—all repaired?”
Dark whispering. “Yes,” said the captain.
Yorik could see that the captain was lying. When Lord Ravenby responded, “Very well, I will leave tomorrow night,” Thomas gripped Yorik’s arm in terror.
The captain stormed out. Lord Ravenby hesitated, then took the mammoth rifle down from the mantel and placed it across his desk before returning to his papers.
Yorik pulled Thomas into the next room. “Come on,” he said to Thomas. “You’ve seen him. Now I must get you to the Princess.”
Thomas shook his body no.
“But you have to!” said Yorik.
His eyes rolling, Thomas shook and refused.
“Don’t you understand?” said Yorik. “There is nothing you can do for your father. And the Princess can’t protect you outside the glade. Do you want to end up like Doris? Consumed by the Dark Ones?”
Thomas tried to make a shrug—
I don’t care
. He would not look Yorik in the eye.
“Very well,” Yorik said testily. He reached into his pocket and produced two small, dryish mud-balls. “Here,” he said, thrusting them at Thomas. “These are the last two that Erde was able to make. Stay hidden, but if any Dark Ones find you, hit them with these.”
Looking dubious, Thomas accepted the mud-balls.
Yorik turned and faded through the wall, then raced for the aviary glade.
Chapter Eleven
M ore of the Dark Ones had gathered around the glade. Yorik had to run in a wide circle before he found an opening in their lines.
At first he could not find the Princess. She was not with the partridges roosting in trees. Nor was she near the elm, nor walking by the pond, nor sitting on her sycamore throne. She was not in the clearing, where the remains of last autumn’s snares had long vanished.
Finally Yorik discovered her beneath a spreading cherry bough. In this quiet place, the Princess hadparted the long grasses to form a cradle. Erde lay within. The Princess knelt beside the withered brown girl, gently tapping her leafy twig and making little clouds of misty water that settled over Erde’s dry form.
Yorik knelt beside the cradle. Erde was so small now, curled into a ball no larger than one of her old mud-balls. She wasn’t speaking, and her eyes were closed.
“Is that helping?” Yorik asked, nodding at the mist.
“No,” said the Princess miserably. She stood abruptly, waving the twig across the grass stains on her gossamer dress. The stains vanished. “So where’s the other ghost-boy?” she asked. “He must have appeared by now.”
“He did,” said Yorik. He explained about Thomas.
“Too bad,” murmured the Princess. “I could have used another servant.”
Yorik could tell she was trying to resume her old imperious manner. But her heart was no longer in it. Even as the aviary glade burst with life, the Estate darkened, and Erde crumbled.
Yorik stood too. “Poor Thomas,” he said, looking down at Erde. “He can’t do anything to help his father.”
“If he’s so useless,” snapped the Princess, “then what did you want him so badly for?”
“I only wanted to bring him here, for protection. But now I’m not sure how I would have gotten him in. A lot of Dark Ones are surrounding your glade now, you know.”
The Princess laughed darkly. “I wish a few of them would drift a little closer, but they know better, don’t they?” This idea seemed to perk her up.
Yorik continued. “And there are more of them everywhere, all the time. It’s getting harder for me to move around the Estate.”
The Princess’s dismal mood returned. “What does it matter?” she said. “Did you really think you’d find a way to defeat the
Yglhfm
? In all these nights of prowling everywhere with those dogs, you
The Dark Ones on the captain’s shoulderscontinued hissing. “There is no longer any reason to ground the
Indomitable
,” the captain said angrily. “She’s ready for flight.”
“The mechanical problems—all repaired?”
Dark whispering. “Yes,” said the captain.
Yorik could see that the captain was lying. When Lord Ravenby responded, “Very well, I will leave tomorrow night,” Thomas gripped Yorik’s arm in terror.
The captain stormed out. Lord Ravenby hesitated, then took the mammoth rifle down from the mantel and placed it across his desk before returning to his papers.
Yorik pulled Thomas into the next room. “Come on,” he said to Thomas. “You’ve seen him. Now I must get you to the Princess.”
Thomas shook his body no.
“But you have to!” said Yorik.
His eyes rolling, Thomas shook and refused.
“Don’t you understand?” said Yorik. “There is nothing you can do for your father. And the Princess can’t protect you outside the glade. Do you want to end up like Doris? Consumed by the Dark Ones?”
Thomas tried to make a shrug—
I don’t care
. He would not look Yorik in the eye.
“Very well,” Yorik said testily. He reached into his pocket and produced two small, dryish mud-balls. “Here,” he said, thrusting them at Thomas. “These are the last two that Erde was able to make. Stay hidden, but if any Dark Ones find you, hit them with these.”
Looking dubious, Thomas accepted the mud-balls.
Yorik turned and faded through the wall, then raced for the aviary glade.
Chapter Eleven
M ore of the Dark Ones had gathered around the glade. Yorik had to run in a wide circle before he found an opening in their lines.
At first he could not find the Princess. She was not with the partridges roosting in trees. Nor was she near the elm, nor walking by the pond, nor sitting on her sycamore throne. She was not in the clearing, where the remains of last autumn’s snares had long vanished.
Finally Yorik discovered her beneath a spreading cherry bough. In this quiet place, the Princess hadparted the long grasses to form a cradle. Erde lay within. The Princess knelt beside the withered brown girl, gently tapping her leafy twig and making little clouds of misty water that settled over Erde’s dry form.
Yorik knelt beside the cradle. Erde was so small now, curled into a ball no larger than one of her old mud-balls. She wasn’t speaking, and her eyes were closed.
“Is that helping?” Yorik asked, nodding at the mist.
“No,” said the Princess miserably. She stood abruptly, waving the twig across the grass stains on her gossamer dress. The stains vanished. “So where’s the other ghost-boy?” she asked. “He must have appeared by now.”
“He did,” said Yorik. He explained about Thomas.
“Too bad,” murmured the Princess. “I could have used another servant.”
Yorik could tell she was trying to resume her old imperious manner. But her heart was no longer in it. Even as the aviary glade burst with life, the Estate darkened, and Erde crumbled.
Yorik stood too. “Poor Thomas,” he said, looking down at Erde. “He can’t do anything to help his father.”
“If he’s so useless,” snapped the Princess, “then what did you want him so badly for?”
“I only wanted to bring him here, for protection. But now I’m not sure how I would have gotten him in. A lot of Dark Ones are surrounding your glade now, you know.”
The Princess laughed darkly. “I wish a few of them would drift a little closer, but they know better, don’t they?” This idea seemed to perk her up.
Yorik continued. “And there are more of them everywhere, all the time. It’s getting harder for me to move around the Estate.”
The Princess’s dismal mood returned. “What does it matter?” she said. “Did you really think you’d find a way to defeat the
Yglhfm
? In all these nights of prowling everywhere with those dogs, you
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