Before the Storm Read Online Free PDF Page B

as a kitten’s fur.’
    â€˜That’s not the ’arf of it,’ continued Martha. ‘Give it ’ere, an’ lookey.’
    Martha led them outside, and around behind the laundry. The woodpile was located here, along with a chopping block and axe. Martha was what their mother described as a robust girl in rude health; that is to say, she was broad-shouldered and probably the equal of most men in physical strength. She dusted the splinters from the chopping block with the hem of her skirt, then folded Fox’s coat and put it there. Next she picked up the axe.
    â€˜Martha, what do you think you are doing?’ cried Emily. ‘Martha, stop!’
    But Martha did not stop. She brought the axe around in one mighty, full-bodied swing and chopped down squarely on the folded coat. The axe bounced off. Emily dashed forward at once and snatched the coat away. Daniel stood watching silently.
    â€˜Martha, you evil woman!’ cried Emily. ‘What do you think you’re doing, ruining poor Fox’s only …’
    Emily’s voice trailed away as she held up the coat. There was not the slightest sign of damage on it. Daniel was astounded, and realised that he was standing and staring with his mouth open. He closed his mouth, and hoped that nobody had been watching him.
    â€˜Maybe the axe is blunt,’ he suggested.
    Martha now put a folded sack on the block and picked up the axe. This time the axe head chopped right through the fabric and buried itself in the wood.
    â€˜Like I says, ain’t nattyrel,’ she concluded.
    Emily carried Fox’s clothes back to the house in silence, and Daniel noticed that she was even frowning a little. That was good, Daniel concluded. It seemed as if Fox might turn out to be one of those people that Emily did not approve of. Were that the case, he just might become friends with Daniel.
    â€˜There is something about Fox that does not add up,’ said Emily as she began folding the clothes and putting them on the parlour table.
    â€˜What have you got against him?’ demanded Daniel. ‘He saved us, and he’s polite and respectable.’
    â€˜But his coat! Martha’s axe did not even leave a mark on it.’
    â€˜So? It could be like chain mail. A sort of cloth that’s armour too. I bet it can stop swords and bullets.’
    â€˜But chain mail is made of iron rings.’
    â€˜So? Ships used to be made of wood, but now they’re made of iron.’
    Emily held up the coat and looked at it closely. ‘I do not see any rings.’
    â€˜They might be visible under a microscope.’
    â€˜Well, don’t just stand there. Get your microscope.’
    â€˜No!’
    â€˜What?’ exclaimed Emily. ‘Why not?’
    â€˜Because you’re trying to spy on him, even though he saved us.’
    â€˜Oh, Danny, I’m just curious.’
    â€˜Well I think it’s only some sort of armour, like chain mail.’
    â€˜Why make armour that feels like ordinary cloth?’
    â€˜That’s so Fox can be protected at all times, like if a mutinous sailor tried to shoot him,’ replied Daniel, with a feeling of authority that came from reading more adventure novels than Emily.
    For the first time since he could remember, Emily had no answer. I beat her in an argument! thought Daniel. Must write that in my diary.
    â€˜There he is now,’ said Emily, looking past Daniel through the window to the front gate. ‘You must ask him about the coat …’
    â€˜I’ll do no such thing!’ retorted Daniel. ‘If you want to play Sherlock Holmes questioning a criminal, do it yourself. Anyway, you forgot his boots, and I’m going back to the laundry to fetch them.’
    To Daniel’s relief, Emily did not follow as he marched back out to the laundry. Fox’s boots were dry, and the groom had cleaned them. He examined them closely, and concluded that they were probably not