Crystal Cave Read Online Free PDF Page B

You're not warrior stock, that's certain. Why not take a life that will suit you, and where you'd be safe?"
    "I don't need to be a warrior to want to stay free! To be shut up in a place like St. Peter's — that's not the way — " I broke off. I had spoken hotly, but found the words failing me. I could not explain something I did not know myself. I looked up eagerly: "I'll stay with you. If you cannot use me I — I'll run away to serve some other prince. But I would rather stay with you."
    "Well, it's early yet to speak of things like that. You're very young." He got to his feet. "Does your face hurt you?"
    "No."
    "You should have it seen to. Come with me now."
    He put out a hand, and I went with him. He led me up through the orchard, then in through the arch that led to my grandfather's private garden.
    I hung back against his hand. "I'm not allowed in there."
    "Surely, with me? Your grandfather's with his guests, he'll not see you. Come along. I've got something better for you than your windfall apples. They've been gathering the apricots, and I saved the best aside out of the baskets as I came down."
    He trod forward, with that graceful cat's stride of his, through the bergamot and lavender, to where the apricot and peach trees stood crucified against the high wall in the sun. The place smelled drowsy with herbs and fruit, and the doves were crooning from the dove-house. At my feet a ripe apricot lay, velvet in the sun. I pushed it with my toe until it rolled over, and there in the back of it was the great rotten hole, with wasps crawling. A shadow fell over it. My uncle stood above me, with an apricot in each hand.
    "I told you I'd got something better than windfalls. Here." He handed me one. "And if they beat you for stealing, they'll have to beat me as well." He grinned, and bit into the fruit he held.
    I stood still, with the big bright apricot cupped in the palm of my hand. The garden was very hot, and very still, and quiet except for the humming of insects. The fruit glowed like gold, and smelled of sunshine and sweet juice. Its skin felt like the fur of a golden bee. I could feel my mouth watering.
    "What is it?" asked my uncle. He sounded edgy and impatient. The juice of his apricot was running down his chin. "Don't stand there staring at it, boy! Eat it! There's nothing wrong with it, is there?"
    I looked up. The blue eyes, fierce as a fox, stared down into mine. I held it out to him. "I don't want it.
    It's black inside. Look, you can see right through."

    He took his breath in sharply, as if to speak. Then voices came from the other side of the wall; the gardeners, probably, bringing the empty fruit-baskets down ready for morning. My uncle, stooping, snatched the fruit from my hand and threw it from him, hard against the wall. It burst in a golden splash of flesh against the brick, and the juice ran down. A wasp, disturbed from the tree, droned past between us.
    Camlach flapped at it with a queer, abrupt gesture, and said to me in a voice that was suddenly all venom:
    "Keep away from me after this, you devil's brat. Do you hear me? Just keep away."
    He dashed the back of his hand across his mouth, and went from me in long strides towards the house.
    I stood where I was, watching the juice of the apricot trickle down the hot wall. A wasp alighted on it, crawled stickily, then suddenly fell, buzzing on its back to the ground. Its body jack-knifed, the buzz rose to a whine as it struggled, then it lay still.
    I hardly saw it, because something had swelled in my throat till I thought I would choke, and the golden evening swam, brilliant, into tears. This was the first time in my life that I remember weeping.
    The gardeners were coming down past the roses, with baskets on their heads. I turned and ran out of the garden.

3

    My room was empty even of the wolfhound. I climbed on my bed and leaned my elbows on the windowsill, and stayed there a long while alone, while outside in the pear tree's boughs the thrush sang,