questioning voice to Thin Elderly, who was beside her. "What are scorch marks?"
"I'll explain later," he whispered back.
"Anyone else?" Most Ancient looked around. Some heads nodded. A few hands went up.
"Well. We've always had these individual forays, of course. Trooper, good work. You do deal well with these. If any of you need help, feel free to call on Trooper for a little extra muscle.
"But what I want you all to be on the lookout for are signs of a pending group attack. I'm feeling a gathering starting. A Horde.
"This happens only rarely. Over the years, occasionally, they have focused on one victim, someone particularly helpless. Then they mass and descend. Perhaps only the oldest of you here have ever experienced it. Anyone remember the last Horde attack?" He looked around. "No one? Well, it's been a very long while.
"I don't mean to worry or alarm you. And I don't see it as imminent. But we must be on the lookout. Somewhere out there they are beginning to sniff—to sense—a victim. Let's be vigilant. Let's be on guard."
Subdued, the dream-givers rose from the Heap and began to set out for their night of work. There were apprehensive murmurs among them. Littlest could hear the whispered sound, ssssss, that meant some of them were still saying the name under their breath.
"Sinist eeeee d," she whispered to herself, testing the sound of it.
But Thin Elderly, looking down at her, shook his head in warning. He put his finger to his lips. Chastened and a little nervous, Littlest reached up, took his hand, and held tightly to it as they set out.
12
"I can't stay in a house with no TV," he said again. He was standing beside the piano with his hands clenched. The dog nosed at his sneakers but the boy didn't notice.
The woman knelt beside him, though she knew already not to reach out with a touch. Earlier she had tried to put her arm around him but he had flinched and pushed her away.
"You know," she said in a calm voice, "there are a lot of other things to do. I'll read to you, or you can read to yourself. There are plenty of books. Some left over from my own childhood. The Bobbsey Twins? I suppose that's more for girls. But there will be some book you'd like, I'm sure."
He rolled his eyes. "Get me a Game Boy, then, if all you have are stupid books," he said.
"A what?" she asked, laughing. "I don't even know what that is. But if you like games, we can play games. Ever played Monopoly? I always lose, but I'm a pretty good sport. I have a Monopoly set in the cupboard over there, and Scrabble, and some others. I keep them for visiting children. I have a lot of grandnieces and grandnephews."
"I'm gonna run away," he announced. "Even if that door is locked I know how to open it. I'm out of here."
"Listen," the woman said, and tilted her head. "Hear that?"
They could both hear the sound of the heavy rain that had started to fall, and in the distance some rumbles of thunder.
"The door isn't locked. You can simply open it and walk through," she told him, "but it's nasty weather outside, and I'd be worried about you, about where you would sleep and what you'd find to eat.
"Why don't you wait until morning? At least this evening you'll have a nice dinner and a warm bed."
"I need TV."
"Well, I can't provide that, I'm afraid. But I do have a meatloaf in the oven."
He scowled. "Do you have ketchup?" he asked. She nodded. "And ice cream for dessert."
"Do you have cards?"
"Cards?"
"You know, with A's and K's and Q's."
"Oh. Yes, I do, actually. Do you know some card games? We could do that after dinner."
"Okay," he told her, grudgingly. "I'll stay tonight. We can play war."
13
"Is it a Horde?" Littlest asked Thin Elderly in an apprehensive voice. She was trying hard to appear courageous and mature. The two were inside the house, huddled in the hallway between the bedrooms. The rain had stopped and there was a moon now; it illuminated the faded wallpaper, with its sentimental pattern of hoop-skirted ladies
"I'll explain later," he whispered back.
"Anyone else?" Most Ancient looked around. Some heads nodded. A few hands went up.
"Well. We've always had these individual forays, of course. Trooper, good work. You do deal well with these. If any of you need help, feel free to call on Trooper for a little extra muscle.
"But what I want you all to be on the lookout for are signs of a pending group attack. I'm feeling a gathering starting. A Horde.
"This happens only rarely. Over the years, occasionally, they have focused on one victim, someone particularly helpless. Then they mass and descend. Perhaps only the oldest of you here have ever experienced it. Anyone remember the last Horde attack?" He looked around. "No one? Well, it's been a very long while.
"I don't mean to worry or alarm you. And I don't see it as imminent. But we must be on the lookout. Somewhere out there they are beginning to sniff—to sense—a victim. Let's be vigilant. Let's be on guard."
Subdued, the dream-givers rose from the Heap and began to set out for their night of work. There were apprehensive murmurs among them. Littlest could hear the whispered sound, ssssss, that meant some of them were still saying the name under their breath.
"Sinist eeeee d," she whispered to herself, testing the sound of it.
But Thin Elderly, looking down at her, shook his head in warning. He put his finger to his lips. Chastened and a little nervous, Littlest reached up, took his hand, and held tightly to it as they set out.
12
"I can't stay in a house with no TV," he said again. He was standing beside the piano with his hands clenched. The dog nosed at his sneakers but the boy didn't notice.
The woman knelt beside him, though she knew already not to reach out with a touch. Earlier she had tried to put her arm around him but he had flinched and pushed her away.
"You know," she said in a calm voice, "there are a lot of other things to do. I'll read to you, or you can read to yourself. There are plenty of books. Some left over from my own childhood. The Bobbsey Twins? I suppose that's more for girls. But there will be some book you'd like, I'm sure."
He rolled his eyes. "Get me a Game Boy, then, if all you have are stupid books," he said.
"A what?" she asked, laughing. "I don't even know what that is. But if you like games, we can play games. Ever played Monopoly? I always lose, but I'm a pretty good sport. I have a Monopoly set in the cupboard over there, and Scrabble, and some others. I keep them for visiting children. I have a lot of grandnieces and grandnephews."
"I'm gonna run away," he announced. "Even if that door is locked I know how to open it. I'm out of here."
"Listen," the woman said, and tilted her head. "Hear that?"
They could both hear the sound of the heavy rain that had started to fall, and in the distance some rumbles of thunder.
"The door isn't locked. You can simply open it and walk through," she told him, "but it's nasty weather outside, and I'd be worried about you, about where you would sleep and what you'd find to eat.
"Why don't you wait until morning? At least this evening you'll have a nice dinner and a warm bed."
"I need TV."
"Well, I can't provide that, I'm afraid. But I do have a meatloaf in the oven."
He scowled. "Do you have ketchup?" he asked. She nodded. "And ice cream for dessert."
"Do you have cards?"
"Cards?"
"You know, with A's and K's and Q's."
"Oh. Yes, I do, actually. Do you know some card games? We could do that after dinner."
"Okay," he told her, grudgingly. "I'll stay tonight. We can play war."
13
"Is it a Horde?" Littlest asked Thin Elderly in an apprehensive voice. She was trying hard to appear courageous and mature. The two were inside the house, huddled in the hallway between the bedrooms. The rain had stopped and there was a moon now; it illuminated the faded wallpaper, with its sentimental pattern of hoop-skirted ladies
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