Over The Sea Read Online Free PDF

where we could see for a little distance northward — maybe half a city block, was the way I thought of it then. The road was wide in some places, and overgrown in others.
    Six horses clopped at a slow pace into view. In astonishment we took in the tassels and ribbons decorating reins and saddles of the kids, four boys and two girls. One of the boys rode in the middle of the group. The gold crown on his head with its jeweled spikes glittering in the sun made me blink, but it was his clothes that were enough to stop a clock, if this world even had clocks.
    All those kids were dressed fancy, like in some fairy tale drawing in an Earth book, but the other five might as well have been wearing barrels compared that clod in the middle. Hoo — eee! The basic type of clothes seemed to be a tunic-jacket with a shirt under, and loose breeches stuffed into boots that were shiny and dark, and kind of mottled in a pattern.
    Why were the basic forms of his clothes hard to make out? Because of all the embroidery, jewels, lace, ribbons, medallions, tassels, and other decorations festooned all over ’em, that’s why. All in shades of blue, a blue so intense that it made his sallow skin look almost greenish. Except for the purple zits, that is. Otherwise he was short, with brown hair that looked as if it’d been curled — you know, with ridges in it. He rode with his nose in the air.
    â€œWow,” I breathed. “There’s enough junk on that guy’s clothes to decorate a hundred dresses.”
    Even the handle of his sword hilt (a thin rapier blade) was all encrusted with blue gems. How could he hold it, with those things poking his hand? The other boys had plainer swords. Though the girls dressed pretty much the same as the boys (their riding tunics were longer and a bit more skirt-like) they didn’t have swords.
    Clair’s kitten-laugh next to my shoulder brought my attention round. Her eyes were squinched tight against letting out any more laughs. She whispered, “Permit me to introduce ... Prince Jonnicake Auknuge.”
    Glotulae’s son!
    I swung back around. Just then he and his friends reached the portion of the road directly below us. We were hidden by a low fern, and none of us moved, but I don’t think they would have noticed us if we’d yelled and bounded up and down. They were all talking in accented Mearsiean, so we were able to understand it.
    â€œOh, I’m so tired ,” one of the girls whined to the other. She was just below me. I could smell the rose perfume on her hair. “This is so boring . It looks all the same .”
    â€œAre we stopping soon, your highness?” one of the boys asked in a slurpy, toady sort of voice. And to his friends — in a more normal voice — ”I’m starved.”
    The great Jonnicake spoke at last, in a high nasal drawl, “When I find the perrr-fect spot for my retreee-aaaaaaat.”
    Another of the boys said, “You want a hill, then, your highness. So you get a view. And you can see anyone coming.”
    â€œBut you want it hidden, Prince Jonnicake, dear,” said the other of the girls in a sugary voice. She added a little less sweetly, “Otherwise it’s not a retreat.”
    The first girl leaned forward. “And you must have only pretty things. No lackeys, no loud, grasping merchants with their overdressed daughters trying to imitate us .”
    â€œA lake,” said a third boy.
    â€œWho cares about lakes? Water is so ... so dreary,” that first girl sighed.
    â€œBecause when it’s hot we can have boat races, and — ”
    â€œQuiiiii-yet,” Jonnicake whined.
    And they all shut up.
    â€œI want my own place ...” he began in his nasal moo, but then his words ran together, for they had passed on, and all we could see were their decorated backs, and the beribboned horses’ tails.
    And along came an even bigger cavalcade, men and women, some kids,