Roland's Castle Read Online Free PDF Page A

got the short one in a
sort of bear hug, struggling to reach the telescope, but the short
one then succeeded in breaking loose and ran towards the tree. The
boys’ hearts raced as they were afraid of being discovered but the
two maniacs were far too intent on their battle with each other.
The short fat one climbed the branches whilst the tall one tried to
grab at his legs, but had to give that up as the short one climbed
out of his reach. Instead the tall one started shouting again:
“Come down here at once! I order you as your lord and master! Come
down here at once or I’ll pluck your eyes out!”
    “Pluck my eyes out and put them in
a pail
    Steal the milk and go to gaol!” the
short fat one sang.
    He had clearly won the battle for
the telescope as the tall one was obviously not going to lower
himself by climbing up the tree. On seeing that his opponent had
given up the short fat one said, “You can have the blasted thing
then! See if I care!”
    He threw the telescope down and let
out another mad cackle. The tall one caught the instrument and
inspected it for damage.
    The two boys looked on amazed at
seeing two grown men behave in such a way.
    “They’re loonies!” Oliver said
under his breath.
    But Roland remembered Firebrace’s
caution about people who seemed crazy – could these be the enemies
he was talking about? There was something unnerving in their mania,
as if their chaos would spread from them to everywhere.
    All the time the young girl sat
still and quiet.
    The tall man strode some distance
away and put the telescope to one eye, scanning the surrounding
area. “I can’t see much in the dark.”
    The short fat one leapt from the
tree and ran up beside him.
    “Told you!” The short fat one
yelled.
    “You did not!” The tall one shouted
back, and the short one sing-songed back to him. “Did so! Told you!
Warned you! Warned you what would happen but cloth ears wouldn’t
listen and now he’s got a moddled cap, all of his own!”
    You fool!” The tall one yelled,
striking the short fat one around the back of his head. The short
fat one didn’t seem to notice this. He sang in his sing-song voice
once more…
    “Fool’s a fool who tells a fool
    Twice a fool who knows one!”
    “Gibberish!”
    “Jubberish!”
    “Rubbish”
    “Ribbish!”
    And they started to fight again,
wrestling each other to the ground and rolling over and over, the
tall one yelling “I am your sovereign lord, you will do me
obeisance,” whilst the short fat one continued with his
cackling.
    Roland and Oliver decided they had
seen enough. With the bizarre pair distracted in their own battle
it seemed like a good time to sneak off before they were
discovered. They climbed down the tree but as they reached the
bottom they came to an abrupt halt. The girl who had been sitting
at the fire was now standing right by the trunk, staring at them.
The boys froze, terrified that she would give the alarm, but
instead she just stood still, staring. After a few very long
seconds she spoke, in a whisper, so that the men could not hear
her. “Be careful! They are much more dangerous than they seem!” and
nodded toward the maniacs who were still engrossed in their fight
with each other.
    Roland and Oliver were stunned.
Then they both felt the healthy impulse to run. They fled into the
bushes and then ran and tumbled down the hill until they reached
the horses. Both spurred their horses into a gallop, Oliver
clinging on for dear life. They crossed the meadow at the speed of
lightning and not even the scarecrow, lost in his dreams,
registered their passing. They did not stop until they were safe
back on the edge of the village.
    They dismounted and got their
breath back. Having calmed down for a minute or two they both
started laughing, fulsomely and loudly, as if the funniest thing of
their lives had just happened to them. They released all the
anxiety of the previous minutes.
    Oliver spoke first, “Well, we went
for an adventure – the