Secret of the Giants' Staircase Read Online Free PDF

—” she began.
    â€œDon’t worry. He knows,” Tomas said. He didn’t look amused at his father’s joke either. He released Rae and pressed himself against the door—to block any escape, Jesse assumed.
    â€œWhich one gave you that?” the boy said, pointing to Tomas’ black eye.
    â€œNothing you need to know,” Tomas snapped.
    â€œI did,” Rae said, squaring her shoulders proudly, “and there will be more coming unless you release us!”
    â€œWhat’s all the noise about?” A woman’s voice came from beyond a curtain that separated the wagon into two rooms. “Did one of you bring in another snake?”
    â€œYes,” Tomas said, glancing at Rae. She sniffed haughtily at him.
    There were footsteps as the mother of the house ducked through the curtain. “Zacchai, I believe we already discussed—” She stopped short when she saw the Youth Guard members. “Oh my.”
    Jesse could tell that Tomas had gotten his looks from her. Instead of looking greasy, though, her hair was a mass of sleek, loose waves, falling most of the way down her back. She held a baby against her hip, who took one look at all the people and started to cry.
    â€œShh,” the woman said, cradling the baby while giving the visitors a quick glance. She turned to her husband, alarm in her eyes. “It’s them, isn’t it?”
    â€œMargo, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the husband said, yawning loudly.
    â€œOf course not, Ravvi,” Margo said, shaking her head. “You didn’t join the Kin assembly yesterday when the messengers from the king came. And when I tried to tell you—”
    â€œThere was wood to split!” he protested. “Besides, I care as much for the king’s men as I do for the manure heap.” He spit on the floorboards to prove his point.
    The baby was still crying. Rae looked about ready to jump forward and strangle it.
    Margo looked straight at her son, pleadingly. “Why did you bring them here, Tomas? Why couldn’t you have left them alone?”
    â€œI did what I thought was best,” Tomas said, folding his arms over his chest. “We can bring them to the meeting of the elders tonight.”
    â€œYou know what they would do to them,” Margo said, jostling the baby, who cried louder. Rae growled under her breath.
    Jesse stepped over Zacchai, the boy sitting on the floor, and reached for the baby. “May I?” he asked. He was an only child, but the children in the village always seemed drawn to him.
    Margo gave him a hard, searching look. A mother’s look , Jesse thought. Then something in her face softened, and she passed the baby to him.
    â€œThe elders will turn them in to the Patrol captain,” Margo finished, turning back to Tomas. “They’ll put the money in the Kin treasury.”
    â€œWhere it will do much good,” Tomas countered.
    â€œNot blood money,” Margo said. “Blood money never brings good. Only evil.”
    Jesse knew “blood money” was the term used to describe money gotten from betrayal, but the phrase still sounded eerie. He remembered another story about blood money—where Judas, a follower of Jesus, turned Him over to the men who killed Him.
    But they won’t do that to us…will they?
    Jesse rocked the baby back and forth. She—Jesse guessed the baby was a she because of the wooden flower on a bracelet around her wrist—seemed confused at first by the new face looking down at her. But she stopped crying at least.
    â€œIt’s a large amount of money, Mama,” Tomas said. “More than we could dream of, no matter how many performances we give. We could have the life we’ve always wanted.”
    â€œThen I do not want that life anymore,” Margo said firmly. “Not at that cost.”
    â€œIf I may—” Parvel began.
    â€œNo, you may