The Ancient Enemy Read Online Free PDF Page B

close again. "Thank you so much. I will put it on the wall in the little parlor. It will go well there."
    Ware took Thru's staff and gave it a once-over.
    "Strongwalker has stood the test it seems."
    "I have worn him down a little, but he is an excellent staff, Father."
    "And your bow?"
    "My old bow is creaking with every pull."
    "It was my bow and before that my father's. The wood is probably too old now. It is good to see you, son. I give thanks to the Spirit for bringing you back alive."
    "Our son has grown strong, Ual!" Ware said with a happy roar, and hugged Thru again.
    "He has grown up," she agreed with a happy smile.
    "How long can you stay?" said Ware.
    "Only one night, I'm afraid. We go south to take lamp oil up to the temples of Farblow."
    "Only one night!" wailed Ual. "And I haven't seen my son for six months! Only one night!"
    "I'm afraid so, Mother. I must go south with Utnapishtim tomorrow."
    "It isn't right, I'm your mother!"
    Ware smiled. "Then in that case I will have to finish the nocks on your new bow tonight."
    "My new bow!"
    "I've been working on it since you left. The wood is from that piece of Langler's yew that I laid up two summers back. You can take it with you tomorrow and leave that old veteran behind."
    "Why thank you, Father, that's wonderful."
    And then with a rush of feet and happy cries came Snejet and young Gil. They were covered in mud from planting waterbush on wet polder, but they wrapped themselves around him anyway.
    "Thru, Thru, Thru," was all Snejet could say.
    "Come inside," said Ual, tugging the whole mass up the step. "Your brother looks like he's half-starved."
    "Actually, Mother, completely starved. The food at Highnoth is in limited supply."
    "Come in then! I have dumplings all ready and bean broth a-brewing."
    Dinner was a grand one that night in the Gillo house. Ual made her pie of meeks and sweet bewbies, and Ware brought over a big pitcher of ale from the inn.
    Thru, of course, wanted to know everything that had happened in the village during his absence. Ual and Ware told him what they could, but everyone was too impatient for that to go on for long. Granma Biskin's problems with her sick chooks was a subject of considerable complexity, after all.
    "Your turn, Thru," said Snejet when a gap appeared. "Tell us about Highnoth."
    "Ah," he murmured. "Well, Highnoth is a very different kind of world, little Snej. For a start there's not much to eat."
    "You don't eat? How do you survive?"
    "Well, we don't eat much, that's for sure, but somehow we survive."
    "What do you mean 'don't eat much'? What do they feed you?" asked Ual with maternal concern.
    "Porridge usually, bread and butter, pancakes, too, and we get syrup sometimes, and fruits in season."
    "What else?"
    "Uh, cabbage. Plenty of cabbage."
    "Yes?" They were staring at him as he spooned up the juice from those sweet bewbies.
    "Well, that's about it."
    "That's all!"
    He had to laugh.
    "Well there's always guezme tea."
    It was hard to convey to them how unimportant food was in Highnoth. Along with leisure and a comfortable bed, excessive food was, well, unnecessary. The young mots were too busy, too wrapped up in the process of active learning.
    "We forged steel." He nodded to his pack across the hall, beside which hung the sword in its scabbard. "My sword came from Master Graedon's furnace."
    Ware nodded soberly. "It is a great responsibility to carry a sword, my son."
    "That it is, Father. I am mindful of that."
    "And what of the Spirit, have they neglected your life with the Spirit?" said Ual.
    "No, Mother, they have not. We have learned further humility, further need for compassion. We pray with Cutshamakim on every feast day."
    He broke off with a grin. "But we don't actually feast."
    Later, under more questioning, he told them about his escape from the pyluk in the hills.
    They listened with round eyes and open mouths.
    "The pyluk would have eaten you if they'd caught you."
    "Ah but they didn't, did they. The wolves