The Carpet People Read Online Free PDF

unpleasantly.
    Snibril slipped from the horse’s back and picked up Glurk’s spear. It was heavy – Glurk went in for spears that other people could barely lift, let alonethrow. He held it cautiously, keeping the point aimed directly at the snarg.
    The snarg and its rider turned to follow him as he moved around. He could see the huge creature tensing itself to spring.
    And he could see Roland. He’d sidled in a half circle, and now the snarg and its rider were behind the horse. Roland’s tail twitched.
    And he kicked. Both hooves struck together.
    The rider sailed past Snibril’s shoulder. He was dead already. No one could look like that and still be alive.
    The snarg growled in astonishment, glared at Snibril, and leapt.
    You should never have to chase prey, Pismire had always said. With proper observation and care, you should be waiting for them.
    Snibril didn’t even think. He left the butt end of the spear wedged in the ground, and held on tightly. The snarg realized that it had done something stupid when it was in mid-air, but by then it was too late, because it was hurling itself not at some weak creature but at a spearhead . . .
    That was the first battle.

Chapter 3
    When Snibril awoke the night was nearly past. He was lying by a dying fire, a pelt covering him. He felt warm and aching. He shut his eyes again, hurriedly.
    ‘You’re awake,’ said Bane, who was sitting with his back against a barrel and his hat, as usual, over his eyes. Roland was tethered to a nearby hair.
    Snibril sat up and yawned. ‘What happened? Is everyone all right?’
    ‘Oh yes. At least, what you would call all right. You Munrungs are difficult to kill. But plenty were injured, your brother the worst, I fear. Mouls rely on poison on their swords, and they cause a . . . a sleep that you don’t wake up from. Pismire is with him now. No, stay there. If anyone can cure him, then Pismire can. It won’t help to have you underhis feet. Besides,’ he added quickly, when he saw the look in Snibril’s eyes, ‘how about you? We had to pull you out from under that creature.’
    Snibril murmured something, and looked around him. The camp was as peaceful as a camp could be, which was to say the early dawn was filled with noises and shouts, and the sounds of people. And they were cheerful sounds, with a note of defiance.
    The attack had been beaten off. For a moment with first light glimmering in the hairs, the Munrungs felt in the mood to take on Fray and all his snargs. Some, like Bane, who never seemed to sleep, had stayed up by their fires, and early breakfasts were being cooked.
    Without saying a word Bane raked a bundle out of the ashes. Warm smells rose from it. ‘Haunch of snarg, baked in its own juices,’ he said, slitting the burnt outer crust. ‘I killed the owner myself, I’m pleased to say.’
    ‘Protein is where you find it. I will have a piece with no fat on it,’ said Pismire, stepping down from the Orkson cart.
    Snibril saw the weariness in the old man’s face. His herb bag lay beside him, almost empty. Pismire ate in silence for a while, and then wiped his mouth.
    ‘He’s as strong as a horse,’ he said in answer to their unspoken question. ‘The gods of all largeamiable creatures must have been present at his birth, whether he believes in them or not. He’ll still be weak, though, until the poison has completely gone. He should stay in bed for at least two days, so I told Bertha six. Then he’ll fret and bully her into letting him up the day after tomorrow, and feel a lot better for having outwitted me. Positive thinking, that’s the style.’
    He looked at Snibril.
    ‘What about you? You might not have escaped half so easily. Oh, I know it’s useless to say all this,’ he added, catching Bane’s grin, ‘but I wish that the people who sing about the deeds of heroes would think about the people who have to clear up after them.’
    He held up his herb bag. ‘And with this,’ he said. ‘Just different