The Lightning Bolt Read Online Free PDF

prefer heather honey, clover honey, rose honey, apple-blossom honey or thyme honey?’
    â€˜I don’t know,’ Emilia said and glanced at Luka, wondering why he was so quiet. He was staring at the girl, quite dumbstruck. Emilia kicked him under the table, and he winced and said hurriedly, ‘Whatever you think is best.’
    â€˜The rose honey is very rich and strengthening, and heartens you when you are weary,’ the girl said. ‘You both look worn out.’ She got down the darkest jar from the shelf. It was the colour of toffee, and very thick. She spread it on the bread and gave them each a slice, perfectly aligned on the plate, then poured them a mug of cold, frothy milk. Emilia and Luka ate and drank ravenously,while the girl got Zizi some dried apple slices out of a tin.
    â€˜I have a bone the dog could have,’ she said hesitantly. ‘I had planned to make soup with it. He would have to eat it outside though.’
    â€˜I don’t think he’d mind that,’ Emilia said, and the girl smiled at her, recognising the gentle mockery in her voice. She took Rollo outside, to gnaw on his bone with great enjoyment.
    â€˜What is your name?’ Luka asked as she came in again, first wiping her feet carefully on the mat.
    â€˜Fairnette Smith,’ she answered, taking their plates away, and washing them, drying them and putting them back on the shelf. ‘What’s yours?’
    â€˜I’m Luka Finch, and this is my cousin Emilia,’ he said, draining his mug. ‘Thank you for the bread and honey. We were starving.’
    â€˜That’s my pleasure. Now tell me why you’re here. You don’t look like you’ve come to buy my candles. Is it my honey that you want?’
    â€˜No,’ Luka said. ‘Though it was the most delicious honey I’ve ever eaten.’
    Emilia glanced at him in surprise. It was not like Luka to be so courtly. He was gazing at Fairnette again, and Emilia felt herself getting cross. She kicked him again under the table. He grimaced at her.
    â€˜Then what do you want of me?’ Fairnette asked, frowning slightly. ‘Surely you didn’t just stumble on our cottage by chance. We are so out of the way here.’
    Luka and Emilia told her their story, talking over the top of each other. The rosy colour ebbed from her face when she heard of their family’s plight. ‘How awful,’ she said. ‘I wish there was something I could do to help. You say you made wax imprints of this bad man’s keys? My father could make copies for you, or one of my brothers, I suppose, only . . .’ Her voice trailed away, then she said, ‘And I don’t know where the lightningbolt charm is. My father does not have it now, I’m afraid. I have not seen it . . . for quite some time now.’
    â€˜Is your father here? Could we ask him where it is?’ Emilia asked eagerly.
    â€˜He’s here,’ Fairnette said. ‘I don’t know if he’ll remember what happened to it, though. He’s old now, you see, and wandering in his wits a little. He does not like to think about the here and now, I guess it is too painful for him. So he lives in the past, mainly. But you can ask him. Sometimes he remembers things. Sometimes he seems just like his old self. It never lasts, though.’
    As she spoke, she rose to her feet. The other two rose too, Luka swinging Zizi up onto his shoulder. Fairnette pushed both their chairs back into the table, making sure they were set neatly, then led them down a whitewashed hall. Everywhere was evidence of the blacksmith’s art – tall wrought-iron candlesticks on the hallstand,beautifully worked hinges on the doors, and curling iron table legs.
    Halfway down the hallway stood a door, standing a little ajar. Curious, Emilia glanced inside as they passed. The door led into one of the towers, a round room dominated by a huge fireplace. A hunched figure in a dark