The Missing Link Read Online Free PDF

Cleopatra behind the ears.
    "This be a bad one, even for Mariat." Lucreta's voice held deep concern. "We got to her
jest in time, I think."
    "She gets into a lot of trouble?"
    "Does a wolf howl into the night? That witchling be the suspected cause of most trouble
arount this here coven, though she rarely be caught at it. Got her sneak ways down good. Drives the
rest of us to distraction."
    "Does Mariat have a special gift like you, Lucreta?"
    Lucreta snorted. "Aside from mischief making?"
    "Yes."
    "If truth be told, Carole Sylphwood, Mariat be carrying a huge burden on her shoulders.
Head Witch Herling thinks she be gifted in most, if not all things witch-like."
    Just then Carole's stomach grumbled loudly. "Sorry. Guess I missed lunch."
    "Lunch, dinner and breakfast, also. Ye done slept away the entire day's past." Lucreta
lifted a cloth covering three plates of food. "Lucky thing the Harvest Feast be this evening. There be
plenty of food fer all the guests that be coming."
    Carole reached for one of the plates. "What were you saying about Mariat?"
    "The problem be that she doesn't have enough years on her bones to use her witch gifts
properly. So it be very easy fer her to get into water that be way over her head. But if truth be told, I
think she be destined to become head witch someday, if she doesn't blow herself up, first."
    "She never told me."
    "She doesn't know. It be a secret from all the witchlings."
    "Do the other witchlings like Mariat?"
    "They be extremely jealous of her."
    "You don't seem to be," Carole said, while thinking that this was a very different Lucreta
from the one Mariat had described.
    "No, though I still be plenty sore at her fer hexing me a time ago, even if it be a darned
good spell."
    "Is it normal for witchlings to be jealous of each other?"
    "A few sour grapes be always about, but it be unusual to have the whole bunch go sour.
Some of the crones think the Conundrum curdled the other witchlings' moods."
    "Maybe they were already a little sour and the Conundrum made them worse. That's
kind of what happened in the Faerie realm."
    "An interesting thought, Carole. Still, such knowledge be of no help to Mariat, now."
    "Can't you help?"
    Lucreta smiled sadly. "Some time ago, the witchlings played a nasty trick on her and she
thinks that I also be in on the ruse. She doesn't trust me."
    "What'd they do?"
    "Got her to believe that Head Witch Herling be doing some powerful midnight spell
making. They knew Mariat couldn't resist going to see. When Mariat be out looking fer the magic,
them witchlings stole her broom and then spelled themselves to look like a group of vampires
coming to have her fer supper. Poor Mariat thought that she be dead meat fer sure."
    "That's terrible!"
    "Oh, Mariat not be one to go down without a mighty big fight." Lucreta spoke as if she
was greatly proud of Mariat. "She threw rocks at the vampires, while charging up a most wicked
spell. Don't know how she did that one neither. Even the crones can't cast such a spell. Maybe
Mariat be so desperate about dying that she pulled up some powerful sleeping magic. Anyhow,
them witchlings got a lot more than they bargained fer.
    "That rascal made a lightning snake with five heads, each of which coiled arount an
attacking vampire. Those witchlings be screaming in such misery that they roused the entire coven
to alarm."
    "Were they punished?"
    "Aplenty. Herling be so angry she be spitting nails. Only thing to save them from Head
Witch's worst fury be that Mariat already did a good job on 'em. They stayed in bed fer a week, and
couldn't sit on their backsides fer near a month."
    "Did Mariat get in trouble?"
    "Only fer worrying the coven about her whereabouts during the rest of that night. I
think she went off somewhere fer a good cry."
    "I don't suppose the others felt bad for what they did?"
    "Maybe a little at first, but not after Mariat got even."
    "With all of 'em?" Carole was a little alarmed at her friend's tenacity.
    "With me too, even