The Secret of the Swords Read Online Free PDF Page A

Jasper Swann,’ said Sir Benedict. ‘You’re very kind.’
    Tommy looked up at Sir Benedict. ‘You were a Keeper of the Blades, sir?’ she asked. ‘Like me?’
    Sir Benedict smiled. ‘Yes I was, Tommy.’
    â€˜Um, Sir Benedict?’ Tommy wasn’t sure how to ask her next question. ‘Why do Lil and the Old Wrecks and the other creatures of the castle talk to some people and not others?’
    Sir Benedict looked thoughtful. ‘Many things can talk, Tommy, but only to those who take the trouble to listen. And listening is a skill which can’t be taught – like kindness can’t be taught. I’ll tell you something which can be taught, though: sword fighting. Why don’t you bring Jasper out to the courtyard and I’ll show you a few moves.’
    Tommy thought her heart would burst with joy. It was as if all her dreams were coming true. She was the sword girl, and she was about to have a sword-fighting lesson with Sir Benedict. With a happy sigh, she drew her sword from the rack and hurried after her hero.

CHAPTER 1

    â€˜M AKE WAY, MAKE WAY ! Fifty kinds of fresh fish coming through for the kitchen!’
    It was early morning, and Tommy was crossing the great courtyard of Flamant Castle. She dodged out of the way of the cart clattering across the flagstones, only to hear someone behind her yell: ‘Watch where you’re going, girlie. I’ve got five hundred eggs in this basket!’
    â€˜Sorry,’ Tommy said, as the egg woman barged past her.
    The courtyard was busier than she’d ever seen it. She stepped out of the path of a man rolling two enormous rounds of cheese, as big as cart wheels.
    â€˜Poultry coming through: starlings, storks and swans!’
    Tommy craned her head to look at the brace of birds the poultry man had slung around his neck. What was going on?
    She had almost reached the armoury where she worked when she saw a small round man in brown robes. Despite all the activity in the courtyard, he was looking at the sky.
    â€˜Good morning, sir,’ Tommy said to the physician.
    â€˜Eh?’ said the physician. ‘Oh, hello, Sword Girl. Have you seen the carrier pigeon?’
    â€˜No,’ said Tommy. ‘Not this morning.’
    â€˜Bother. I need some of his droppings for one of my cures.’ The physician looked up at the sky again.

    â€˜Sir, why is the castle so busy this morning?’ Tommy asked.
    â€˜Busy?’ The physician looked around at the tradespeople hurrying to and fro. ‘I suppose it must be something to do with the great banquet,’ he said.
    â€˜A great banquet?’ said Tommy, excited. ‘What banquet?’
    But the physician had wandered off. ‘Where is that pigeon?’ he was muttering to himself.
    Maybe the blacksmith would know something about the great banquet, Tommy hoped.
    She entered the armoury to see the blacksmith standing by the fire, softening a piece of armour that needed reshaping. Several shields and helmets were stacked on the workbench, also in need of repair.
    â€˜Smith, have you heard about the great banquet?’ Tommy asked.
    The blacksmith looked up at her from under his bushy eyebrows. ‘Oh aye, I’ve heard about it,’ he said. ‘But we’ve no time for feastin’ here, Sword Girl. Sir Benedict and his men will be leaving tomorrow to patrol Sir Walter’s lands. They’ll need two dozen swords, so you’d better hop to it.’
    â€˜Yes, Smith,’ said Tommy. ‘Right away.’
    As Keeper of the Blades, it was her job to clean and sharpen all the bladed weapons of the castle.
    She went through the door to the left of the fireplace into the sword chamber and quickly got to work. Pulling swords from the long rack against the wall opposite the door, she used a file and whetstone to sharpen the blades before polishing them with clove-scented oil.

    â€˜You’re working hard this morning,