The Seventh Tide Read Online Free PDF

his little circle of empty sand.
    ‘We have to get him some help,’ murmured Interrupted.
    ‘No argument,’ said Market. ‘When it’s our turns to throw, we need to be aiming for times when we know he can find heroic warriors or clever tricksters or amazing weapons to help him do whatever it is he’s supposed to be doing in the maze and river place, while not being killed by Kelpies.’
    ‘And while we’re aiming for all that, she’s presumably aiming for times without heroes or handy-dandy piles of anti-Kelpie weaponry lying about,’ said Interrupted drily.
    Gladrag gave him a rueful smile.
    ‘Stop looking for a way out – there is no way out!’ the Queen sneered. She had been pacing up and down on her long white feet, growing more and more impatient with all the whispering and delay.
    ‘We were explaining the Rules of the Challenge, for the benefit of our colleague here,’ said Gladrag, ignoring Interrupted’s bleat of ‘My benefit? You had to look it up in a book !’ ‘He is not entirely familiar with –’
    ‘My people know all the Rules. There is no such thing as an ignorant Kelpie. I would trample on him – I would gouge out his eyes with my hooves – I would drip acid into his ears and pull out his intestines with my teeth!’ She thrust her face towards the Companions, showing off her teeth – all of them.
    ‘Well, I’m sure he’d resolve to do better after that!’ said Interrupted Cadence with only a hint of a quaver in his voice.
    Gladrag smiled thinly to herself for an instant and then spoke.
    ‘So that we’re all clear, this is the summary of the Challenge,’ and she raised her voice so everyone (including Eo) could hear, and read: ‘The Challenger will be sent to six times, and spend in each time the length of a tide. With each Tide he will be given a gift – a weapon or wisdom or the services of a champion – and these gifts must be given freely and without duress. And these gifts he may take with him for the Seventh Tide, to the Dry Heart, to aid him in the Final Challenge – to thread the mazes with no path; to cross the rivers with no water; to find the Centre and mend the Dry Heart …’
    Gladrag looked up. Every eye was fixed on her , so no one else noticed Professor Hurple making an extremely brief appearance. He stuck his head out of Eo’s bag, gasped the equivalent of ‘ Crikey! ’ in Ferret and disappeared back inside again.
    Which is why Hibernation Gladrag was moved to say to Eo, ‘And don’t forget to take your bag, child.’
    ‘What? Why? What for?’ The Kelpie was instantly suspicious, and Market and Interrupted both stared at their Head in surprise.
    ‘To carry whatever objects he may be given,’ Gladrag answered mildly. ‘It’s only sensible.’
    The Kelpie’s eyes darted from face to face suspiciously. Then she lunged suddenly, grabbed the bag and shook it violently upside down. A half-eaten apple, a bundle of scruffy papers, Eo’s essay notebook, some odd bits of string, some junk and one ferret fell out. But Hurple didn’t just fall out – he crashed, hard, on to the sand. An enormous sneeze from Gladrag at just the same moment covered the sound of the Professor’s breath being knocked out of his lungs. He lay there limply, playing possum. At least that’s what Eo hoped was happening. But what if Hurple was hurt? Unconscious? What if he was –
    As I said, a bag in which to carry the gifts of the Tides,’ said Gladrag to the Queen. Then, turning to Eo, she continued, ‘Collect your things. Take your bag. And put your collar on, child.’ Her voice managed to cut through the panic in his mind. ‘You heard me sneezing just then. It’s getting chilly.’ She returned her attention to the Kelpie. ‘We’re a delicate people. Why, just last season…’
    Eo had just enough presence of mind to do as he was told. He hurriedly stuffed everything back into his bag and scooped up Hurple, while Gladrag was distracting the Kelpie with some truly