The Silver Horse Read Online Free PDF

he had heard Beatrice was imprisoned. Luka had no intention of giving up just because the Hearnes were tooscared to help out. All day, while he and Emilia had been hiding out in the wood, he had been turning over plans in his head. All of them were wild and improbable, but Luka was sure that, in time, he would come up with a strategy that would work.
    So far Sebastien had already given him a few ideas. He had inundated him with questions about how the Finch family came to be locked up and what Luka planned to do.
    â€˜Break them out,’ Luka had replied. ‘Somehow. We’d be safe once we got back to the Great North Wood. It’s huge, and we know it like the back of our hands.’
    â€˜But how do you plan to get them out?’ Sebastien wanted to know.
    â€˜No idea,’ Luka had to admit.
    â€˜What you need to do is get your hands on the keys to the cells,’ Sebastien said.
    â€˜Well, yes, I’ve thought of that, strangelyenough,’ Luka said. ‘But firstly, how am I meant to get hold of the keys –’
    â€˜Steal them,’ Sebastien said.
    â€˜How? The gaol’s above the local ale house, there are people there all the time. And then I thought of ambushing the innkeeper on his way home, but what if he doesn’t carry the keys with him? I’d have to break into the ale house and there are guards on duty all the time, and the nightwatchman patrolling the streets too. It’s right in the middle of town.’
    â€˜Nick the keys during the day, have copies made of them, and put them back again,’ Sebastien suggested.
    â€˜That’s easier said than done.’
    â€˜No, listen. This is what you do. You make some kind of diversion, like shouting “Fire!”, and then duck in and grab the keys. You’ve got to have some candle wax that you’ve softened over a flame and kept warm in your hand. You grab the keys and press them one by one into the candle waxuntil you have a clear imprint. Then you put the keys back before anyone realises they’ve gone.’
    Luka frowned. It sounded risky. ‘Then what?’ he asked.
    â€˜Then you take the pieces of wax to a smith you can trust, and get him to cut the keys for you. It’s quite tricky. If they don’t do a good job, then the keys won’t work and you’ve gone to all that trouble for nothing. You’ll only have one chance to do this, so you’ll need to go to an expert, I think.’
    â€˜I don’t know any experts,’ Luka said.
    â€˜You want to go to the Smith family, they’re the best,’ Sebastien said. ‘You must know them?’
    Luka nodded. ‘I’ve heard of them. My Baba knew them years ago, and I think her cousin married one.’
    â€˜They’ll probably help you, then, since you’re kin,’ Sebastien said.
    â€˜Like your family was willing to help?’ Luka said bitterly.
    There was a short silence. Then Sebastien said, ‘I’m sure my father would help if he could. It’s a bad time right now. I’ll talk to him tomorrow, after the race – he’ll be feeling a bit easier then.’
    â€˜The race?’ Luka asked.
    â€˜Aye!’ Sebastien exclaimed in excitement. ‘We race on the Downs up here, have done for years. Parliament’s outlawed it now, of course, but we still do it, on the sly. Used to be we did it every spring, but now we set a different date all the time, and only those in the know hear about it. You’ll have to come and watch, it’s great fun.’
    â€˜I don’t know what we’ll be doing,’ Luka said. ‘If you won’t help us, we’ll have to go and find someone who will.’
    â€˜Don’t go rushing off,’ Sebastien pleaded. ‘I’ll talk to my dad after the race. If we’ve done well, and made back some of our money, well, then . . .’
    â€˜I thought you were doing well for yourselves,’Luka