The Tiger's Egg Read Online Free PDF

town.
    The animals were restless too. They had lived their lives on the road, and knew as they were led into their hosed-down wagons that before dawn they would be starting on their own strange migration through the smells and sounds of the thawing countryside.
    â€œRed sky at night,” said Gila, gesturing toward the window with a pork rib.
    â€œGives my dog a fright,” said Umor.
    â€œThat means good weather, doesn’t it?” said Miles.
    â€œMy dog affects the weather?” said Umor.
    â€œA red sky,” said Miles.
    â€œThat depends,” said Little. “A red sky means the Council of Light is meeting. The weather that follows depends on how the meeting goes. Usually manythings are resolved, so of course there will be calm skies, but if the meeting ends in anger there will still be a storm afterward.”
    â€œWell,” said Lady Partridge, “let’s hope this meeting goes smoothly.” She tapped a knife on her glass, waking a couple of cats who were dozing on the sideboard. “A toast to the Circus Bolsillo,” she said. “May the new season surpass all expectations.”
    Drinks were raised and glasses clinked.
    â€œI’ll drink to that,” said Fabio.
    â€œI’ll drink to anything,” said Umor.
    â€œAmong the reasons I invited you here,” said Lady Partridge to Fabio, “was to ask if you would do me the favor of keeping an eye on Miles and Little for me.”
    â€œWe can look after ourselves, Lady Partridge,” protested Miles.
    â€œIndeed you can,” said Lady Partridge, “and better than many of your elders, as you have already demonstrated. But it worries me that that dangerous little Cortado man is on the loose again. You may have outwitted him once, but that only gives him more reason to bear a grudge. Only yesterday there was a report in the Weekly Herald that he had been sighted in Shallowford, and while I don’t place much reliance on that bundle of fish wrapping, Ican’t say I feel comfortable about you being out on the road while he is still at large.”
    â€œWell if he was seen around these parts, maybe it’s better that we’re leaving for a while,” suggested Miles.
    â€œPerhaps,” said Lady Partridge, though she did not sound convinced.
    â€œDon’t you worry, Lady P.,” said Umor.
    â€œWe’ll watch them like our own cash box,” said Gila.
    â€œBesides, we’re more than a match for that little half-pint.”
    â€œEven if we’re just quarter-pints.”
    â€œThere are three of us.”
    â€œWhich makes us a liter.”
    â€œThank you, boys,” said Lady Partridge with a smile. “That makes me feel a lot better.”
    There was a soft knock at the door of the dining room, and a small boy in pajamas poked his head around the door. “There’s a man at the door. He says he has a special devilry,” said the boy, who looked half asleep.
    â€œThank you, Marcus,” said Lady Partridge. “I rather hope you mean delivery.”
    The boy nodded. He turned to leave, but the door swung open and Fowler Pinchbucket pushedpast him, carrying a heavy box and almost knocking Marcus off his feet. “Pardon the interruption,” he grunted, and tried to remove his cap, forgetting for a moment that he had his hands full with his special devilry. He caught the box before it slipped from his grasp, and plonked it down on the sideboard, scattering the cats. “Imported,” he said, as though that explained everything.
    â€œWhat on earth . . . ?” said Lady Partridge, inflating dangerously.
    â€œA present for Lady Pinchpartridge from the Rat Bucket,” said Fowler, clearly flustered by Lady Partridge’s daunting glare. He began again: “A present for Lady Partridge, from the proprietors of the Canny Rat.”
    â€œI’m not expecting any deliveries, and certainly not at this hour,”