Tiger Thief Read Online Free PDF Page A

stiffened as she caught sight of the bird on Uma’s shoulder.
    The parrot clicked his beak. “Easy, tiger!” he cawed.
    Emira let out a low growl.
    “She must have jumped over the wall,” said Uma. “I just turned around and there she was.”
    Sharat glanced at the greenery all around them. “Maybe she was looking for breakfast,” he said. “She’s used to hunting in the forest.”
    Uma’s face tightened. “She won’t have much luck around here,” she said. “This is the last garden in the City of Jewels.”
    For the first time it struck Sharat how strange it was to find this oasis in the middle of the desert. “How do you keep the plants alive?” he said. “It’s so dry outside.”
    A secretive look crossed Uma’s face. “Oh, it’s not so hard if you know how,” she said. “All you need is the help of the elements … and a little bit of magic.”
    As she spoke a breeze lifted, and the trees shivered. Then, to Sharat’s surprise he felt a sprinkling of rain. Glancing up, he saw that the sky was still clear and that the sun burned as brightly as ever.
    With a feeling of unease he stared at the old woman. “Are you a witch?” he demanded.
    Uma reached out to pluck a few leaves from a nearby tree. “What do you think?” she said.
    The bird on her shoulder cackled, then took off and landed on a flowering sapling.
    “Mad! Old! Witch!” it cawed. Sharat watched as it shivered its brilliant feathers. In the blink of an eye they changed colour to match the emerald leaves and crimson flowers on the tree. He could hardly see the bird now,unless it moved. It winked at him.
    “Shut up or I’ll wring your mangy neck,” muttered Uma.
    Nervously, Sharat glanced at the tiny door in the wall. He realised nobody knew he was here.
    “Well, thank you for finding Emira,” he said, stepping back. “But I’d better be getting back to the circus. They’ll be wondering where I am.”
    “No!” Uma glared at the bird. “Don’t pay any attention to Ripiraja,” she said. “You can’t go yet. Emira may be in terrible danger.”
    Sharat felt a pang of fear. “What makes you say that?” he asked.
    Uma lowered her voice. “You may not know this,” she said. “But Emira comes from the City of Jewels.”
    With a start Sharat remembered his conversation with Hussein. “How do you know?” he said sharply.
    “I know because I was the one that gave Emira to the circus,” Uma told him.
    Sharat’s eyes widened. “Were you the one that made my father promise not to come back to the city?” he asked.
    Uma nodded. “That’s right,” she said.
    Sharat thought back to what Hussein had told him.
    “But why?” he asked. He paused. “Is … is Emira
stolen
?”
    “No,” said Uma, “she’s not stolen.”
    Sharat frowned. “Then what’s the promise all about?”
    Uma glanced around. “You’d better come inside,” shesaid. “The walls have ears in this city.”
    Sharat really didn’t want to go into this strange old woman’s hut, but as Uma turned to lead the way, Emira pounced on the reflections that spun from her mirrored skirt. Then, without waiting for Sharat’s permission, she slipped through the door.
    “Hey!” cried Sharat, as he hurried to follow her in.
    Inside, the hut was a big room divided into separate areas for cooking, sitting and sleeping. In the corner was a cauldron bubbling over a fire.
    “We can’t stay long,” said Sharat, standing by the door.
    Uma tipped the leaves she had gathered into the cauldron. “Don’t worry, circus boy, I won’t
eat
you,” she said impatiently. “Sit down!”
    The tiger was already lying on the floor. Reluctantly, Sharat sat next to her and put his hand on her back.
    “So what
is
the promise all about?” he asked.
    Uma brushed her hands on her skirt and hobbled over. “It’s a long story,” she said as she squatted down next to him. “How much do you know about the City of Jewels?”
    Sharat shook his head. “Not much,” he admitted. He