Wystan Read Online Free PDF Page B

ago.”
    â€œSo there is a schoolhouse?” Rhia expected it was in terrible disrepair, but she’d faced worse—was facing it right now.
    â€œDown the street from the jail about three blocks.” He frowned. “Don’t get any ideas. Just because you open the schoolhouse doesn’t mean Wystan is going to change his mind. He never does.”
    â€œThere are children in this town and they have as much right to an education as anyone.” She bit her tongue, hoping Sylvie wasn’t the only child in town.
    Eban sighed. “No one here is arguing that. Despite Wystan and Tell’s aversion to books and sums, there is a need for someone to teach our remaining youngsters. You won’t have a full class—there aren’t many children here—but I’ll advocate your attempt, though you may have noticed he doesn’t pay much mind to anything I say.”
    Rhia’s hope returned. A warm feeling spread throughout her. “Thank you. In the morning, I’ll locate the schoolhouse and see how much work it needs. If you see any parents, please let them know what I’m doing.”
    â€œBut don’t tell Wystan?” A sparkle of humor lightened his eyes.
    â€œThat’s preferable. I think I’ll return to bed now.” She smiled at him, sure everything would work out. “Oh, who’s Tell?”
    â€œMy younger brother.”
    Her eyebrows rose. “There’s another Heckmaster?”
    Eban smiled. “You’ll never see two people more alike, and yet so different, than Tell and Wystan.”
    She wondered what that meant, but he was already turning away. The sword reflected lamplight and for a moment, she thought she saw a flash of light in his eye, but it must have been her imagination.
    The sun hadn’t come up yet when Rhia roused Sylvie. More like a coldblooded lizard than a human girl, her sister fumbled in the dark room, eyes closed, still half asleep as she searched for clothes. Her spectacles sat crooked on her nose until Rhia straightened them.
    â€œCareful not to wake Beryl. We have a special task this morning,” Rhia whispered. She hadn’t slept much as she had been planning the reopening of the school. In Virginia, it was rare that she faced bright-eyed eager students. Like Sylvie, most of them wandered in with sleepy expressions and complaints of too many chores to bother with their studies. She expected Berner to be different because these children hadn’t been to classes before. They might find the material difficult at first, but she would go slowly and shape their minds with care. Sooner or later, Wystan would see what a helpful addition she made to town.
    She tried not to think about him. The way he’d railed at her for being outside, for coming here at all, how frightening he’d appeared when he turned away from the animal he’d killed to save her. In one of the illustrated storybooks from her childhood, she’d often gazed at the images of knights from King Arthur’s court. They dressed in armor, but the swords they carried reminded her of the big knife he’d used. They wore grim looks of determination and fierceness, not unlike Wystan. But he wouldn’t know chivalry if it jumped up and down in front of him.
    Rhia led Sylvie out of Beryl’s room and down the hall to the front door. If her sister had noticed her late-night wanderings, she didn’t mention it.
    Sylvie hid a yawn behind her hand, but her words jumbled around it. “Where are we going so early?”
    â€œTo inspect the schoolhouse. It may be a bit run-down, so I’ll need your help cleaning it.” She tried to sound cheerful about the task.
    â€œCan’t I sit with Beryl instead?”
    Sylvie, like most girls her age, would rather be doing anything except chores.
    â€œI’m afraid not. After we get everything set to rights, you’ll attend classes too. I’m not going to let my little