Part 10 (2/2)

”My magic is too weak,” moaned Odo. ”I still need her.” Softly, he returned to the room and went to his column of books and tried to sleep.

20.

In the back room Sybil remained awake. Wis.h.i.+ng she had said spoken more kindly to Odo, she got up and padded into the front room.

All was still: Damian lay asleep in Thorston's bed, breathing deeply. Alfric was curled up in a corner, eyes closed, his thumb in his mouth. Seeing that Odo had his head tucked under a wing-apparently asleep-she decided she'd wait until the morning to speak to him.

Instead she went to the window and pulled aside the leather curtain, hoping to see Brother Wilfrid. The courtyard was deserted. In the clear sky, an all but full moon cast pale light into the room. She turned. On the table lay the Book Without Words, its pages glowing in the moonlight. The monk had said it was evil. Perhaps, she thought, it would be better not to read it. And the stones...

She went to the foot of Thorston's bed, knelt, and opened the chest. A sweet, springlike smell wafted up. As she held the chest lid up with one hand, with the other, she moved aside the bolt of cloth under which she had hidden the stones. She gasped. The three stones were glowing. But even as Sybil gazed at them, she thought she heard the sound of someone stirring across the room. In haste, she covered the stones, lowered the lid, and crept back to her room.

On her pallet she kept thinking about the stones. That there was something magical about them, she had no doubt. The monk said they restored life. But how? She resolved to speak to the monk and ask him for an explanation.

21.

In the front room, Alfric, his head full of worry, had not been able to sleep. The death and burial of Master Thorston made him think upon his parents and their death. It brought tears to his eyes.

He also thought about Sybil. He was touched by her sympathy. How long it had been since anyone had been kind to him! The last thing he wanted was to return to Bashcroft. The boy prayed she would let him stay with her.

Even as Alfric had the thought, he saw her enter the room and look about. Feigning sleep, he closed his eyes partway and watched her pull aside the leather curtain from the front window. When moonlight filled the room, he shut his eyes and waited until he heard her go back down the hallway.

Once she had gone, he propped himself up on an elbow and peered about. It occurred to him that Sybil might let him stay if he could do something she wanted, something that would make her desirous of keeping him. Something like-the reading of that book: if he could find a way to read it, she might look with favor upon him.

Seeing that Damian was asleep and snoring on the alchemist's bed, and that the raven had his head tucked under a wing, Alfric went to the table where the Book Without Words lay.

Illuminated by moonlight, its stiff, yellow parchment pages seemed to have their own glow. Gingerly, Alfric touched one sheet. The sc.r.a.ped parchment made his fingertips tingle. One by one, he turned over the leaves. Each page appeared the same-blank. Or did it?

Bending closer, he scrutinized them hard, wanting with all his desire to see something. something. As he concentrated, faint lines began to appear-lines he was sure had not been there before. They were indistinct squiggles-but they were there. He stared harder. The lines became clearer. They became As he concentrated, faint lines began to appear-lines he was sure had not been there before. They were indistinct squiggles-but they were there. He stared harder. The lines became clearer. They became words. words. Alfric's heart began to pound. Alfric's heart began to pound.

Alarmed, Alfric backed away. The chill air made him s.h.i.+ver. He must be careful. Without question there was was magic here. But he didn't want to antagonize the girl. Perhaps he was doing something wrong. He went down the hallway toward her room. magic here. But he didn't want to antagonize the girl. Perhaps he was doing something wrong. He went down the hallway toward her room.

”Mistress?” he called to Sybil. She opened her eyes.

”Are you awake?” Alfric whispered.

”Yes.”

”I can't sleep. And I'm cold. May I stay close to you?”

”Of course.”

The boy crept close to her. She was thin but warm. ”May G.o.d bless you,” he said in a choked voice. ”You are the kindest lady in the world.”

As Sybil drew the frail boy close, she realized something: Odo had apologized to her. The monk had said he needed her. The boy had blessed her. In all her life no one had ever said or done any of those things. Here, in one day, were all three. Was that not a kind of magic?

22.

From his perch on the books, Odo had watched Alfric examine the Book Without Words, then move into the back room. As soon as the boy had gone, the raven fluttered over to the book and gazed at it. He saw nothing. Agitated, he hopped over to the chest at the foot of Thorston's bed. After making sure no one was watching, he lifted a claw and said, ”Risan ... risan.” ”Risan ... risan.” When the chest lid opened, he hopped upon its edge and peered inside. The sweet smell rose up. He was just about to jump into the chest when he heard a loud When the chest lid opened, he hopped upon its edge and peered inside. The sweet smell rose up. He was just about to jump into the chest when he heard a loud bang. bang. The sound came from the ground level. Alarmed, the raven leaped out of the chest and muttered some words. As soon as the chest lid lowered, Odo retreated to his roost. Head c.o.c.ked, he sat and listened intently. The sound came from the ground level. Alarmed, the raven leaped out of the chest and muttered some words. As soon as the chest lid lowered, Odo retreated to his roost. Head c.o.c.ked, he sat and listened intently.

23.

The same sound Odo heard woke Sybil from her shallow sleep. Disentangling herself from Alfric, she sat up. The noise seemed to have come from below, on the ground floor. She listened. Within moments there were new sounds: grunts and groans, the sounds of someone laboring.

Sybil jumped up and moved halfway down the hall to listen. The sounds resumed. Recalling that she had barred the front door, the only sense she could make of the sounds was that someone had broken in. Perhaps it was through the old stone wall. The stones, she knew, were none too firm.

She crept into the main room. Moonlight streamed in, bringing radiance to the top of the steps. She heard more grunts and groans followed by the unmistakable sound of heavy breathing.

”Odo,” she whispered across the room. ”Someone's in the house.”

The raven lifted his head. ”I hear.” He stood, head c.o.c.ked, beak open-an att.i.tude of intense listening.

”Do you think it's the reeve?” said Sybil. ”Could he have come through that back way-through the old city walls?”

”It's blocked,” said Odo.

A loud boom echoed from below, loud enough to make Sybil jump. What, she thought, if it's Brother Wilfrid coming for the book?

”Odo,” said Sybil, ”I didn't tell you, but I saw-”

”Quiet!” hissed the bird. ”That's ... the trapdoor.”

Breathless, Sybil listened as more sounds came: the unmistakable sound of footsteps could be heard moving toward the room.

A form, lit up by the moonlight, rose up from the well of the steps. Head. Shoulders. Body. A human shape.

”Dear G.o.d...” whispered Sybil, holding her breath.

The person stepped into the circle of moonlight that lay upon the floor at the top of the stairwell. A face.

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