Part 55 (1/2)

He looked worried, as worried as I felt, the loose skin over his snout all wrinkled up in perplexity. ”The only thing we can do is go along with what she wants for the moment and trust to luck. You had better make plans with that boy to escape if you can. In the meantime give me something simple to do- count to five, perhaps-give her some gibberish to learn, then say I can only adapt to a new mistress slowly and tomorrow she will learn more.”

So it was decided, but unfortunately it didn't turn out quite as we had planned. . . .

At first it was all right. I gave the Lady Aleinor some rhyming words to repeat-taking great pleasure in correcting her twice-and obediently the Wimperling tapped his hoof five times. She practiced it half a dozen times, but in the middle of the nonsense the pig sent me an urgent message.

”Take a look out of that window. Remember everything you see.”

I wandered over and did as I was bid. A sheer drop of some forty feet to the dry moat below; beyond that the forests, with a stretch of greensward in front of the trees.

”What are you doing, girl?”

I walked back. ”Turning my back on the pig, lady, just to prove I am not influencing him. I just thought-”

”You do not think! You do as you are told. Come back here and teach me some more.”

”The pig is tired, it will take time for him to get used to-”

”Rubbis.h.!.+ We have been at this less than an hour! Do as you are told!”

”He won't-”

”He will! You can make him.” She paused, and her next words came honey- sweet and loaded with sting. ”Unless, of course, you would rather I summoned my soldiers to give your brother here a painful lesson. They are experts, I a.s.sure you. . . .”

The Wimperling flashed me a warning. ”Do as she says! Simple addition: two and one, two and two. She can't count.”

And so it went on, until the Wimperling himself took a hand, sinking to the ground with a groan and puffing and panting, rolling his eyes round and around.

”There! I told you so!” For a heart-stopping moment I believed he was indeed ill, but as I rushed forward and knelt distractedly at his side, I saw him wink.

”Tell me, quickly, what you saw from the window. . . .”

So, as I fussed over him, I described the scene outside.

”Mmm . . . Doesn't sound too promising. Don't look so worried! We'll find a way out of this.”

The Lady Aleinor at last seemed persuaded she could go no further today. She sank back in her chair, still repeating to herself the rubbish I had taught her.

”Very well,” she said after a moment. ”What does it eat?”

”He eats most things,” I said. ”When I get back to the stables I can ask for-”

”The stables? The creature stays here. It's mine now, and I shall look after it.”

I was devastated. How in the world could we all escape together when we were down there and he was up here? Together we had a chance: apart, none.

”But-but he needs exercise, grooming, companions.h.i.+p, light. . . .”

”All of which he will get. My soldiers will escort him out twice a day-the exercise will do them good as well. A nice trot around the castle grounds . . .

Now, you can go. Attend me tomorrow at the same hour.”

”But-but I . . .”

”Do you want a beating? No? Then get out! The creature will soon adapt to its new surroundings. As soon as you have taught me all I need to know you may leave. But if there is any more argument or backsliding I shall have to reconsider. Just remember what I said about the expendability of your other animals. . . .”

Back in the stables I sobbed in despair, trying to explain to the others the mess we-I-had gotten us into. Gill patted me awkwardly on the shoulder, Growch whined in sympathy and Mistral and Traveler s.h.i.+fted from foot to foot in anxiety. I felt terribly alone. I had not realized before how much I had relied on the simple common sense of the Wimperling, his stoicism, his comfortable, fat, ugly little body. Not that he was so small anymore . . . Only a few weeks ago I had been able to tuck him under my arm, and now he seemed near full-grown. One of the nicest things about him was that he never grumbled, and now he had been taken from us I felt utterly helpless: I couldn't even think straight.

”There's the boy,” said Gill. ”He said he could get us out of here, remember?”

”But that was before she took the Wimperling,” I wept.

”Let's see what he got to say, anyways,” said Growch. ”Ain't nuffin more than we can do today: gettin' dark already.”

So it was, and we had missed the midday meal. I found, too, that no one was going to rush to feed the animals, and in the gathering gloom I had to find my own oats and hay, and fill the buckets with water from the well in the courtyard.

It was even more obvious that we didn't exist when we went into the hall for the evening meal. Word had obviously got around of the lady's displeasure, for we were elbowed away from the table, were not offered a trencher, nor any ale. In the end I s.n.a.t.c.hed what I could for both of us and we ate standing; rye bread, stale cheese and a couple of bones with a little meat left on them.

Worse was to come. The Lady Aleinor brought in the Wimperling, an animal so bedecked with ribbons and bunting as to be practically unrecognizable.

She made him go through what I had taught her in front of the whole a.s.sembly, mouthing the rubbish she had learned; she had a little whip in her hand with which she stroked his flanks: if she had actually struck him I don't know what I would have done.

The applause was loud and sycophantic, and as soon as she had done I rushed forward to give him a rea.s.suring hug before they dragged me away. He managed some quick words: ”See the boy! If the rest of you can get away, I think I can manage as well. . . .”

Slightly rea.s.sured, we all spent a better night, and in the morning, after feeding and watering the animals and s.n.a.t.c.hing some bread and cheese from the hall for Gill and myself, we settled down to await the boy and his wagon.

He brought winter cabbage, some turnips, a barrel of smoked fish and some firewood for the kitchens. Once he had unloaded he picked up a shovel and started to clear the far end of the stable.

”Down here as well, please!” I called out, as if I had never seen him before. He walked down the aisle, trailing a barrow behind him, and bent to shovel out Mistral's stall.

”Well? Thought about it, then?” All the while he spoke to us he never stopped his steady shoveling. ”Still want out?”

”Yes, yes; we do. Are you willing to help us?”

”I said so, didn't I? Ten silver pieces you said? Good. How many are there of you?”

I pointed to the others. ”And our packages.” I mustn't forget the tortoise, either. ”The-the pig has been taken into the castle.”

He shook his head. ”Can't help you there. There's no getting it out now. One of them out there-” he jerked his thumb over his shoulder: ”-told me as how you had taught the lady some magic words?”

”Not really,” I said hurriedly. ”Just the words I always use to direct his act.

She's a slow learner. . . . What about the rest of us, then?”

He carried on shoveling. ”Dog can slip through the portcullis any time: bars are wide enough. Pigeon can fly over, right?”

”And my brother? He's blind.”