Ember (29 page)

H
is
h
ea
rt
began
to
pound
,
h
a
rd
,
insist
e
nt
.

T
h
e
corridor
w
id
e
n
e
d
a
h
ea
d
.
Arch
e
r
glid
e
d
for
wa
rd
,
amaze
d
th
a
t
h
e
s
eeme
d
to
m
ov
e
without
t
a
king
a
st
e
p
.
He
gl
a
nc
e
d
do
w
n
at
his
us
e
l
e
ss
f
ee
t
,
th
e
n
up
a
g
a
in
,
only
to
find
hi
m
s
e
lf
not
in
Ca
v
e
rn Ha
ll
but
m
oving
into
a
we
ll
-a
ppoint
e
d
l
i
b
r
a
r
y
.
T
h
e
d
i
s
t
i
n
c
t
sc
e
n
t
of
boo
ks
,
w
ood,
c
h
e
r
oo
t
s
,
a
n
d
co
a
l
fill
e
d
his
nostrils
.
London
.
He
wa
s
in
London
.
T
h
e
c
a
rp
e
t
b
e
n
ea
th
his
f
ee
t
wa
s
ma
gnific
e
nt
in
its
s
w
irls
of
v
e
r
m
ilion
a
nd
c
e
rul
ea
n
.
Each
individu
a
l
thr
ea
d
,
thick
a
nd

l
ush,
beckoned
h
i
m
t
o
t
ouch
it
.
Wou
l
d
h
i
s
fi
nge
r
s
s
i
nk
down
i
nde
fi
n
it
e
l
y?

“
Abou
t
ti
me
you
showed
you
r
f
ace.
”

He
lift
e
d
his
h
ea
d
to
find
a
group
of
me
n
gl
a
ring
at
hi
m.
L
e
l
a
nd
,
Me
rryw
ea
th
e
r
,
C
h
e
lt
e
nh
am,
a
nd
S
ir
Pe
rciv
a
l
.
Each
n
ame
r
a
ng
through
his
h
ea
d
lik
e
not
e
s
pl
a
y
e
d
on
a
h
a
rp
.
He
snort
e
d
,
th
e
l
a
ugh
childish
a
nd
wond
e
rful
,
th
e
n
wond
e
r
e
d
why
on
ea
rth
h
e
wa
s
l
a
ughing
.
He
pull
e
d
hi
m
s
e
lf
tog
e
th
e
r
,
but
th
e
mem
b
e
rs
of
We
st
M
oon
C
lub
did
not
s
eem
to
notic
e
his
g
a
ff
e.

S
ir
Pe
r
c
i
va
l
s
t
epped
f
o
r
wa
r
d.
“
We
ll
,
don
’t
j
us
t
s
t
and
t
he
r
e.
Wha
t
do
you
have
t
o
say
f
o
r
you
r
se
lf
?
”

T
h
e
old
ma
n’s
w
ords r
ea
ch
e
d
Arch
e
r
ea
rs
just
m
o
me
nts
b
e
for
e
his
thin
lips
m
ov
e
d
.
O
dd
.
Arch
e
r
r
e
pr
e
ss
e
d
th
e
urg
e
to
touch
Pe
rciv
a
l’s
lips
to
ch
e
ck
if
th
e
y
w
e
r
e
r
ea
l
.

“
We
ll?
”
Pe
rciv
a
l
sn
a
pp
e
d
.

A
r
che
r
shook
o
ff
ano
t
he
r
sno
rt
and
s
t
ood
at
a
tt
en
ti
on.
“
We
ll
wha
t
?
”

Che
lt
enham
s
t
epped
i
n
fr
on
t
of
S
ir
Pe
r
c
i
va
l’
s
qu
i
ve
ri
ng
fr
ame.
“
A
r
che
r
,
you
hu
rt
t
ha
t
man.
Mos
t
se
ri
ous
l
y.
”

Ma
n?
Ma
n?
H
is
m
ind
r
a
c
e
d
.
T
h
e
r
e
w
e
r
e
so
ma
ny
.
H
o
w
wa
s
on
e
to
k
ee
p
count?

“
B
l
oody
ri
gh
t
he
d
i
d,
”
S
ir
Pe
r
c
i
va
l
c
ri
ed.
“
Damn
it
,
Ma
r
ve
l
was
t
o
ma
rr
y
my
Agnes
!
I
t
was
t
o
be
t
he
a
lli
ance
of
t
he
season
!”

A
r
che
r
swayed,
h
i
s
li
ps
t
w
it
ch
i
ng
uncon
tr
o
ll
ab
l
y.
Ah,
yes,
Ma
r
ve
l
.
L
ittl
e
sno
t
.
“
I
was
tr
y
i
ng
t
o
pu
t
some
sense
i
n
t
o
h
i
m.
”
The
r
e.
Tha
t
sounded
r
easonab
l
e,
d
i
d
it
no
t
?