“Sure are a lot of books in here,” said Oz. “I didn’t know a person could have so many. Where did you get them all?”
William looked up from his meal. “I get a copy of all the books we sell to the dragons. Others I ordered from the Library. It’s funny…I used to be the one writing them for other people.”
“Do you think maybe I…not now, but sometime…would it be okay if…” His voice trailed off with uncertainty.
“Oz, whatever it is, you can ask. The worst that can happen is I’ll say no.”
Oz took a deep breath. “Lord William, sir…I’d like to learn how to read.”
William stared at him, dumbfounded. “You what…?”
“If you think I’m too dumb, that’s okay, sir,” added Oz in a rush. “I just thought with all these books…I don’t know. Maybe it’s a stupid idea.”
“No, it’s not, Oz!” said William as he jumped to his feet, his eyes wide with excitement. “It’s not stupid at all. I’ve flown on a dragon today, been given a bag of jewels, brought home a dragon to care for, had my garden destroyed, and a huge section of my canal dug. But this—the fact that you want to learn to read—this is what I’ll remember most about today.”
Oz stared back, his jaw slack, his breath coming in shudders. “You think I can do it?”
“Yes! Of course you can! Here, I have the perfect book for you to start on. It was written for the dragons when they started reading our books. Well, it was written for children, but adapted for dragons. It’s a simple book, meant for beginners, with a picture on each page and one word below it. Start with this and let me know how you get on, then we’ll move on to the next book. I have all of them here.”
“Should I read it here?” asked Oz.
William rejected the idea with a raised hand. “No, take it to your room. I prefer to keep this room to myself.”
“Oh, of course, sir. I’m sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking.” Oz stared at the book in his hands for a moment, almost as though he didn’t dare move lest it vanish. He looked up again at William, weighing his words carefully. “Someday, I’d like to read those books about you. You know…to find out what it was like when you did all those things, like fighting the bad guys, and discovering the dragons.”
A mixture of emotions crossed William’s face. It wouldn’t be right to discourage Oz, not at the very outset of his endeavor, so he buried his contempt for those books and nodded. “That will be all for now. You’re dismissed for the evening. Enjoy your reading.”
“Thank you, sir. I—I don’t know what to say. Just—thank you.”
William returned to his meal as Oz departed, smiling as he glanced at Clyde, still curled by the hearth. He remembered something, and called for Oz.
“Yes, sir?” asked Oz as he stepped back into the room.
“Where are you from, Oz?” asked William. “Where were you born?”
Oz gave him a puzzled look. “Marshland Crossing, same as you, sir. Why?”
William shook his head. “Nothing. It’s not important.” He winced at his choice of words but covered it with a smile. “Good night, Oz.”
He finished his meal and shoved his plate aside. After wiping his hand with the silk napkin, he wandered to the far wall where his favorite story books stood on display. Clyde’s half-opened eyes followed him without so much as a muscle twitch, satisfying himself that William wasn’t leaving. William selected a book he’d been meaning to read for a long time, returned to his chair and began to read. The solitude was blissful, the room cozy with the warmth of the fire, and he was soon immersed in the story.
He was already several pages in when Clyde squirmed. Distracted, William glanced up from his book to find the dragon moving about in apparent discomfort. “You okay, Clyde?”
Clyde answered with a pitiful glance at William, then rose and started pacing in circles. When he squatted, William leapt from his chair. “No! NO! Clyde, don’t do that, not here!” Visions of the garden incident filled William’s head as the dragon grunted and bore down, and William steeled himself for the worst, ready to pinch his nose should the stench fill the windowless room.
He needn’t have worried. Only a small amount of waste dropped, landing with a surprising thump. William opened his mouth to call for Oz, then remembered he had dismissed him already. Grumbling to himself, he snatched the napkin from the table and rose to clean the mess. Either the fire covered the odor or Clyde’s waste was no longer emanating its earlier stench, for which William was grateful. Casting a stern glance at Clyde, he bent and collected the droppings.
It was heavy. Though he hadn’t grown up on a farm, William had shoveled plenty of manure and knew what it should weigh. Curiosity overcame disgust, and he opened the napkin and inspected the contents. Like cheap pottery, it fragmented in his hands, crumbling to reveal the last thing he expected. He covered his mouth to stifle his laughter, unable to believe his eyes. He turned to Clyde and put a finger to his lips. “Let’s keep this our little secret,” he said to the dragon. He tossed the outer casing into the fire and stared again at what remained, shaking his head in wonder, an amused smile spreading across his face.
Clyde had pooped gold.
Chapter 8
Oz slid the robe over William’s shoulders and smoothed the wrinkles with his hand. “What’s the trial about, sir?”
William grumbled as he shook the sleeves to get comfortable. “It’s about stupidity, Oz. Pass me that awful necklace; I need to wear it for official stuff.” William fiddled with his robe as he checked his appearance in the large silvered mirror in his dressing room. “I look like a fool—I can never get this thing to fit right.”
“Here, let me fix that,” said Oz as he set the necklace aside and began adjusting the sash around William’s waist. He looked up at William as he worked. “Could I ever go on trial for being stupid?”
William sighed. “Why do you keep saying you’re stupid, Oz? You never lacked confidence during our school years.”
“Because I thought I knew everything I needed to,” said Oz without looking up. “School was boring, so I didn’t count that, and Kirby kept telling me how smart I was. After you sent him away, I figured out he was lying to me the whole time, that he just wanted me to be the leader, so I would get the blame for all the bad stuff we were doing. I let him turn me into a nobody. That’s how stupid I was.”
“I keep telling you Oz, you’re not stupid. A dumb person would never have figured all that out. Anyway, these men aren’t on trial, really. They’ve lodged complaints against each other for stupid things they did. Santiago says Kofi knocked over his fence, and Kofi claims Santiago poisoned his goats.”
“So, which one did it?”
“Oh, probably both. Every winter, I have the same problem. The farmers say there’s no work to be done, so they wander around the village getting into trouble, some drunker than others. Fights erupt every week or so, and I’m stuck doling out the punishment.” William looked at his reflection with surprise. “Well that’s better…I actually look half normal now. Where’d you learn to do that?”
“I dunno,” said Oz. “Maybe it’s easier for me because I’m not wearing it.”
A bell sounded from below. “You’d better answer the door,” said William. “I think I can finish dressing without too much risk of hurting myself.”
Oz returned a few moments later, out of breath, his face an ashen color, and his eyes nearly bugging out of his head. “You didn’t tell me this job is dangerous, sir!”
William gave his butler a puzzled look. “Relax, Oz. You’ve answered the door for a dragon and you weren’t half as flustered.”
Oz’s breath came in deep shudders. “Oh, this is so much worse, my lord. Please don’t ask me to go down there again!”
William grabbed him by the shoulders. “Pull yourself together, man. Who is it?”
A look of dread swept across Oz’s face as his mouth twisted to form the words. “It’s the teacher!”
William pau
sed a moment, unsure if Oz was joking. “Miss Plevins?” he asked.
Oz simply nodded, sweat dripping from his forehead.
“Why on Esper are you afraid of her?” asked William. “She never once beat a student, or even yelled at them. And you were only there for a few years.”
“I know, but I did something bad and…and I don’t know what she’ll do to me.”
Curiosity got the better of William, and a smile spread across his face. “What did you do?”
Oz took a deep breath and dropped his head in shame. “I stole a book.”
William sighed and shook his head. “You’re a grown man, Oz; she can’t hurt you. Come downstairs and talk to her. I’m sure she’s forgotten all about it. Besides, it’s your job to answer the door.”
Resignation replaced fear, and Oz slowly trudged down the stairs into the foyer. William followed a few steps behind and waited as Oz pulled at the great door, hiding behind it as it swung open.
A slight woman of about fifty greeted him with a bright smile. “William Whitehall! Aren’t you the perfect picture of lordliness! What a splendid robe—are you holding court today, dear?” She rushed forward and gave him a generous hug, while her companion, a tall, gangly woman of about the same age stood behind her, any trace of a smile absent from her face.
“Miss Plevins, Agatha, it’s good to see you both. Please come in.”
“What a magnificent house, William,” said Miss Plevins. “I wasn’t sure what to expect after I read about you in those books, but this exceeds all expectation! And you have a pet dragon. Aren’t you adorable?” Miss Plevins fawned over Clyde, who reveled in the attention.
“Your butler vanished without showing us in,” said Agatha with a scowl. “Took one look at us and scampered away like a frightened deer. I hope you can figure out which one to punish.”
William reached behind the door and dragged Oz into the light. “Was it this fellow?”
Miss Plevins gasped. “Oz Domnall? Is that you? My, how you’ve grown. I’ve not seen you since you were nine years old. And now you’re William’s butler! How delightful. I’m glad the two of you are getting along finally.”
Oz lowered his eyes, unable to meet her gaze, despite her genuinely warm greeting. “Hello, Miss Plevins.”
“Now Oz, why don’t you seem happy to see me? I know you left school early, but so did many other children.”
Oz stammered. “It’s because of what I did…I stole a book from you.”
Miss Plevins tilted her head in surprise. “Really? I had no idea. We owned so many I couldn’t keep track. Did you enjoy it?”
“I never learned to read,” he said, his face flushing. “I hoped it would teach me, but it didn’t.”
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” said William. “But I need to get to the meeting hall to preside over this ridiculous farce, hopefully before they gouge each other’s eyes out. What brings you all the way out here? You must have been riding since breakfast.”
“Since dawn, actually,” said Agatha, her voice as clipped as her lips were tight. “When we were evicted from our home.”
Silence filled the foyer as William absorbed what she said. “You were…”
Agatha looked like she wanted to spit. “Expelled without so much as a day’s notice. Barely enough time to pack our things.”
“Agatha, dear, you know we were behind on the rent,” said Miss Plevins.
“Because they stole your job,” protested Agatha.
“They did what?” asked William. It was inconceivable to him that anyone but Miss Plevins might be the teacher at Marshland’s only school. “But why?”
Miss Plevins cast him a reproaching gaze, as though he was a schoolboy behind on his homework. “You must know why, William.”
“Because you and Agatha…?”
“Of course that’s why!” said Agatha, her face displaying the anger that Miss Plevins seemed to be hiding. “Why else?”
“What’s important is moving forward,” said Miss Plevins. “We frankly have no other place to go, and we hoped we might impose on you until we decide what to do.”
William fingered the gold pellets in his pocket. It occurred to him that every time fortune dropped something valuable in his lap, another expense came around the corner to negate it, and more. He cast his doubts aside and smiled at the two women. “It’s no imposition…stay as long as you want, especially since my house is practically empty. We can work out the arrangements later, though, because I really do have to go deal with this ridiculous trial, though it’s a complete waste of my time. Why these farmers can’t learn to coexist peacefully is beyond me.”
“I have experience with unruly mobs, as well you know,” said Miss Plevins with a wink. “Idle hands find trouble, no matter the age. Why do you think I kept you children busy all the time?”
William stared at the ceiling with a forlorn look. “They should already be busy, though…they claim there’s no work to be done, and yet I see fences and roofs that need mending, gardens overgrown with weeds, ruts that need filling. They have plenty to do—but they don’t want to do it.”
Miss Plevins chuckled. “That’s when I would start a game. I don’t know if it applies in your situation, William, but nothing motivates children—or adults—like competition. That’s why these men are acting like fools. It’s not because they’re enemies; it’s because they’re rivals.”
He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a friendly smile. “I don’t think a barony operates the same way as a schoolhouse, Miss Plevins, but thank you for trying.”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “May I attend the trial, William? I’m sure you’ll manage, and I won’t treat you as though you’re back in class. You’re an adult now, but maybe I can offer advice later once I’ve seen how the men behave.”
He shrugged, unwilling to reject her advice outright. “You’re more than welcome to watch. Don’t expect too much though—they can be boring.”
Clyde followed them to the meeting hall. Agatha kept her distance, but Miss Plevins walked beside him, asking William where he came from, and how one cared for a dragon. William cautioned her that Clyde was hardly typical, and described how he came to live at the manor, and in what condition. Clyde had filled out since arriving a week earlier, his scrawny wings growing into a more powerful contour, and his scales brightening from a drab olive to a brilliant emerald. Even now he enjoyed testing his wings, seeking to get airborne although not quite succeeding. He mellowed once they reached the meeting hall, for which William was grateful, and curled beside William on the dais.
William introduced Ruskin to Miss Plevins and Agatha and suggested they sit together in the front row. Oz, meanwhile, stood behind William on the dais looking uncomfortable in plain view of the crowd.
The hall soon filled with villagers, joyous with the promise of entertainment. William’s own mood soured in response. This shouldn’t be a party—this was serious business, and he intended to treat it seriously.
The two men, Kofi and Santiago, arrived together and eyed each other as they took their seats before him, on solitary chairs in front of the benches.
“Quiet everybody,” yelled Ruskin. The crowd sat in a hushed silence and waited for William to speak.
“Kofi, Santiago…you’ve both lodged complaints against each other of mischief and damage. I don’t suppose either one of you wishes to rescind your accusations?”
“Well that depends, my lord,” said Santiago.
“On what?” asked William.
Santiago stared at William with a dumbfounded look. “On what ‘rescind’ means, m’lord.” The crowd behind him burst into laughter, even Kofi. Santiago looked around, obviously pleased with the reaction.
William banged his gavel. “Revoke, repeal, cancel…do you want to take back what you said about Kofi?”
“Well yes, my lord, maybe I do. I said he’s a big, ugly oaf, but I’ve taken another look, and it turns out he ain’t big at all.” Once again the hall rang with la
ughter, and William noted that even Miss Plevins giggled. At least Agatha didn’t, but humor didn’t appear to come easily to her anyway.
William banged his gavel again. “Kofi, what about you?”
Kofi turned to him, startled at the mention of his name. “What about me, my lord?”
“Do you want to rescind your statement about Santiago?” asked William with a touch of impatience.
“No, sir. But I do want to say that I’m twice as big as he is.”
“Twice as ugly too,” Santiago shot back.
William smacked the gavel repeatedly as the men bickered. When he stood, the two men fell silent. “Any more of this banter and I’ll add to your sentences. I said this at the last trial, loud enough for everyone to hear: you speak to me, not to each other. No interruptions. Got it?” Both men nodded their assent, and William continued as he sat back down. “Kofi, you’ve accused Santiago of poisoning your goats. Did you see him do this?”
“No sir, but I know it was him.”
“How do you know this?”
“He told me,” said Kofi, pointing at Santiago.
“Now why would I do a fool thing like that?” asked Santiago.
“Because that’s what fools do,” spat Kofi.
“Gentlemen, I’ve warned you already,” said William. He spied Miss Plevins giving him a mild look of warning, so he forced himself to smile, though it felt unnatural. “So let’s keep the noise down, shall we? Kofi, where were you when your goats became sick?”
“Having a beer at the pub, sir.”
“And how late in the evening was this?”
“About lunchtime, sir,” said Kofi. A smattering of chuckles broke out behind him, and he grinned, encouraged by the result.
Skyrider of Renegade Point Page 8
