Sovay
Page 34
She drew a cloth from the piece she had been working on, exposing it to Feste’s scrutiny. I had no idea what it could be. It looked just like a lump of wood to me.
Guido had recovered enough to wander over to where a sword hung on the wall. It was a Turkish yataghan, a fine weapon, with a hilt of mother-of-pearl and verses in silver and gold laid along its slender, curving blade.
‘Sharp enough for a man to shave himself,’ she said, as Guido tested the blade with his thumb. ‘When you have a beard to cut, perhaps it will be yours.’
She turned to where Stephano stood admiring a vest of chain mail covered in beaten silver discs which shimmered like fish scales.
‘Fine work.’ Her fingers fluttered over the shining surface. ‘It is said to have been worn by great Saladin himself and to have been blessed by the Prophet Mohammed, may peace be upon him. It is covered with verses from the Holy Qur’an.’ Although the majority worship Christ, there are those in Illyria who follow different faiths. Muslim and Jew live side by side with Christians. She made obeisance to other religions, like many in the town. ‘A gift from a soldier who had no further need for it.’ She plucked it up and measured it against Stephano. His fair hair had grown darker, it would be like his father’s, and his face had lost a child’s roundness, but he was still only halfway to a man. His chest was narrow and the yoke of the mail shirt stretched well past his shoulders; the shimmering length of it fell almost to his knees ‘Too big for you yet, boy.’ She threw the shirt aside and clapped her hands. ‘Do not wish to grow up too soon. Go away now and be children. When it is time, you will come back.’
With that, we were dismissed. We left her and followed the walls round, down into the town. The sun had fallen below the level of the battlements, the bright blue of the sky was darkening to purple and lavender, the air was loud with the sound of birds coming home to their roosts, bats just flying out. We linked arms, jumping down the steps that led down to the Stradun. The market had righted itself. The first lamps were lit and the wide street was busy with people coming out into the cool of the evening. There was little sign of the fighting that had broken out earlier, only a few rusty stains on the white paving stones. Feste stationed himself at a corner, set his battered hat in front of him and played and sang until he had collected enough to buy us lemon drinks sweetened with sugar, honey cakes and sweetmeats from the vendors. We went out into the harbour and sat on the wall together to watch the sun go down over the water. We ate and drank and laughed until the curfew bell summoned us back inside the city walls. I remember it better than yesterday. It was the last time that I was happy.
NANCY IS AN HEIRESS FLEEING AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE
MINERVA IS A RUNAWAY PLANTATION SLAVE
BOTH WILL FIND SALVATION ON A PIRATE SHIP
“A rip-roaring adventure.” —SLJ, starred review
“Robust and romantic.” —San Francisco Chronicle
www.bloomsburyteens.com
Praise for
Sovay
“Capturing the romantic, dramatic flavor of late-18th-century prose . . . without compromising the complexity of her characters, the author creates a suspenseful tale of political intrigue and class struggle.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
“You’ll love it if: You adore high-spirited adventures starring fearless girls.” —Cosmogirl.com
“Full of detail and lots of mystery. . . . If you enjoy historical fiction with strong female characters, you’ll love Sovay.” —TeensReadToo.com
“Rees produces an appealingly fast-paced and suspenseful historical novel with plenty of plot twists, dastardly villains, and a brave, resourceful young heroine.” —VOYA
“This intriguing, fast-paced story will both shock and entertain readers as they experience the events of the French Revolution through the eyes of the memorable heroine Sovay.” —Curledupkids.com
“Remarkable.” —Teenreads.com
Copyright © 2008 by Celia Rees
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
First published in the United States of America in September 2008
by Bloomsbury Books for Young Readers
E-book edition published in September 2010
www.bloomsburyteens.com
For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, Bloomsbury BFYR, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010
The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:
Rees, Celia.
Sovay / by Celia Rees. —1st U.S. ed.
p. cm.
Summary: In 1794 England, the rich and beautiful Sovay, disguised as a highwayman, acquires papers that could lead to her father’s arrest for treason, and soon her newly awakened political consciousness leads her and a compatriot to France during the Revolution.
ISBN-13: 978-1-59990-203-6 • ISBN-10: 1-59990-203-6 (hardcover)
[1. Social classes—Fiction. 2. Sex role—Fiction. 3. Robbers and outlaws—Fiction. 4. Great Britain—History—1789–1820—Fiction. 5. France—History—Revolution, 1789–1799—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.R25465Sov 2008 [Fic]—dc22 2008004779
ISBN 978-1-59990-573-0 (e-book)