window. “Be right down!”
He finished dressing hurriedly, not worrying about waking his wife. Manda could sleep through a riot usually, and the day before had been trying, at best.
She did murmur his name and turn toward him as he opened the bedroom door.
“Wha’s?” she asked.
“Retruance is come. I’m going down to tell him the news. Getting up?”
“Of course!” said Manda, sliding out from under the comforter and shaking her thick blond tresses vigorously. “Be right along.”
By the time she’d quickly bathed and dressed in a comfortable and serviceable traveling costume and come down the stairs to the breakfasting room off the big farm kitchen, Tom had already told Retruance the information the Lord High Chamberlain had sent the day before.
Retruance was shocked and more than a bit angry.
“Let’s go at once!” he rumbled. He was standing in the barnyard with his head at the open kitchen window. His voice shook the house and brought Rosemary running, followed by her children.
Eddie ran to give Retruance a hug—or as much a hug as a small boy could manage on the huge Dragon—and the girls piped their delighted greetings. Retruance was a great favorite with them all.
Rosemary leaned out the window, kissed Retruance on the nose, and said, “Now, give them a minute to wake up and have a bite of food, Retruance! No one should go flying off into certain danger without some of my eggs and hickory-smoked ham and pecan pancakes inside.”
“You sound just like your father,” the Dragon said good-naturedly with a snort. “Oh, all right. I’ll give them time to eat, at least. I’d welcome a bit myself, if you can manage it.”
He allowed the nightdress-clad Ffallmar children to climb merrily over his head and shoulders and slide down his long, scaly tail while he ate a vast quantity of pancakes submerged in maple syrup and butter. Manda and Tom ate breakfast quickly, all the while discussing their route with the Dragon.
“How long to reach Knollwater?” asked Manda.
“Five hours or so from here, if we fly fast and high. I generally avoid flying low. It tends to frighten children and chickens, you see,”
answered Retruance with a chuckle. “Now, my good little barnstorm-ers, your mother has your breakfast ready for you and Uncle Retruance has to rush off and save the kingdom once again, so slide into your places and say good-bye, for we are off!”
Tom helped his wife to her accustomed place on the Dragon’s broad, smooth head between his foremost pair of ears and then climbed up next to her, saying his farewells to the Historian’s daughter and her brood.
“I wish I could come along this time,” called Eddie wistfully.
“But someone has to stay here and forward important messages and protect your mother and sisters,” his mother told him. “Militia-men will be asking all sorts of questions, and someone must be here who knows the answers. I’ll need all the help you can give me, Eduard.”
The boy gracefully accepted the responsibility, even though it didn’t involve flying off on a Dragon.
“I hope your father’ll be all right, Rosemary,” worried Manda. “He should be in the capital by Thursday night—if he travels fast.”
“Father can take care of himself,” insisted Rosemary of Ffallmar loyally. “And my husband will be back for a few hours, before the militia marches, I’m quite sure. Say good-bye to the Princess and Sir Tom, children, and get dressed to do your chores. Colts, calves, and chicks must be fed! Lessons start right on time, in an hour.”
“Lessons! When the kingdom is in awful danger of invasion and the royal babies are threatened!” protested ten-year-old Molly.
But young Eddie clapped his hands sharply and said, “Daddy would want us to carry on here as usual, so he can go to war without worry.”
“Yes, Eddie!” said both his sisters, amazingly obedient considering he was the youngest of the three.
They waved once more to Retruance and
He finished dressing hurriedly, not worrying about waking his wife. Manda could sleep through a riot usually, and the day before had been trying, at best.
She did murmur his name and turn toward him as he opened the bedroom door.
“Wha’s?” she asked.
“Retruance is come. I’m going down to tell him the news. Getting up?”
“Of course!” said Manda, sliding out from under the comforter and shaking her thick blond tresses vigorously. “Be right along.”
By the time she’d quickly bathed and dressed in a comfortable and serviceable traveling costume and come down the stairs to the breakfasting room off the big farm kitchen, Tom had already told Retruance the information the Lord High Chamberlain had sent the day before.
Retruance was shocked and more than a bit angry.
“Let’s go at once!” he rumbled. He was standing in the barnyard with his head at the open kitchen window. His voice shook the house and brought Rosemary running, followed by her children.
Eddie ran to give Retruance a hug—or as much a hug as a small boy could manage on the huge Dragon—and the girls piped their delighted greetings. Retruance was a great favorite with them all.
Rosemary leaned out the window, kissed Retruance on the nose, and said, “Now, give them a minute to wake up and have a bite of food, Retruance! No one should go flying off into certain danger without some of my eggs and hickory-smoked ham and pecan pancakes inside.”
“You sound just like your father,” the Dragon said good-naturedly with a snort. “Oh, all right. I’ll give them time to eat, at least. I’d welcome a bit myself, if you can manage it.”
He allowed the nightdress-clad Ffallmar children to climb merrily over his head and shoulders and slide down his long, scaly tail while he ate a vast quantity of pancakes submerged in maple syrup and butter. Manda and Tom ate breakfast quickly, all the while discussing their route with the Dragon.
“How long to reach Knollwater?” asked Manda.
“Five hours or so from here, if we fly fast and high. I generally avoid flying low. It tends to frighten children and chickens, you see,”
answered Retruance with a chuckle. “Now, my good little barnstorm-ers, your mother has your breakfast ready for you and Uncle Retruance has to rush off and save the kingdom once again, so slide into your places and say good-bye, for we are off!”
Tom helped his wife to her accustomed place on the Dragon’s broad, smooth head between his foremost pair of ears and then climbed up next to her, saying his farewells to the Historian’s daughter and her brood.
“I wish I could come along this time,” called Eddie wistfully.
“But someone has to stay here and forward important messages and protect your mother and sisters,” his mother told him. “Militia-men will be asking all sorts of questions, and someone must be here who knows the answers. I’ll need all the help you can give me, Eduard.”
The boy gracefully accepted the responsibility, even though it didn’t involve flying off on a Dragon.
“I hope your father’ll be all right, Rosemary,” worried Manda. “He should be in the capital by Thursday night—if he travels fast.”
“Father can take care of himself,” insisted Rosemary of Ffallmar loyally. “And my husband will be back for a few hours, before the militia marches, I’m quite sure. Say good-bye to the Princess and Sir Tom, children, and get dressed to do your chores. Colts, calves, and chicks must be fed! Lessons start right on time, in an hour.”
“Lessons! When the kingdom is in awful danger of invasion and the royal babies are threatened!” protested ten-year-old Molly.
But young Eddie clapped his hands sharply and said, “Daddy would want us to carry on here as usual, so he can go to war without worry.”
“Yes, Eddie!” said both his sisters, amazingly obedient considering he was the youngest of the three.
They waved once more to Retruance and
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