mind to ask them to ride with us."
"Not by my counsel!" Gerachti turned round fiercely. "My lord, we
know nothing about them! Who can say what they are doing here, or
what their business is? Secrecy indeed!" He spat on the ground.
The third horseman, whose round face bore a perpetually anxious
look, said, "Gerachti, please! Alleophaz is our leader. We swore to
abide by his decisions." His voice was high pitched, contrasting
strangely with the deep voices of the first two speakers.
The second horseman said, "Thank you, friend Belak! But all I can
do is invite them. Who knows how they will respond?" He addressed
himself to the children, glancing in turn at all three. "Young lady,
young sirs, would you care to ride with us? You are heading in the
same direction. As you see, we have horses to spare. Three men we
hired to look after the animals have left us, fearing the dangers of our
journey. The horses are saddled and equipped, since our helpers
deserted us but an hour ago, and our own knowledge of horsemanship is defective. What say you?"
Lisa had been worried about her silk shoes, realizing they were hardly suitable for the terrain. "We shall be grateful, your lordship," she said
quickly. "Your offer is unusual, and we must not say why we are here
or what we are about. But if your lordship is willing to trust us-"
"My lord, that is exactly my point!" Gerachti interrupted. "The children have honest faces, though they might be skilled in deception.
But why are they alone? By their clothing, by their bearing, by-by
everything about them-we see they are not peasants. Who knows
what trouble will fall on our heads if they should be found in our
company?"
Alleophaz addressed the children again. "Gerachti thinks you have
run away from your parents-or perhaps from your guardians. He is
afraid we might be accused of luring you away, of stealing you for
ransom perhaps. Are you in fact escaping from parents or guardians?"
The three children responded at once-all in the same way. "No,
my lord." "Certainly not!" "Nol"
"Then where are your parents or guardians?" Gerachti cried impatiently.
Wesley thought of Hong Kong and of trying to explain. He smiled
to himself at the thought and said, "Our parents, not our guardians.
And they are a long, long way from here-in fact, it would be impossible to explain where they are."
"But someone must be responsible to care for you." Gerachti's fierce
eyes glared first at Wesley, then at Kurt. He avoided looking at Lisa
altogether, and this annoyed her.
"The person who looks after us is here with us. He's here right now.
I know you can't see him-and that is just as well. But he's here. And
nothing will happen to us that he doesn't want to happen." Lisa was
not trying to be impudent, but the thought of Gaal's presence filled
her mind.
"Drat her!" Wesley thought. "Why must those kids keep putting his
back up?"
Nobody spoke for several seconds. Then Gerachti said, "You are
the smoothest and most accomplished liars I have ever met Either
that, or you are mad. And I do not believe you are mad."
"Enough, Gerachti!" Lord Alleophaz said sharply, his eyes flashing.
He quickly dismounted, offering his arm to Lisa. "Let me assist you
to mount side-saddle." Then to the boys, "If you two will be good enough to mount and follow me, we will lead, and my good friends
Gerachti and Belak will bring up the rear, keeping an eye on the pack
animals."
Gerachti said nothing, but his face twisted with anger. As he and
Belak made their way past the children they heard the squeaky, ineffective voice of Belak. "Believe me, I know how you feel. But you
must show him more respect. It makes me very nervous when
you-" They could not hear the rest, for they were busy with the
saddles, adjusting their stirrups, mounting and settling themselves into
their saddles. Soon they were on their way.
Wesley was relieved, and his heart exulted. So far so good! He
would have to talk to the
"Not by my counsel!" Gerachti turned round fiercely. "My lord, we
know nothing about them! Who can say what they are doing here, or
what their business is? Secrecy indeed!" He spat on the ground.
The third horseman, whose round face bore a perpetually anxious
look, said, "Gerachti, please! Alleophaz is our leader. We swore to
abide by his decisions." His voice was high pitched, contrasting
strangely with the deep voices of the first two speakers.
The second horseman said, "Thank you, friend Belak! But all I can
do is invite them. Who knows how they will respond?" He addressed
himself to the children, glancing in turn at all three. "Young lady,
young sirs, would you care to ride with us? You are heading in the
same direction. As you see, we have horses to spare. Three men we
hired to look after the animals have left us, fearing the dangers of our
journey. The horses are saddled and equipped, since our helpers
deserted us but an hour ago, and our own knowledge of horsemanship is defective. What say you?"
Lisa had been worried about her silk shoes, realizing they were hardly suitable for the terrain. "We shall be grateful, your lordship," she said
quickly. "Your offer is unusual, and we must not say why we are here
or what we are about. But if your lordship is willing to trust us-"
"My lord, that is exactly my point!" Gerachti interrupted. "The children have honest faces, though they might be skilled in deception.
But why are they alone? By their clothing, by their bearing, by-by
everything about them-we see they are not peasants. Who knows
what trouble will fall on our heads if they should be found in our
company?"
Alleophaz addressed the children again. "Gerachti thinks you have
run away from your parents-or perhaps from your guardians. He is
afraid we might be accused of luring you away, of stealing you for
ransom perhaps. Are you in fact escaping from parents or guardians?"
The three children responded at once-all in the same way. "No,
my lord." "Certainly not!" "Nol"
"Then where are your parents or guardians?" Gerachti cried impatiently.
Wesley thought of Hong Kong and of trying to explain. He smiled
to himself at the thought and said, "Our parents, not our guardians.
And they are a long, long way from here-in fact, it would be impossible to explain where they are."
"But someone must be responsible to care for you." Gerachti's fierce
eyes glared first at Wesley, then at Kurt. He avoided looking at Lisa
altogether, and this annoyed her.
"The person who looks after us is here with us. He's here right now.
I know you can't see him-and that is just as well. But he's here. And
nothing will happen to us that he doesn't want to happen." Lisa was
not trying to be impudent, but the thought of Gaal's presence filled
her mind.
"Drat her!" Wesley thought. "Why must those kids keep putting his
back up?"
Nobody spoke for several seconds. Then Gerachti said, "You are
the smoothest and most accomplished liars I have ever met Either
that, or you are mad. And I do not believe you are mad."
"Enough, Gerachti!" Lord Alleophaz said sharply, his eyes flashing.
He quickly dismounted, offering his arm to Lisa. "Let me assist you
to mount side-saddle." Then to the boys, "If you two will be good enough to mount and follow me, we will lead, and my good friends
Gerachti and Belak will bring up the rear, keeping an eye on the pack
animals."
Gerachti said nothing, but his face twisted with anger. As he and
Belak made their way past the children they heard the squeaky, ineffective voice of Belak. "Believe me, I know how you feel. But you
must show him more respect. It makes me very nervous when
you-" They could not hear the rest, for they were busy with the
saddles, adjusting their stirrups, mounting and settling themselves into
their saddles. Soon they were on their way.
Wesley was relieved, and his heart exulted. So far so good! He
would have to talk to the
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