woman pulled a horrified face. “I would not do that,” she said. “They will send us only the ones they cannot sell, that have been sitting in the hot sun all day.”
Bridgit sighed. “Then the fish will have to wait for some cooler weather. I take it there is cooler weather here?”
“Not much,” Ely warned. “In other parts of the Empire it changes but here the sun is always hot.”
Bridgit thought about that. “How big is the Empire then?”
Ely chuckled. “I have been told that if you set off on a fast horse, you could ride around it in perhaps ten years. It goes on and on, takes in all different countries and people.”
“Have you seen much of it?” Bridgit asked carefully, trying to approach the question she really wanted to ask in a different way.
Ely looked at her but then shook her head. “Hardly any.”
Bridgit was tempted to press but decided to take it easy, instead. “What’s that?” she asked, pointing to a stall full of strange nuts.
Ely showed her the fruit and the nuts and Bridgit made a point of trying as many as possible, encouraging Ely to do the same. At first the stallholders sneered at them but Ely said something to the guards and they instantly changed their tune, going from angry to fawning in a moment.
“The name of Prince Kemal carries much power here,” the young woman explained.
There were many interesting things to try, but although Bridgit liked the strange nuts, she did not want to bring any back for the children in case they choked on them. The oranges were another matter entirely. Sweet and juicy, they made her tongue tingle.
“It was almost worth coming here just to taste them,” she told Ely with a smile. “The children will love these!”
Some quick-fire Kottermani later and they found themselves returning to the house with sacks of oranges, and the promise of more to come.
Nola and Riona were horrified at the punishment Bridgit had averted, relieved that she had stopped it, happy that the decisive Bridgit was back and shocked at the way the children fell upon the oranges like a flock of seagulls onto fish scraps. Then the doctor arrived, carrying a bag full of strange powders and seemingly wanting to give one or more to every child.
All three were kept busy cleaning off sticky faces and fingers so the children were in a fit state to see the doctor, and Bridgit saw another way to work on Ely. “Ely! Can you clean up those three over there?” she called, pointing to where three girls sat, a pile of orange peel around them, licking their fingers and laughing.
For a moment she thought the young woman would refuse but then the girls held out their hands to her and she went across to them.
“Watch these ones,” Bridgit hissed to Nola. “I’ll go and talk to her again.”
She hurried across to where Ely was trying to wash off the sticky juice with a little water. “Do you need a hand?” she asked gently.
“I think we have the last of it,” Ely said, letting the girls race off.
“You are good with them. Do you have younger brothers or sisters?” Bridgit asked.
For a long moment she did not think Ely was going to answer. “I have a younger sister,” she said in a whisper.
“You must miss her.”
Ely nodded, a tear trickling down her cheek.
“I bet you wish your parents were free.”
Ely nodded again, the tears falling faster now. “They are both dead now,” she said hollowly.
“I am so sorry.” Bridgit did not even think about what she did next. She just reached out and hugged the girl, bringing her into an embrace.
Ely stiffened and for a moment Bridgit thought she had made a terrible mistake, then the young woman dissolved into tears and sobbed into her chest. Luckily Bridgit had plenty of experience in looking after crying children. “There, there, you are safe now and among friends,” she said softly, patting the girl’s back.
But, inside, she was rejoicing. Surely she had found the key to escape here.
CHAPTER 7
Fallon
Bridgit sighed. “Then the fish will have to wait for some cooler weather. I take it there is cooler weather here?”
“Not much,” Ely warned. “In other parts of the Empire it changes but here the sun is always hot.”
Bridgit thought about that. “How big is the Empire then?”
Ely chuckled. “I have been told that if you set off on a fast horse, you could ride around it in perhaps ten years. It goes on and on, takes in all different countries and people.”
“Have you seen much of it?” Bridgit asked carefully, trying to approach the question she really wanted to ask in a different way.
Ely looked at her but then shook her head. “Hardly any.”
Bridgit was tempted to press but decided to take it easy, instead. “What’s that?” she asked, pointing to a stall full of strange nuts.
Ely showed her the fruit and the nuts and Bridgit made a point of trying as many as possible, encouraging Ely to do the same. At first the stallholders sneered at them but Ely said something to the guards and they instantly changed their tune, going from angry to fawning in a moment.
“The name of Prince Kemal carries much power here,” the young woman explained.
There were many interesting things to try, but although Bridgit liked the strange nuts, she did not want to bring any back for the children in case they choked on them. The oranges were another matter entirely. Sweet and juicy, they made her tongue tingle.
“It was almost worth coming here just to taste them,” she told Ely with a smile. “The children will love these!”
Some quick-fire Kottermani later and they found themselves returning to the house with sacks of oranges, and the promise of more to come.
Nola and Riona were horrified at the punishment Bridgit had averted, relieved that she had stopped it, happy that the decisive Bridgit was back and shocked at the way the children fell upon the oranges like a flock of seagulls onto fish scraps. Then the doctor arrived, carrying a bag full of strange powders and seemingly wanting to give one or more to every child.
All three were kept busy cleaning off sticky faces and fingers so the children were in a fit state to see the doctor, and Bridgit saw another way to work on Ely. “Ely! Can you clean up those three over there?” she called, pointing to where three girls sat, a pile of orange peel around them, licking their fingers and laughing.
For a moment she thought the young woman would refuse but then the girls held out their hands to her and she went across to them.
“Watch these ones,” Bridgit hissed to Nola. “I’ll go and talk to her again.”
She hurried across to where Ely was trying to wash off the sticky juice with a little water. “Do you need a hand?” she asked gently.
“I think we have the last of it,” Ely said, letting the girls race off.
“You are good with them. Do you have younger brothers or sisters?” Bridgit asked.
For a long moment she did not think Ely was going to answer. “I have a younger sister,” she said in a whisper.
“You must miss her.”
Ely nodded, a tear trickling down her cheek.
“I bet you wish your parents were free.”
Ely nodded again, the tears falling faster now. “They are both dead now,” she said hollowly.
“I am so sorry.” Bridgit did not even think about what she did next. She just reached out and hugged the girl, bringing her into an embrace.
Ely stiffened and for a moment Bridgit thought she had made a terrible mistake, then the young woman dissolved into tears and sobbed into her chest. Luckily Bridgit had plenty of experience in looking after crying children. “There, there, you are safe now and among friends,” she said softly, patting the girl’s back.
But, inside, she was rejoicing. Surely she had found the key to escape here.
CHAPTER 7
Fallon
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