her dark eyes on his.
They heard voices approaching. “Be safe, both of you. I’ll see you one day soon,” Philip whispered, then he turned and strode from the orchard. Gargoth and Ambergine heard him say loudly to a group of nearby men, “There isn’t anyone in the orchard, I looked everywhere.”
Soon the gargoyles heard the church gate click shut for the last time, and the sound of the villagers’ voices dying away as they left the church behind for the comfort of their beds.
When they were alone, Gargoth turned to Ambergine. “It’s nice to meet you, Ambergine,” he said. They both burst into laughter.
And if you’ve ever heard two gargoyles burst into laughter, you know it sounds just like two long-lost friends who have found each other at last.
Chapter Thirteen
Lentils Forever
Katherine’s plan worked out perfectly. Her parents were on their way to Saskatoon, and she and Gargoth were staying with Cassandra at Candles By Daye for the week. Soccer camp started the next morning.
On their first day together, Katherine settled in the spare bedroom at the back of the store and shared her first dinner with Cassandra. At dinnertime Katherine was surprised (and a little worried) to discover that Cassandra was a vegetarian. Katherine found it odd that in all their time together, this fact had never come up, but it did explain why Cassandra never ate much when she visited their house for barbecues. Katherine suddenly felt horrified at all the times she or her mother or father had held a huge plate of steak in front of Cassandra, offering her something off the grill. Good thing she’s so sweet, she thought.
Cassandra’s meal consisted of mashed chick peas and lentils, which Katherine picked at gingerly. She moaned to herself that she was going to eat a lot of lentils during the week (and enviously looked over at Gargoth, who was gorging himself on apples, the only thing she had ever seen him eat). But since she had tortured Cassandra with steaks, she thought it was only fair that Cassandra get to torture her with lentils.
Katherine was sure that her tall friend was really happy to have them there and wanted everything to be perfect for them both.
That was difficult, because it was hard to make anything perfect for Gargoth. If you cared too much, you were liable to be hurt by his indifference. Katherine didn’t want to spend all week making excuses for Gargoth’s rudeness, but she’d do it if she had to. She was so grateful to Cassandra for keeping her in Toronto, and to her parents for letting her go to soccer camp (and not to a wedding of people she’d never met) that she’d do whatever it took. She would eat lentil stew. She would eat lentil soup. She would eat lentil cake and drink lentil tea, if there was such a thing. And be happy she was in Toronto.
On their first night as Cassandra’s guests, they relaxed on the rooftop amid blazing pumpkin candles. It was a soft, beautiful evening. Gargoth wiggled on his cushion, looking at the stars. Some of the candles had burned down to nearly nothing. Cassandra carried another box of pumpkin candles to the rooftop so Gargoth could replace any that had burned too low.
Cassandra was knitting and Katherine was thinking about what her soccer camp might be like the next day, when Gargoth spoke. “I think I should finish my story, Katherine. It is almost at an end. Where was I?”
Katherine thought for a while, then asked Cassandra. “What was the last thing I told you?”
Cassandra said immediately, “Gargoth and Philip made it to Ensemble, and Gargoth found Ambergine in the church. Well, I think you actually said that she found him.”
“Yes, that was it. You and Philip found the village, and you found Ambergine. Well, she found you.” Katherine and Cassandra waited as Gargoth shifted again. Katherine sensed that he was reluctant to speak. After a long pause, he cleared his throat.
“Yes, Ambergine found me. Right from the moment we met in the church
They heard voices approaching. “Be safe, both of you. I’ll see you one day soon,” Philip whispered, then he turned and strode from the orchard. Gargoth and Ambergine heard him say loudly to a group of nearby men, “There isn’t anyone in the orchard, I looked everywhere.”
Soon the gargoyles heard the church gate click shut for the last time, and the sound of the villagers’ voices dying away as they left the church behind for the comfort of their beds.
When they were alone, Gargoth turned to Ambergine. “It’s nice to meet you, Ambergine,” he said. They both burst into laughter.
And if you’ve ever heard two gargoyles burst into laughter, you know it sounds just like two long-lost friends who have found each other at last.
Chapter Thirteen
Lentils Forever
Katherine’s plan worked out perfectly. Her parents were on their way to Saskatoon, and she and Gargoth were staying with Cassandra at Candles By Daye for the week. Soccer camp started the next morning.
On their first day together, Katherine settled in the spare bedroom at the back of the store and shared her first dinner with Cassandra. At dinnertime Katherine was surprised (and a little worried) to discover that Cassandra was a vegetarian. Katherine found it odd that in all their time together, this fact had never come up, but it did explain why Cassandra never ate much when she visited their house for barbecues. Katherine suddenly felt horrified at all the times she or her mother or father had held a huge plate of steak in front of Cassandra, offering her something off the grill. Good thing she’s so sweet, she thought.
Cassandra’s meal consisted of mashed chick peas and lentils, which Katherine picked at gingerly. She moaned to herself that she was going to eat a lot of lentils during the week (and enviously looked over at Gargoth, who was gorging himself on apples, the only thing she had ever seen him eat). But since she had tortured Cassandra with steaks, she thought it was only fair that Cassandra get to torture her with lentils.
Katherine was sure that her tall friend was really happy to have them there and wanted everything to be perfect for them both.
That was difficult, because it was hard to make anything perfect for Gargoth. If you cared too much, you were liable to be hurt by his indifference. Katherine didn’t want to spend all week making excuses for Gargoth’s rudeness, but she’d do it if she had to. She was so grateful to Cassandra for keeping her in Toronto, and to her parents for letting her go to soccer camp (and not to a wedding of people she’d never met) that she’d do whatever it took. She would eat lentil stew. She would eat lentil soup. She would eat lentil cake and drink lentil tea, if there was such a thing. And be happy she was in Toronto.
On their first night as Cassandra’s guests, they relaxed on the rooftop amid blazing pumpkin candles. It was a soft, beautiful evening. Gargoth wiggled on his cushion, looking at the stars. Some of the candles had burned down to nearly nothing. Cassandra carried another box of pumpkin candles to the rooftop so Gargoth could replace any that had burned too low.
Cassandra was knitting and Katherine was thinking about what her soccer camp might be like the next day, when Gargoth spoke. “I think I should finish my story, Katherine. It is almost at an end. Where was I?”
Katherine thought for a while, then asked Cassandra. “What was the last thing I told you?”
Cassandra said immediately, “Gargoth and Philip made it to Ensemble, and Gargoth found Ambergine in the church. Well, I think you actually said that she found him.”
“Yes, that was it. You and Philip found the village, and you found Ambergine. Well, she found you.” Katherine and Cassandra waited as Gargoth shifted again. Katherine sensed that he was reluctant to speak. After a long pause, he cleared his throat.
“Yes, Ambergine found me. Right from the moment we met in the church
Similar Books
