Nimbo.”
At once Sarah said, “Is it a child? We will go down and take him back.”
“You cannot do that.”
Sarah turned to see Teanor standing behind them, his face stern. “The Earth Dwellers are already gone. You would never find them, and even if you did, you would be captured, too.”
“We can try!” Sarah cried. “You can’t just let one of your people be kidnapped without doing anything!”
“That is why I came to you for warriors!” Teanor snapped. “But I got only weak females!” He turned and stalked off, his back straight with anger.
For a time Sarah watched Enid try to comfort the mother. But finally she and Abbey went back to their guesthouse. It was getting dark, so they quickly rekindled the small fire, being very careful to use as little wood as possible. They managed to fry the remaining bits of fish, and they ate another tomato apiece.
“What I wouldn’t give for a big fat hamburger as big as a washtub.” Abbey sighed. They had eaten everything and knew there would be nothing else until the next day.
Sarah’s own stomach was far from filled. She said, “It must be awful to live like this. These are small people and very strong, but they don’t get much to eat. Not a balanced diet, I’m sure.”
“Sarah, let’s go down tomorrow, and we’ll kill a deer or something. I’m not as good a shot as you are, but we ought to be able to do something like that.”
There were no candles, and the girls could not afford to burn firewood. Their only illumination was the silvery moonlight that came through the open windows. So there was nothing to do after dark but go to bed. They had just a thin covering, and the air was very cool, so both decided to sleep in their clothes in order to keep warm.
Sarah was exhausted. Still, all that they had seen kept her awake. After a while she broke the silence and said, “Are you awake, Abbey?”
“Yes. Can’t sleep.”
“Neither can I. This is an awful place!”
“It’s worse in some ways than places filled with monsters. I feel so sorry for the women and the children here.”
“The boys have it pretty easy.” Sarah’s voice was tinged with bitterness. “It’s not a whole lot different from where we just came from.”
“Oh, Sarah! Don’t be silly. Of course it’s different. Are you still mad at Josh?”
Actually Sarah was ashamed of herself. She knew that she had been unjust to Josh and the other boys, but she stubbornly refused to admit it. She changed the subject abruptly. “Did you notice how Enid looks at Teanor?”
“Oh yes. I saw that right away. She’s crazy about him.”
“And he doesn’t know she’s alive!” Sarah snapped. “I’d like to pull his hair out.” Now she was cross again.
A breeze kept blowing, making a moaning in the tops of the trees. Finally she did drift off, but she slept restlessly.
Sarah heard a footstep, and then a voice said, “Are you awake?”
She sat up at once, reaching for the knife that she always kept handy. She was groggy with sleep, but she said, “Yes. I’m awake.” Then she realized that was Enid, waiting for permission to enter. “Come on in, Enid.”
“I have brought your breakfast,” the young woman said shyly. She held in her hand a small wooden bowl filled with fruit. “These are very good melons. I grew them myself.”
By this time, Abbey was awake. The two girls washed their faces, using a small basin, then brushed their hair, tied it back, and sat down to breakfast.
Enid had brought them a small melon each and a bunch of grapes. It was not much, but the melons were indeed delicious.
“These are so good,” Abbey said. “And you grew them yourself?”
“Everyone likes my melons. I can never grow enough of them. Most of them go to my father, of course—for his table.”
Sarah almost spoke out about that, but she didn’t. Instead she said, “This is certainly the best melon I’ve ever eaten in NuWorld. It must be a lot of work to grow anything
At once Sarah said, “Is it a child? We will go down and take him back.”
“You cannot do that.”
Sarah turned to see Teanor standing behind them, his face stern. “The Earth Dwellers are already gone. You would never find them, and even if you did, you would be captured, too.”
“We can try!” Sarah cried. “You can’t just let one of your people be kidnapped without doing anything!”
“That is why I came to you for warriors!” Teanor snapped. “But I got only weak females!” He turned and stalked off, his back straight with anger.
For a time Sarah watched Enid try to comfort the mother. But finally she and Abbey went back to their guesthouse. It was getting dark, so they quickly rekindled the small fire, being very careful to use as little wood as possible. They managed to fry the remaining bits of fish, and they ate another tomato apiece.
“What I wouldn’t give for a big fat hamburger as big as a washtub.” Abbey sighed. They had eaten everything and knew there would be nothing else until the next day.
Sarah’s own stomach was far from filled. She said, “It must be awful to live like this. These are small people and very strong, but they don’t get much to eat. Not a balanced diet, I’m sure.”
“Sarah, let’s go down tomorrow, and we’ll kill a deer or something. I’m not as good a shot as you are, but we ought to be able to do something like that.”
There were no candles, and the girls could not afford to burn firewood. Their only illumination was the silvery moonlight that came through the open windows. So there was nothing to do after dark but go to bed. They had just a thin covering, and the air was very cool, so both decided to sleep in their clothes in order to keep warm.
Sarah was exhausted. Still, all that they had seen kept her awake. After a while she broke the silence and said, “Are you awake, Abbey?”
“Yes. Can’t sleep.”
“Neither can I. This is an awful place!”
“It’s worse in some ways than places filled with monsters. I feel so sorry for the women and the children here.”
“The boys have it pretty easy.” Sarah’s voice was tinged with bitterness. “It’s not a whole lot different from where we just came from.”
“Oh, Sarah! Don’t be silly. Of course it’s different. Are you still mad at Josh?”
Actually Sarah was ashamed of herself. She knew that she had been unjust to Josh and the other boys, but she stubbornly refused to admit it. She changed the subject abruptly. “Did you notice how Enid looks at Teanor?”
“Oh yes. I saw that right away. She’s crazy about him.”
“And he doesn’t know she’s alive!” Sarah snapped. “I’d like to pull his hair out.” Now she was cross again.
A breeze kept blowing, making a moaning in the tops of the trees. Finally she did drift off, but she slept restlessly.
Sarah heard a footstep, and then a voice said, “Are you awake?”
She sat up at once, reaching for the knife that she always kept handy. She was groggy with sleep, but she said, “Yes. I’m awake.” Then she realized that was Enid, waiting for permission to enter. “Come on in, Enid.”
“I have brought your breakfast,” the young woman said shyly. She held in her hand a small wooden bowl filled with fruit. “These are very good melons. I grew them myself.”
By this time, Abbey was awake. The two girls washed their faces, using a small basin, then brushed their hair, tied it back, and sat down to breakfast.
Enid had brought them a small melon each and a bunch of grapes. It was not much, but the melons were indeed delicious.
“These are so good,” Abbey said. “And you grew them yourself?”
“Everyone likes my melons. I can never grow enough of them. Most of them go to my father, of course—for his table.”
Sarah almost spoke out about that, but she didn’t. Instead she said, “This is certainly the best melon I’ve ever eaten in NuWorld. It must be a lot of work to grow anything
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