The Book Gatherer

Chapter Seven

"Over here. over here!" Firek croaked, then coughed. He'd been yelling for hours.

"Done yet?" the girl asked irritably, glaring down at him with one hand pressed against her temple. She'd been rubbing at it for a while, and the satisfaction of knowing he'd given her a headache had kept Firek going long after his throat began hurting.

He opened his mouth to give a withering insult, but the only sound that came out was a weak wheeze, followed by another bout of miserable hacking. Maybe that's a sign I should stop, he thought, raising his hands to rub his throat before remembering they were tied to the saddle pommel. The flock isn't near; this isn't working. I need a new strategy.

"For now." He'd meant to sound ominous, but in his croaky whisper it was more pathetic.

"Wonderful," she muttered, lowering her hand to hold the reins. Firek eyed them, draped across his body. He hated how close her hands were. He was so vulnerable, tied up and laying awkwardly on his side. She could do anything and he'd barely be able to stop it . . .

"Hear that, Jeje?" the girl called to the ugly beast's head. "Pretty great, yah? That blissful sound of silence."

The monster blew out one of its loud gusty breaths and its body vibrated, making Firek tense up. It was so huge.

"Yah that's truth. We can hold a proper conversation now that Goggles is all out of speaking ink."

Her gaze slid to his as she spoke, and Firek saw the glint in her eyes, smirk on her lips. She knew talking to a dumb animal bothered him. He scowled and looked stubbornly away, keeping his dignity in silence. He watched the trees go by, silently counting the numbers of diseased and non-diseased and running calculations of the ever-changing ratio. There were always more diseased. More and more trees died as the Earth Serpent's sickness worsened. Soon all of the forests covering all of the lands would wither and rot. Then the SKY Company could deliver the final blow and the LAND Company and its god would be finished.

So long as the Holy Book never reached lackey priests' hands.

"Such a lovely afternoon, huh Jeje?" The girl raised her voice; the mocking tone of it and the weight of her eyes on him set Firek's teeth on edge. "Don't you just love the nice sunshine, Jeje, oh and Jeje! That sweet smell of autumn, Jeje! It is so nice, Jeje! Wouldn't you agree!" She sucked a deep breath in then let it out, slumping forward so the air whushed over Firek's arm. He clenched his jaw. "Yes, it's definitely very nice, isn't it Jeje."

"It can't understand you," Firek gritted out, eyes firmly on the passing trees. "Quit pretending it does—like a child."

"Huh, what a wild concept, Jeje," she said in a mockingly thoughtful tone. She even tapped a finger on her chin. "An eleven-year-old girl acts like a child. Isn't that odd, Jeje? Definitely so. Almost as strange as a boy the same age pretending to be oh-so wise and oh-so grown up!" She almost yelled the last part at his turned head.

Firek's temper flared and he shifted around to glare at her. "I don't have to pretend. It's common sense! Land animals are too dumb and slow to process thoughts any deeper than eat everything, make stupid noises constantly, and poop everywhere."

The beast made a gurgly bubble noise with its lips.

Firek tossed his head. "Proof."

The girl's face flushed. "Jeje is not like that—no LAND animal is! The Earth Serpent's tears bind an animal to its rider so that they are inseparable—not that a foul essie like you could ever understand, so cold and heartless all the time. Tell me, have you ever had a friend in your life?"