DragonQuest Read Free Page A

hid ’er in ’er cape!”
    A woman’s voice, strong and commanding, resounded over the crowd. “You be quiet, Henricutt Tellowmatterden.”
    “Maye Ghint, ye be ’arboring a thief and a pickpocket, a band of renegades, a swarm of stealing scum, a—”
    “Nonsense!” A statuesque o’rant woman pushed through the crowd. She took a quick look around at those assembled. “I see customers disturbed by your noise. I see my serving maids neglecting their duties. I see city guards and two of Paladin’s servants, and a starved doneel child.” She turned to face the shorter, broader tumanhofer. “And I see a scalawag who likes to clamor and snort to draw attention to himself.”
    “You can insult me all you want, Maye Ghint, but I
will
see justice done. This little wretch ’as been stealing me blind.”
    “After your gold, silver, and jewels, is she?”
    “No,” blustered the merchant. “A pickle today. Yesterday, a loaf of bread. The day before, a link of sausage
and
a ripe parnot.”
    “Oh dear, Master Tellowmatterden.” Maye shook her head in mock sympathy. “I’m so sorry to hear you’ve come upon hard times. I had no idea your prosperous business had fallen into such a decline that the loss of one pickle, a loaf of bread, a piece of sausage, and a bit of fruit would spell your ruin.”
    “See ’ere, Maye Ghint, a thief is a thief whether she steals half a green pickle or a whole pink pig.” He shook his stick at Kale. “And those that aid and abet ’em are just as bad.”
    Maye Ghint turned her stern gaze upon Kale.
    The woman’s speculative stare raised a blush to Kale’s cheeks. She tried to assume an air of confidence but knew she must look like a clown. She’d hastily thrown on her cape, and it hung cattywampus. She cuddled a shivering doneel child against her chest. Perching on her shoulders, two dragons each held a tuft of Kale’s hair in a forepaw. She’d tried to break them of this habit that began when they came to The Hall. Not only did it look silly, but occasionally they pulled.
    And if that weren’t enough, Gymn had knocked her leecent hat crooked when he flew up. With one hand, Kale straightened her cap. She nodded to the owner of the inn and smiled.
    Tellowmatterden cleared his throat and took a step toward the guards. “She’s obstructing justice, that she is!”
    The captain grimaced. “Would that be Mistress Ghint or the leecent who is obstructing justice, Master Tellowmatterden?”
    “Why, they both are, come to think of it. Ye should arrest ’em all. Haul ’em before the magistrate.”
    The captain narrowed his eyes. “I’m thinking of the law that says a citizen shall not slander nor malign, but allow truth to be established without rancor.”
    Tellowmatterden’s face screwed up in a fierce glare. His lips pressed together in a straight line, and he said no more.
    The captain confronted Kale. “Did you know this doneel child was the one sought by the guard?”
    “Yes sir.”
    “And you hid her?”
    “Yes sir, but from the merchant, not the guard.”
    The man wrinkled his brow. “How is that?”
    “I didn’t think it out exactly, sir. But I didn’t want the angry man to hurt her. I thought I could figure how best to help her once the immediate danger had passed.”
    Kale glanced at Dar and Maye Ghint. Both wore approving expressions, which gave her courage.
    “I knew I could consult at least two people who have more experience than I do.” She nodded toward Dar. “My friend served as adjunct to Paladin before we came to The Hall. He’s given me good advice in the past.” She nodded to the proprietor of the inn. “The man who brought me to Vendela a year ago, Farmer Brigg, told me if I ever got into trouble to find Maye at The Goose and The Gander.”
    A look of interest crossed the matron’s face as her features softened.
    Kale hunched her shoulders and sighed. “I wasn’t really thinking all this when I took the little girl under my cape, but Paladin