Hamish X Goes to Providence Rhode Island Read Free

shimmered wetly with a light so powerful that it hurt the children’s eyes. It was as if a small sun was rising. Mimi took a step forward and shielded her eyes with her hand over her brow, peering at the object through slitted lids.

    The dome stopped rising, a hemisphere of crystal radiating softly with its own inner illumination. A crack opened on the side nearest Mimi, widening steadily until an aperture that looked like a slice of pie spilled illumination onto the water’s surface. From the opening, a tongue of the crystalline material emerged, a gentle hum accompanying the movement until with a grinding chunk the extension stopped a few centimetres short of the pool’s edge.
    Mimi took another step towards the bridge, for so it was, before Mr. Kipling laid a hand on her shoulder to stop her.
    â€œWait.” Mr. Kipling drew his sabre and stood at the ready.
    There was movement in the opening of the crystal hemisphere. Forms, backlit by the light from within, shuffled out onto the bridge. The children gasped as the creatures emerged from the radiant dome.
    The creatures were dressed in tattered rags pulled over glittering but tarnished armour that seemed to be cobbled together from many different sources. They were short in stature and they were pale, with eyes the colour of polar ice. Their hair was almost colourless, and twisted into their tresses 11 were bits of shells and odd scraps of shiny metal. They were obviously adults, but Mimi towered over them. In their knobby, powerful hands they carried a variety of strange weapons manufactured of a dull black material. The weapons ranged from staves 12 and crossbows to swords and axes.

    One of them stepped forward and levelled his crossbow at Mimi. His hair hung in greasy ropes about his face. Tangled in his straggly beard were scraps of fish bone, seashell, and tin. He looked Mimi up and down, his gaze haughty and imperious.
    Finally, he stood up to his full height (still inches below Mimi’s chin), drew back his shoulders, and barked in a sharp, raspy voice:
    â€œYou’re trespassing! Leave … or die !”
    Having made that dire announcement, he took a step forward and fell face first into the water.

Chapter 2
    The man struggled to his feet and pulled himself out of the water. Pointing at the bridge and the gap between its end and the shore, he spoke an odd gurgling language to his fellows. It appeared that he was complaining about something. Finally, he turned back to Mimi. He summoned his rumpled, drenched dignity and said again:
    â€œYou’re trespassing! Leave or die !”
    The declaration reverberated off the surrounding walls, bouncing back and forth ominously along the stone. The children were obviously quite impressed and frightened by the odd party of newcomers levelling their weapons at Mimi and Mr. Kipling. Mimi merely stared at the man. He stared back. After a long moment, his brow furrowed and he frowned. Lowering his cross-bow, he said, in a wounded tone, “What? Did I say it wrong?”
    One of the other strange people, a woman, jabbed him in the ribs with a gnarled staff. “Xnasos, you ninny. Of course you said it wrong. They don’t understand you. What a dumdum!”
    â€œI didn’t say it wrong, Xnasha. And don’t call me a dumdum.”
    â€œSorry, brother. You’re right. You’re not a dumdum. You’re a nitwit.”
    â€œI am not a nitwit.”
    â€œYou’re right. A nit has more wit than you could ever dream of having. You’re a sub-nitwit.”

    â€œI said it right!”
    â€œWhy is she looking at you then? She obviously doesn’t understand what you’re saying.”
    â€œI’m telling you, I said it right … and anyway, I’m the spokesman. We all voted.”
    Xnasos and Xnasha started shoving each other and would have come to blows if Mimi hadn’t interjected. “Hold on! Hold on! Settle down, y’all.” She stepped