The Secret of the Swords Read Free

menacing whisper, ‘We’ll see about that.’

CHAPTER 4

    T HE K EEPER of the Bows stormed off. Tommy guessed the bow chamber must be through the door to the right of the forge.
    She was feeling a bit upset by Reynard’s final words. Was he really threatening her? Well, Tommy thought, she would just have to look after the swords and daggers so well that there would be no question of giving her job to someone else.
    She would begin by getting to know the swords, starting with the long rack, she decided. She knew from watching the knights that there were different kinds of swords. There were short, sharp-pointed thrusting swords. There were two-handed swords with long hilts, so heavy she could hardly lift them. There were double-edged swords with broad blades. She wiped each one with a soft cloth and clove-scented oil.

    Halfway along the wall, she pulled a sword from the rack that made her draw in her breath in awe. Studded with rubies at the hilt, its blade was decorated with exquisite engravings of flamingos, matching the birds on the flags that fluttered from the towers of Flamant Castle. It was so precious she didn’t dare wave it about like she had with some of the other swords. After admiring it for a few minutes, she polished it with special care, then put it back in the rack and continued her inspection.
    When she had finished with the main rack, she turned to the small collection of swords along the short wall. She was puzzled to find that the swords here were nowhere near as well cared for as the others. The blades were dull and tarnished, and the wooden grips were as worn as the handle on the kitchen broom.
    The thought of the old broom reminded her of Reynard’s words from the day before. ‘Keeper of the Brooms,’ he had called her. She smiled to think how her life had changed in only one day. From Keeper of the Brooms to Keeper of the Blades! ‘But how did Sir Benedict know that I could handle swords?’ she wondered aloud. ‘How did he find out about me and the broom?’
    â€˜That’s easy,’ said a voice behind her. ‘I told him.’
    Tommy gasped and spun around. At first she didn’t see anyone, but then a movement below made her drop her gaze. At her feet was the black and white cat.
    â€˜You – you told him?’ she repeated. Surely the cat hadn’t spoken – but there was no one else in the room.
    â€˜I did,’ said the cat. ‘I told Sir Benedict how you fought off that oaf Reynard with only a broom. I also told him how much you love to watch the knights practising in the courtyard.’

    â€˜You know about that?’ Tommy asked.
    â€˜I know most things that go on in Flamant Castle,’ the cat told her. ‘So how do you like your new job so far?’
    â€˜I love it!’ said Tommy. ‘There are so many beautiful swords in here. Like that one with the rubies.’ She pointed to the main rack.
    â€˜That’s Sir Walter the Bald’s sword,’ the cat said. ‘He’s very proud of it, so mind you keep it sharp and well polished. He likes to come and check on it.’
    â€˜Sir Walter comes in here?’ said Tommy. She thought she might die of nerves if he did. Lady Beatrix had visited the kitchen now and then to speak to Mrs Moon. But no one from the kitchen had ever met Sir Walter.
    â€˜Why are the swords over there so dusty?’ Tommy asked, pointing to the smaller rack.
    â€˜Ah, you mean the Old Wrecks,’ said the cat.
    â€˜I don’t think they’re wrecks at all,’ Tommy protested. ‘They just need to be looked after properly and they’ll be as fine as all the other swords.’
    â€˜You’re absolutely right,’ said the cat. She sounded pleased. ‘I think you’ll do well here.’
    â€˜Thank you, um, cat,’ said Tommy. ‘And thank you for telling Sir Benedict about me.’
    â€˜Lil,’ said the cat. ‘My