City of Ice by Laurence Yep Read Free Book Online Page B

go on ahead?”
    The prince rolled his eyes skyward meaningfully as a Mountie passed overhead on an urgent mission to the city. Two more were coming from the city on their own errands. “I know you are in a hurry, but you would be noticed if you flew now.”
    Roxanna hooked her arm through Leech’s. “Lord Leech, let me take you in my sled. And on the way, you can tell me all about your adventures.”
    Though she wanted to scream with impatience, Scirye said, “Yes, tell us, Lord Leech, about your adventures.” The Sogdian girl’s pushiness was rubbing her the wrong way.
    Prince Tarkhun nodded to his guests. “Then I leave you to my daughter’s capable hands. I just hope she doesn’t wear out your ears with all her questions.”
    As he walked toward his caravan, several large wind sleds with Mounties on them were setting out, probably to pick up the prisoners. Scirye hoped the freebooters went to prison for a long time.
    Roxanna gripped Leech tightly as she led them away. The Sogdian girl did not bother to check to see if the others were following.
    â€œShe’s awfully pushy,” Scirye whispered to Kles. “The sooner we get rid of her, the better.”
    â€œI think you just resent having to take orders from someone like yourself,” the griffin commented.
    â€œI am not bossy,” Scirye hissed.
    â€œYou could have fooled me,” Kles said with infuriating calm.
    â€œYou don’t know a thing.” Fuming, she stamped along through the snow.
    â€œI lead such a humdrum life up here, Lord Leech, that I thirst for excitement. Simply thirst.” Roxanna gave Leech a friendly little shake.
    Leech’s cheeks blushed a bright red. “It’s just plain Leech actually,” he said to Roxanna.
    Koko shuddered. “Believe me, kiddo, adventures aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.” He ticked off the items on his fingers. “So far, we’ve nearly been turned into hamburger, barbecued, and drowned. I’d rather be bored to death any day.”
    Roxanna waved her free hand breezily. “Your deeds have indeed proved you’re a lord.”
    Leech told her about the attack at the museum by Badik the dragon and several monsters, the theft of the ring, and the death of his friend Primo. “We were friends as soon as we met,” Leech said. “I felt like I’d known him all my life.”
    â€œHow terrible to lose him,” Roxanna sympathized.
    â€œScirye’s mother got hurt and her sister died too,” Leech said.
    Roxanna glanced over her shoulder at the other girl. “I’m sorry.”
    â€œRoland will be sorrier when we catch him,” Leech insisted.
    â€œRoland?” Roxanna was as worried at the mention of the rich man as her father had been. “Roland? What does he have to do with it?”
    â€œBadik works for Roland,” Leech said. “And he’s probably behind the attacks by the freebooters.”
    â€œI’d like to get my hands on him myself,” Roxanna said grimly. “His freebooters have kept everyone bottled up in the city. There are shortages of everything from food to fuel.”
    Her mouth dropped open when Leech went on to stowing away on the clipper to Hawaii, meeting Pele, traveling through the volcano, and then confronting Roland only to have him steal Pele’s necklace and trap them. When Leech and his friends had helped her escape, she’d summoned the Cloud Folk to weave the flying wing for them and then Naue the wind to carry it to here.
    â€œAnd then we saw your father was in trouble, so all of us”—Leech made a point of gesturing to his friends—“came to the rescue.”
    â€œYou are too modest, Lord Leech,” Roxanna said.
    She stopped by a little wind sled the same size as the one Prince Tarkhun had used to pick them up. But the mast had been taken down and lay horizontally, tied to one side, and the