Roland's Castle by Becky York Read Free Book Online Page A

experienced the power of the tower ,” Roland told him.
    “The power of the tower eh?
They say that the most powerful magic rhymes.”
    “We need to make sure they don’t
come back. We are going to defend the castle against them.”
    “Sounds like fun. What do you want
me to do?”
    Roland said, “Could you have a look
around to see who’s left – and try to work out whose side they are
going to be on?”
    “Alright,” and Oliver went off to
see to it.
    At that moment the debris that had
been the grandstand seethed and erupted. A small, battered helmet
poked out of the middle of it, followed by another. Both were
covered in dust and muck. Crying and wailing was coming from inside
both. Roland and Savitri climbed onto the debris and looked down on
them.
    “Who are these jellyfish?” Savitri
demanded to know.
    “I think they are my evil cousins,
Dogwood and Dagwood.”
    “They seem too flimsy even to be
mildly irritating,” Savitri said. She had picked up a sword
discarded in the panic and she bashed the top of the first helmet
with it. The contents began to wail even louder. “Be quiet boy!”
she scolded. She lifted the visor of the helmet with the tip of her
sword and Roland saw that Dogwood was inside. Dogwood wailed even
louder than before. Roland lifted the visor on the other helmet and
confirmed it was Dagwood.
    “They said I fight like a girl,” he
said.
    “And I bet it wasn’t a compliment
either!” Savitri said. “Wait 'til we get you out! I’ll show you
what a girl really fights like!” and they both began to wail in
terror.
    “I think we ought to be gentle with
them – they have been through a traumatic experience,” Roland said,
magnanimously.
    “Traumatic?! Not compared to what I
will do to them!”
    We must dig them out first,” Roland
said, hoping that Savitri might have calmed down a bit by the time
they had done that.
    After Dogwood and Dagwood had been
dug out it occurred to Roland to ask “What are we going to do with
them?” He asked Firebrace. “Can we trust them?”
    “You must make the decision
yourself, Roland.” Firebrace replied. “They are your kinfolk, after
all.”
    “They are not mine,” Savitri said,
but Roland gave her a look that indicated that he was making the
decisions.
    “Will you promise not to betray
us?” He asked his cousins.
    They both looked at Savitri, who
was still brandishing her sword.
    “Yes! Yes! Please! Just don’t let
her near us!” they begged.
    “I think we ought to put them under
guard, just to be on the safe side,” Roland said, looking at
Savitri and considering that it was more for their own protection
than anything else.
    At that moment Oliver returned and
said “I only found these two in the gatehouse. They were
asleep.”
    Roland and Firebrace saw that
Bobblejob and Jubblebub were behind him.
    “Oh great!” Firebrace said in an
exasperated tone.
    Both the twins were wearing eye
shades to prevent the confusing sunlight getting in their eyes.
    “Reporting for duty sir!” They both
said, and saluted.
    Roland indicated Dogwood and
Dagwood and asked Bobblejob and Jubblebub, “Can you guard these
two?”
    “I think we can.” Bobblejob
said.
    “I think we can too.” Jubblebub
agreed.
    “If we have some long pointy
things.” Bobblejob said.
    Some long pointy things were found
and Dogwood and Dagwood placed under guard.
    Once that was accomplished
Firebrace said to Roland “We’ll have to delay taking stock of who
and what else is left. It’s more important to get reinforcements
right now.”
    “But from where?” Roland asked.
    “It is time you learned the secret
of this castle,” Firebrace said.
    “Not before we have something to
eat, we haven’t eaten since yesterday.”
    Roland objected, indicating himself
and Savitri.
    Fortunately there was plenty of
food left over from the banquet that had been served to the
spectators. Savitri went around the table taking great pleasure in
using the sword to slice and skewer