Seeds of Rebellion by Brandon Mull Read Free Book Online

snapped.
    “He’s a rather poor sport about all of this,” the codger grumbled.
    “I’m going to light it up,” Peluthe announced. “I don’t mind my humans lightly toasted.”
    Jason watched Peluthe bend forward over the logs. He was clacking some stones together to make sparks. Whatever Jason was going to try, it had to be quick.
    “Use the coals from the other fire,” the codger said.
    “They were swept aside,” Peluthe replied. “They’re not hot enough.” He kept clacking the stones.
    “Let me do it,” Retta insisted.
    “I have it.” Peluthe clacked for a few moments to no avail.
    “I do this every day,” Retta sighed.
    “I have it!” Peluthe snapped.
    “I’m a servant of Maldor,” Jason called down. “I’m here on official business.”
    “Little late to claim friendship with Maldor,” Peluthe replied disinterestedly. “You didn’t have any idea what we were when you met us.” He huffed with exasperation. “Fine, Retta, you light it.”
    Jason decided he should send a final message to Ferrin. He took off his backpack and started rummaging around in it.
    “Uh, Peluthe, Saul, we have a visitor,” warned a wary female. Perhaps Deloa.
    Jason heard multiple gasps.
    “Great demons from Beyond!” Peluthe exclaimed, moving away from the fireplace and out of view.
    “Get out!” Jep cried urgently. “Don’t look at it!”
    Jason heard the giants clomp across the floor and out the door. Silence followed. Was it a ruse to fool him into climbing down? A ploy to avoid having him taste too smoky?
    “Come down from there, Saul!” Peluthe called from outside.
    “Why?” The response came from near the top of the chimney.
    “Don’t argue. Trust me.”
    Jason heard the roof creaking, then nothing else. After waiting for a moment, he decided to leave the hand in his backpack, and zipped it back up. The zipper seemed unusually noisy.
    If the giants had only pretended to leave, they would pounce on him as soon as he exited the chimney. If they truly had run off, Jason could only conclude that his situation had grown worse. What would frighten away a house full of giants? Deloa had mentioned a visitor. Could it possibly be somebody friendly? A good guy?
    Biting his lower lip, Jason peered down the chimney. The fireplace remained vacant. He heard nothing.
    “Hello?” Jason called softly. “Anyone there? Anyone who hates giants and likes people?”
    The silence continued unbroken.
    Time passed. Jason breathed the charred odor of the chimney. He became fidgety. Using his pocketknife, he scratched the sooty stones around him, seeing if he could remove the blackness. He couldn’t. Above him, visible through the mouth of the chimney, dusk began to fade into night.
    Given the bickering he had heard until they left, Jason did not believe the giants were capable of such patience. Not only was the house silent, the whole village was quiet. Still, he waited. He had no desire to let impatience kill him.
    As stars became visible through the mouth of the chimney above him, Jason’s little ledge grew very dark. He listened for clues as to what might have frightened the giants, but heard nothing unusual.
    Gradually Jason became convinced that the giants were truly gone. He began to worry he might be wasting his only opportunity to escape. Turning around, Jason climbed quietly down the chimney, feeling for little outcrops with his toes, pausing occasionally to listen. There still was no sound.
    Toward the bottom, as the chimney began to widen into the fireplace, Jason lost his grip and fell onto the stack of wood. The green branches on top cushioned the fall, although it felt like he’d twisted his ankle.
    Rolling off the mound of firewood, Jason sat rubbing his ankle, staring at the dark room. A pallid gleam from the rising moon peeked through the shutters.
    Standing in the center of the room was a human shape.
    Squinting, Jason studied the stationary form, feeling chills tingle down his back. It was the