The Color of Darkness by Ruth Hatfield Read Free Book Online Page A

think you need to be a bit more creative.”
    Tom eyed him, not liking the half smile on the older man’s face. Was he being patronized?
    â€œOh yeah?” he said eventually. “How’s that?”
    â€œWell, isn’t there someone who could help you? If you could get a few people together, the baiters might not want to take you all on.”
    â€œThere were two of us last night,” said Tom gloomily, thinking of Johnny White’s panicked flight. “The other guy was the one who told me about them. But he got scared and ran away as soon as they let the dogs go.”
    â€œWhat about your family? They own this farm, don’t they? That brother you were looking for when I met you last summer—surely he’d be brave enough to help you?”
    Tom snorted. “Danny? He’s not my brother, he’s my cousin, and he’s scared of the sound of a leaf falling! And he doesn’t care a fig about badgers. Maybe Mum might help, I don’t know … I think she’d just keep calling the police, though. And my sister, Sophie, is at university now. She used to like animals, but she’s not been near the woods since she discovered wedge heels.”
    Sammael’s lip curled in scorn. “And that’s it? No giant brass-knuckled dad or tattooed uncles?”
    Tom shook his head.
    â€œWell then, we’ll have to do it ourselves. What about your book?” Sammael indicated the thin paperback sticking out of Tom’s tool bag. “Knowledge is a powerful tool, you know. Couldn’t you start making use of your new knowledge?”
    Tom frowned. “Understanding bird and animal calls? How’s that going to help me stop dogs killing badgers? I can already understand the badgers, and it didn’t help last night.”
    â€œThere’s got to be a way,” said Sammael, looking toward the edge of the woods and falling into a thoughtful silence. Tom waited, and then a streak of sunlight caught the pale green hazel leaves and they blazed up for a second, shining with hope.
    Sammael turned back to him. “I’ve got a sort of half-formed idea. But it would require some preparation. Maybe leave it with me, for now. Have you seen the kingfisher down at the Tybourne brook? I’ve just come up from there this morning—she was sitting on a willow branch over the stream when I left.”
    Tom took his hand off the fence post to reach over for the book. He smoothed his fingers over the cover and read the title for the thousandth time: Nature at Your Fingertips.
    â€œKingfishers!” he said, flicking through the pages. “I haven’t seen one since early spring. The stream at the bottom here is too shallow once the weather improves, so they don’t come here later in the year. Where exactly was it?”
    He found the page of the book, stroked it, and listened to the kingfisher’s quiet calls. A vision of electric-blue plumage and a bright orange chest came strongly into his mind.
    â€œI’ll have to show you—it’s difficult to describe,” said Sammael, shrugging. “I’ll take you there one day, when you’re not so busy.”
    â€œOh, this doesn’t need to be finished now—it’s more of a deterrent than anything else, and I know it won’t really work. I can leave it for a bit, easy. Why don’t we walk over to Tybourne now? It’s only a couple of miles.”
    Sammael looked doubtful. “If you’re sure…”
    â€œYeah, of course. I learned the kingfishers’ calls when they were here before, but I’m not sure I really got all of them. I’ve been wanting to check for ages. Come on, let’s go!”
    Tom picked up his T-shirt, laid the mallet down, and shoved the book into his pocket. He didn’t bother getting his phone out to send a text to his mum. She wouldn’t worry—it wasn’t unusual for him to go wandering off. Sometimes