The Incredible Journey of Pete McGee by Adam Wallace Read Free Book Online

swung around. Peasant girl?
    Something tried to burst forth from his memory but the King saw the change in Marloynne’s eyes and quickly called for Faydon. Faydon directed Marloynne to the horse he was to ride, all the while whispering in his ear, brainwashing him, removing any thoughts of Ashlyn.
    Finally King Cyril the 23rd and his men proceeded out of the town gates. Pete McGee’s head start was not great, but he had the advantage of knowing he was not the only one in search of the Wilderene Flower.

    While his rivals began their journey on horseback, Pete walked. He actually enjoyed walking, being able to take everything in without having to worry about anything except going forward. After four hours solid though, it was time for a break. The day was a hot one, the sun beating down. Even in the shade Pete was unable to escape the heat. He sat down under a tree by the side of the road and opened his pack. Taking out his flask he drank deeply. The route he had chosen ran alongside the river, so water wasn’t going to be a problem. Food, however, would be sparse later in the journey, and Pete wondered how much he should eat at this early stage.
    Putting down his drink, the young traveller looked along the road. A little further down he noticed a roadside trader. Pete packed up his supplies and started walking once more. Upon reaching the trader he saw that there were drinks of water available. (At three gold pieces a bottle! Next to a river? What a rip-off!). He also saw that there was food. Fruit, sweets, and oh yes, hamburgers. Pete had never had a hamburger in his life, but he had heard about them. Dropping his pack, he lay the small amount of money that his mother had given him for the journey on the ground to count it. A broad smile appeared when he saw that he had more than enough to buy a burger. It would be a luxury, but it would be so good. He looked each way, as if to make sure he wouldn’t be seen doing something selfish, then he walked up to the counter.
    â€˜Ummm, excuse me Sir, may I have a burger please? With the lot?’
    The vendor had been watching Pete count out his money. He stared at Pete’s empty, folded sleeve for a second and then smiled and nodded.
    â€˜Of course young man, and I will give you a little discount because, well, ummm, I can see that you really want this burger.’
    Pete wasn’t sure if the man felt sorry for him because of his one arm, or because of his tatty clothes, but he didn’t care. He was used to that sort of thing, and the less money he spent at this early stage the better. He just smiled and watched as the man made up the burger. A bun, a slab of meat, lettuce, cheese, gherkin slices, and some mysterious sauce that the man said was special, but also secret.
    Pete handed over the money, feeling a little guilty at how much he was spending, even with the discount, and took the burger.
    â€˜Thankyou Sir.’
    The man smiled. Pete put his burger on the ground, slung his pack over his shoulder, picked up the burger again and walked off, trying to eat as he went. It was too tricky though, his one arm unable to steady the pack while he held the burger. So he sat by the side of the road and ate. Once finished, he licked every drop of burger juice off his fingers, picked up his pack, and walked down the dusty road once more. The burger had been as good as he had imagined, except for one ingredient. And so it was that behind our hero a rat, two crows and a stray dog that hadn’t eaten in a week all turned away without touching the gherkin slices that had been tossed on the ground.

    Why is it that gherkins are forever doomed to be flung aside onto the ground, or thrown at the ceiling to stick there for weeks? Probably because they taste rotten. Let’s move on.

    As the evening closed in on Pete he wondered where he would rest for the night. The town was well behind him now, so options were limited. He wanted to keep moving for as long as