The Indigo King by James A. Owen Read Free Book Online Page A

mansss …,” the giant said. “ Nnooo Bindings on the sons of Polyphemus … not like before …”
    “Before?” said Jack. “Someone has tried to Bind them.”
    “ Yess!” rasped the giant. “ You, Jaaack … you have tried . … Jaaack, Jaaack, the Giant-Killer …”
    “Oh Lord,” Jack said under his breath, before he remembered they could hear him anyway. “You’ve got me confused with someone else,” he called more loudly. “It wasn’t me!”
    There was a pause, almost as if denying it was persuasion enough. And then …
    “ Jaack Giant-Killer … Caretaker Jaack, Companion of John … ”
    It was a strange moment for Jack, as John looked at him with something akin to astonishment, while the badgers looked at him in unabashed admiration.
    “ Achaemenides !” the giant bellowed. “ Achaemenides! Loooose usss! Loose us to seize the slayer of our father !”
    With an impact that shook the ground, the giants—four of them, the companions could now see—pressed against the walls, and one began pounding on the gate. The giants were tall enough that the tops of their heads rose above the walls, and the companions could see that below the scraggly tufts of hair and rough foreheads, their eyes had been sewn shut.
    “They’re blind,” said Jack. “At least they can’t see us.”
    “ Nnooo …,” said the first giant, a triumphant purr settling into his voice, “ but weee can hearrr youuuu . …”
    “That’s it,” John exclaimed, grabbing each of the badgers by their collars. “Run, Jack! Run!”
    With the calls of the giants echoing in the air behind them, the four companions ran as fast as they could, John carrying Uncas and Jack carrying Fred. There may have been some slight breach of etiquette or decorum in simply carrying the small animals like cabbages—but at the moment, none of them cared. All that mattered, literally, was getting out of earshot of the giants.
    John was more than happy to let Jack take the lead again. Of the two of them, Jack was the quicker thinker in situations like this.
    Jack led them back to the intersection where the great spider-webs were, then took the road leading to the right, keeping them at a dead run.
    The direction they were running took them to an area that was pockmarked with structures. Most of them were on stilts and stood ten feet or more off the ground. The ones that weren’t on stilts were either in a bad state of disrepair, or burned past usability. The road itself was in better condition, and there were fewer obstructions to slow them down. There were still no lights or fires visible, but as they passed, John imagined he could feel someone watching them from the shadows.
    When they had finally gone a far enough distance that the badgers could run for themselves, John and Jack lowered them to the ground and slowed to a brisk trot. As they jogged along, Jack realized that he was still the object of intense admiration.
    “Did you really kill a giant, Scowler Jack?” Uncas asked. “They sure seemed t’ know you .”
    Jack sighed. “I’m sure if I had, I’d remember it, and if I was the Giant-Killing type, I probably wouldn’t be as afraid of that lot as I actually am.”
    “Oh,” the badger said, deflating slightly. “But,” he added, brightening, “y’ did speak t’ them very boldly.”
    “That he did,” Fred agreed. “Very boldly indeed.”
    “Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Jack said, sitting heavily on a soft-looking patch of dirt. “I think we’ve run far enough. And I’m knackered at any rate.”
    John scanned the horizon in the direction from which they’d come. “I think we’re okay for the moment. But I think our plan of approaching whoever is in charge of the tower is right out.”
    Jack pulled off one of his shoes and examined his foot. “Bugger this for a lark. I’ve gotten a blister. I hope it doesn’t get infected.”
    “A blister?” John snorted. “I’ve seen you take cudgel blows that nearly took your arm off,