The Keeper by David Baldacci Read Free Book Online Page B

his share, which he was happily devouring on the stone floor. I finished my meal and sat there idly rubbing my canine’s ears.
    Delph finally pushed away from the tray after finishing a long drink of milk, and looked at me. “So what be in your head, Vega Jane?”
    I took a deep breath and then just let it out. “What be in my head is that we have to get out of here before old King Thorne runs out of use for us. But first we need to find out more of his plan to attack Wormwood. And I still want to know how he got down that cliff.”
    “Why is that so important to you?” he asked.
    “Because I don’t like unanswered questions. Thorne is evil. You saw how he was going to let that little ekos die.”
    Delph nodded. “I guess royalty don’t care about ordinary blokes.”
    “Well, Luc and the female cared.”
    “Aye,” Delph said. “ ’Tis a bit comfortin’, though, ain’t it?”
    I gave him a perplexed look. “What is?” I asked.
    “Well, creatures what got grass growing on ’em and talk in grunts got feelings like us. Care ’bout each other. All I’m saying. Comfortin’.”
    There was a lot going on in Delph’s head. And that, for me, was comforting.
    I eyed the doorway, where I could now see Luc taking a peek at us. An idea struck me.
    “I think this night would be a great opportunity for us to do a little exploring.”
    “Exploring!” exclaimed Delph. “And how do you ’spect us to do that?”
    “Like you said, we made some friends here.”

T HE MOTHER EKOS and Luc entered our chamber later to retrieve the meal tray.
    I said, “I know you can’t understand me, but thank you.”
    “It is we who need to thank you, Vega,” said Luc as the female ekos nodded.
    “You can speak Wugish?” I asked Luc in astonishment.
    “King Thorne taught me as a way to prevent him from losing the speech himself. And I taught my daughter here, Cere.”
    Cere added, “We do not speak Wug to the others. King Thorne forbids it.”
    “And it was your son that was nearly killed by the freks?” I asked.
    She nodded, and tears clustered in her eyes. “But for you and Delph, Vega, little Kori would be no more.” She placed a grassy hand gently against my cheek. “Despite what King Thorne said, we knew that to be true.”
    Delph said, “So what load-a rubbish did the mighty ‘king’ say then, eh?”
    Luc answered, “That it was his idea to save Kori.”
    “He tried to stop me from saving him. He’s an evil Wug.”
    “Yet we all fear him too much to ever oust him,” said Luc.
    Delph scoffed. “There’re lots of you blokes. And only one-a him.”
    “But he is the king,” said Cere in a trembling voice. “And he sleeps behind a door made of iron. And he has recruited spies among us who report to him. Any signs of rebellion are quashed.”
    “Surely the ekos would rally around you, Luc,” I said.
    He lowered his head. “No, Vega. That would not happen.”
    “Why not?”
    He would not look at me as he said the words. “Thorne works us hard, no doubt. But he has taught us skills and he keeps us safe.”
    “You could do all that without him,” I pointed out.
    “Yet many ekos worship him,” added Cere. “I don’t know why, really, because he is a cruel one, but they would follow him anywhere.”
    I looked at Delph and then back at Luc. “That seems very odd,” I said. “I mean, he’s not exactly lovable, is he?”
    “Well, it is mostly because he has broken our will, our spirit,” Luc explained. “Such a thing is greater than any weapon.”
    I thought about this but could think of no ready reply. I decided to change the subject. I said, “We must escape from here. But before we go, I would like to find answers to questions I have. Will you help us?”
    Luc looked at Cere, who stared up anxiously at him. Finally, he nodded. “You saved little Kori, so we will come back this night. And then you will have your answers, Vega.”

    L ATE THAT NIGHT , we could hear footsteps approaching. And a