The Last Days Of The Edge Of The World by Brian Stableford Read Free Book Online Page A

books by the score and then stacking them neatly out of the way. His search was hurried, but marked by a systematic efficiency.
    “Well?” inquired the prime minister.
    “I’m tracking it down,” said Ewan, without even turning his head. “Just give me time. I’m on the track.”
    Coronado nodded and left him to it.
    At six in the evening the scene was repeated, just about word for word. The only difference was that by now Ewan was considerably dustier and the prime minister was a little worried.
    At eleven, before the royal family retired for the night, Coronado tried again, hoping to discover some pleasant news for the king and the prince to sleep on. By this time Ewan was positively filthy, and every book in the library seemed to have been shifted and sorted.
    “Don’t worry,” said the boy. “I’ve found a hundred books with references to Methwold forest. I’m going through the lot, word by word, if necessary. If the words on that stone were ever seen by human eyes I’ll know what they were by morning.”
    The prime minister noted, however, that there was a definite note of optimistic strain in Ewan’s voice. Though he said nothing he did not go to his bed filled with confidence. In point of fact, the only person in the palace who slept soundly was the queen, who secretly didn’t want Damian to marry the girl at all. Damian himself slept badly because he still feared that Ewan might find the answer.
    At nine the next morning, after breakfast, Coronado went back to the library, determined that this time there must be an answer… or else. Or else what he hadn’t quite decided.
    Ewan was black from head to toe and looked very sleepy. He was also more than a little annoyed.
    “It’s not here,” he said. “It’s just not here. I’ve been through it all for nothing.”
    “Nothing?” repeated the prime minister, ominously.
    Ewan looked up, and perceived that the other was not in the best of moods.
    “Almost nothing,” he said.
    “What do you mean almost?” purred Coronado.
    “Well,” said Ewan. “I don’t have the answer. But I have found something extremely curious.” He took up an extremely ancient piece of parchment and passed it to Coronado.
    The prime minister blew away a little spare dust and tried to read the words inscribed on the paper. He failed. The scribble looked like words, but there was something wrong with it.
    “What is it?” he asked.
    “Actually,” said Ewan, “it’s the question. Or, rather a set of six questions, of which the one sent to us is the first.”
    “Are you telling me,” said Coronado, his temper rising slightly, “that you’ve been in here twenty-four hours an all you have to show for it is another copy of the question?”
    “Well,” said Ewan, “if you want to put it like that, suppose the answer is yes. But it’s a very curious piece of paper, I think you’ll agree.”
    “I can’t even read it,” said Coronado.
    “That’s because it’s been turned round,” said Ewan. “It’s written backwards—as though it were a mirror-image of itself, if you see what I mean.” Coronado did see what he meant. But he didn’t see what help it was.
    “Does this help us to solve the problem?” he asked, trying to keep his voice very level. “Not exactly,” said Ewan. “But it is interesting. You see, these verses are the words of one Jeahawn Kambalba, who was a famous enchanter of long ago. This is his so-called last will and testament—it’s a notorious enigma. No answer has ever been recorded because no one ever dared to tamper with the work of such a powerful man. Superstition, you see, kept people clear of it.”
    “What you’re trying to say…” began Coronado.
    “… is that no one knows the answer,” Ewan finished for him. “It seems to me that the young lady has deliberately sent Prince Damian a question which she believes to be unanswerable.”
    Coronado felt a terrible sense of impending disaster. This was exactly what he had