The Queen and the Nobody Boy by Barbara Else Read Free Book Online Page A

roar. “I just does what I is paid for! Even if I isn’t paid much!” It disappeared from sight, but Hodie heard furious splashing. Then, to his horror, he saw the troll’s fingers gripping the edge of the planks. It was starting to climb.
    Hodie had a quick look at the cut on his leg – not very deep. If he could grab the Queen and haul her back into Fontania … But the troll’s foot heaved up onto the railing. With a desperate groan it pulled the other leg up, rolled over with a thump that shook the Bridge, and stretched across to yank out the metal bar.
    â€œRun!” Hodie tried to shove the Queen. She wouldn’t budge.
    Hodie saw the metal bird dive sharply. There was a squawk, a peck, a yell. The troll clapped a hand to the top of its (very ugly) head, toppled back over the rail and sank completely.
    Sibilla walked on to the end of the Bridge. Ahead of her were the Stones.
    Spluttering, the troll surfaced, clambered onto the river bank and started wringing out its shirt tails. “Bad boys with hard hearts!” it roared. “One big bad boy, one little one.”
    Hodie’s leg hurt, but he ran to catch up with the Queen. “Stop,” he panted. “Go back …”
    â€œWasn’t that interesting?” She settled her cap. “The bird saved you.”
    Hodie wanted to burst with rage. “Stop!”
    This time she did. “I suppose the bird was really saving me. It saved us both.”
    He took a deep breath. “You say you’re not really a Queen, that you’re ordinary.” She nodded. “But you spoke to the troll as if you were a Queen.” She nodded again. He was so angry the words nearly jammed up. “You can’t have it both ways. Just go home to your mother and brother. Leave me alone.”
    Sibilla’s chin stuck out. Her gold pendant glinted. “Hodie, I know you want your things back, you don’t have to pretend. But the Um’Binnians will never listen to you. I’m behaving like a Queen because it will help.”
    She set off again.
    â€œIf it makes you feel better,” she called over her shoulder, “let’s just say we happen to be travelling in the same direction.”
    ~

how to cross
the Stones of Beyond

9
    choosing to go on
    The little Queen strode in the dust towards a grove of stunted trees. The bird squawked and whirred after her.
    Hodie limped back to the river to rinse the cut on his leg. The troll was still snivelling, and Hodie felt sorry for it. The cut wasn’t deep, but he pulled one of the spare socks out of his satchel and tied it round the wound. Maybe he should have offered the spares to the Queen. She couldn’t like having to wear yesterday’s ones all stiff with goo and blood. Lady Helen would be furious when the Queen returned so filthy, dressed like a boy. That was one reason Hodie was very happy to have no parents – no scolding. And now he didn’t have to listen to any more from Corporal Murgott.
    He stood up. The little Queen was out of sight. The metal bird was no protection for her – it was just an interesting gift, bound to smash itself on a rock before too long.
    One more hour , Hodie thought, one more, she’ll be ready to cross back home, and this time the troll won’t stop us .
    Hodie hurried past a few skimpy, leafless trees, up a gravel path between walls of rock. Ahead, he saw the bird crash-land in the dirt and Sibilla marching on. The bird whirred up again.
    Back over Fontania, the sun still sparkled. But here the sky was grey, like the bathwater those times Mrs Emily made Hodie come and use the servants’ bathroom and clean himself properly. He reached a rise in the dwindling path. Ahead lay the Stones – a desert of canyons and craters and grey boulders. Nobody owned them, as the Queen had said, and who would want to? Here and there stood leafless trees (grey) and little plants (grey) like the fuzz when the