The Warlock Rock by Christopher Stasheff Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Christopher Stasheff
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"It need not be a broom for her to ride it," Magnus agreed, "though that last doth come more naturally to her."
Cordelia stuck out her tongue at him.
"Why," the rocking horse said slowly, "an thou dost wish my company, I am glad to give it. Wouldst thou ride me?"
"Oh, aye!" Gregory leaped up onto the horse's back. Startled, it rocked back with a wild and musical neigh, rearing, and Gregory howled with joy.
"Gregory!" Gwen cried, alarmed. "Do not…" But she held her tongue as she gazed at the little boy swooping and ducking along the great arc of the sundial, swatting at the rocking horse's flanks with his hat and whooping with glee.
"Let him be, dear," Rod murmured, smiling.
"Do not tell him not to, Mama," Cordelia pleaded. "We see no danger."
"Aye." Gwen relented. "He doth so seldom have the chance to behave as the child he is!"
"That had occurred to me," Fess admitted.
"He hath almost never behaved as babes rightly should," Geoffrey said stiffly, his body taut and his face a granite mask. Magnus saw, and started to reach out toward his younger brother, then hesitated and took his hand away. "I am sure the rocking horse will allow us all rides an we should wish it."
"Oh, aye!" Cordelia exclaimed, eyes alight, but Geoffrey snorted. "And foolish thou shouldst look, brother—a youth of seventeen, on a child's plaything! Nay, surely we who have grown past the nursery must be generous in allowing the lad this play."
Cordelia turned to him, startled. Then she saw the look on his face, and her own expression saddened. So did her mother's.
"Dost thou not agree, Delia?" Geoffrey ground out.
"Oh, aye!" she said quickly. " Tis even as thou dost say, Geoffrey! Nay, let the babe play."
"And let him have some moment of childhood that is his alone," Rod murmured. Cordelia looked at him in surprise. Then her face brightened a little, into a tremulous smile. "Aye, Papa. He hath ever played in our shadows, hath he not?"
"His clothes were once mine," Geoffrey agreed, "and I, at least, had a toy arbalest and catapult, which he disdained. Nay, let him be."
Gregory finished the circuit and sprang off the horse, cheeks flushed and eyes bright. He whirled about, doffing his cap and bowing low to the hobby. "I thank thee, good horse! Ne'er shall I forget this ride!"
"Thou art welcome," the horse answered, bowing forward on its rockers. "Nay, come here again, and Page 32
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thou shalt once more ride."
"Oh! May I?"
"Mayhap on the way home," Gwen answered. "Yet now, I think, we must needs be on our way, Gregory."
"Cannot the rocking horse come?" Gregory asked, crestfallen.
"Nay, though it doth warm mine heart to know thou dost wish it," the rocking horse answered. "Yet I must needs rock here on my dial, or I'll not grow. Wouldst thou deny me that?"
"No," Gregory said, as though it were pulled out of him. "Yet I shall miss thee, good horse."
"And I thee," the horse answered, and for a moment, its music swelled up, slower and sadder than it had been.
"It must let thee go thy way." Cordelia laid a hand upon Gregory's shoulder. "And thou must let it grow."
"Indeed I must." Gregory turned away, following his siblings and Fess with lowered gaze. Cordelia's eyes misted. But Gregory turned back and called to the horse, "Shall I see thee when thou art grown?"
"I doubt it not," the horse cried, rocking away on its arc.
"Belike I shall be transformed into a great spring-steed—yet I will know thee."
"And I thee," Gregory returned. "Till then!" He waved once, then turned away, catching his sister's hand as he straightened up, squared his shoulders, and lifted his chin. "Come Delia! For I must let it rock!" She squeezed his hand and followed a half-pace behind, hoping he would not see the tenderness in her smile.
Gwen blinked several times, caught Rod's hand, and followed.
Chapter Five
"This deal of sound
"It need not be a broom for her to ride it," Magnus agreed, "though that last doth come more naturally to her."
Cordelia stuck out her tongue at him.
"Why," the rocking horse said slowly, "an thou dost wish my company, I am glad to give it. Wouldst thou ride me?"
"Oh, aye!" Gregory leaped up onto the horse's back. Startled, it rocked back with a wild and musical neigh, rearing, and Gregory howled with joy.
"Gregory!" Gwen cried, alarmed. "Do not…" But she held her tongue as she gazed at the little boy swooping and ducking along the great arc of the sundial, swatting at the rocking horse's flanks with his hat and whooping with glee.
"Let him be, dear," Rod murmured, smiling.
"Do not tell him not to, Mama," Cordelia pleaded. "We see no danger."
"Aye." Gwen relented. "He doth so seldom have the chance to behave as the child he is!"
"That had occurred to me," Fess admitted.
"He hath almost never behaved as babes rightly should," Geoffrey said stiffly, his body taut and his face a granite mask. Magnus saw, and started to reach out toward his younger brother, then hesitated and took his hand away. "I am sure the rocking horse will allow us all rides an we should wish it."
"Oh, aye!" Cordelia exclaimed, eyes alight, but Geoffrey snorted. "And foolish thou shouldst look, brother—a youth of seventeen, on a child's plaything! Nay, surely we who have grown past the nursery must be generous in allowing the lad this play."
Cordelia turned to him, startled. Then she saw the look on his face, and her own expression saddened. So did her mother's.
"Dost thou not agree, Delia?" Geoffrey ground out.
"Oh, aye!" she said quickly. " Tis even as thou dost say, Geoffrey! Nay, let the babe play."
"And let him have some moment of childhood that is his alone," Rod murmured. Cordelia looked at him in surprise. Then her face brightened a little, into a tremulous smile. "Aye, Papa. He hath ever played in our shadows, hath he not?"
"His clothes were once mine," Geoffrey agreed, "and I, at least, had a toy arbalest and catapult, which he disdained. Nay, let him be."
Gregory finished the circuit and sprang off the horse, cheeks flushed and eyes bright. He whirled about, doffing his cap and bowing low to the hobby. "I thank thee, good horse! Ne'er shall I forget this ride!"
"Thou art welcome," the horse answered, bowing forward on its rockers. "Nay, come here again, and Page 32
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
thou shalt once more ride."
"Oh! May I?"
"Mayhap on the way home," Gwen answered. "Yet now, I think, we must needs be on our way, Gregory."
"Cannot the rocking horse come?" Gregory asked, crestfallen.
"Nay, though it doth warm mine heart to know thou dost wish it," the rocking horse answered. "Yet I must needs rock here on my dial, or I'll not grow. Wouldst thou deny me that?"
"No," Gregory said, as though it were pulled out of him. "Yet I shall miss thee, good horse."
"And I thee," the horse answered, and for a moment, its music swelled up, slower and sadder than it had been.
"It must let thee go thy way." Cordelia laid a hand upon Gregory's shoulder. "And thou must let it grow."
"Indeed I must." Gregory turned away, following his siblings and Fess with lowered gaze. Cordelia's eyes misted. But Gregory turned back and called to the horse, "Shall I see thee when thou art grown?"
"I doubt it not," the horse cried, rocking away on its arc.
"Belike I shall be transformed into a great spring-steed—yet I will know thee."
"And I thee," Gregory returned. "Till then!" He waved once, then turned away, catching his sister's hand as he straightened up, squared his shoulders, and lifted his chin. "Come Delia! For I must let it rock!" She squeezed his hand and followed a half-pace behind, hoping he would not see the tenderness in her smile.
Gwen blinked several times, caught Rod's hand, and followed.
Chapter Five
"This deal of sound
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