Wormwood Gate by Katherine Farmar Read Free Book Online Page A

the Queen-that-was comes back to life and becomes the Queen-that-will-be, all in a circle. Do you follow me?’
    â€˜Not really,’ said Julie.
    â€˜The queen is dead, long live the queen?’ said Aisling.
    â€˜Exactly,’ said Jo Maxi. ‘It was a trick they played on Death when they were one person, to keep the City in decent hands. Split one life into three and play pass-the-parcel with the crown. Only nowadays … well, they had a small little difference of opinion that ended in one of the queens running away, one of them taking the throne, and one of them being locked up. All three of them alive at the one time.’ He shuddered visibly. ‘It’s not natural, so it’s not! The Queen-that-was is hanging in a cage at the top of the Tower of Light, and there are worms crawling in her wounds and birds pecking at her flesh – but she can’t die. The Queen-that-is won’t let her die.’
    â€˜If she were to die, the cycle would begin,’ said Abayomiolorunkoje. ‘The Queen-that-is keeps her alive so that there will be no cycle any more, only one queen on the throne forever.’
    â€˜That’s horrible!’ said Julie.
    â€˜It is,’ said Aisling, ‘but it doesn’t explain the curfew.’
    â€˜Will you let the priest say Mass?’ said Jo Maxi, irritated. ‘I was getting to that bit!’
    â€˜Sorry.’
    â€˜Chiselers today have no patience. ‘N anyway, why they fought they never said. Not to the likes of us. But the gates were closed and the guards were raised against invaders and spies, so that was probably it.’
    â€˜Invaders?’ said Julie.
    â€˜Is a pretext,’ said Prawo Jazdy. ‘Is true the queen fears invaders, but she also wishes for no one to take the Queen-that-will-be out of the City. She wishes to capture the Queen-that-will-be, to imprison her like she imprisoned the Queen-that-was. That is why the curfew –’
    â€˜Shh!’ said Abayomiolorunkoje.
    â€˜Walls have ears, you sap!’ said Jo Maxi.
    â€œI was not going to say her name!’
    â€˜Don’t even come close to saying it!’ said Abayomiolorunkoje. ‘She can find those who talk about her!’
    â€˜But I did not say her name! I am not stupid!’
    â€˜Who are you talking about?’ said Aisling.
    All three men turned to look at her, and Julie did too, putting on her best pitying face. Aisling slapped her forehead. ‘Sorry. Stupid question. You can’t talk about her. OK.’
    â€˜Anyone the queen even thinks might be in league with the invaders, or with the Queen-that-will-be, or the Queen-that-was, or … your woman we can’t talk about … gets grabbed by the guards,’ said Jo Maxi. ‘The Tower’s bursting with prisoners.’
    â€˜What about the Wormwood Gate?’ said Julie. ‘Is it really the only way out of the City? And if it is, how can we find it?’
    The three men exchanged more wary glances. ‘Your woman would know,’ said Jo Maxi. ‘She’s good at finding things.’
    â€˜She is also good at not being found,’ said Abayomiolorunkoje. ‘No one even knows what forms she can take.’
    â€˜There’s one or two we know about – the dog and the butterfly –
    â€˜But she has died at least eight times,’ said Prawo Jazdy. ‘So what are six other forms? Nobody knows. She could be one of seagulls guarding the Queen-that-was.’
    â€˜She wouldn’t!’ said Jo Maxi, scandalised. ‘She’d never – she made a promise .’
    Julie leaned over and murmured to Aisling, ‘There was a horse when we came through the gate, wasn’t there?’
    Aisling nodded. ‘I’d forgotten, but you’re right. It knocked us over, and then here we were. Well, not here, but, you know. Here .’
    The men stopped their argument and stared at them.
    â€˜What horse was this?’