Dragonquest - Donita K. Paul [10]
Kale smiled. Then her eyes shifted to the person beside High Chancellor Grand Ebeck, and she let out a squeal.
“Librettowit!”
Kale forgot the decorum expected of a mere leecent visiting the high chancellor’s quarters and rushed across the room to embrace the sturdy tumanhofer. Toopka squirmed and protested softly, but Kale paid no attention.
She and Librettowit greeted each other with laughter and hugs and questions tumbling out too quickly to be answered. When that round of greetings subsided, Dar joined them, and they began again.
Kale watched Librettowit with a grin on her face she couldn’t subdue. The tumanhofer cleared his throat, peered over his glasses, and inspected his young friends. He looked much as he always had, a bit grumpy, a bit curious, a bit impatient. He was a very dependable tumanhofer.
“Now who is this ragged little beasty looking something like a doneel?” Librettowit patted the sleepy-eyed child on her back.
“Toopka,” said Kale. With a sigh of relief, Kale realized she had landed in the right circumstances to have all her troubles undone. Grand Ebeck and Librettowit would help her. She couldn’t think of anyone other than Paladin to whom she could turn with this predicament. These two scholars, both men of wisdom, both compassionate and discerning, would rescue her. They’d know what to do about the mess this morning’s venture into the city had created.
Kale smiled at Librettowit. “We haven’t had a chance to give Toopka a bath and new clothes, but we will as soon as we get back to the dormitory. It’s a long story, but Magistrate Hyd put her into my charge, and I don’t know exactly what I’m supposed to do, but Dar is to help me. I don’t even know if the rules of The Hall allow us to have an orphan under our care. There’s probably a regulation against it, don’t you think? I’ve read more rules and edicts and orders of conduct than you can imagine, but I don’t think even one mentioned an orphan.”
She turned to High Chancellor Grand Ebeck. “I don’t want to cause any more problems, Your Grace, but under the circumstances, I can’t abandon her. I would appreciate your counsel.”
As she said the last bit of her speech, Kale realized it sounded almost as good as anything Dar would have come up with. He had said to let him do the talking, and she had really meant to do just that. But she hadn’t done so badly. The first part of what she said had rushed out and sounded a bit garbled. But the last part was fine. She had pulled herself together and made a decent plea.
High Chancellor Grand Ebeck put a hand on her shoulder. His eyes held no humor, only gentle patience. “It won’t be a problem, Leecent Kale. You will not be staying at The Hall.”
Her mouth dropped open. A large lump formed in her throat. She tried to swallow and come up with a protest. Her mind spun, but her lips would not move.
What have I done that’s so bad? I know I’m not a very good student. I could try harder. Is it because we went into the city? Is it Toopka? Or because I went in the wrong side of the inn?
Toopka’s small hand patted Kale’s back. Kale hugged her warm little body, comforted by the child’s sympathy.
“Oh my, oh my.” Grand Ebeck’s gravelly voice rumbled about her ears. “Do not be so distressed, little Kale. It is not due to your insufficiency, but rather your ability. You are needed. My dear friend Librettowit has come to fetch you at Wizard Fenworth’s request. The meech egg has hatched, and Fenworth can’t do a thing with it, or him, rather.”
The emerlindian glanced over at the librarian and gave him a wink, then he patted Kale’s arm and continued. “His name is Regidor. He is all that we would expect a meech dragon to be—intelligent, capable of speech, maturing rapidly, showing signs of great talent, and