Dragons of the Watch - Donita K. Paul [115]
Bealomondore had to strain to hear Old One’s response. “They once had families. A mother and father who cared. Homes to live in. Older brothers and sisters. Babies born and needing tending. But Wulder took that away.”
“Do you know why?” asked Bealomondore.
“Because we had it all and didn’t cherish it.”
Bealomondore frowned. That didn’t fit into the picture he had of Wulder from reading the Tomes and talking with those who came from Amara. “Really? That’s the reason?”
Old One stirred himself enough to glare at Bealomondore. “Part of it, boy. Part of it.”
Ellie stepped in to prevent an argument. “The fairy tale also establishes the culture’s sense of nobility. It declares right and wrong, differentiates between kindness and cruelty, and points out the futility of selfishness and the blessings of selfless behavior.”
“Now that’s where the urohms outdid themselves.” Old One grinned. “Right from the moment we began building Rumbard City, our sole intent was to give the benefit of our society to the backward people of Chiril.”
Bealomondore was amused as he and Ellie both took umbrage at Old One’s arrogance. They looked at each other, and he felt an understanding pass between them. They wouldn’t verbally attack the ancient urohm’s belief. It would do no good. Sometimes he remembered more clearly how they had disappointed the wizard. The wizard had banished them to the bottle.
“And,” said Ellie, turning her attention back to Old One, “the stories propose that to pursue moral ethics, to stand for the weak against tyranny, is praiseworthy.”
“Succinctly put,” answered Old One. “Through a good tale, you can convince these heathens of what is good and create in them a desire to be better than what they are right now.”
Bealomondore raised his eyebrows.
“You two needn’t look so surprised. Of course I know the purpose of the different types of literature. I am a librarian after all.”
He struggled to his feet. “I know these books better than you. Since they are mostly from my culture, you’d have to dig and dig to find the right urohm texts. I know which stories will suit your purpose.” He stopped and stared at them. “Well, are you going to just sit there? I’m offering to guide you to the right shelves.”
Bealomondore and Ellie hopped to their feet. He whispered in her ear as they followed Old One. “Spoken like a true librarian.”
Bealomondore hid his thoughts. He didn’t want his girl to know how much he enjoyed dunking these filthy boys. The more they hollered, the more he enjoyed himself. During the two months before Ellie came, the street gangs had made his life miserable. He’d been forced by children to skulk through the alleys of Rumbard City like some cowardly criminal. The maintenance room of the library provided the “tub,” a huge, deep sink screened in by Ellie’s ingenuity with some curtains she’d found on one of their foraging expeditions. While Bealomondore scrubbed, Ellie held Porky in the tub of water. His shrieks could probably be heard outside the library. Bealomondore noted that the minor dragons had made themselves scarce during the hullabaloo.
“Be quiet,” Bealomondore ordered. “You’ll have Yawn and his gang thinking we’re torturing you.”
“You are!” Porky screamed. “All this soap ain’t good for me. Water’s just fine, all by itself.” He squirmed harder. “Don’t touch my head. Not my hair.”
“Oh, quit acting like a baby.” Ellie lost her grip on his arm, and he splashed and twisted, trying to get out.
Bealomondore solved the problem by pushing the wet child clear under, then letting him up. “Are you going to quit struggling?”
Porky howled and thrashed. Bealomondore pushed him back under. He only held him beneath the water for a moment, but he could feel Ellie taking