Dragons of the Watch - Donita K. Paul [119]
“But they’re long gone,” said Lisby. “They don’t know.”
“The simple answer is that Wulder would know. Bealomondore says Wulder sees everything we do. Wulder favors order and disdains destruction.”
Lisby scratched her scalp under the tidy ponytail Ellie had gathered on top of her head. “What does that mean?”
Carrie elbowed her. “It means He likes neat and doesn’t like mess.”
Ellie looked Lisby over, trying to find something that the girl counted as valuable. Untied shoes, scruffy leggings, a faded dress, and a wisp of a yellow scarf were the girl’s only possessions. Ellie pinched the edge of the scarf and pulled it gently from Lisby’s shoulders.
“Let’s say that it is three hundred years from now. I don’t know you, and you aren’t here, but I find your scarf.” She held it up for all to see.
Alarm opened Lisby’s eyes wider. Her eyebrows arched into her bangs.
“Now,” said Ellie, looking around the kitchen but not at the children, “I don’t see anyone here. Obviously, this yellow scarf belonged to somebody, but that was so long ago. I have mud on my shoes. Maybe I’ll use this rag to wipe the dirt off.”
Lisby grabbed for the scarf. Ellie deftly pulled it out of her reach.
“Or,” Ellie said, “I might cut it into squares and make handkerchiefs to blow my nose.”
Lisby made another desperate attempt to recapture her scarf. Again, Ellie eluded her.
“Or I might play tug of war with the scarf. Tak loves to play tug of war.”
“No, no!” cried Lisby.
Laska grabbed Ellie’s arm. “Don’t do it! She loves that yellow thing.”
Ellie patted his hand on her elbow. “You don’t have to worry.” She handed the scarf back to Lisby. “I wouldn’t damage the scarf, or throw it on the floor, or burn it in the stove. It is something that belongs to Lisby. And I don’t have the right to destroy it.”
“But you take stuff from the houses all the time. So does Bealomondore.”
Ellie nodded. “I do.” She looked around and picked up a bar of soap from the sink rim. “This soap belonged to the people who owned the house. I want to take it and use it. I don’t think they would object to my taking it since I really need it. I’m not going to destroy it. I’m going to use it.”
Laska wrinkled his nose. “So that’s different? Just because you’re going to scrub us with it? You can take it?” He shook his head. “Nah, Miss Ellie, it’s the same. You ought to respect that soap and leave it here.”
Ellie fought the giggle that rose to her throat. He’d turned her argument against her. “No, Laska, I respect the people, not the soap. And in respecting the people, I recognize that most people are generous enough to share a bar of soap. I’d give you a place to sleep if you needed it. I would give you my coat if you were cold.” She let a grin spread across her face. “And I would give you a bath if you were dirty.”
Laska put his hands up in front of him and backed away. “No, Miss Ellie, I’m fresh scrubbed.”
The other children laughed, and Ellie joined them.
She hugged the two closest to her, then released them. “All right. Let’s search this house. And remember to leave everything the way you found it.”
“Except the keys!” shouted one of the girls.
“That’s right,” Ellie said. “Collect the keys for Orli to examine.”
They worked their way down the street and had crossed to come back on the other side when Det flew over, circled, and landed on Ellie’s shoulder.
Her mindspeaking abilities had sharpened over the weeks, and she understood him easily.
“They think they’ve found the right key. We’re to meet the other half of the clan at the library.”
Their dash back to the center of Rumbard City included laughter and happy squeals. Ellie tried to calm them as they approached the area where Yawn and his few remaining thugs hung out, but she couldn’t contain the children’s excitement.
Ellie panicked. What would she do if those ruffians jumped out at her and tackled the children who had deserted Yawn and come to the library? She didn’t want a fight. She didn’t want anyone to get hurt.
“Shh! Be quiet!”
The children