Dragons of the Watch - Donita K. Paul [16]
He clicked his heels together. “Allow me to introduce myself. Graddapotmorphit Bealomondore of Greeston at your service.” He bowed. “You and I are presently the only tumanhofers in Rumbard City.”
Ellie returned a bobbing curtsy, realized it was a very country form of the pleasantry, and switched in the middle to a deeper dip. She lost her balance and steadied herself by grabbing a barrel, which tipped over with a bang.
All three stood still for a moment, listening to see if she’d revealed their whereabouts.
After a moment, Ellie curtsied again. “Ellicinderpart Clarenbessipawl from, well, not anywhere in particular. Outside of the village, Glenbrooken Village.” She’d done that badly. Embarrassment warmed her cheeks.
“Maa.”
She glanced at her goat. “And this is Tak.”
A noise from the alley caught their attention. The knob on the door turned. Graddapotmorphit Bealomondore grabbed Ellicinderpart Clarenbessipawl’s hand. “Run!”
He guided them between giant hanging clothes, and Ellie realized they were in a store. She panted as she tried to keep up. “Where do all these ready-made clothes come from?”
“Cottage industry, and it would seem the urohm ladies believe in stiff competition. I’ll show you the fancy labels inside the clothing some other time. Right now, I hear the stomping of enemy forces.”
The children swarmed through the shop. Bealomondore led Ellie and the goat to a counter and ducked under the edge. They followed him into the empty space behind the counter front.
Dust tickled her nose. Ellie rubbed it. “It’s stuffy in here,” she whispered.
“Don’t sneeze,” Bealomondore ordered. He climbed a stack of boxes arranged like a staircase. Darkness covered him from the waist up. “Come on up. We’re going to hide in this locked drawer.”
Tak quickly scaled the makeshift steps. Ellie followed more carefully. At the top she could see the narrow opening along the side of the drawer. The distance from the highest step to the underside of the counter provided a bit of a challenge in wiggling into the safe haven. The tumanhofer gentleman helped Ellie climb into the deep drawer and then lifted Tak in.
Scarcely any light filtered into their hiding place, but she recognized huge coins and paper money. Ellie heard scraping noises below, then Bealomondore’s hands gripped the side of the drawer, and he soon maneuvered himself in beside her and the goat.
“This drawer is locked,” he explained. “The only way to get in or out is the way we just used. And that way can only be used by people our size.”
“What is this place?”
“A money depository, like a safe.” He put a finger to his lips.
“They won’t find us?” Ellie whispered back.
He shook his head. “They’ll give up soon. It’s almost time for noonmeal, and they know better than to be late.”
“What happens if they’re late?”
“The food will be gone, eaten by those who got there first.”
With his face turned toward the light filtering in through the crack running between the lip of the drawer and the underside of the countertop, Ellie could see the tumanhofer’s frown.
“They go hungry?” she asked.
“If they are horribly late, the leftovers, if there are any, dry up and blow away.”
“So there are adults someplace who care for these wild things?”
“There’s only one adult left, and he lives in the library. They call him Old One. He has the doors locked and won’t let them in.”
“But …”
“I know. It boggles the mind.”
“Who are they?”
“As far as I have been able to ascertain, they are the last of the urohms living in Chiril.”
Ellie let out a loud sigh of relief and then froze. A child’s steps neared their hideout. The drawer rattled but didn’t open.
“Whatcha doing, Phee?”
“I heard a noise.”
“How d’ya think they’d get in a locked drawer?”
“I forgot it was locked.”
“It’s locked every time we come in here.”
“I know. I just forgot. I want to see that dog. Tolly says the wee one has a dog. I’ve never seen a dog.”
“Neither have I. Come on, Phee. I’m hungry. Let’s go to the circle.”
“It was fun though. I had fun. We almost