Dragons of the Watch - Donita K. Paul [18]
Ellie did want to retrieve her carpetbag and clothing, so she hustled after Bealomondore and her goat.
They came to the circle from another direction and entered one of the surrounding buildings. Bealomondore’s confidence eased her fear of being so close to the young giants. He led them directly to the front of the building and positioned them behind a broken door where they could observe the circle and not be seen by the children. Ellie didn’t need to be on the same side of the center to see her things.
Various children had donned most of the garments she owned. Of course, nothing fit. Her beautiful green skirt hung around a dirty boy’s neck like a cape. Several children used her stockings as sashes.
A lovely dress with a wide, swaying skirt draped over the back of a girl like a hat. She’d crammed her head, down instead of up, through the neck hole. At present she had two pieces of fruit in her hands and took savage bites out of each, chewing and wiping the juice from her mouth with the sleeve of her shirt.
Ellie’s aunt had said the blue gown was walking apparel and they would promenade along Palismon Boulevard with other fashionable ladies while in the city. Ellie now doubted she’d ever reach Ragar, let alone spend a morning promenading. She blinked back tears as she further examined the fate of her beautiful clothes.
Not all the children had chosen to wear something from her carpetbag. Some items must have been tossed into the air. Her shoes dangled from one of the watering ladies. Her lace slip had landed ringed around a broken bench. Someone had stuffed one of her caps onto the head of another stone woman. The carpetbag floated in the fountain pool like a colorful sea ship.
Ellie sank to the floor and put her face in her hands.
Tak pushed his nose into her neck and huffed. His warm breath comforted her a little, and she put an arm around his neck.
“We’ll be able to get some of the things back,” said Bealomondore. “They’ll play all afternoon and discard the items as they go. We just need to snatch them up before another child lays claim.”
Ellie turned enough in her sitting position to peek out again. All of the children ate like swine, smashing the fruit into their mouths and taking huge, slurpy bites.
Bealomondore sighed. “You don’t want to get close enough to smell them.”
“If Old One in the library provides the food, why doesn’t he guide them at all, teach them?”
The tumanhofer shook his head. “Old One never comes out. I don’t think he’s the one providing the food. I can’t figure out any logical means by which the meals can be assembled and delivered. Added to that, I haven’t even seen Old One yet, though I’ve explored the library. I only know of him by eavesdropping on the little jackanapes.”
Ellie watched a child run in from a side street and check the baskets placed around the rim of the fountain. The enraged boy threw down each empty container and roared. The others ignored him. He didn’t bother with the last few but approached a busy eater, grabbed his portion, and shoved him into the fountain.
“Oh my!” exclaimed Ellie. “They need some discipline.”
“I doubt it would do any good. This lot is incorrigible.”
Ellie raised an eyebrow and asked, “Have you tried?”
“No, and I don’t intend to. I’ve been trying to discover a way out of this place.”
“Really?” She pondered his response. While it would be honorable to try to reach these lost children, it certainly made wonderful sense to escape the city. “You think we can get out?”
He grimaced. “Wait until you see the library, then you’ll understand the enormity of the problem.”
He didn’t sound very hopeful. Ellie returned to her study of the children. “How many are there?”
Bealomondore sat down beside her, his back to the door. “On some days when I count, I get fifty-eight. On other days, I get sixty-three. They move around too fast to get an accurate tally.”
“I don’t understand.” Ellie stretched up a little to get a better view. “They all look