that, he thought, thinking of the little dusty brown birds who ran around the rubbish heaps of his childhood.
‘Come on,’ she said. ‘We’re nearly there.’
She grabbed his hand, as she had done so many times before. But it felt strange to Elija now they could see each other; to both of them apparently, for she let go and walked in front of him into the light. He followed her more slowly, scrambling at times over the uneven rock.
His senses started to spin. There was a heavy sound, crashing like a thousand trees at once on his ears. And a smell, which made his nose itch. It was quite unlike the smell of the sewers. It was clean and sharp and it went through his head like a knife blade. He followed Amita, climbing on hands and knees, the bright light pressing down on him like a blanket.
Then at last they were out of the darkness and Amita stopped. Elija bumped into her, then he stood upright and looked around, squinting through his lashes. What he saw made him cry out in fear and he fell to the ground, hiding his head, drawing his legs up, trying to make himself small. The crashing sound and the screaming of the birds battered on his ears and his mind went blank with terror.
Through his fear he heard a laugh. Amita knelt down and put her arm round him. ‘It’s all right, Elija,’ she whispered. ‘You’re not used to daylight. It’s the sun. It’s so bright! And look at the fleet out there in the sunlight!’
Elija put his hand over his face and peered through his fingers, then slowly got to his knees.
It was the end of the world. They were on a rocky outcrop at the edge of a great hole in the land. In front of them there was nothingness, just silvery water, sparkling in the daylight, stretching away into the distance until it met the sky and disappeared.
Floating on the water, dangerously close to the edge of the world, were high wooden buildings, dozens of them, with tall posts festooned with ropes. Elija wondered what stopped the buildings floating off the edge into the sky. In the air around them enormous white birds wheeled and flew, screeching their frightening sounds.
‘What is this terrible place?’ he asked the girl, his voice trembling.
She stared at him, half smiling as if suspecting she was being teased.
‘It is the sea,’ she said, amazed. ‘Have you never seen the sea before, boy?’
She took his hand and together they stumbled towards the water, treading awkwardly on the sharp rocks. The sun was so bright they could only keep their eyes open for moments and Elija felt tears streaming down his face.
Then, above the screams of the birds, they suddenly heard boots scraping on the stones. Elija spun round, nearly falling, and saw two men approaching wearing swords and light armour.
‘Reivers!’ he cried and they tried to run, but the jagged rocks cut into their bare feet and they both fell painfully. Elija tried to crawl away, back into the cave, but the pain in his hands and knees was agonizing. They were streaming blood.
‘Stop! Please stop. We won’t hurt you!’ one man said. ‘You’re injuring yourselves.’
‘They’re just children. No use to us,’ the other said.
Elija stared wildly at the two men, who had stopped a few paces away. One was tall and dark, with strangely brown skin and a narrow face. The other was stocky and pale, and shorter than his colleague.
‘Are you from the mud village?’ the dark man asked them.
Elija had no idea what he meant and he glanced at Amita, who said nothing.
‘The settlement in the cave?’ the man asked, pointing to the opening the children had emerged from.
Elija shook his head.
‘Do you understand the City tongue, boy?’
‘Yes,’ Elija answered in a small voice.
‘Where have you come from?’
He wondered what the words meant. Where
had
he come from? He remembered his first meeting with Rubin.
‘I am Elija, from the Hall of Blue Light,’ he said.
The men looked at each other and grinned.
‘And where is the Hall
‘Come on,’ she said. ‘We’re nearly there.’
She grabbed his hand, as she had done so many times before. But it felt strange to Elija now they could see each other; to both of them apparently, for she let go and walked in front of him into the light. He followed her more slowly, scrambling at times over the uneven rock.
His senses started to spin. There was a heavy sound, crashing like a thousand trees at once on his ears. And a smell, which made his nose itch. It was quite unlike the smell of the sewers. It was clean and sharp and it went through his head like a knife blade. He followed Amita, climbing on hands and knees, the bright light pressing down on him like a blanket.
Then at last they were out of the darkness and Amita stopped. Elija bumped into her, then he stood upright and looked around, squinting through his lashes. What he saw made him cry out in fear and he fell to the ground, hiding his head, drawing his legs up, trying to make himself small. The crashing sound and the screaming of the birds battered on his ears and his mind went blank with terror.
Through his fear he heard a laugh. Amita knelt down and put her arm round him. ‘It’s all right, Elija,’ she whispered. ‘You’re not used to daylight. It’s the sun. It’s so bright! And look at the fleet out there in the sunlight!’
Elija put his hand over his face and peered through his fingers, then slowly got to his knees.
It was the end of the world. They were on a rocky outcrop at the edge of a great hole in the land. In front of them there was nothingness, just silvery water, sparkling in the daylight, stretching away into the distance until it met the sky and disappeared.
Floating on the water, dangerously close to the edge of the world, were high wooden buildings, dozens of them, with tall posts festooned with ropes. Elija wondered what stopped the buildings floating off the edge into the sky. In the air around them enormous white birds wheeled and flew, screeching their frightening sounds.
‘What is this terrible place?’ he asked the girl, his voice trembling.
She stared at him, half smiling as if suspecting she was being teased.
‘It is the sea,’ she said, amazed. ‘Have you never seen the sea before, boy?’
She took his hand and together they stumbled towards the water, treading awkwardly on the sharp rocks. The sun was so bright they could only keep their eyes open for moments and Elija felt tears streaming down his face.
Then, above the screams of the birds, they suddenly heard boots scraping on the stones. Elija spun round, nearly falling, and saw two men approaching wearing swords and light armour.
‘Reivers!’ he cried and they tried to run, but the jagged rocks cut into their bare feet and they both fell painfully. Elija tried to crawl away, back into the cave, but the pain in his hands and knees was agonizing. They were streaming blood.
‘Stop! Please stop. We won’t hurt you!’ one man said. ‘You’re injuring yourselves.’
‘They’re just children. No use to us,’ the other said.
Elija stared wildly at the two men, who had stopped a few paces away. One was tall and dark, with strangely brown skin and a narrow face. The other was stocky and pale, and shorter than his colleague.
‘Are you from the mud village?’ the dark man asked them.
Elija had no idea what he meant and he glanced at Amita, who said nothing.
‘The settlement in the cave?’ the man asked, pointing to the opening the children had emerged from.
Elija shook his head.
‘Do you understand the City tongue, boy?’
‘Yes,’ Elija answered in a small voice.
‘Where have you come from?’
He wondered what the words meant. Where
had
he come from? He remembered his first meeting with Rubin.
‘I am Elija, from the Hall of Blue Light,’ he said.
The men looked at each other and grinned.
‘And where is the Hall
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