Ella Enchanted - By Gail Carson Levine Page 0,28

holding their oily hair. We were traveling away from Uaaxee's farm, back the way I'd come. I assumed the ogres meant to go to the fork in the road and proceed to their Fens. It made no difference. What did it matter if I were devoured ten miles from my destination or forty?

No one was on the road, and the hills through which we marched were empty of habitation. The ogres began to grumble.

"It gets heavier every mile."

"Perhaps it brings bad luck."

"We should eat it tonight and find more tomorrow."

They watched me enviously while I drank the elves' supper. I was surprised I could eat, but I was ravenous. I offered to share with them, but my only answer was a collective shudder.

"You might enjoy it," I said. "Perhaps you'd find that you prefer broccoli to flesh and legumes to legs."

The last suggestion made them laugh.

The youngest ogre told SEEf in Ogrese, "Maybe we should get to know our meals better. This one makes jokes."

"Don't make a pet out of it," SEEf warned.

After dinner the young ogre sat next to me. "You mustn't be frightened," he said.

No?

"My name is NiSSh. What's yours?"

I told him.

"My father's name is SEEf. He could convince you that we won't harm you. I'm not as good at convincing people yet. But we hate for people to be upset." He touched my arm sympathetically.

I felt calmer. I couldn't help it. His voice was so soothing.

"You must be tired, after such a terrible day."

I yawned.

"Why don't you stretch out right here? I'll make sure nothing harms you while you sleep."

Wasn't he going to bind me? A bubble of hope swelled in my mind.

"But don't run away."

The bubble burst.

* * *

IN THE middle of the night I awoke. SEEf slept closest to me, making gurgling noises and grinding his teeth.

Ogres are sound sleepers. I stood and picked my way over them, which was difficult because they slept almost on top of one another. I bumped the leg of one, and he or she kicked at me but slept on. Beyond the heap of their bodies, I found my saddlebags.

I tried to leave, but as soon as I crept more than a few yards beyond the pile of ogres, my complaints started: thudding heart, tight chest, spinning head., A few feet more, and I was on my knees, crawling in circles. I crept back to the farthest spot the curse let me feel comfortable.

The ogres wouldn't wait much longer to kill me. I had to break the spell now.

"The spell is broken," I announced aloud, but softly. "I need not obey NiSSh. I will escape."

But in a moment I was on my knees again, helpless and sobbing.

I tried again. Mimicking the ogres, I made my voice as persuasive as I could.

"What is a spell?" I asked myself. "Only words. I can walk away from these ogres. I can do it. No magic can stop me."

I stood and took confident steps. I was moving quickly, fearlessly. The spell was broken!

Then I saw SEEf almost at my feet. I had gone the wrong way.

I bit back a scream of rage. I was going to die soon, and I would never have found Lucinda, would never have lived uncursed.

I returned to the end of my invisible tether and battled my despair. My voice had been persuasive; might not persuasion have other uses? Could I mimic the ogres? Could I speak with their persuasive power?

For a while my voice sounded too harsh. It needed honey for sweetness and oil for smoothness. I imagined swallowing a mixture of the two and coating my throat with them.

"SSyng lah1FFOOn, haZZ IiMMOOn. lah1FFOOn eFFuth wAAth psySSahbuSS." It meant "One should eat vegetables, not humans, because vegetables taste more delicious." It sounded persuasive to me. I was convinced.

I practiced for hours and fell asleep practicing.

And woke up to NiSSh, practicing on me. "Wake up, dearie. You were wise not to leave us during the night. These lands are dangerous. An elf might have gotten you."

The image of a fierce, spear-carrying elf came to me.

"Let's eat it now," said a female ogre. "You can't have all of it, SEEf. We'll get more food soon."

"All right, if I get a leg." He held my shoulders.

She nodded. "I'll be content with an arm if I can have an ear too."

In a moment all my parts were claimed. NiSSh wanted to keep me alive awhile longer, but he gave in when he was allowed to have my neck.

"The best part," he said,