A Plague of Giants (Seven Kennings #1) - Kevin Hearne Page 0,48

someone about this?”

“Like who?”

“Well, I don’t know. Our parents for starters. You tell yours we saw one, too, and we’ll tell ours what you saw. I have to think someone would want to know that we’re seeing people no one has ever heard of before.”

“Well, yeah,” Mella said, “but—”

“What can I get you?” a voice broke in. We had inched our way to the front of the line as we talked, and now it was our turn to order bacon from Master du Lörryl. Jorry insisted on buying a few slices for Mella, and the strange people were forgotten between their flirtation and the delightful baskets of greasy meat.

I remembered them later, of course, and even mentioned to Father that the du Bandres had run into two lost giant men on their route. But he was too preoccupied by the absence of our best friends among the merchant families to pay any real attention.

“They’re not the only ones lost,” he grumbled. “Are you sure you looked everywhere for the du Hallards, Kallindra?”

“I am, Father, but I will gladly search the clave again if it would ease your mind.”

“I think it would—but take Jorry with you. And don’t just look; ask about. Maybe they’re running late, but maybe they’re nearby and need help, too. Thieves like to take advantage of traders going to claves when they can, you know.”

“Yes, I know very well.” Anticipating his next words, I said, “I’ll be careful, and I’ll return soon.”

We didn’t find the du Hallards that night but discovered why they were late the next day. Just after midmorning, Jorry and Mella were smiling and practically drooling on each other near the Glorious Bacon Wagon, as they had taken to calling it, and I was utterly fascinated by how they seemed to grow more stupid with each passing moment. But then news rolled through the clave like high tide: Tarrön du Hallard had stumbled into the clave on his own, half dead. No word on why or where the rest of the family was.

“Father will know,” I said, and the three of us hurried back to our wagon, thinking he’d be able to give us the truth. He gave us more than that: he put us to work immediately, because Tarrön du Hallard was there, cradled in Mother’s arms, and there was a crowd of people around the wagon, trying to get a look at him, and all of them were asking questions.

“Get rid of these people!” Father hollered at us once we pushed through. “Tell them you’ll give them the facts when we have them but right now we need to get him well. He can hardly tell us what happened when he’s unconscious.”

“Shall I fetch a hygienist?” Mella asked, and Father said several people already had gone to do just that.

We spent a good while just trying to disperse people with promises to report as soon as we knew anything and then fending off new arrivals as they came. Though the du Hallards were closest friends with us—Father had known Umön and Lyra since they were kids together—the whole family was well loved in the clave. Tarrön was a couple of years younger than me, and I think that Father and Umön had been hoping we’d take a liking to each other. He was nice enough and told a good joke, but I’d never felt attracted to him, nor, so far as I could tell, was he attracted to me.

He looked to be in pretty dire condition, though I’d only caught a short glimpse of him in the back of the wagon before Father stepped in front to block the view and discourage precisely that sort of gawking. But poor Tarrön! His lips were swollen and bloody, his clothing was shredded and his skin bruised and lacerated, and there was a nasty gash across his scalp that probably would leave a scar through that pretty, poufy hair of his—okay, so maybe I felt a tiny attraction to him. But he’s still a kid. And so am I, technically. Let’s simply observe that we both have potential.

The summoned hygienist finally appeared to assess the damage. Mother had given Tarrön water, of course—first thing you do—and attempted to clean him up a bit with boiled rags, which the hygienist approved. But he’d lost a lot of blood and used up all his strength just trying to get to the clave, and there was definitely contagion in the blood he had left.

“I know you want to