Read Deltora Quest #6: The Maze of the Beast for Free Online Page B

of her name. And a picture of a bird for Kree. The other signs must tell us where she is sheltering.”
    Barda considered the shapes on the ground. “The circle could be part of a building. But what is the 3?”
    “A number on a door, perhaps!” Lief stood up and looked around, filled with new energy.
    With Dain trailing behind them, they began to explore the village. It was a depressing task, and Lief’sexcitement quickly died. Plainly, Where Waters Meet had once been a busy, thriving little town. Now, everywhere were the signs of violence and bloodshed. The tavern, the meeting hall, every house, every shop, had been ransacked. Everything of any value had been taken.
    Some of the invaders had scrawled their names triumphantly on the walls of living rooms, bedrooms, and halls. “Nak” was one name that occurred again and again, twice in what looked like blood. But there were other names, too. “Finn” was one, “Milne” another.
    Lief stared at the scrawlings with hatred. Nak, Finn, and Milne, he thought, I will remember your names. You are not Ols or Grey Guards, Shadow Lord’s servants, bred for evil. You are free to choose how you act. And you have chosen to prey upon your own people. You have chosen to steal, destroy, and murder. I hope that, one day, I meet you. Then I will make you pay.
    With heavy hearts they finished searching. There was a circular courtyard, and some window frames in the shape of circles, too. But there were no numbers at all, and there was no sign of Jasmine.
    Lief stopped outside the last house, which had a new moon carved into the door. “Moons are circles, when they are full,” he called to Barda. “Could Jasmine have meant —?”
    Then he broke off, for he had at last realized the true meaning of Jasmine’s message. He shook his head, annoyed at his own slowness. “We have been wasting our time,” he exclaimed. “Jasmine is long gone. Thesigns tell us not where she is in Where Waters Meet, but when she was here. The circle is the full moon. Then there is a minus sign, and the num-ber 3. She was here yesterday — three days before full moon!”
    “Of course!” Barda heaved a great sigh. “Then —”
    Suddenly he looked alert, and put his finger to his lips, listening. Lief listened in his turn and heard the last thing he would have expected.
    It was the jingling of many tiny bells, growing louder. And, even more astonishing, the merry, booming sound of someone singing.
    Once there was an Ol-io,
    Jolly-wolly Ol-io,
    Once there was an Ol-io,
    Fearsome as could be!
    I said to that Ol-io,
    Jolly-wolly Ol-io,
    I said to that Ol-io,
    You don’t bother me!

A shabby caravan pulled by a fat old horse was trundling towards the village along the Broad River path. At first, Lief thought there were two figures sitting on the driver’s seat. But as the caravan drew closer he saw that he had been mistaken. There was only one — a huge golden-haired man with dark brown skin, singing his rather surprising song at the top of his voice.
    Impulsively Lief moved forward. “Wait,” Barda muttered. “Looks and words can be deceiving.”
    Lief nodded, and stayed where he was. But when he heard the man’s song falter as the caravan drew up to the ruined town sign, and saw the sorrow on the broad face, he was not willing to wait any longer.
    The man’s mouth turned down as he saw the three emerge from the shadows. “Ah,” he said. “This is a badbusiness.” He climbed down from the caravan and looked around him, taking in the desolation. “But I am not surprised. Every year for many years we have come here on our rounds, and each time I have feared finding this very thing.”
    He shook his head. “I warned them. I said to them, ‘Give it up, my friends. Move on! Life is precious!’ But they were so brave. So foolish …”
    He rubbed a huge hand over his eyes.
    “You speak of your rounds,” said Barda, who was still wary. “What rounds?”
    The man looked up. “Why, I am a