Read The Battle for Duncragglin for Free Online

his hands, “when do we go?”
    Alex gave him a shove.
    “We've got to get some things ready first,” Annie said briskly. “And we have to figure out how to get into the caves. There's no point in us sneaking off and then just wandering about aimlessly.”
    Willie flung a stone over the plowed fields. Alex tried to match his distance, skipping to build up speed. The stone went to one side of Willie's and pinged off a crate.
    “Hey!” The shout came from across the field, where a tall thin man with long hair was shaking his fist at them.
    Willie shook his fist back.
“Go
boil your head.”
    “Willie! Be nice!” Annie pulled his arm down. “We should be lending him a hand with all those crates, not throwing stones at him. Come on, let's go help him load.” Annie started out across the field. Willie followed, grumbling.
    “Who is he?” Alex asked.
    Willie kicked a clod of dirt. “He's a bum.”
    “Willie! There's no reason to be so angry with him. You know Dad asked him to keep an eye on us. Dad can't be everywhere, you know, and he worries about us now that Mum's gone –”
    “Yeah, but he didnae have to tell Dad about the rifle.”
    “Duncan grows organic vegetables because he's a vegetarian. It upset him to see you shooting at birds – and besides, you're not allowed to touch that rifle. You could have killed someone!”
    “Instead, it was Dad who killed me!”
    “That's not Duncan's fault.”
    Willie jammed his hands into his pockets. “You go help him. I've got better things to do.”
    “Fine! Whatever!” Annie tossed her head and continued marching across the field.
    Alex hesitated, but decided to stay with Annie. Willie did not look like good company right now. He was stomping off towards the farmhouse, where he'd probably do nothing but stare at the computer screen and have his warrior kill troll after troll. That was more fun to do than to watch.
    Duncan swung another crate onto a flatbed trailer. He stopped to wipe the sweat from his brow. The field beyond was littered with crates packed full of vegetables.
    “Hello, Annie,” he said, as she came up. “Have we got a new worker on the farm?”
    “This is Alex, Mrs. Murray's nephew,” Annie replied. “He's come to stay with us seeing how she's not well.”
    Duncan looked startled. “Fiona's nephew? George and Marian Macpherson's son?”
    “You knew my parents?” Alex asked, equally surprised.
    “Aye, that I did…. Your parents got me going in this here organic vegetable business … that they did. They were always ready to help people out, very fine folk….”
    “So what happened to them then? Where did they go?”
    Duncan shifted uncomfortably. “No one knows that, I'm sorry to say.”
    Alex turned away and threw himself into helping. It was always the same: no one ever knew; no one ever had any suggestions as to what might have happened. Hestruggled furiously with a crate that was heavier than expected. He got it clear of the ground and banged it against the side of the trailer. Duncan raised a hand to help, but held back. Alex staggered and dropped it onto the flatbed with a clatter.
    Annie tapped him on the shoulder. “Can you help me with the next one?” she asked. “I can't manage it on my own.”
    Alex scowled, but he bent to pick up an end of a crate with her. She counted, “One … two … heave.” The crate swung easily onto the trailer.
    Annie slid the crate tight up against the others. “Duncan,” she asked sweetly, “would you perhaps know how to get into the caves?”
    Duncan paused. “Caves?”
    “Yes, caves. I'm sure you know about them. There's a whole lot of them under the castle.”
    “They've been filled in and bricked up long ago.” Duncan pulled himself onto the tractor. The spring-cushioned seat creaked under his weight. He turned back to Annie. “And that was done for a reason – it's a very bad place. It's important that you stay away from there.”
    “So there
are
caves there, then?”
    “I