Read The Prince Who Fell From the Sky for Free Online Page B

Old Devils.”
    “Look,” Casseomae said.
    The child reached for the food. In an instant, it tore off the crinkling casing and bit greedily from the sweet-smelling lump.
    “You were right,” Casseomae said.
    “Course I was right. I told you I’m the Memory for my mischief. I know all about these Devils.”
    The rat watched her for a moment before saying, “What are you doing anyway, old bear? I mean, that’s a stinkin’ Old Devil sleeping in your den and you think you’re going to make a bear of it?”
    “It’s not an
it
,” she said, suddenly realizing it herself. “It’s a
he
.”
    Dumpster gave her a skeptical twitch of his whiskers.
    “I can just tell,” she said. The cub had a sort of stubborn, rootlike smell. A smell like a thundercloud on the West Wind. A smell not unlike Alioth’s when he was a cub.
    “We’ll be leaving soon,” Casseomae added.
    Dumpster blinked rapidly. “You’re taking him away?”
    “That’s right.”
    “To where?”
    “I don’t know yet,” she said. “Somewhere the Ogeema won’t find him. But the first thing is to get him out of my sloth’s range.”
    Dumpster glared at her. “You are one moon-mad oldbear, you know that? When Lord Murk was giving out brains, he stuffed your head full of moss.”
    Casseomae huffed. “What are you going to do? Will you look for your mischief?”
    The rat’s whiskers drooped glumly. “When I left the city, I had their scent. But then those underlickin’ coyotes made me lose their trail.”
    “You’ll find them,” she said. “If they’re anything like you, they’re surely stout rodents.”
    Dumpster gave a little shrug of pride. “I guess.”
    Casseomae sniffed toward the child. “What about traveling with us?”
    Dumpster gave a scoffing squeak. “Right.”
    “I could use you,” Casseomae said. “You know all about the Skinless. And if you’re with me, you won’t have to worry about every owl and skunk coming after you.”
    Dumpster wiggled his whiskers as he considered her words. “I don’t much care for the idea of being around some murderous Skinless,” he finally said. “But that little pup over there seems harmless enough. I guess I could come with you. For a little ways. At least until I pick up the trail of my mischief.”
    The cub swallowed the last bite. Tracing a finger along the inside of the package, he drew out the last morsels and licked them off his fingertip with noisy smacks.
    “Then the first thing we have to do,” Casseomae said, “is figure out how to get that cub to come with us.”
    Dumpster scampered around in a circle cheerfully. “I think I know just the trick. Watch.” Dumpster pulled out another package of food. “Give that to the pup.”
    Casseomae picked it up and eased over to the child with a reassuring snort. He looked at the packet in her teeth. When Casseomae dropped it, the child ran forward and grabbed the food.
    “Now just wait,” Dumpster said. “Once the pup finishes, he’ll want the rest. Don’t let him have any.”
    “But he’s hungry,” she said.
    “Of course he is! That’s the point. Pick up the box when he comes for it. You got it?”
    “What do I do then?” Casseomae asked.
    “Start walking.”
    “Where?” she grunted.
    “Scratchin’ mites!” Dumpster squeaked. “Don’t you understand? The pup will want the food. If you carry it away, he’ll follow you. Then we can lead him out of here.”
    The child stuffed the last bite in his mouth and looked around. When his eyes fell on the case of food, he ran toward it.
    “Now!” Dumpster squealed.
    Casseomae lifted the case in her mouth. The childgrabbed at the bottom of the box, but Casseomae jerked it away and growled.
    “There you go,” Dumpster said. “Now walk.”
    Casseomae took a few steps. The child stood with his arms limp at his sides. She snorted, “Come on, then, cub.”
    “He doesn’t understand Vorago,” Dumpster said.
    “I know he doesn’t,” she grunted through her clenched