Read The Runes of the Earth: The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant - Book One for Free Online Page B

reached Joan?
    How could Joan have known anything?
    â€œI’ve been good,” Joan responded, pleading. “I have.” Her damaged voice seemed to flinch and cower at his feet. “See?”
    Dropping her arm from his neck, she flung her fist at her bruised temple. Fresh blood smeared her knuckles as she lowered her arm.
    â€œI’ve been good,” she begged. “Make it stop. I can’t bear it.”
    â€œNonsense, Mother,” Roger snorted. “Of course you can bear it. That’s what you do.”
    But then, apparently, he took pity on her, and his manner softened. “It won’t be much longer. I have some things to do. Then I’ll make it stop. We’ll make it stop together.”
    Releasing her cheeks, he rose to his feet, turned toward Linden.
    As soon as he left the bed, Joan began to scream—a frail, rending sound that seemed to rip from her throat like fabric tearing across jagged glass. As if in sympathy, the pulse monitor emitted a shrill call.
    â€œYou see, Dr. Avery?” he remarked through his mother’s cries. “You really have no choice. You have to let her go with me.
    â€œThe sooner you release her, the sooner I can free her from all this.”
    Over my dead body, Linden told his ambiguous smile and his bland eyes. Over my dead body.

2.
    Â â€œOutside,” Linden ordered him aloud. “Now.”
    She was fortunate that he complied at once. If he had resisted, she might have hit him, trying to strike the certainty from his face.
    As soon as she had closed Joan’s door behind her, she wheeled on him. “You knew that would happen.”
    Joan’s screaming echoed in the corridor, reflected by the white tile floor, the unadorned walls. Her monitor carried its alarm to the nurses’ station.
    He shrugged, untouched by Linden’s anger. “I’m her son. She raised me.”
    â€œThat’s no answer,” she retorted.
    Before she could go on, a woman’s voice called out, “Dr. Avery? What’s wrong?”
    A nurse came hurrying along the hall: Amy Clint. Her young, diligent face was wide with surprise and concern.
    Roger Covenant smiled blandly at Amy. “Give her a taste of that blood,” he suggested as though he had the right to say such things. “It’ll quiet her down.”
    Amy stopped. She stared in dismay at Linden.
    â€œMs. Clint”—Linden summoned her authority to counteract Amy’s shock—“this is Roger Covenant. He’s Joan’s son. Seeing him has upset her.”
    â€œShe’s never—” For a moment, the nurse fumbled to control her reaction. Then she said, more steadily, “I’ve never heard her scream like that.” Joan’s wailing ached in the air. “What should I do?”
    Linden took a deep breath, mustered her outrage. “Do what he says. Let her taste her blood.” To ease Amy’s consternation, she added, “I’ll explain later.
    â€œNow,” she insisted when the nurse hesitated.
    â€œRight away, Doctor.” With distress in her eyes, Amy entered Joan’s room, shut the door.
    At once, Linden confronted Roger again. “You didn’t answer my question.”
    Still smiling as though his mother’s screams had no effect on him, he held up his hand, asking Linden to wait.
    Moments after Amy had entered the room, Joan suddenly fell silent. The abrupt end of her cries throbbed in the hallway like an aftershock.
    â€œYou see, Dr. Avery?” replied Roger. “I’m really the only one who can take care of her. No one else is qualified.” Before Linden could protest, he added, “I knew what would happen because I’m her son. I know exactly what’s wrong with her. I know how to treat it.
    â€œYou can’t justify keeping her now.”
    â€œYou’re wrong.” Linden kept her voice down. “I can’t justify releasing her. What you just did