Jean Lorrah - Sorcerers of the Frozen Isles

Melissa turned. “Torio? You never told me you had a brother.”

“He died,” Torio replied. “I hardly remember him-we were just little boys-I couldn’t have been more than four years old. Before any of my Reading powers began to develop.”

“But you had power, Torio,” said Maldek. “You were blind-and so your mother set you over your brother, even though he was older. He had to obey your every whim, remember?”

“No,” Torio said truthfully, “I don’t remember. I can hardly recall anything before Master Lenardo discovered that I was a Reader and took me to the Academy at Adigia.”

“Then remember nowl” said Maldek-and suddenly Torio and all the other Readers there were enveloped helplessly in nightmare.

It was his dream!

The moment it began he recognized it, although every time he woke from it he found it gone beyond recall.

He was a child, small and helpless in a world where everyone else strode freely, but he had to feel his way unless someone led him by the hand.

Having never seen, he did not understand the power sighted people had-only that he bumped into things other people miraculously knew were there, and that he could not find his way outside the small apartment where he lived with his father, mother, and brother Detrus.

Only in their home was his world safe and warm; there he was held and fed and loved. But Detrus had to take care of him when both their parents were working-and Detrus would rather play with the other boys than nursemaid his blind brother. ‘

One day Detrus took him outside and left him sitting against a wall while he played with the other boys.

Out of nothingness came the sound of footsteps- but not human steps. Something with claws clicking on the cobbles!

He smelled a strange odor-it came closer and he shrank back against the wall. Icy wetness nudged his neck-a slavering beast began licking his face-

He screamed!

The thing barked, hot breath with the odor of garbage in his face-

And his brother and his friends came running- not to rescue him, but to howl with laughter!

That evening, clutching his mother as if he would never let go, Torio begged, “Don’ lee me with Detrus no more, Mama! It was a monster! It wanted to eat me up!”

“It was just a dogl” Detrus explained. “It wouldn’t of hurt Torio-just washed his face for him.” He laughed.

But it wasn’t funny to their mother.

“Torio can’t help being blind,” she reminded Detrus. “You know your father and I both have to work.

You have to take care of your brother-an’ no more leaving him alone, in the house or outside!”

“But Mama-” Detrus protested.

“No!” she told him. “You stay inside and play Torio’s games! You feed him when he’s hungry. If he wants to go outside, you hold him by the hand, and take him where he wants to go. And Torio-if Detrus ever scares you again, you let me know!”

For the first time in his life, a feeling of power surged through Torio.

Then it was another afternoon, after lunch. He made Detrus play the word-guessing game he hated because Torio, although two years younger, was better at it than he was. But “I’ll tell Mama” was all Torio had to threaten to get what he wanted.

“That’s a dumb game!” said Detrus after Torio won another round. “Words are for girls and blind kids.

You can’t do nothin’ fun, Torio.”

“What do you wanna do?” Torio asked, feeling magnanimous. “We could sing songs.”

“That’s for little kids!”

“You could tell me a story.”

“I don’t know any stories.”

“Yes you do. Tell me about the wild boy raised by the wolves.” In Torio’s mind, a wolf must be much like the dog that had come out of nowhere and terrified him.

But he knew it was a favorite story with Detrus, who had actually seen the wild boy in a cage when the carnival came through their town last summer. In fact, Detrus had been talking about the wild boy recently because they had heard that the carnival was in one of the nearby towns, and might be coming back to their town soon.

Detrus told the story, getting into the spirit as he described the boy’s shaggy hair and long, sharp teeth, growling in imitation of the way he had growled at the crowd.

“And then, when fat Orfio got real close and tried to touch him,” Detrus ended in a fit of giggles, “he lifted his leg just like a dog and peed right out of the cage on him!”

Torio giggled, too, in boyish comradeship at sharing a story their mother would never have approved of.

Just then running footsteps pounded down the street outside. “Carnival’s coming! Carnival’s coming!”

shouted boys’ voices.

Someone hammered on the door. “Detrus! Hey- Detrus! Come on! Let’s see if they’ve still got the wild boy!”

Torio recognized Orfio’s voice. “Come on , Detrus! We’re gonna miss it! I’m gonna get that wild boy-I got a good sharp stick to jab ‘im with!”

“Torio-you stay here,” ordered Detrus. “I’m only gonna go an’ see the wild boy, and then I’ll be right back-all right?”

“No!” said Torio. “No, Detrus! Mama said you gotta stay here with me!”

“Not on carnival day! Torio-you don’t tell her, and I’ll bring you a sugar sop.”

“Where you gonna get a sugar sop?” demanded Torio. “You’re lying, Detrus! I’ll tell Mama!” 2 “I’ll pinch you!” Detrus said angrily, suiting action to words.

¦ “I’ll tell Mama!” Torio screamed the louder. “I’ll put you outside where the dogs’ll eat you up!” Detrus threatened.

“An’ Mama’U punish you!” Torio retorted, “feeling his power in the fact that Detrus remained there arguing instead of just running off.

That fact gave him courage.

“Take me along.”

“I can’t do that! You’d get lost.”

“Not if you hold my hand like Mama said. I wanna go to the carnival, Detrus. You take me!” said Torio, stomping his foot for emphasis.

By the time they were at the end of their street, Torio regretted his hasty decision.

They got into a jostling crowd, and Torio was lost already. If Detrus let go of his hand, he’d never find his way home!

He stopped, digging in his heels. “Detrus, I wanna go home!”

“No! You wanted to come along, now you come!” said Detrus. “Hurry up , Torio! We’ll miss the parade!”

Detrus gave a jerk to Torio’s hand, and the blind boy stumbled after him, terror building. Up ahead there were rumbling noises, and roars and growls along with the stink of wild beasts-real wild beasts, not neighborhood dogs and cats!

“I wanna go home!” Torio screamed the louder, but Detrus dragged him along, in among packed bodies, bumping into people, worming their way through to where Detrus could see the passing wagons.

“There’s the wild boy!” Detrus shouted. “Come on, Torio-Orfio’s tryin’ a catch up-I wanna see if he sticks him!”

“I wanna go home!” Torio cried again as Detrus hauled him along. Suddenly he dug in his heels, grabbed Detrus’ hand in both of his, and swung his brother away from the direction he was headed. “You gotta do what / want, Detrus! I wanna go homel”

Torio knew nothing of where they were except that they had broken through the crowd that he could still hear, and all around them were loud rumbles of heavy animal wagons with their growling beasts and sharp ammonia stinks.

He swung Detrus in the direction he thought they had come from.

Detrus stumbled-and his hand slipped out of Torio’s!

“Detrus!” Torio screamed. Other voices in the crowd began to scream. “Look out!”

“Watch out for the boys!” Horses neighed in terror. Fear stench rose all around. The rumble grew louder, shaking the ground as Torio groped wildly for Detrus- Heard his brother’s scream- Heard horses scream again- Heard people screaming all around- Smelled-blood!