Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from Tempered Steel: A Romance
A sunny lad in tunic of blue that some one must have chosen to match his eyes came tiptoeing to the shore This is where the voles live, Odo. Maybe we'll see one.
Voles N aught but water-rats! What do I care for them The taller boy stepped forward noisily, rolling back his red sleeves. But this is a good place to sail our boats, for there's no wind here to drive them out of reach.
The blue-eyed lad watched the lone swan glide away. I always sail my boats in the pool beyond the willows, where I can wade beside them. Mother says 'tis too deep here in the moat.
Aylmar's afraid, afraid of being drowned chanted Odo, setting his boat in the water and pushing it along with a stick.
Aylmar ?ushed. He was fair-skinned, and the summer sun had brought freckles but scarce a touch of tan, so the ?ush was plain to see. He looked down into the dusky water. If one was drowned one would lie there at the bottom of the moat with the ooze all smooth and cold between one's toes, and the little fishes would come bumping and nibbling all over one as they bumped and nibbled at one's legs when one was wading. And there might be eels, all slimy, and snakes! Well, maybe I should be afraid to be drowned, he admitted honestly, but so wouldst thou, Odo, when thou wert cold and the eels and snakes were after thee.
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