King of the Wind

Aladdin Paperbacks

Excerpt

That same fair summer's day, Sham was lying in his stall at the Red Lion. He nolonger needed to be shackled. No one feared him anymore. He was too weak to kickand charge.

For weeks he had lived in a kind of daze, willing to lie on his bed of straw andlet the world go on about him. Over the half door of his stall he could hear therattle of pewter cups in the inn and listen to the comings and goings of horsesand journeymen. He caught the mingled smell of dust and sweat when the horsescame in. He caught the rain smells and heard the first drops beat out a mournfulmedley on the roof over his head. He snuffed the winds. But he was no longer apart of the smells and the sounds.

Mister Williams shook his head sadly every time he passed Sham's stall. "Thatthere 'orse, 'e's got a gnawin' pull inside 'im. 'E's missin' that boy."

On this summer's afternoon the sound made by Mistress Williams banging her potsand pans was suddenly muffled by the thunder of hooves and the rumble of wheels.

Lying half-awake, half-asleep, Sham heard the other horses in their stalls neigha greeting to the newcomers. He heard the high, scrabbling voice of MistressWilliams. Then a silence broken by many footsteps and the low laughter of agentle woman.

The next thing he knew the door of his stall was thrown open, a feather-lightcreature was by his side, and a boy's slim brown fingers were stroking his neck.

Sham touched Agba's cheek with his feelers, as if to make sure of him. Then anexcited whicker escaped him. He lipped the boy. He swiped his cheek with a greatpink tongue. He tasted the warm, salty tears. Then he neighed his happiness tothe whole wide world.

Thrusting his forefeet in front of him, he struggled to his feet. Lying down wasno way to greet friends! He shuddered the straw from his coat as if to apologizefor his lack of grooming.

A change came over him. He snorted at the half-circle of people about him, atthe handsome gentleman in wine-colored velvet, at the lady in silk and goldlace, at the innkeeper and his wife standing at a respectful distance.

His eyes came back to Agba. "Let us be off!" he seemed to say. "Somewhere.Anywhere!"

The Earl of Godolphin laughed in agreement. Then he exchanged a few quiet wordswith Mister Williams and the arrangements to buy Sham were quickly made. In notime at all Agba and Grimalkin were mounted on Sham, while a gathering of allthe chance droppers-in at the Red Lion gawped curiously at the coach-and-six,and at the hooded boy and the tiger cat who sat a well-mannered bay horse.

Mister Williams' eyebrows were traveling up and down at a great rate. "Split mywindpipe!" he said to a journeyman who had once been tossed off by Sham, "ithain't the same beast, I tell ye! 'E hain't stubborn nor vicious at all. 'E andthe boy are all of one color, and all of one mind. They can't wait to go! D'youknow," he exclaimed, slapping the man on the back, "that 'orse-'e's gotbrains!"

The Earl leaned his head out of the coach window. "We will lead the way up toGog Magog," he called to Agba. "Our pace will be slow to accommodate theweakened condition of your mount." And he smiled a little smile ofencouragement.

If the road to the hills of Gog Magog had been the road to the garden of heaven,the three silent creatures could not have been happier. It seemed as if thegreen meadows and the woodlands and clear streams had been created for themalone. The sun warmed their backs. The wind blew for their pleasure. They suckedit deep into their lungs. It washed them free.

Agba was almost sorry when the driver of the coach pulled to a stop before agate surmounted by the crest of a dolphin. He wished the ride could go onforever.

The Duchess, however, seemed glad the journey was over.

"I declare, my lad," she sighed, leaning her head wearily against the gildedframe of the coach window, " you and your mount and your kitling appear fresherthan when you started."

Now the gate was opened by two men in livery, and the coach-and-six led the wayover a bridge and up a gentle hill between yews and hawthorn trees to thestables of the Earl of Godolphin.

Agba could not believe his eyes. It was the stable, not the house, that crownedthe hill, and there was a stream encircling the hill where mares and their foalswere drinking. He jumped to his bare feet. The turf was soft and springy. Thegreen grass tickled up between his toes. He touched Sham's white spot with histoe. The white spot! The white spot! Here, at last, Sham could fulfill thepromise it held.

Grimalkin, who had settled into the saddle in great dignity, now cuffed Agbawith his paw, as much as to say, " Mind your manners, the Earl is headed thisway."

Agba stood at attention, but he could not keep his shining eyes from gatheringin the whole scene: the long range of box stalls opened to the south sun, theshady paddock, the park for a training ground. Why, there were no wallsanywhere! Only green hedges afar off, where the meadows came to an end. And rowsof elm trees brushing the clouds. And willows trailing their fingers in thestream.

An exercise boy came into the yard with a string of running horses. Theirhaunches gleamed in the sun.

Agba drew a quick breath. Soon Sham's coat would be sleek and shining, too. SoonSham would be the wind beneath the sun. Soon he would be showing his gratitudeto the Earl — winning races, bringing honor to Gog Magog.

Agba's thoughts were cut short. A spidery man with a waggish air about him waspresenting himself to the Earl of Godolphin.

"A very g-g-good morning, your lordship," he stuttered. And as he bowed he tookan appraising look at the underfed horse, the strangely dressed boy, and thetiger cat sitting the horse with a superior grin.

The Earl of Godolphin followed his glance.

"Twickerham," he said, " I have brought you a new horse-boy, and this is hislittle bay stallion. Ill luck has dogged their footsteps. They have traveled ahard road and a long one. From henceforward they will be in your charge."

For only an instant a cloud darkened the groom's face. "Very g-good, yourlordship," he said.

The Earl dismissed the coach and turned to Agba. "I once read a novel laid inMorocco," he said. "The characters had curious names, curious to me, of course.There was El Hayanie and Hamed 0 Bryhim and one was Agba. Since I have to callyou by some name I shall choose the shortest one: Agba. I desire you to give meyour opinion of this name by the strength of your handclasp."

With his head groom standing by in open-mouthed amazement, the Earl ofGodolphin, son of the Lord Treasurer of England, held out his hand to Agba. Thesmall brown hand and the long-fingered white one met, and there was such awringing clasp between them that the Earl's face broke into a great smile. Agbasmiled, too. If only the Earl knew! He had chosen the name that was already theboy's own.

"Agba," he said, "you will be in the care of my head groom, Mister TitusTwickerham. He is breeder and trainer for the Gog Magog stables. I hope and praythat you will be happy."

Agba bowed first to the Earl and then to the groom, blinking hard to keep awaythe tears of happiness.

The Earl of Godolphin now cleared his throat and fingered his neck cloth atrifle uneasily. "Twickerham," he hesitated, "what think you of the merits ofthe stallion?"

The groom searched the Earl's face, trying to read his feelings there. Seeingonly an open countenance, he rocked back and forth on his heels in importance.Then he approached Sham's head. Instantly Sham nosed the sky. Mister Twickerhamreached for the bridle. He tried to force Sham's head down, but it was only withAgba's help that he could look into the horse's mouth. He tried to lift a hoof,but Sham's legs were pillars driven into the earth. Yet with only a feathertouch, Agba lifted a foot as easily as if it were Grimalkin's paw.

Red of face, Titus Twickerham stepped back. He measured the horse with his eyes.From withers to hoof. From withers to tail. Again and again he measured. Henoted the scars on the horse's knees. Then he pursed his lips.

"Your I-lordship," he began, "this-here beast would be the laughing stock at therace-c-c-course. He's not lusty enough to endure the distances. With the b-bestcare in the kingdom he'd still be a broken-kneed cob. And!" here MisterTwickerham pointed a thin forefinger, while his face gave out the faintestsuggestion of a sneer, "If your lordship will k-kindly note the height of thecrest, he will see 'tis almost a deformity.

"To my mind," he concluded, enjoying the importance of the moment, "this ain't arunning horse, and d-d-don't let nobody tell your lordship that he'd make a goodsire, either. Colts with him for a father would be violent tempered and weedy asc-c-cattails."

The Earl of Godolphin did not change expression. For long seconds he stoodperfectly still. "If this be true," he said at last, "feed him until he loseshis gaunt look. Then we'll see what's to be done with him. Perhaps he can workthe machine that pumps water into the fish pond."

Agba looked at the Earl aghast. Was Sham, the pride of the Sultan's royalstables, never to have a chance to prove himself? Was he always to be a workhorse?

Continues...
Excerpted from King of the Windby Marguerite Henry Copyright © 2006 by Marguerite Henry. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.