Lyne had gone up before them and was squatting there, bow across his knees, gazing outward. Farther in, Fern had lain Swab down on the flattest place she could find and was trying once again to satisfy her thirst. Querc was tearing about the place full of nervous energy. It was obvious that something had upset her, so Prim got her to stop moving by firmly embracing her and hanging on for a spell.

“I came up to get something for Pick, and he was just there, looking at the sample case.”

“The Beedle?”

“Yes. All I could think of was my family, and all the Beedle fights they used to talk about. I tried for the longest time to scream for help, but I was just frozen—he hadn’t seen me yet. Then he noticed me, and took a step in my direction, and I pulled this out.” She patted the hilt of a long knife sheathed at her hip. “That made him pause for a minute. If he’d come after me I don’t know what I’d have done. But then Mard came running in. He stopped at the edge of the dark and drew his sword. That spooked the Beedle. He drew out his sword and ran at Mard. Mard backed out into the light and they fought each other.”

Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Pick, as the sole member of the Quest who did not seem injured, shocked, or distracted, had taken it upon himself to come up with a plan. They all collected near where Swab lay so that they could talk about it. Everything about the manner in which Pick spoke of this plan seemed to indicate that he thought highly of it, “given the circumstances.” But no one could understand what he was proposing.

“Given the circumstances,” Lyne repeated. “Given the circumstances. We are trapped in a waterless, foodless hellhole at the arse end of the world, being hunted by Beedles, and there is no one to help us. So, what you’re saying is that, given those circumstances, this is a better plan than just dying of thirst or being murdered.”

“If you have some other suggestion,” said Corvus, “now’s the time to pipe up.”

After some moments went by without anyone’s piping up, Corvus said, “Right! Settled.”