Free Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George Page B

impatient.
    “No, that thing in your hand. It looks like a dead squirrel,” he said with revulsion.
    “Oh, it’s a … toy squirrel,” Celie told him. She put it behind her back before Rufus started whining. “Rufus is afraid of it, for some reason.”
    “Oh.” Pogue sagged against the door that led to the stairs. “Now, please tell me: How long have you had a griffin, and why isn’t everyone talking about it?”
    “No one knows except Bran,” Celie said. “And you have to swear that you won’t tell anyone, either.” She looked him in the eyes. “Promise me, Pogue. You have to help me protect him.”
    “But Bran knows?”
    “Bran knows.”
    “All right, I promise,” he said. “But … you hatched it? Did you … sit on the nest?”
    Celie sighed. She picked up Rufus’s ball and began to toss it for him again while she related the story of finding the egg. Pogue listened with his mouth slightly open, andwhen she was done, he sank down on his haunches. He held out a hand to Rufus, who crept forward and nibbled at his fingers playfully.
    “A griffin,” Pogue said in awe. “A real, living griffin.”
    Rufus bit him.
    “Ouch! Nasty little—”
    “Rufus! Don’t make me get Flat Squirrel!”
    Rufus decided to ignore Pogue and went to the far side of the tower to see if there was anything interesting in his food bowl. Celie bent down and picked up one of the books that Pogue had dropped.
    “What is this?” It looked like a bestiary, a description of animals from all over Sleyne.
    “Bran asked me to bring you these,” Pogue said. “I didn’t understand why, before. He told me to tell you to look for anything about ‘our friend’s family’ in them.” He pointed at the griffin, who was now drinking noisily, splashing water everywhere. “I still can’t believe you have a griffin in your bedroom. Well … in your tower.” He looked around. “Actually, I didn’t know you had a tower of your own. I don’t remember seeing this one before. Wouldn’t it be right above the main hall?”
    “I don’t think you can see it from the outside,” Celie said, though it dawned on her that she hadn’t tried to look. “You shouldn’t have been able to come into my room, either. Bran put a spell on the door to turn people away.”
    “Huh. Maybe it didn’t work because Bran is the one who sent me.”
    “I suppose,” Celie said. “Or maybe the Castle is okay with people finding out about Rufus now.”
    She looked around hopefully. The door at the top of the stairs swung shut, and she sighed.
    “I guess not.”
    Pogue looked alarmed. “Did the Castle just slam that door?”
    “Yes,” Celie grumped. “It gets upset if I even hint about telling someone.”
    “I’ve never actually seen the Castle do something …” Pogue’s voice trailed away. “Well, I suppose, with Khelsh and all that. But I have never seen it make something move .” He was now looking at the door with the same fixation that he’d given Rufus.
    “It’s been very loud about what it wants and doesn’t want me to do with Rufus,” Celie said absently.
    She had picked up the other books. In addition to the bestiary, there was a book of poetry and one of history. She remembered the poet that Wizard Arkwright had mentioned the night before, but couldn’t think of the name. It had been a foreign name, certainly not one from Sleyne.
    “Pogue, what do you think of Wizard Arkwright?” Celie asked.
    “He’s clearly very skilled, and very respected,” Pogue said, but he was scowling despite his diplomatic tone.
    “You don’t like him, either?”
    “No,” Pogue said, shaking his head. “No, I don’t. He’snot here to help Bran, he’s here to check up on him, and I don’t know if the Council of Wizards knows it.”
    “Why would he want to check up on Bran, then?” Celie was mystified. “Bran hasn’t done anything wrong. He hasn’t even been Royal Wizard long enough to do … anything.”
    She felt disloyal saying it,