Free Final Kingdom by Gilbert L. Morris Page A

happen.”
    â€œDo you like horses?” his centaur asked.
    â€œYes, I do. I like ’em better than most people do.”
    The centaur twisted around to look into Reb’s eyes. A smile came to his lips. “I trust that you will always respect centaurs.”
    At a word from Moonwise, the troop broke into a gallop.
    Even Abbey, never an expert horsewoman, apparently found it easy to stay on the back of her centaur. His gallop was smooth, and she had her arms around his powerful waist. He had brown curly hair that flew back into her face. She held on tightly, watching the land fly by.
    The centaurs’ powerful hooves churned up chunks of dirt as they sped across the fields without ceasing. For an hour they did not diminish their speed, yet showed no signs of tiring.
    And then Moonwise cried out, “There is our city!”
    It was a strange city that the Sleepers saw, for there were no tall buildings. Evidently the centaurs’ dwellings consisted of open space and large sheds. It was possible to get out of the weather, but there were no walls to enclose them.
    â€œThere is our leader,” Moonwise called. Then he raised his voice. “Hail, Aramore. We bear a party from Goél.”
    Aramore’s body was pure white. His hair was white to match. He had sky-blue eyes, and there were enormous dignity and power in his face. His voice was deep as he said, “Welcome to the Land of the Centaurs.” Then his eyes searched the new arrivals. “I see you are tired from your journey. We must care for our visitors.” He called out, and several female centaurs came forward.
    â€œThese will see to your comfort. Afterward we will have a council.”
    What followed was rather amazing. The Sleepers, Glori, and Beorn all slid to the ground, and the mare centaurs took them to one of the sheds. There a table was set, and one of their hostesses, a delicate-looking mare with the beautifully formed upper body of a woman, said, “We have plenty. You will eat, and then you must rest.”
    The banquet that followed was different—very different! The food was placed on tables almost as high as their heads. Evidently centaurs ate standing up. That may have been handy for them, but it was hard for the Sleepers and especially for Beorn. His head barely reached the top of the table.
    Finally he grunted, “This is no way for a dwarf to eat.” With a sudden motion he swung himself up onto the tabletop and sat cross-legged. “Now,” he said grimly, “we can have our meal.”
    This brought a laugh from the others. It was the first time that any of them had laughed since losing Wash.
    The food turned out to be delicious, consisting of vegetables and fruits. There was no meat on the table,and Dave said, “I guess centaurs are vegetarians.” He looked at some centaurs trotting by and added, “They must have to eat a lot. Enough for a horse
and
a man.”
    They were later to find out that this was indeed true. The normal centaur banquet took several hours, for they ate slowly, chewing thoroughly, and as much as half of their day was spent just eating.
    After the meal, Aramore himself came by. “I have come to look at your wounds, and then you will rest.”
    â€œI did the best I could, Chief Aramore,” Abbey said, “but some of the injuries are old and haven’t healed properly.”
    Aramore first looked at Sarah’s swollen leg. He barked a command, and soon one of the female centaurs brought some leaves that had been steeped in boiling water. Aramore bound the leaves over the raw cut and said, “Now, my daughter, smell the fragrance of these.”
    Sarah put her nose over the steaming pot and breathed deeply. The smell was delightful, something like peppermint, and it seemed to go farther than her lungs. It spread throughout her body, filling her with a delightful sensation of rest and ease.
    â€œI want you to rest, and this will