Free Vipero the Snake Man by Adam Blade Page B

shouldn’t take Storm and Silver into the desert with us,” Tom said to Elenna. “The heat will be worse there.”
    Elenna hesitated. “That’s true; they’ll find it hard to cope. But we can’t just leave them!”
    “I know. We’ll have to find someone to look after them.”
    Storm shook his head and let out a whinny of protest while Silver raised his muzzle to the sky in a loud howl.
    Tom had to smile in spite of his worry. “They don’t want to stay behind.”
    “No, but you’re right, Tom.” Elenna sounded sad but determined. “We’ll look for a safe place for them before we get to the desert.”
    Dust stung Tom’s eyes as he peered ahead. They were drawing near to the edge of the desert; on the horizon the sky shimmered with heat. Then he spotted something rising up out of the plain. At first he thought it was an outcrop of rocks. Then he realized that its edges were too straight to be natural. He drew the golden helmet out of the saddlebag and put it on. As he did so, everything became clearer and he realized he was looking at a huddle of houses.
    “Look! There’s a town,” he said to Elenna, pointing.
    Elenna let out a sigh. “Shelter at last! I’ve never been so hot in my whole life.”
    Tom closed his eyes briefly, dreaming of shade and a long drink of cool water. “Let’s head for it. Maybe the people there can help us.” Carefully he took off the helmet and put it back in the saddlebag.
    “They might even look after Storm and Silver,” Elenna suggested.
    “And maybe they can tell us something about the Beast,” Tom added quietly as he turned Storm’s head toward the distant buildings.

C HAPTER T WO

T HIRST
    S TORM’s HOOVES ECHOED ON THE COBBLES AS Tom and Elenna rode into the little town. A hot breeze whirled sand down the street. The buildings were made from blocks of reddish stone, as if the town had grown up out of the desert. Every door was closed and the shutters were fastened across the windows.
    The street came to an end in a deserted marketplace. Tattered canvas awnings flapped on the abandoned stalls. A few dried cabbage leaves were blowing about in the breeze.
    Even in the heat, Tom felt a chill of apprehension. Something wasn’t right….
    “The whole town’s deserted,” Elenna said, gripping Tom’s waist. “Where is everybody?”
    “I don’t know.” Tom turned in the saddle to take in all the houses that surrounded the square. “Do you think Malvel’s Beast could have driven everyone away?”
    He climbed off Storm, his limbs stiff and aching from the long ride. Elenna slid down after him. “We ought to look for water,” she said. “Storm and Silver need to drink, and we’ll have to take water into the desert with us.”
    Tom pointed to a stone trough at one side of the marketplace. It was shaded by a gnarled, leafless tree. “That must be where the townspeople water their animals.”
    He led Storm over. Silver trotted ahead and let out a disappointed whine as he looked over the edge of the trough. It was completely dry. The sides were furred with green and there were a few scraps of trash in the bottom.
    “There’s no water at all!” Elenna said.
    Before Tom could reply he heard the sound of a door opening. A voice called, “Hey! You there!”
    Tom turned. A woman was poking her head out of an open door. She wore a loose brown robe and a brown cloth wound around her head, so he could only see her eyes and nose.
    “Are you mad, standing out there in the heat?” she asked. “It’ll kill you if you don’t get inside.” She held the door open wider and beckoned. “Come on.”
    Tom led Storm into the little shade cast by the tree, and looped his reins around a branch. Silver slipped underneath the stallion’s body and collapsed on the ground, his jaws gaping as he panted.
    Elenna bent down to pat his head. “We won’t be long, boy,” she promised.
    Tom and Elenna approached the woman in the doorway.
    “Do you know where we can get water?” Tom