Free Deltora Quest #3: City of the Rats by Emily Rodda

over.
    They were back at Tom’s shop. And marching towards them was a troop of Grey Guards.

T he carts creaked as the drivers climbed from their seats and jumped to the ground. “You are late!” growled the leader of the Grey Guards.
    “It could not be helped,” said one of the Ra-Kacharz calmly. Lief heard a jingling sound, and guessed that the muddlets were being freed from their harness.
    There was the sound of hooves, as though horses were being led towards the carts. The grey horses from the field behind the shop, Lief thought.
    “Good morrow, my lords and my lady Ra-Kacharz!” shouted Tom’s voice. “A fine day!”
    “A fine day to be late!” the Guard grumbled.
    “Leave this to me, my friend,” said Tom heartily. “I will see to the changing of the beasts. Go and finish your ale. It is a long, dry way back to Del.”
    Lief’s heart lurched. He heard Barda and Jasmine draw quick, horrified breaths.
    The food was not to be dumped. The carts were going on to Del!
    Lief lay motionless, his mind whirling. He hardly heard the sounds of the Guards’ feet marching back to the shop. Suddenly, everything had fallen into place. For centuries carts had trundled up the hill to the palace in Del, loaded with luxurious foods. However scarce food was in the city, the favored people of the palace never went hungry.
    No one had ever known where the food came from. But now Lief did.
    The food came from Noradz. The people of Noradz labored to grow and gather food in their fertile fields. The cooks of Noradz worked night and day to produce delicious dishes. But only a little of what they made was enjoyed by their people. The rest was taken all the way to the palace in Del. Once it had kept the kings and queens of Deltora in ignorance of their people’s misery. Now it fed the servants of the Shadow Lord.
    The Ra-Kacharz were traitors to their people. Tom, who had pretended to be against the Shadow Lord, was in fact a friend to the Grey Guards.
    A hot wave of anger flooded Lief. But Barda had his mind on more pressing matters.
    “We must get out of this cart!” he hissed. “Now, while the Guards are gone. Lief, can you see —?”
    “I can see nothing!” Lief whispered back.
    Harness jingled. Kree screeched from somewhere nearby.
    “It is strange. That black bird has followed us all the way from Noradz,” said a Ra-Kachar’s voice.
    “Indeed,” said Tom thoughtfully.
    Lief, Barda, and Jasmine stiffened under their covering of straw. Tom had seen Kree before. Would he guess …?
    Tom cleared his throat. “By the by, I must give you bad news. You will have to return to Noradz on foot. The fresh beasts kept here for your journey home have been stolen — by some crafty travellers.”
    “We know it!” said one of the Ra-Kacharz angrily. “You should have taken more care. We found the beasts trying to get back into their field behind the hill late yesterday. They had bolted for home, and thrown the strangers from their backs outside our front gate.”
    “The strangers brought evil to our halls,” another Ra-Kachar droned. “They escaped death by a breath, and even now lie in our dungeons.”
    “Indeed,” said Tom again, very softly. Then his voice became more cheerful. “There! These poor, tired muddlets are free from their bonds. If you will take them to the field, I will finish harnessing the horses. Then, perhaps, you will share a mug of ale with me before you begin your march.”
    The Ra-Kacharz agreed, and soon Lief, Barda, and Jasmine heard the sound of the muddlets being led away.
    Moments later, Tom spoke again. It seemed he was talking to the horses. “Should anyone wish to leave a cart unobserved, and run to the trees at the side of the shop, this would be the time to do it. Poor Tom is alone here, now.”
    The message was clear. Clumsily, the three companions wriggled out of the straw and ran, feeling stiff and bruised, to the shelter of the trees. Tom did not look up. He just went on harnessing