T
Literature
The Crystal Serpent, Chapter Three Chapter Three: To Eavesdrop from a Pantry
“Up, at once, boys! Time to be moving.”
Robin was roused from sleep by the voice of the chief cook. He rolled over on his side, on his bed of dirty straw, and looked around him sleepily. The servants’ loft was cold and dark as always. No sunlight yet shone through its one window. Several of the other servant-boys had begun to stir, yawning, rubbing their eyes.
“Up, for the last time! We’ve much work before us, as always. There’s no use for a lot of laggards, d’you hear?” Ivar began to beat his iron ladle on a doorpost—noisily enough to wake the dead if any were around, Robin thought with a bitter amusement.
“Ought to let us sleep till cockcrow, at least,” he heard Petter mutter, near him. “The fifth bell hasn’t even rung yet.”
Robin pushed his flee- and moth-eaten blanket aside and stood quickly up, slipping into his leather shoes. For a moment he fingered the bronze star which lay on a tiny chain around his neck. His mother had given it
