T
Literature
The Crystal Serpent
Chapter Three: To Eavesdrop from a Pantry
“Up at once, boys! Time to be moving.”
Robin woke to the sound of the chief cook’s voice calling out from the doorway. He rolled over on his bed of dirty straw, and looked around him. The servants’ loft was cold and dark as always; not a glimmer of sunlight yet shone through its one narrow 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, ’same as always. I’ve no use for a lot of laggards, do you hear?” Ivar began to beat his iron ladle on a doorpost–loudly enough to wake the dead if any were around, Robin thought with bitter amusement.
“Ought to let us sleep till cockcrow, at least,” he heard Petter mutter to someone near him. “The fifth bell hasn’t even rung yet.”
Robin pushed his heavy blanket aside and stood up, forcing his feet into his leather shoes. For a few seconds he fingered the wooden star which lay on a little chain around his neck. His
