Blaze (The High-Born Epic) Read Online Free Page A

hydrogen-powered vehicles.
                  He squinted as he examined the guests more closely.  Some of them were gathering around the pool while others stood on the balcony pointing at different things.  It looked like some of them were pointing out things in the High-Born city.  Several of them occasionally pointed at Harold’s village, and then turned their attention elsewhere.  He noticed that they all began looking towards the south, and it took him a moment, but he saw that they were all looking at an incoming air-taxi. 
                  Harold looked closer.
                  It was not an air-taxi; it was a High-Born military gunship.
                  Scape made a whimpering sound and lay down, using his strange ears to cover his eyes.  Then he placed his paws over his ears.
                  “Feeding time,” Harold said to himself as he turned his attention to the man-made island in the center of the pond.
                  Apparently, the snake knew it too.  He saw it slithering vigorously around on the island with its head up high, watching the inbound gunship.
                  Harold didn’t really want to watch, but he could not help himself.  The bottom of the gunship opened and what appeared to be a sheep fell into the water.  Harold looked back at the island, but the snake had disappeared.  In just a few moments, he saw the sheep thrashing wildly.  The snake had wrapped around it, but only once.  It was holding the sheep in the center of its own body at about an equal distance from head to tail.  It seemed that its victim would stay held taut while it swam.  Harold noticed that it seemed to hold its food slightly above the water, and the snake made a significant wake when it moved, so he thought it was very fast.
                  The pytheel slithered up onto its island, and Harold noticed that the crowd of High-Born that had gathered were clapping and cheering at the disturbing spectacle.  It began wrapping itself around its victim rapidly.  In a moment, he couldn’t see any of the sheep, just a coiled mass of snake around where the sheep actually was.  Harold turned his head, and was thankful he had finished washing.  He glanced at Scape who was still hiding his eyes; Harold did not watch anymore and quickly walked to the house. 
                  He decided he wasn’t going to talk about it with the family.
                  He shook his head as he opened the door, clearing the image from his mind.  He breathed deeply, smelling the air.  He sat down and watched Aunt Nean put the steaming pot of turnips on the table.  Cooper and Ollie were already sitting, forks at the ready with eager eyes.  Then she grabbed the baker of cornbread on the stove, and placed it beside the pot.  She spooned out the portions herself, giving Harold the most; Cooper’s was not as large as Harold’s, Ollie’s was not as large as Cooper’s share, and Aunt Nean gave herself the least.  Everyone got their own piece of cornbread though.
                  “I know all of you are hungry, but remember to eat slowly,” Aunt Nean said.  “You will feel more satisfied.”
                  “After I finish the field tomorrow,” Harold said. “I think I’ll take Cooper and Ollie to the river to play, Aunt Nean.  I’ll start on Jim’s field the day after.”
                  “You’ll take them to play?” Aunt Nean smiled as she raised an eyebrow.
                  Harold just smiled.
                  “Can Scott come too?” Cooper smacked.
                  “Can Sarah come?” Ollie asked, chewed cornbread visible for all to see.  “I like her, she’s nice.”
                  “Well,” Aunt Nean said.  “I ought not to let the two of you go.  If you eat with such terrible manners in front of me, how do you