The Black Room Read Online Free Page A

orange—all heaped together on the floor. They still didn’t know where it came from, but if they didn’t organize it, it would spoil. Some things had to be eaten quickly, but others could be stored and kept for later, when it was too cold to go out hunting.
    Lorn stood in the middle of the chaos, trying to sort and separate. Figuring out how to make sure that nothing was wasted. And all the time people kept asking her questions.
    â€œHow can we keep these off the floor?”
    â€œAre there any more hanging nets?”
    â€œWhere shall we put these grains?”
    Why me? she kept thinking. Why does it have to be me? Couldn’t they puzzle it out for themselves? All they had to do was see the pattern—and that was simple. First you looked at the food and sorted it in your mind. Then you thought about the space, and how things could move and fit together. It was easy.
    But somehow the others couldn’t do it. So she was standing in the center, telling them what to do, and they were going back and forth with armfuls of food, heaping it in the corners or hanging it from the roof in nets. Gradually, bit by bit, the orderly pattern in Lorn’s head was becoming real.
    And then the scratching started again. Scratch. Scra-a-a-atch. Scratch.
    â€œNot more!” Perdew said desperately. “Isn’t this enough for one day?”
    There was a noisy groan from Dess, and Annet wiped a tired hand across her face.
    â€œWe’ll never manage,” Annet said.
    Scratch. Scra-a-a-atch.
    â€œShhh!” Lorn said sharply. “Listen!”
    There was something different about the scratching this time. It was hesitant and erratic, coming toward them very slowly. There was no sign of the knot of branches coming into the cavern. Just the scratching, going on and on and on.
    â€œWhat’s the problem?” Perdew muttered. “Shall I go and pull the branches out myself?”
    No! Lorn shook her head fiercely, flapping her hand to keep him quiet. Couldn’t he hear that this noise was different?
    Scra-a-a-atch. Scra-a-a-atch. Scratch.
    She wasn’t sure what was wrong, but her skin prickled and the hairs stood up on her arms as a wave of cold air flooded into the cavern. The knot of branches had been taken away, and the entrance tunnel was wide open. She felt the temperature drop and saw long shadows leap against the walls as the flames in the brazier bobbed and flickered.
    â€œSomething’s coming!” Bando whispered fearfully. “A monster!” He stepped sideways, moving closer to Lorn.
    â€œShhh!” hissed Perdew. “Keep your mouth shut!”
    Scratch. Scratch. Scra-atch.
    The noise was still jerky, but it was faster this time, working its way steadily toward them. Perdew slid out of the circle and fetched the blades, but before he could hand them around, Annet gave a muffled shriek. She pointed at the entrance.
    â€œLook!”
    A huge, jagged beam of wood came thrusting out of the tunnel, thick as a tree, heavy enough to knock them all off their feet. It swung left and right, almost catching Lorn’s shoulder. Bando grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the way just in time, and the beam scraped past them, gouging a groove in the floor.
    Everyone ran.
    There was no time to think, no time to speak. They had to get out of range as fast as they could. Frantically they crowded toward the brazier at the back of the cavern. And as the great beam swept closer, they squeezed past the brazier, into the dark space behind it. On that side, there were no holes in the metal to let out the light of the fire. But the scorching heat was almost unbearable.
    They huddled together, flattened against the back wall, peering out at the cruel wood. It moved nearer, sweeping left and right and left and right and left—
    Not the brazier! Lorn was screaming silently, inside her head. Not the brazier! Don’t let it hit the brazier! If that went over, there was no hope for