The Moon of Gomrath Read Online Free

disappointed. The matter was greater than he thought—
    Long ago, one of the old mischiefs of the world had brought fear to the plain, but it had been caught, and imprisoned in a pit at the foot of the Edge. Centuries later, through the foolishness of men, it had escaped, and was taken at heavy cost. Albanac’s news was that man had loosed the evil a second time.
    â€œAnd there was no knowing in the hard, shrivelling world,” said Uthecar, “where we might find the Brollachan again.”
    The Brollachan. “Now the Brollachan,” said Uthecar, “has eyes and a mouth, and it has no speech, and alas no shape.” It was beyond comprehension. Yet the shadow that rose in Susan’s mind as the dwarf spoke seemed to her to darken the cave.
    Shortly after this, Cadellin arrived. His shoulders were bowed, his weight leaning on the staff in his hand. When he saw the children a frown grew in the lines about his eyes.
    â€œColin? Susan? I am glad to see you; but why are you here? Albanac, why have you gone behind me to do this?”
    â€œIt is not quite so, Cadellin,” said Albanac. “But first, what of the lios-alfar?”
    â€œThe elves of Dinsel and Talebolion will be slow to heal,” said Cadellin. “These that have come from Sinadon are stronger, but the smoke-sickness is on them, and some I fear are beyond my hand.
    â€œNow tell me what has brought you here.”
    He spoke to the children.
    â€œWe were – stopped by Atlendor – the elf – and then Uthecar and Albanac came,” said Susan, “and we’ve just heard about the elves.”
    â€œDo you think badly of Atlendor,” said Albanac. “He is hard-pressed. But Susan has given us hope: I have the Mark of Fohla here.”
    Cadellin looked at Susan. “I – am glad,” he said. “It is noble, Susan. But is it wise? Oh, you must think I have the destruction of elves at heart! But the Morrigan—”
    â€œWe have spoken of her,” said Albanac quickly. “The bracelet will not be with me for long, and I do not think that witch-queen will come south yet awhile. She will have to be much stronger before she dare move openly, and she does not feel safe even beyond Minith Bannawg, if Hornskin’s tale speaks true. Why else the shape-shifting among rocks unless she fears pursuit?”
    â€œThat is so,” agreed Cadellin. “I know I am too cautious. Yet still I do not like to see these children brought even to the threshold of danger – no, Susan, do not beangry. It is not your age but your humanity that gives me unrest. It is against my wishes that you are here now.”
    â€œBut
why
?” cried Susan.
    â€œWhy do you think men know us only in legend?” said Cadellin. “We do not have to avoid you for our safety, as elves must, but rather for your own. It has not always been so. Once we were close; but some little time before the elves were driven away, a change came over you. You found the world easier to master by hands alone: things became more than thoughts with you, and you called it an Age of Reason.
    â€œNow with us the opposite holds true, so that in our affairs you are weakest where you should be strong, and there is danger for you not only from evil, but from other matters we touch upon. These may not be evil, but they are wild forces, which could destroy one not well acquainted with such things.
    â€œFor these reasons we withdrew from mankind, and became a memory, and, with the years, a superstition, ghosts and terrors for a winter’s night, and later a mockery and a disbelief.
    â€œThat is why I must appear so hard: do you understand?”
    â€œI – think so,” said Susan. “Most of it, anyway.”
    â€œBut if you cut yourself off all that while ago,” said Colin, “how is it that you talk as we do?”
    â€œBut we do not,” said the wizard. “We use the Common Tongue now because