The Mad Giant (Shioni of Sheba Book 3) Read Online Free Page B

‘Key to the Caves’. Why would you chisel that in stone?”
    “Maybe because it’s not that obvious,” grunted Talaku. “Go on, titch, why don’t you walk over the bridge and see what you can find out? You’re not going to set anything off.”
    “Titch?”
    Her indignant squawk made the giant chuckle knowingly, as if he were a father indulging a small child. “Fine. Pretty titch, will you pretty please move your pretty self–”
    “Ha! You overstuffed, unschooled barbarian! All muscle and no brains. Just you come down here and say that to my face!”
    “Couldn’t if I tried.”
    But Talaku was addressing the wings on Azurelle’s back as she flounced off towards the bridge. Coming from someone only four inches tall, her exit was a masterpiece of stomping exasperation–but Shioni thought it made her look cute. She smothered a chuckle. No point in provoking the Fiuri any more than necessary!
    S ooner than she had expected, Zi’s voice floated back to them. “It’s complete gibberish, my fine friends,” she called. “I’ll bet the nectar of a thousand flowers it’s a code.”
    “Ha!” said Talaku. “Did you check all three sides?”
    “What kind of an idiot do you take me for?” screeched the Fiuri. “Of course I did!”
    Talaku waggled a bushy eyebrow at Shioni. “Of course.”
    “There’s two levers here! What do you think they do?”
    “They probably set or disarm a couple of traps,” hazarded the giant. “Hmm–I suppose I could jump that ravine. What do you think?”
    “I think we should get Annakiya and Shuba here to take a look,” said Shioni. “Maybe they could figure out what’s on that stele. And the chief engineer–don’t step on the bridge! Talaku! Are you asking for trouble?”
    Talaku tapped the stones with the sole of his leather sandal. “What do you think’s going to happen?” A second later, the giant had his answer. “Ouch...”
    Shioni folded her arms and tapped her foot. Pointedly.
    “Okay, that didn’t do much to prove that being big doesn’t equal being thick between the ears, did it?” And he beamed at her, which was amazing given a flying spear had just pierced right through the calf muscle of his left leg. “Are you okay? You weren’t hit?”
    “Oh, I’m fine, no thanks to you!”
    Talaku was examining the spear. “At least they didn’t poison these.”
    Shioni let her breath out in a sigh and stepped over another spear, which had narrowly missed her ribs. “First your stupid race, now you go setting off traps deliberately? We’re lucky to be alive.”
    Azurelle had come rushing over the bridge at the sound of twanging and the swish of a dozen or so large spears hurtling through the air. She told Talaku more succinctly and a lot more rudely than Shioni, exactly what she thought of his behaviour.
    The giant had the grace to look chastised. But only a little.
    “Fine,” he muttered. “I’ll guard the cave, if you go tell General Getu.”
    “Tell him which bit of this hyena’s breakfast, exactly?” shrilled Azurelle. “Your stupidity, or–”
    “Zi!” Shioni cut in. “Come on. We’ve baited old lions before.”

Chapter 4: Troublemaker -in-Chief
    F rom a distance, Castle Asmat resembled a blocky red ant heap. Its ruddy stone walls were covered in wooden scaffolding and swarming with hundreds of male slaves labouring to complete the thick outer defensive wall. Within, Mama Nomuula’s gardens sprouted right up against the four towers of the inner keep. Above them even, Shioni saw the crown of the massive baobab tree beneath which she had fought Kalcha’s python and rescued Zi. Then, the potbellied tree had seemed bare and dead. Now it was replete with creamy, sweet-smelling blossoms and attracted birds from miles around to a great feast.
    Thunder cantered eagerly up the well-worn trail to the castle. He snorted as Shioni waved to the elephants, working hard at hauling lumber and stones for the building works.
    “The Chief Elephant is a