The Fire Thief [Hardcover ed.] 0753458187, 9780753458181

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South San Francisco Public Library

:

ifilii.

3 9048

S.S.F.

08752852

1

Public Library

West Orange 840 West O range Aye. -Quin San Francisco, CA

94G80

SEP

20W DEMCO

memory of Freda Deary November 21, 1913 March 14, 2005 In

—

Thanks,

Mum.

KINGFISHER a

Houghton

Mifflin

Company

222 Berkeley

imprint

Street

Boston, Massachusetts 02116

www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com First

published in paperback in 2007

2468 Text copyright

Cover

illustration

The moral

10

97531

© Terry Deary 2005 © David Wyatt

copyright

right of the author has

All rights reserved

been

2005

asserted.

under International and

Pan-American Copyright Conventions LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA has been applied for.

ISBN 978-0-7534-5818-1 Printed in India 1

TR/1 206/THOM/SC/60BNP/C

TERRY DEARY tk KinGFISWER BOSTON

Digitized by the Internet Archive in

2016

https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780753458181

Greece This

—the dawn of time

where

is

my

story begins. I wasn't there myself in

ancient Greece, but one of the actors in this terrible tale told

me

the story

;

as if I

I believe him. Let

—

was a writer

Who am

The

and

I?

Wait and

I've

me

tell

always wanted

see. Let's start at the

bird soared and

wheeled

over the silent earth. Beneath

1

the

Yes,

all

right,

first day.

maybe not

deep

the exact

be a writer.

dawn of time

...

1

it

lay valleys

forest

of rich

crystal blue sea

loomed beneath

dawn of time. Not

the

first

hour of

But one million years ago, when humans were nothing more

than very clever apes. officers.

A

to

his story

in the cloudless sky

green and white-topped mountains. A

shone in the distance.

you

Some of them

still

Heh! Heh!

5

are.

But now we

call

them

police

the monstrous bird, and from the heart of the darkness a

smudge of smoke

rose into the clean

“Ahh!” the bird growled. sooty

air

and climbed away from

and arrowed toward and then

hissed,

a distant

bird ignored

it.

It

scented the

Then

turned

it

mountain. “Breakfast,”

swooped down. Rabbits

it

terrified as the bird’s death

The

“Fire.”

air.

it

froze,

shadow passed over them.

them and

let

the

warm

air lift

it

up

the mountainside.

As

way

climbed, the shimmering grass below gave

it

to

wind-scrubbed shrubs and then bare

gray,

rocks, too bleak for even

The

bird lifted

curved wings boulder.

On

the boulder lay a man.

against his rock

and

it

bird croaked. “After

half closed

its

dropped toward one massive

it

sunbaked, he lay there

at

to grow.

hooked beak and

its

till

moss

as

the bird’s claws clattered

skidded to all

Windburned and

this

a

halt.“Oooops!” the

time I’m

still

not good

landing.”

Fine chains had sunk into the rocks, and they

wrapped around the man’s links

wrists

and

ankles. Fine

—but unbreakable.

The

bird

shook

black eyes burned.

its

gold-brown

feathers,

and

its

“Good morning, Prometheus.

6

I

hope you

slept well,” the bird hissed.

The man

very well

a god. “I slept

The

handsome

smiled. His face was as

“You seem

bird blinked.

as

.” 2

cheerful,”

snapped

it

suspiciously. “I

wonderful dreams!

“You fire

man

the

well,”

slept

I

dreamed of freedom.”

don’t deserve

it,”

the bird snarled.

from the gods, and you gave they

creatures

—you

robber on the road.”

and choke us death

.

.

.

all

The

no

are

stole

to those crawling

away,

it

some

better than

bird began to screech and

“The humans

feathers.

its

it

“You

humans. You sneaked

call

hidden inside a reed

ruffle

“And had such

cried.

will

burn our world

with smoke. You deserve worse than

Fire Thief.”

Prometheus

smiled

again.

“And

punishment worse than death, don’t

I?

I

have

My

cousin

Zeus chained

me

wind and

always to suffer but never to die.”

hail,

A big gray

2

Our

here in the sun and snow, in the

tongue rolled from the

characters spoke in ancient Greek,

understand

it,

so

I

a

have changed

it

side

of the

bird’s

you know. But you would not

into our language.

I

am

being very kind

to you, so stop complaining about the realism and keep reading.

Trust me,

I

am

a liar.

7

cruel beak.

The

have me.

The

“And

worse, Prometheus, and worse. You

The

Fury.

great

bird began to pant.

Avenger of the gods.”

“What am

I

going to do,

Prometheus?”

Prometheus opened

“Oh!

I

don’t

the

for

last

used your

my

liver.

hundred

wide

eyes as

his

a baby.

as

know! What have you done every day

two hundred

little

beak to peck into

You have

killed

And

years.

suffer again the next

me

Fury? You have

years,

my

side

and

pull out

every morning for one

every night

1

return to

life

to

dawn.”

“I don’t peck,” the bird snarled. “I tear.”

“Feels like a peck to me,” Prometheus said with a sad shake of his head.

The Fury was and

rive it

and the chains bird’s

little

—

I

rip

“Sorry, just

man

shrugged,

stamped

angrily. “I

tug to me,” the

claws clattered let

and your laughing

The

liver

rattled against the rock.

wish Zeus would

“Come

your

from your body.”

“Feels like a

The

furious. “I don’t pull

me

eyes,”

my

little

it

tear out it

“What?”

8

your lying tongue

screeched.

old

closer, Fury.”

bird froze.

as

liver,”

the

man

sighed.

“I

want

to

“Why would

my

you about

tell

want

I

to hear

dream.”

your dream? You’ll be

dreaming the dreams of the dead I

tear

and

“Ah,

moment when

your body”

rip

it

in a

was such

dream, though.

a

dream you have once

The

two hundred

in

sort

of

a

years,” the

man murmured. The cold

bird edged closer.

rock

sharpen

to

It

wiped

the

tip.

its

beak against the

your

“Lift

Prometheus,” the bird screeched. “Look

That smoke down there choked

Smoke from

human

the

animals.

Your

YOU

that

fires

me

at

head,

the valley.

this

morning.

gave to those

pitiful

liver will taste all the better this

morning”

The

bird lunged at the man’s side.

Prometheus slipped bird by the neck. eyes bulged,

and

free

It

its

of the chain and grasped the

gave a startled squawk.

body

body writhed, the more

struggled.

its

man

and

said,

was hard. “In

my

the mountain.

his voice

dream

He

is

my

Its

black

But the more

its

neck ached.

“I haven’t finished telling

the

The hand of

you about was

my

dream,”

as soft as his

friend Hercules

hand

came up

the strongest creature in the

world. Stronger than me.” Prometheus sighed and

9

squeezed the feathered neck than you.

And

a little harder.

Hercules snapped

were made out of

grass. Just like

“Stronger

my chains like I am going to

they snap

your neck now.”

The

bird writhed and croaked.

“You

said

it

was

a

dream.” “I lied,”

Prometheus

said

with

a

laugh. “I

still

He squeezed again. “Strong friends, like Hercules. Good friends who think that was unfairly treated. Friends who sent Hercules to set me free last night.” have friends.”

I

“A dream, you

said!”

“A dream come “Zeus

“No

true.”

will never let

you

escape,” the bird gasped.

matter where you try to hide on

this earth,

he

will find you.”

Prometheus shrugged and shook off the broken chains.

“Maybe

I

won’t hide

in

murmured. He squeezed. There was broken bone,

hung limp

him

in

in the man’s hands.

clattering

its

Prometheus rose and

crunch of

He

flung

it

away from

beak and curved claws

cruel

on the cool rock

a

and the monstrous bird

a small sigh,

disgust,

world,” he

this

3 .

stretched.

10

The world

lay

beneath him. legs stiff

He

He

set off

down

the mountainside, his

from 200 years of chains. like

felt

He

he was being watched.

stopped

and looked back. The eyes of the monstrous bird

were

dull

He

squinted up into the morning sun and saw

shadow

A

and dead.

cross

it.

The shadow of

a

long-necked

bird.

swan.

The young man

closed his eyes for a

groaned. “Zeus,” he hissed. “Zeus.”

somewhere there was

3

a

to hide.

nowhere

But on the

at

moment and

He

looked for

bleak, bare

mountain

all.

Look, please don’t cry or sigh for

this

monstrous bird.

And do

not

complaining about cruelty to animals. First of all, this was an avenging devil you wouldn’t want to meet one of those in the bathroom, believe me. It was only taking the shape ot a bird. And, anyway, you don t

write

letters

—

know what happened

—

next

-just

wait and

11

see.

Eden City Now

—the year we called

the story switches to

know

did happen. I

jump of one

my

childhood. This part really

because I was there wasn't 1? If this ,

million years confuses you , then you

have a very small brain. Stop reading and whittling sticks. If you are reading.

I’ll

1858

Go ON. What

never forget the

start knitting or

NOT easily confused

are

must

,

then keep

you waiting for?

week my uncle Edward

Well, to be honest, he died twice.

And

that

died.

was odd

because most weeks he only died once.

And

that night

time, and he

blamed me.

We’d arrived dreariest

he had some trouble dying the first

city

in

in

He

always did!

—

Eden City

the world.

12

It

the darkest, dankest,

was

also

the most

wicked and watchful.

The crooked

was almost

lost in. It lost.

streets

A wide lane

when you you

as if

for strangers to get

the city wanted you to get

tempted you to

travel that

way

—

but,

twisted and then turned and then led

it

wooden

to a wide,

past. You

back

did,

were made

wall that there was

no way

turned and found that there were two ways

—and whichever path you chose would be

wrong wide

one. Then,

wall,

We

at

there.

know

didn’t

was the

straight

is

that

when we

a frozen finger

ahead

left

But there

till

no

the station.

We

Inn?’' street.

to the crossroad,

and

river.”

“straight ahead” in

Eden

City, just a

—

bleak back alleys that never see

daylight. Little lanes that

to

left

along the misty

you come

toward the

tangle of turnings

want

was

sly city itself that

“What’s the way to the Storm

girl,

She pointed

then turn

It

you.

asked a match

“Go

into another

a soft snicker. You turned. There

you heard

was no one laughing

when you walked

the

seem

to

head the way you

go but lead you into someone’s yard

where pecking chickens and under your

dogs

fall

that sucked

you

petrified

feet.

Eden City was

a shapeless

13

swamp

in. It

must have mystified mapmakers. Some buildings

were made out of strong black brick

up

till

were

that reached

—but

lost in the thick air

looked out

that

The people as

and some were smoke-

—most were wobbling wood

their tops

windows

stone,

had

all

like blind eyes.

walked

in the street

past

with eyes just

empty and

faces just as hard as the cold cobbles.

If you ever

wanted

alive,

then Eden City was the place to go. So

Uncle Edward take us

known who we thrown us out

We That

it.

mouse

“It

meant

—

—and now is

I

answer. If they had us

up or

it

my

like

was Eden City

the

a

and dropped us

us

at

the

for.

hostelry.”

It

said.

“We were

—

wasn’t fate

letting us loose because

“It looks like a

Inn.

cruel cat playing with a

Uncle Edward

happy

worse was waiting for

Storm

Eden City had tormented

set us free

boy,”

to find this

of the river and turned

we stumbled on

we’d been looking

fate,

did

ask?

may have locked

rat smell

Suddenly,

enough

that

why

—or worse.

soft snicker again.

for long

you

us there,

were, they

smelled the

toward

there,

knew

Because no one

door

make your nightmares come

to

it

knew

it

that

us.

happy pigpen,”

14

I

muttered. But

we

went

in

We

and took

left

a

room.

our cases and our coffin and

with

slept

cockroaches for company.

The next afternoon we house in Eden that

City. This

only got

its

lost twice.

— he

we took

a clattering

cab

Somehow

the

him

way through

We

the drifting fog and

paid the silent and scowling

scowled because Uncle Edward didn’t

driver

a tip.

Uncle Edward never

The house stood Stone steps led up to brass

time

out for the richest

rocked and rattled us over cobbles.

cab horse found

give

set

knocker

in those days

as

wide

the end of a curving drive.

at

a

tipped.

door

as

my

as

wide

head

.

.

.

as a

barn with

though

my

a

head

was not very wide.

Uncle Edward brushed the afternoon mist off faded black jacket and

set his

yellow cravat

his

straight.

Ele rubbed his scuffed shoes against his gray, checked

pants and was ready. Tie knocked.

“We are butler. “We The

strolling players,”

entertain with our

butler

—

Storm Inn he

said,

and

Uncle Edward

I

little

was carved from

show.” ice.

“Go

they do shows with vagabonds

swear that

icicles

15

told the

dripped from

to

like

his

the

you,”

tongue.

Uncle Edward reached into out a

scroll

with

He

a sweep.

swept

with

of parchment.

a

“A

sweep

it

uncle did everything

—with

a

sweep

—and

4 .

from the mayor of

letter

Uncle Edward

We went to

unrolled

pocket and swept

of the knife-sharp nose of the butler

in front

it

My

his

said.

“The mayor

this

gracious

an old, old friend.

is

school together.” As the butler reached for

Uncle Edward swept

away 5

the

letter,

He

cleared his throat and read the scrawl. “‘This

my good

introduce

actor, musician,

star

awesome

art.

with riches

is

his

“It says

Edward

of the world’s

4

to

finest stages.

and educate your

may

is

no charge

for this

care to reward

him

they feel Mr. Slaughter has brought

Mayor

City.’”

here, can I stop all of this sweeping now? You must get the Every time Uncle Edward does something, just think to yourself,

Look

picture.

“With

a sweep.” If

with the 5

is

.

Slaughter,

riches into their lives.) Signed, His worship the

of Eden

.” .

magnificent masterpiece,

more, there

(Your guests

if

.

will entertain

and guests with

“The Uncle.” What

it

friend Mr.

and

man

This brilliant friends

city,”

you

will

do

that

one small thing

story.

Oops! Sorry!

16

for

me,

I

will get

on

Uncle Edward bowed. “You’re lying. What’s his name?” the black-suited butler barked.

“Whose name?” “The mayor, of course,

“Why The bone

.

.

.

Mayor.

butler

creak.

shook

I

his

always

his head.

“You went

name?” call

him Mister Mayor.”

swear

I

to school

I

heard

his

neck

with him.”

“I did?”

“You “Ah,

you

said yes,

did.”

we were

boys together

... at least

I

was,”

Uncle Edward laughed. “So,

what did you

call

him

at

school?” the

butler snarled.

“Which

school?” Uncle

“Which

school?

The

Edward

school you went to with the

mayor, of course. Which school was

“Don’t you know?”

“Why, “So?

replied.

my

it?”

uncle gasped.

no.”

How do you know

“Because you don’t

I

didn’t

know

go

his

to school with

him?”

name!”

“Neither do you,” Uncle Edward smiled. “I

do,” the butler growled,

burned on

his

and spots of anger

ghost-white cheeks.

17

“You

don’t!”

“I do!”

“So what

is

it?”

“Mayor Walter Tweed!”

the butler said, and he

almost smiled.

my

“Well done!” little

uncle cheered. “You

DO

know

Wally’s name.”

“You

him Wally?” The stone-faced

call

butler’s

stone face cracked in shock.

“We called him Wally when we went my uncle chuckled. “Of course.” “And good

old

Wal

to school,”

sent us around here.

your master would be pleased to see

us.

He

He

said

has a party

every Friday night.”

“He parties

does.”

The

on Friday

butler nodded. “All rich folks have

nights.”

Uncle Edward hopped up

ARE

his butler, aren’t

“Of

course.”

The

to the top step.

you?”

stone-faced frown was shocked

and even shaken. “So? What’s

his

name?”

“His name?”

“Your

master’s

“You

name!”

my

18

uncle wheedled.

“It’s

Mucklethrift

.

.

.

Master George Mucklethrift,”

the butler babbled.

my

“Correct!”

He

uncle cheered.

turned to me.

my

stood on the bottom step shivering in

thin-soled

my

shoes. Soles as thin as rainwater. Soles as thin as

weed-thin arms and

legs.

met an honest man.

It’s

these days.”

He

“Do you know he asked

“Jim!” he said

rare to

6

“Jim, we’ve

.

meet an honest man

peered into the face of the the

last

time

I

butler.

saw an honest man?”

I

softly.

“Why, no!”

“When “Let’s

I

looked in

a mirror,”

Uncle Edward

lied.

go inside and look around.”

“Around?” the butler gasped.

“Why, shrugged

We

need to look around.”

wide

his shoulders so

that they

My

uncle

wobbled.

“You’re a stranger,” the guardian of the door

said.

Uncle Edward hauled himself to the top

step.

“And

ago.

But

you were trust

6

yes!

He

a stranger to

me

till

two minutes

I

you, don’t I?”

called

me Jim. That

from the orphanage when

I

could be

was only

was Six-four-two. Uncle Edward

though he

wasn’t.

I

my name

for

six years old.

called

hope you followed

19

me

Jim.

all

I

know.

He

took

me

My name at the orphanage I

called

—

him Uncle

that. You did? (coni.)

even

suppose

“I

“So

so.”

let’s start

our

new

friendship with a

little trust.

We need to see your drawing room— the room where we

will

The

do our show tonight.”

bowed

butler

“Come

help himself. “Call

me

my

me

light. With his free

city’s spies

hand,

keeping the

knew my job. While

I

drawing room,

warmth

into the

my uncle waved to

I

city’s

eyes

on

us.

those two looked around the

would explore

the house and seek out

the riches.

After

all,

we

weren’t there to do our

pathetic pennies

from the

whole nother reason

for a

6

—

door

to follow. Fingers of fog followed us in as if they

were the

all

arm

uncle said and used his

to guide the butler through the

and golden

couldn’t

Mr. Slaughter.”

in,

Edward,”

He

creaking head.

his

Now

(cont.)

rich.

Oh,

show and

no.

We

collect

were there

7 .

get back to the story.

.

I

.

am

shivering

on

the step, so hurry

up, please.

7

It

can be really annoying

interesting.

It

when

a writer stops a story just as

makes you keep reading when you

really

it is

getting

should be shutting

off the light and going to sleep. Writers should not be allowed to do

But writers DO do this. And Complain all you want. This is

I

want

to be a writer, so

MY story, and

Sorry

.

.

.Why

did

I

I

will tell

say that? I’m not really sorry.

20

it

I

as a

will

do

it

this.

too.

writer would.

Greece

—the

dawn of time

(but

five

MINUTES LATER) You may remember that we years before last.

—

my

time

You may

passing swan.

also

left

Prometheus

—

one million

walking down the mountain. Free at

remember that he was spotted by a

He knew

that the

swan was Zeus

in disguise.

Then, just when you were wondering what happens next, stopped the story of Prometheus don't have to

next

.

my

you

story.

You

Here's what happened

longer.

.

.

The

wonder any

to tell

I

swan

swooped

Prometheus. You

young by the

man’s sight

and

could

landed

by

see

shoulders

that

of the swan.

21

It

in

the

he

was

front

sag

was a

in

of the

sickened

look

that

spelled “defeat.”

8

The young man had

lived

200

that rock, having his liver torn single

morning.

He

from

despair. “Hello, cousin,”

now

he was in

in the sunlight,

and beneath

he sighed.

The swan shimmered you could

“Hello, Prometheus.

The young man for a

body every

his

had smiled and even laughed

through that hideous pain. 9 But

the feathers

chained to

years,

see the shape of the

god Zeus.

Going somewhere?” tried his liver-losing smile. “Just

walk.”

little

“Ah.” Zeus nodded and threw off the swan wings. “I hate walking.

Hate

Prometheus looked flying past the

he

bitter. “Just

mountain

said quietly. In fact,

prefer to fly myself.”

it. I

this

it

a

pity

you were

morning and caught me,”

was so quiet

that

you could

have heard the butterfly that flapped past the god and his cousin.

8

Which

is

“diffeet.” If

sure

it

can

better than a look that spelled “defeet” or “difeat” or even

you

are

going to have

spell correctly.

a

look that

Nothing worse than

spells

a

anything, then

look that

make

spells rongly.

9 Yes, I know that if he’d been chained there 200 years, he must have been around 220 years old. So we can’t call him a “young” man. But he died every morning and was born again every night. So, really, he was never more than one day old, was he? We could call him “baby,” not young man.

Ha! You never thought of that, did you?

22

Zeus shook Theus.

When

you

sky that showed

me

that

—but

Prometheus shook half god,” he said.

out with

his head.

“Maybe

I

We

was dead.

it

a

gods may

brilliant

spark.

Titan

—only

“I’m

a

don’t have that power.”

“But you do, cousin. Every morning when you

you give out

a brilliant spark.

Mount Olympus, you know,” the Theus screwed up

died.

How

did you

watch

I

great

this

know

for

it

from

“You saw one

morning when

that

it

die,

god explained.

his face, puzzled.

of those dying sparks

the Fury

me?”

wasn’t

Zeus’s face was brilliant and beautiful, as bright

the sun and so large that

Prometheus.

It

it

a trace. It sent a spark into the

we always go Don’t you know that?” die

the Avenger, the Fury,

killed

without

didn’t just die

“You don’t understand,

head.

his

it

was almost

seemed a

face that looked pleased with

to

human itself.

goes out with a golden spark

it

goes out with a miserable blue

the gaze of

fill

face

—

“When

—when

it

a

as

a

human

god

dies,

human

dies,

a

light.”

“And me?” “Half and

half,

my

cousin.

and what do you get?” “Purple?”

23

Mix

blue and yellow,

Zeus sighed. “One creatures will invent a will

call

those

torment for

They

a ‘school.’

it

day

their

will trap

room and

youngsters into a small

human

pitiful

young. They

of their

lots

them

force

to

learn facts.”

“How

Theus

cruel!”

have their

livers

cried. “If they

fail,

will they

ripped out?”

“Worse,” Zeus roared. “They will be told that they are worthless will

be seen

and

will

be made to

as failures.

They

with the scorn of their

lives

given

new

feel useless.

They

will have to live their friends.

They

will

be

names.”

“Names?”

“Names

like

Dunce and

Dolt,

Clod and Chump,

Nitwit and Numskull, Fool and Fathead.” hurt,” Theus said.

“Those words

me

telling

“But

10

why

are

you

this?”

“Because you are Prometheus the pieface, Theus the twerp.

He

10

One

could

have

day those school brats will be taught

added

Oaf,

Nincompoop, Ignoramus, Ninny,

—they were

Bonehead, Pinhead, and Blockhead that

by

I

suffered in the orphanage. Those

bullies

teachers.

and the

Zeus was

sly

pinches,

right.

It is

just a

few of the names

words hurt more than the beatings

more even than the cruel canings of the how a god could look into the future

amazing

and see the savagery of schools.

24

and blue make green! Even the dumbest

that yellow

dunce

will

god and

know

half

that. Your

human. You

future in the shape of a to school.

Maybe

I

The young man’s

me

ripped

tongue

—my

—twice

little

child

eyes widened.

.

.

of those school places.”

“Theus, you are

a rash

“A dunce and “You took those humans.

my

.

me

my make me

lungs,

but don’t

liver

my

eyes,

go

one

to

one

to

side.

.”

and foolish Titan

.

.

Theus agreed.

from the gods, and you gave

Look down

Prometheus turned

his

to the valley

it

to

.” .

.

head and looked over the

gray-green slopes to the woods below.

11

my

have

11

a dolt,”

fire

“No, cousin, no.

handsome head

his

tilted

and make you go

said slyly.

heart,

day

a

and

that gold

should send you into the

I

back to the rock. Let

out

Zeus

know

should make you suffer the cruelty

of the classroom,” Zeus

Send

green. You are half

is

didn’t

make green? Maybe

blue

spark

Amber

flames

Of course, we are all afraid of things that we’ve npver seen. You are like me and afraid of the bogeyman that lives under your bed.

probably

Bogeymen yours

is

one. Zeus truth

are scary because you’ve never seen one.

there.

And Theus

made

—they

You

schools sound scary. You’ve been to one.

are not a

little

just

know

that

was scared of school because he’d never seen

bit scary

—they 25

are

You know

much, much worse than

the

that.

— leaped from a clearing, and humans ran like ants to feed their branches.

with torn

fires

A breeze

world their

is

will

He

filled

the

flood and drown.

day their

Theus spread creatures, all

and

of fog that will hold

I

iciest

And

them

did you give

all

“One

from the sky because the

fall

a blanket

heat and melt

are

coughed.

be poisoned with those fumes. Earth will be

smothered by

we

said.

it

with their flames and choked with

smoke. Birds will

air will

He

sniffed.

Zeus

just the start,”

be

trunks and broken

caught the rising smoke and sent

curling toward his nose.

“That

tree

it’s

wastes.

The

your

fault,

all

in the

planet will

Why

Theus.

fire?”

his

hands.

“They

are

such clever

love them. Titans, gods, and

made from

the dust of ancient

humans

stars.

We

are

cousins.”

don’t

“I

want humans

for

cousins,”

Zeus

said

sourly.

“The gods gave feathers.

poor

them

But they

left

hairless things fire

to

warm

beasts

the

had

to

fur

humans

and the birds

unfinished. So the

huddle in cold

caves.

I

gave

them.”

Zeus frowned, and his head.

the

a

thundercloud rumbled over

The cloud grew

26

bigger and grayer

till

it

blotted out the sun. There was a flicker of lightning,

and

rain

from the cloud

fell

Steam

the valley.

fires in

and made rainbows

hissed

in the

The humans

land shook.

Zeus roared, and the

ran and hid in the forest.

are the heroes!”

great ones.

We

Zeus

rule the world!

—worse than

the

human

soaked the

it

from the charred wood

air.

“The gods vermin

till

cried.

“We

are the

These humans

are

and the snakes and the

rats

we scattered on Earth to tease them.” “Humans can be heroes too,” Prometheus argued.

locusts that

Zeus blinked. The clouds began sun shone through. till

human

hero,” the

me

a

god

cousin.

chance,”Theus

A

little

Olympus, you know. give

you

me

one

may

I

said.

A

Life

fun.

challenge?

I

like that,

can get boring on

just grant

laughed, and the humble

—

below trembled

howl of

be heroes. You can

your wish

.

.

.

a chance.”

The god valley

and the

spat.

Zeus laughed. “A chance?

my

can’t

the end of time and not find

search

“Give

“Humans

to clear,

a

mighty,

feared that they

humans

in the

the laugh sounded like the

man-munching monster. They

would be

its

27

breakfast.

Eden City

— 1858 again, same evening

Just as Prometheus had talked his way out of a return chains, so

to his

Uncle Edward had talked his way into the house

of Mr. George Mucklethrift. For some reason, I keep wanting to call

him George Muckletwit. That would

to do. I

may

be a crook, a

thief,

and a

liar,

be a rude thing

but I

am

usually

very polite. I really am. Don't argue with me, dimwit.

After the dark, dank

streets

Mucklethrift’s house was so I

felt

butler

like

I

warm and

had walked into Aladdin’s

made me

inside the

of Eden City, Mr.

take off

my

bright that cave.

The

scuffed shoes and stand

door while he took Uncle Edward into

the drawing room.

Uncle Edward would go over every inch of

28

that

room, arrange the seating and the piano

—and even No

ten minutes.

A

the piano stool.

more, no

chime

to

large

things

many

as

The that

we hall

we

were

—

list

I

had

I

jumped

as

it

be back here by

to

of the best things to

steal.

Not

of small but precious things. As

lots

could cram into

had

him

take

less.

five o’clock.

ten past five with a

check the

would

It

clock ticked in the hallway.

tall

began

lighting,

tables

a coffin

12 .

with ornaments and paintings

could rip out and

roll up.

But the paintings

too new. Mr. George Mucklethrift was not

all

one of those people from an old

money

family. His

was new.

The weed suit?

showed

biggest painting

suit ...

or do

Whatever, the

I

mean

man

a

a

tweedy man

weedy man

in the painting

in a

had

in a

tweed

a fat

gold

chain around his skinny neck. Mr. Mucklethrift kept a painting

creep.

of Mayor Walter Tweed in

The mayor must have been

Maybe

12

Yes, that’s an

Wait and

a guest,

he’d be there this evening. But

time to stand and

suitcase, a

his hall.

stare at paintings

odd thing

pocket or

to say.

a purse, a

big

Why

—

see.

29

Why

a bigger,

a

guessed.

didn’t have

unless they

a “coffin”?

brown box or

I

I

What

were

not a sack or

a

browner barge?

valuable paintings.

rooms opened off the

Five

by coal

made

fires,

and

that

tons of soot.

made me

And

pushed up chimneys

of the

rich.

me

got

They were warmed shiver. All that coal

me were out. A master almost took me

skinny boys like

sweep

to

chimney sweep with black from the orphanage

hall.

it

fingernails

to climb the

cramped chimneys

Uncle Edward offered more money and 13

instead

.

There were mantel clocks and golden candlesticks,

spoons

—

dishes,

and silverware

picture

little

—

frames with

fine

china

by the cartload

Throwing

it

into the coffin

and crush

it

all.

knives, forks,

grinning

girls,

women. There

black-hatted men, and well- washed

was

cigar boxes,

— no

use

to

us.

would chip and crack

As Uncle Edward

said,

“You

can’t

melt china.”

The

first

time he said that

and ignorant.

I

Yes,

I

know you

either.”

think I’m a villain

—robbing from

than choking in those rich folks’ chimneys. If

choke on the end of a rope black dust

till I

died.

six years old

answered, “No, Uncle. You can’t melt

Japan or India or Africa

13

was only

I

instead.

Somehow

But

that

I

I

it’s

knew

better

that I’d

would be better than swallowing seemed like a clean end.

getting myself hung

30

the rich. But

was caught,

— He sighed and explained. “We and we melt it down. We sell

steal

gold and

silver,

the metal, not the

ornaments or spoons. That way no one knows where it

comes from.”

when we go

“So,

to China,

the country, Uncle?” simple, as

I

I

mean

bowls. I

‘china’

It’s

was very young and

slightly

—cups

his head.

and

“When

plates

and

say ‘china,’

I

platters

and

what we drink from.”

nodded

He

don’t try to melt

said.

Uncle Edward shook I

we

“Tin cups and

happily.

plates.

rolled his eyes. “Jim, in the

would drink from

tin

know.”

I

orphanage you

cups and eat off

tin

plates.

Outside the orphanage most folks eat from china not the country, the pottery.” “Potty?” “Pott-e-ry,” he said.

“What’s pottery?” “It’s clay.

Clay that has been baked hard.”

“Clay

mud!”

is

mud? I’m

I

“The

cried.

rich folks eat

from

glad I’m not rich then, Uncle.”

when he walked away muttering something about selling me to the chimney sweep. That was

But

I

learned

fast,

and

I

31

had

a

good memory.

In

Manor

Mucklethrift

I

knew just what we could

take

from those rich rooms. I

raced upstairs. Mr. Mucklethrift and his rich

guests

were

most of the rooms

in

gaslight spilling out

—

I

could see the

from under the doors and could

hear the people moving. But a bathroom was empty,

and there were dishes,

silver

combs and

and ivory-handled

Time was

hairbrushes, soap

razors.

ticking and tocking away.

I

opened the

bathroom door. Maids were scurrying along the with clothes to dress the elegant

landing, laden

people. Every time a servant slipped into a room,

another one would

Time

ticked on.

be back butler

would

door.

Uncle Edward and the butler would

the front door, and

at

would be

come out from another

call

for a search,

I’d

be missing.

and

my

The

spying trip

discovered.

Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick

—knock.

Knock?

A knock Just

at

the front door.

at

that

jumped onto

moment

the landing was

empty.

I

the sweeping banister and flung myself

into a swift slide.

I

hit the hall floor just as the

room door opened and

drawing

the butler stepped out.

32

He

down

looked floor.

He

came

at

open

it.

nose

his icicle

at

me, crumpled on the

was about to say something when the knock

the door again. The butler crossed the hall to

Uncle Edward stood

in

drawing room and frowned the front door

at

the

doorway of the

me.

He

with

wearing

a

a

as

swung open. man.

In the glare of a gaslight stood a

man

looked out

mustache

as

uniform with

A

thin as a shoelace. a bright

tall,

thin

He was

badge and brighter

buttons. His cap had a smaller badge.

“Good evening, Sergeant “What can I do for you?” The policeman neck stretched is

a I

leaned forward, and

out. “I’ve

come

cunning pair of thieves glanced across

Sergeant,” the butler said.

at

to

his

warn you

chicken

that there

in the area.”

Uncle Edward. Thin

strings

of

fog seemed to slide past the policeman and wrap

themselves around Uncle Edward’s his eyes

and held

his throat.

rope tighten around

He

it.

Oh,

dear.

Oh,

dear.

Oh,

dear, oh, dear, oh, dear.

33

collar.

He

could already

closed

feel the

—

Greece The dawn of time has rolled on TO THE MORNING OF TIME Would you

believe it? Just as

of our imprisoner, Theus saying

u ,

Where

every day. hope.

there's

at

Mucklethrift Manor,

should

my

life,

Even chained

But for us

is

to

that

we have stepped

stepping free from

his.

There

Zeus

sat

between

moment,

But you

in

hope. That's don't

want

good news of Prometheus

hands.

mighty finger pointed

a

passageway of

the

to

life

—

.

.

They crumbled to the

34

to

or I

hear about

Hear

.

on the rock and rubbed Prometheus’s his

is

a rock for all of eternity, he has

problems. You probably have enough of your own.

instead about the

arms

" So Theus has hope

there's hope.

we had no

say, that's death.

into the

chains

dust.

edge of the woods.

His

“I

vowed

that

you would be chained

Caucasus Mountains forever,” he

the

to

cannot break

said. “I

my vow” Prometheus looked gloomily

Zeus gave

his crafty

at

look again.

the rock.

He

of the links of the chain and squeezed circle.

Then he took

rock and rested

it

link.

weld the rock onto the burning

flesh

There was

link.

this fire

is

a

a

fire to

smell of

his finger.

even too dangerous for

murmured and sucked on

Then he took

made

breathed out

—Zeus had scorched

“By Cronus, god,” he

He

it till it

of the mountain

a small piece

on the

picked up one

his

burned

a

finger.

the link with the rock and slipped

it

onto the finger of Prometheus.

“What

is

“I think

are

still

move

this?” the Titan asked. I

will call

around.

I

vowed

that

—and

as

this ring,

long

as

you wear the

hairy

little

cousin,”

Prometheus

human was

said

stepping!

dripping trees and had picked up i

A

you

you would be chained

are!”

“Thank you,

A

With

chained to the mountain rock yet are free to

the rock forever

you

a ‘ring.’

it

horse was grazing on the plains. Thl

35

to

ring,

.

crawling through the grass so that he could get close

enough

to kill

it.

“See that,Theus?” “Yes, cousin.

The god

He

hunting to

gave a nod.

“Just like you,

go out and

is

my

A

sort

stay alive.”

of god nod.

boy. You are the hunter. You will

try to find

one good man

who makes

all

of the other creeping creatures worth saving.”

“A

hero?”

“A

hero. You are the hunter.”

Zeus leaned forward forest.

A

silver

shape slipped through the trees and stopped.

It

fixed

its

and suddenly pointed to the edge of the

human

glittering eyes

on the back of the hairy

hunter. “See that,Theus?”

“A wolf

—

it is

hunting the human!”

“That’s right, Theus. The hunter doesn’t

he

is

that

being hunted.”

You wouldn’t want next

know

.

to

know what happened

.

You would? Oh, very

well. The hairy

horse and raised his spear.

and snapped

at

him

human The

in fear

36

horse saw the

of the

the stone tip off the spear, and

reached the hairier

it

spear.

was

human

He chewed

useless

—not

a

spear any longer, just a stick with a frayed end.

The man was from

my mom!”

in a fury

furious.

jaws open

man jumped

he cried. The

me my

me my

forward

and with

its

galloped

off.

wolf till

was too

it

late.

fangs tore at the hairy

Zeus laughed. “You hunting,

was

gift

back,

pony

that

he

The wolf sprang

human. The pony

Beware, Theus. While

see?

make

(It

gift.”

so busy wrestling with the

didn’t see the

a gift

tried to force the pony’s

he shouted, “Give

as

He was

He

a pony.)

miserable horse! Give

are

was

tip

and wrestled the horse to the ground.

no bigger than

you

“That stone

sure

some hunter

doesn’t

catch you”

“But you

will give

me

a

chance, cousin, won’t

you? “I

will,”

Zeus promised.

He

down and

reached

swept up the swan wings. “Here, Theus. Put these on. Rise above Earth. The higher you go, the will spin.

The more

You can go

“And

I

to

spins, the

any point in time

can go to any place in

“Of course. that,

it

Search

it

faster

more time

will pass.

.” .

.

this

world?”

and find yourself

and the gods may forgive you.”

37

Earth

a hero.

Do

Theus grinned

spread the wings and find

one

He

He

a joyful grin. “I will, cousin.”

man

truly great

rose into the

the air begin to

felt

air.

just three things before

Prometheus was

or

woman

Zeus had

you go

lift

—one

him. ‘Til

true hero.”

“There

to shout. ”

are

...

bubble in

rising faster than a

a

boiling pot. “First,

go, the

I

cannot

Avenger

call

will

—wherever you

off the Fury

be searching for you ... As you

hunt, you will be hunted destroy

you completely. You

from the Avenger

Zeus picked up

a link

powder and

scatter

you

cousin and

you

to the

at

yesterday.

at

thought he saw

been the

soft

its

wind

at

—you

and die

into

it

is

to

forever.”

at this

time

life.”

golden feathers

38

be

dead!”

where the big

ruffling

will

the shrinking figure

“So were you

But you came back

Prometheus looked

first.”

gray-green-blue-brown

the

his head.

wind

stars

patchwork of Earth. “The Fury

Zeus shook

find a hero

“The Fury may turn you

Prometheus looked down his

may

it

of the chain and crushed

returned to the dust of ancient

of

next time

be trying to escape

will

forever, unless

dust between his fingers. into

—and

bird

stir. It

them. Then

lay.

He

could have

it

turned

its

broken neck eye.

stiffly

Prometheus

let

and seemed himself drift

to half

down

open

a little

its

evil

and was

sure that he heard the monster birds crackling voice

creak one word: “Revenge.”

Prometheus beat down strongly with climbed above the highest clouds.

He

his

arms and

was so high

that

he could see Earth begin to turn beneath him. “What

was the second thing, cousin?”

Zeus

called up,

act like a

“You must never cheat

—you must

human. Never use your godly powers!”

don’t have the same godly powers

“I

as

you,”

Prometheus answered.

“You have

power

the

But remember, when you spark

—no other

betray

you

and come back

to die die,

you give off

a

creature shows a green spark.

to the Fury,

and you

will

to

life.

green It

will

be ground into

a

powder.” “I understand,” the

wind

carry

him

higher.

Zeus looked up go, take

me home

Absolutely hate

But

Moon

it

young man shouted and

to

“What was

in horror

let

the

the third thing?”

and pain. “Before you

Mount Olympus!

I

hate walking.

it!”

was too

late.

Prometheus was

sailing past the

and watching Earth spin ever

39

faster.

Days

passed, then weeks, then years.

Cold

One

thousand

years.

around him, and hot suns

planets whirled

hissed past. Stars drifted through black space in clouds like

diamond

whizzing and spinning

dust,

little

till

One

Earth vanished like a grain of sand on a beach. million years had slipped away.

He

was

of the

safe

Fury.

—

out there Safe

safe

—but

from the tearing beak

lonely

and bleak

Prometheus missed the comical creatures called

cost

humans.

him

his

He

.

his

.

that they

had to see them again, even

freedom or

.

if

it

life.

He closed his wings and drifted down. One million years, he guessed, had passed. Of

all

the planets that whirled like grains of sand in a storm,

he scented Earth a

like a

dog

scents a single sausage in

garbage can.

The Fury would never

find

him now

—

at least

not

before he’d finished his quest and found himself a

human

hero.

Just to be sure, he

Earth, 10,000 miles

headed

for the

shadowed

away from Greece.

40

side

of

Eden City

—the

hall of Mucklethrift

Manor We

my

left

in the act

You say

—

hang

.

u ;

story with the policeman just about to catch us .

.

at least getting ready to do the dreadful deed.

There

is

serves

it

no way out! Jim and Uncle Edward will

evil

Edward

right.

HOPE

doesn’t deserve to die. ” (At least I that.)

prison

14