Page 78 - Ext Listening & reading

his grandfather’s footsteps and pick up speed as well, and he rather
become the King’s Thief. hoped that one of them might slip on
One thousand years befeore this story the carpet.
takes place, a person could become There was a stutter in the steady
the King’s Thief by stealing a stone thump of boots behind him. Someone
called Hamiathes’ Gift (if he or she may have slipped, but Gen couldn’t
didn’t die in the process). Some time take the time to check, and it didn’t
in the past, the stone was lost, and seem to have slowed the group. They
the King’s Thief became a title handed were all older than he was by several
down from parents to child. years. Their legs were longer and they
Gen’s family finds the title were gaining ground fast yelling
embarrassing and hopes it will threats as they came. What they
disappear; Gen doesn’t. despite his threatened he couldn’t quite hear as
family’s objections, he intends to be too many voices mingled into a
the next Thief of Eddis. All he needs to shouted babble, but he could imagine.
do is practice … Exactly what they had in mind
The corridor was long, and it was a didn’t matter because the corridor
good place to pick up speed, but the would soon be interrupted by a light
stone floor was covered in rugs and well that let sunshine from the
rumple at this point could be fatal. skylights above fall to the rooms two
Gen kept a careful eye on the ground floors below. His path ended in a
in front of him and only glanced up balcony that overlooked the atrium.
quickly to be sure the way a head of He could follow it clockwise or
him was clear. counterclockwise around the open
Gods forbid he should run into space. Already he could hear his
another aunt. He had slipped by Aunt cousins’ footsteps shortening as they
Livia earlier only she had been slowed to see which way he turned, to
startled. Most of his aunts would have the left or the right. He lengthened his
thought it beneath their dignity to steps.
clutch at a passing Ahead of him was
nephew, but not a stone bench and
Aunt Livia. She only beyond that was a
missed his collar by low wall. The far side
a fingertip. Gen had of the well was eight
laughed out loud as feet away. Gen put
he ran on. one foot onto the
He was bench and the other
approaching a on the top of the wall
smaller rug. It lay and leapt across the
like a trap in the well with only air
middle of the between him and the
passage and he stone floor 30 feet
lifted his feet to sail below. He made the
over it. Behind him far wall easily and
he could hear the landed one foot on it
pounding footsteps for a brief moment
of his cousins. The before he tumbled
corridor was a good over. There was no
place for them to bench below him

74 | Extensive Listening & Reading