“There is one more thing before you go,” he said, leading me into the castle. “It’s time to make you look like a Monster Crusher.”
We walked through the great hall and into an adjoining armoury, where the Iron Hammer sat perched atop a stone dais, surrounded by walls of weaponry and armour.
He scooped up a large brown leather sheath with a strap attached to both ends.
“Here,” Eldon said. “See if it fits.”
I slid into the leather strap, which ran from my right shoulder down to my left hip. It was made of a thick, durable leather like a hauberk and fit pretty snugly across my stomach. I looked at Eldon hopefully. “Well? Do I look like a Monster Crusher yet?”
He snorted and gestured to the hammer. “Now try that.”
I scooped up the hammer, thinking once again how light it was—whatever metal they used, we didn’t have it on the surface. The handle itself was black and grooved, while the silver hammer top was scuffed and worn from use, the three red rubies on either side subdued in the pale light. Gripping the hammer in two hands, I stopped, looking over my shoulder at the sheath and wondering how I was going to get it in there.
“This seems a little inconvenient.”
The hammer itself was about a metre long—far too long to just tuck over my shoulder. I awkwardly tried to position it with two hands, knowing I looked ridiculous. Eldon was smirking as he watched me struggle to set it in the sheath.
“Stop,” he said. “The sheath is designed for someone with the strength to use one hand. It should be dropped in with one and pulled out with one. Grab it close to the bottom of the handle with your hand facing down.”
I did as I was told, feeling the hammer wavering in mid-air. It was lighter than it looked, but it was still very heavy to try and hold with just one hand.
Eldon nodded. “Now lift it over your shoulder, put the bottom in the sheath, and let it slide in. Try not to knock yourself in the head with the hammer.”
I gingerly lifted the hammer over my shoulder, my whole arm trembling. The iron top was wobbling all over the place. I tucked the bottom of the handle into the sheath, my arm straining, and then let it drop, catching it every few inches to make sure the top didn’t crash into head. When the hammer was in, I was surprised to feel the weight spread across my body, almost as if I wasn’t carrying anything at all. Even the massive iron top sat back enough that it didn’t block my view to the left.
“It was well designed,” Eldon said softly, guessing at my thoughts. “Now pull it out. You won’t have time to inch it out. It has to be one strong pull, like throwing a spear. Then catch it in mid-air and face your enemy.”
“Oh, that should be easy,” I grumbled, adjusting my stance. I reached behind me, grabbing the iron pole just below the top, and with a tremendous effort I threw it straight up into the air. Well, that was the intention anyway.
Apparently I didn’t throw it straight enough, because the hammer was almost out when the bottom caught the sheath and the entire weapon started drifting backward. I wasn’t ready for the change of weight, and I toppled over, slamming into the floor and hearing a crack as the hammer split the tiles. I lay there for a moment, stunned.
Eldon just looked down at me and sighed. “We’re in trouble.”
I practised for a while, until I finally managed to get the hammer out in one smooth motion. Satisfied, Eldon put the hammer and sheath away and walked with me back to Porton and the elevator. He quizzed me along the way, as per usual. When I answered every question correctly, he shook his head and laughed.
“I must say, Laura, I wish my other students would read as much as you do.”
“I guess they’re too busy crushing things.”
He turned to me. “There is more to being a Monster Crusher than brute strength. You must wield the hammer, yes. But you must be a leader. A true leader. And that requires courage, character, and the intelligence to know what risks are worth taking.”
He laid a hand on my shoulder.
“You may not be the best warrior I have ever seen. But you may just turn into a leader yet.” He smiled. “See you tomorrow,” he said, and then turned back for Arnwell.
I climbed into the elevator and headed for the surface. I was so deep in thought that I just climbed out, shut the panel, and walked out of my closet but then stopped immediately. Tom was sitting on my bed.
“Hello, Giant Girl,” he said.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Tom?” I said, almost jumping backward through the door. “What are you doing?”
“Waiting for you,” he replied calmly. “Why were you in the closet?
“Uhh…” Think fast. “Organizing my stuff.”
He immediately folded his arms, which he always does when he knows I’m lying.
“I knocked on your door and called your name,” he said. “You didn’t answer.”
“I dozed off,” I said, sitting down beside him. “No big deal.”
A frown creased his pale forehead. His short blond hair was tousled and standing on end, so he’d obviously been asleep. “You dozed off in your closet?”
I shrugged. “I’ve been sleepy.”
He seemed to think about that for a moment.
“You’ve been acting strangely for the last month. Happy, I guess, but kind of like you’re hiding something. You always take off for bed at 9:30 and sleep late and you never pop into my room to read for me anymore.”
Tom had Braille books of course, but it was true:
