Back To The Divide by Elizabeth Kay Page A

sinistrom."
    "And it won't just be any old sinistrom," said Ironclaw. "If it had its pebble juiced, it will have been a renegade. I think we'd better get a move on before it completes its transformation and decides to follow us. It may not have eaten for a few decades."
    Pignut, Felix, and the wise-hoof were standing at the head of the line outside the palace, waiting for an audience with Flea-bane. Felix was feeling increasingly nervous at the prospect of singing Turpsik's anthem to the president. He adjusted the strap on his backpack and picked at the sleeve of his purple tunic. Anything to take his mind off it. A murmur ran through the line, and he glanced up.
    People were shading their eyes with their hands and staring up at the sky. A huge gray bird was descending, carrying
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    something in its talons. It was far too big for a brazzle, and it only had two legs. The three heads made up for that, however. Felix felt his hair whip back from his face in the draft from a pair of enormous wings as the creature came in to land, and he pulled his hood back up to hide his ears. By the time he'd tucked away the problem, the bird was on the ground.
    "Will you look at that," said Pignut, pointing to the thing the bird had been carrying.
    Felix felt his heart start to beat faster.
    "It's one of those mythical vehicles," said the wise-hoof knowledgeably. "A tank."
    "Land Rover," said Felix automatically and then wished he hadn't.
    "Remarkably well read for a japegrin of your age, aren't you?" said the wise-hoof. "I thought all you learned at school was twistery and bigotry."
    Felix didn't reply; he was feeling too upset. Somehow, Snakeweed had managed to cross his Land Rover over the Pennine Divide, and no doubt he'd brought his sinistrom Architrex with him -- in lickit form. This world really didn't need Snakeweed promoting the internal combustion engine; printing had been quite bad enough.
    A japegrin with hair the color of dried blood stormed out of the palace and strode over, with the clear intention of giving the triple-head a piece of his mind.
    "Have you left the library unguarded?" he yelled.
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    The bird shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, and its three heads looked from one to the other and back again.
    "Get back there and do your job!" shouted the japegrin.
    The triple-head opened its wings and knocked the speaker flat with the rush of air as it took off. Three more japegrins appeared from inside the palace and ran over.
    The door of the Land Rover opened, and a japegrin stepped down onto the grass. He was followed by a lickit. A gasp went up from the line.
    "We're watching history being made here," said Pignut to Felix. "That's Snakeweed, Sam. Snakeweed himself."
    Felix wondered who Pignut was talking to for a moment -- then he remembered that Sam was his alias. "Is that Fleabane?" he asked, pointing to the japegrin with the dark red hair.
    "Yes," said Pignut. "Curse his toenails."
    Fleabane wasn't a typical japegrin. He was small and tubby, and his hair was a dark Titian red, not ginger. His eyes were green -- but a deep bottle green rather than emerald. He clambered to his feet and stared at Snakeweed as though he couldn't believe his eyes. "Well, well," he said eventually. "Looks as though Catchfly got lucky on Tromm Fell. Remarkably fast work; I shall give him a commendation. I suppose I should congratulate the triple-head as well." He turned to another japegrin. "Send that bird a cauldron of deviled creepy-biters."
    "Certainly, Mr. President, sir."
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    "So, Snakeweed," said Fleabane. "My name's Fleabane; you won't remember me, I was a very junior member of your team in Tiratattle."
    "I was intending to visit the king and queen," answered Snakeweed smoothly.
    "They've abdicated," said Fleabane. "Andria's the japegrin capital now. And you're under arrest."
    "What's the charge?"
    "We'll think of something," said Fleabane. "The burning's scheduled for next Thursday."
    "I demand a proper trial," said Snakeweed.
    "Oh,