raffle.’
‘I don’t remember.’
‘Oh, I did tell you!’ Stella said. ‘You never remember anything – I don’t think you even listen! But, anyway, it doesn’t matter because we’re not going. I’m so disappointed.’ She paused as if she were waiting for Crystal to say something. When Crystal didn’t speak, she started again. ‘It was just Mum and me who were going, but Mum thinks it will be too scary. She says there’s rockgoyles and skweeners and outsiders who might attack … Of course, I’m not scared, but—And now the tickets will be wasted .’
It was the words Mum and me that gave Crystal the idea. Why didn’t she go with her mum? This was their chance to escape! Crystal squeezed Stella’s arm. ‘Stella!’
‘Yes?’
‘Could we have them? My mum and I? Because you know Mum hasn’t been very well and the trip would do her good, I’m sure it would. Something different. Oh, could we?’
She tried not to let the desperation she felt creep into her voice.
‘What? Of course you can. What a good idea!’ Stella said straightaway. ‘We don’t want them now … Would Effie really want to see the mines?’
‘Maybe not – but I’d like to see them. I mean, you know how I think I’ll end up there one day! Better check them out first, eh? But seriously, to be on the other side of the Wall would be such a treat for us both.’
Stella smiled. ‘I think it’s a brilliant idea,’ she said. ‘I’m so glad you thought of it!’
They had four days before the trip. Then three. Two. One day to go and they’d be out of this grey city! Crystal wanted to do something to prepare, but she knew she mustn’t. It was important she behaved completely normally in front of the sly-ugg and their neighbours. No one must know their plans. Still, despite her efforts, the sly-ugg began to watch her very carefully.
Ever since Crystal had seen what Raek did to it, she’d felt differently about the sly-ugg. It seemed it spied without trying, by accident almost, and then was tortured into revealing what it had recorded. She had started to feed it flower petals and strips of carrot, as much loffseed as it could eat. She had even once stroked its head and it had responded by nudging against her hand, like the cat.
But it was still Grint’s spy and she had to keep their plans secret.
After the last visit to Morton Grint, her mother attacked her woodcarving with new energy. It made Crystal’s heart hurt to watch her; the way she cut into the wood as if she were in search of something, as if she knew that deep inside the block of oak there was something hidden that she had lost.
A knock at the door made her jump. Stella! It had to be Stella and she was going to change her mind and want the tickets back and they’d never escape. I won’t answer the door, she thought. I won’t.
The knocking grew louder and more insistent until her mum put down her sculpting tools and cried: ‘Open the door, Crystal!’
It was Raek. He peered over Crystal’s shoulder into the room. ‘What’s Effie doing? Not making love potions, I hope.’
Crystal was almost too surprised to speak. Then she was scared. Did Raek know about the tickets? She swallowed. ‘No. Mum’s fine.’ She stood back a little so that he could see her mum stroking the cat. The sly-ugg saw Raek and pulled in its eye-stalks as if it had been burned.
‘She looks odd,’ Raek said. ‘A bit deranged.’
‘No, she’s fine. Thank you.’ Crystal pushed the door shut a little.
Raek’s face was very red and shiny, as if it had been scrubbed with a hard bristly brush. ‘Are you OK?’ Crystal added.
Raek touched his cheek. ‘How dare you ask me something so personal!’ he snapped. ‘Insolent girl! I came to tell you that Grint, Bless and Praise his Name, requires Effie to make an extra visit this evening. Same time as usual.’
‘Again? Not again! Why? We’ve been twice—’
‘Oh now, I think you know the reason. She has been seen behaving
‘I don’t remember.’
‘Oh, I did tell you!’ Stella said. ‘You never remember anything – I don’t think you even listen! But, anyway, it doesn’t matter because we’re not going. I’m so disappointed.’ She paused as if she were waiting for Crystal to say something. When Crystal didn’t speak, she started again. ‘It was just Mum and me who were going, but Mum thinks it will be too scary. She says there’s rockgoyles and skweeners and outsiders who might attack … Of course, I’m not scared, but—And now the tickets will be wasted .’
It was the words Mum and me that gave Crystal the idea. Why didn’t she go with her mum? This was their chance to escape! Crystal squeezed Stella’s arm. ‘Stella!’
‘Yes?’
‘Could we have them? My mum and I? Because you know Mum hasn’t been very well and the trip would do her good, I’m sure it would. Something different. Oh, could we?’
She tried not to let the desperation she felt creep into her voice.
‘What? Of course you can. What a good idea!’ Stella said straightaway. ‘We don’t want them now … Would Effie really want to see the mines?’
‘Maybe not – but I’d like to see them. I mean, you know how I think I’ll end up there one day! Better check them out first, eh? But seriously, to be on the other side of the Wall would be such a treat for us both.’
Stella smiled. ‘I think it’s a brilliant idea,’ she said. ‘I’m so glad you thought of it!’
They had four days before the trip. Then three. Two. One day to go and they’d be out of this grey city! Crystal wanted to do something to prepare, but she knew she mustn’t. It was important she behaved completely normally in front of the sly-ugg and their neighbours. No one must know their plans. Still, despite her efforts, the sly-ugg began to watch her very carefully.
Ever since Crystal had seen what Raek did to it, she’d felt differently about the sly-ugg. It seemed it spied without trying, by accident almost, and then was tortured into revealing what it had recorded. She had started to feed it flower petals and strips of carrot, as much loffseed as it could eat. She had even once stroked its head and it had responded by nudging against her hand, like the cat.
But it was still Grint’s spy and she had to keep their plans secret.
After the last visit to Morton Grint, her mother attacked her woodcarving with new energy. It made Crystal’s heart hurt to watch her; the way she cut into the wood as if she were in search of something, as if she knew that deep inside the block of oak there was something hidden that she had lost.
A knock at the door made her jump. Stella! It had to be Stella and she was going to change her mind and want the tickets back and they’d never escape. I won’t answer the door, she thought. I won’t.
The knocking grew louder and more insistent until her mum put down her sculpting tools and cried: ‘Open the door, Crystal!’
It was Raek. He peered over Crystal’s shoulder into the room. ‘What’s Effie doing? Not making love potions, I hope.’
Crystal was almost too surprised to speak. Then she was scared. Did Raek know about the tickets? She swallowed. ‘No. Mum’s fine.’ She stood back a little so that he could see her mum stroking the cat. The sly-ugg saw Raek and pulled in its eye-stalks as if it had been burned.
‘She looks odd,’ Raek said. ‘A bit deranged.’
‘No, she’s fine. Thank you.’ Crystal pushed the door shut a little.
Raek’s face was very red and shiny, as if it had been scrubbed with a hard bristly brush. ‘Are you OK?’ Crystal added.
Raek touched his cheek. ‘How dare you ask me something so personal!’ he snapped. ‘Insolent girl! I came to tell you that Grint, Bless and Praise his Name, requires Effie to make an extra visit this evening. Same time as usual.’
‘Again? Not again! Why? We’ve been twice—’
‘Oh now, I think you know the reason. She has been seen behaving
Similar Books
