think you need to know now.’
‘Know what?’ Lorkrin’s eyes narrowed.
‘You remember those two lads who were causing all that grief around the area last year, the ones who dumped the dead cow in Uncle Emos’s well?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Well, what you don’t know is that when he pulled that cow out of the well, he went and found them. And he shoved both of them into it.’
‘He threw them in the well?’ Lorkrin grinned.
‘No, he shoved them into the cow ,’ Taya hissed. ‘He buried them up to their necks in its belly and used the transmorphing to seal that rotting meat up around them. They were stuck like that until the constable came and dug them out. And that cow had been dead for days . That’s what happened last time Uncle Emos got really angry with someone.’
Lorkrin’s face turned green. They locked eyes for a minute, weighing the risks as the chickens clucked quietly around them. The limitless array of possible punishments open to their uncle played through their minds.
‘Let’s get out of here,’ Lorkrin muttered. ‘I need to pee.’
Mungret stood before the Prime Ministrate, in the plush wood-panelled study, waiting for his master’s reaction to the news. It was an expansive, square room, with a large fireplace . To the right side of the fire was the desk of the mayor of Hortenz, which was, for the time being, the Prime Ministrate’s desk. The fire was always lit; with the result that anyone standing in front of the desk was always a little too warm.
‘Can anything be saved from the remains of the tank?’ Namen enquired.
‘There are four botanists examining it now, Prime Ministrate , but they are not optimistic,’ his secretary replied. ‘They believe that any samples will have been ruined.’
‘But we can be sure that Hovem took the action that he did, because he had realised the true nature of the project, and believed the tank contained a successful conclusion. A well-meaning man, but misguided. We shall have to pick a new Groundsmaster. And make sure he fully understandsjust how important this project is.’
‘Yes, Prime Ministrate.’
‘What about Shessil Groach’s research materials?’ the Noranian leader continued.
‘We cannot find any of his recent notes. It is suspected that he took them with him, Prime Ministrate.’ Mungret was ready with his answers. It was important to pay attention to details if one was to keep working for Rak Ek Namen. Namen paid close attention to details.
‘He does not know anyone,’ his leader observed aloud. ‘Apart from these little trips to the coast, he has not been out of the compound in Noran alone for fifteen years. There cannot be many places for him to hide. And he has lived hidden away from the outside world for so long that he will find it hard to fit in.
‘Put more troops on search duty. This man must be found. And raise the reward. He is out there. Someone must know where he is.’
4 âT HEY C HANGE INTO M ONSTERSâ
Something stabbed its way up Shessil Groachâs nostrils and burned his sinuses until he woke up. A soft hand was patting his face, but it was out of rhythm with the throbbing in the side of his head and around his jaw, so he clasped the hand and pushed it away. As his vision cleared, it filled with the round, expectant face of a young woman.
âWhat did you stick up my nose?â he mumbled.
âJust gave you a whiff of some smelling salts, to bring you back to your senses,â she reassured him.
âWanna go back to sleep.â
âAll right, but let me just check you over while youâre awake. You might have hurt your head.â
ââkay.â
She splayed the fingers of both hands and placed them on his head. Then she prodded his scalp in various places.
âAaagh!â
âWhere did it hurt?â she asked, frowning.
âEverywhere you poked. Leave me alone, madam. Iâll be quite all right once you keep your fingers and chemicals to
‘Know what?’ Lorkrin’s eyes narrowed.
‘You remember those two lads who were causing all that grief around the area last year, the ones who dumped the dead cow in Uncle Emos’s well?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Well, what you don’t know is that when he pulled that cow out of the well, he went and found them. And he shoved both of them into it.’
‘He threw them in the well?’ Lorkrin grinned.
‘No, he shoved them into the cow ,’ Taya hissed. ‘He buried them up to their necks in its belly and used the transmorphing to seal that rotting meat up around them. They were stuck like that until the constable came and dug them out. And that cow had been dead for days . That’s what happened last time Uncle Emos got really angry with someone.’
Lorkrin’s face turned green. They locked eyes for a minute, weighing the risks as the chickens clucked quietly around them. The limitless array of possible punishments open to their uncle played through their minds.
‘Let’s get out of here,’ Lorkrin muttered. ‘I need to pee.’
Mungret stood before the Prime Ministrate, in the plush wood-panelled study, waiting for his master’s reaction to the news. It was an expansive, square room, with a large fireplace . To the right side of the fire was the desk of the mayor of Hortenz, which was, for the time being, the Prime Ministrate’s desk. The fire was always lit; with the result that anyone standing in front of the desk was always a little too warm.
‘Can anything be saved from the remains of the tank?’ Namen enquired.
‘There are four botanists examining it now, Prime Ministrate , but they are not optimistic,’ his secretary replied. ‘They believe that any samples will have been ruined.’
‘But we can be sure that Hovem took the action that he did, because he had realised the true nature of the project, and believed the tank contained a successful conclusion. A well-meaning man, but misguided. We shall have to pick a new Groundsmaster. And make sure he fully understandsjust how important this project is.’
‘Yes, Prime Ministrate.’
‘What about Shessil Groach’s research materials?’ the Noranian leader continued.
‘We cannot find any of his recent notes. It is suspected that he took them with him, Prime Ministrate.’ Mungret was ready with his answers. It was important to pay attention to details if one was to keep working for Rak Ek Namen. Namen paid close attention to details.
‘He does not know anyone,’ his leader observed aloud. ‘Apart from these little trips to the coast, he has not been out of the compound in Noran alone for fifteen years. There cannot be many places for him to hide. And he has lived hidden away from the outside world for so long that he will find it hard to fit in.
‘Put more troops on search duty. This man must be found. And raise the reward. He is out there. Someone must know where he is.’
4 âT HEY C HANGE INTO M ONSTERSâ
Something stabbed its way up Shessil Groachâs nostrils and burned his sinuses until he woke up. A soft hand was patting his face, but it was out of rhythm with the throbbing in the side of his head and around his jaw, so he clasped the hand and pushed it away. As his vision cleared, it filled with the round, expectant face of a young woman.
âWhat did you stick up my nose?â he mumbled.
âJust gave you a whiff of some smelling salts, to bring you back to your senses,â she reassured him.
âWanna go back to sleep.â
âAll right, but let me just check you over while youâre awake. You might have hurt your head.â
ââkay.â
She splayed the fingers of both hands and placed them on his head. Then she prodded his scalp in various places.
âAaagh!â
âWhere did it hurt?â she asked, frowning.
âEverywhere you poked. Leave me alone, madam. Iâll be quite all right once you keep your fingers and chemicals to
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