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‘What about this book?’ asked Meggie
‘I shouldn’t think this one was ever in a church,’ replied Elinor ‘More likely it was made for a very rich man to enjoy It’s al the pride in her voice ‘People have committed murder for such a book Luckily, I only had to buy it’
As she spoke these last words she turned abruptly and looked at Dustfinger, who had followed the cat For a ht Elinor would send hier stood in front of the shelves looking so iave her no reason to turn hilance and turned back to Mo
He was standing at one of the reading desks with a book in his hand Its spine hung only by a couple of threads He held it very carefully, like a bird with a broken wing
‘Well?’ asked Elinor anxiously ‘Can you save it? I know it’s in terrible shape, and I’m afraid the others aren’t in a ht’ Mo put the book down and inspected another ‘But I think it will take et hold of more materials, which could ?’
‘Of course’ Elinor nodded, but Meggie noticed the glance she cast at Dustfinger He was still standing beside the shelves near the door and seeie sensed that he had missed none of as said behind his back
There were no books in Elinor’s kitchen, not one, but they ate an excellent supper there at a wooden table that came, so Elinor assured theie doubted it As far as she knew, thetops in the scriptoria of their monasteries, but she kept this information to herself Instead, she took another slice of bread, and was just wondering how nice the cheese standing on the supposed scriptoriu to Elinor Since Elinor’s eyes widened greedily, Meggie concluded that they could only be discussing a book, and she i, and the anger in Mo’s voice
Beside her, Dustfinger surreptitiously slipped a slice of haie saw a round nose e in the hope of ie when he noticed her looking at hi odd about Mo and Elinor’s whispering, but Meggie was sure the two of the secret
After a short tiie asked Elinor where the bathroo to be spying on Mo She couldn’t reht, when Dustfinger had arrived And the time when she had tried to find out whether Mo was Father Christ after hi the book froive it to this Elinor – a book Meggie wasn’t allowed to see! Ever since Mo had hurriedly hidden it behind his back, Meggie hadn’t been able to get it out of her head She had even looked for it in Mo’s bag before he loaded his things into the van, but she couldn’t find it
She just had to see it before it disappeared, maybe into one of Elinor’s display cases! She had to knohy ither all the way here
He looked round once ie ducked down behind a chest just in time The chest smelled ofthere until Mo came back He’d be sure to see her if she went out of doors Time passed painfully slowly, as it always does when you’re waiting for so hard The books in the white bookcases see to her, as if they sensed that there was only one book Meggie could think about just now
Finally, Mo cae wrapped in brown paper Perhaps he’s just going to hide it here, thought Meggie Where could you hide a book better than a to leave it here and then they’d drive hoie, just once, before it’s put on one of those shelves I’m supposed to stay three paces away from
Mo passed her so close that she could have touched hiie, don’t look at hts again’
Now he looked anxious – as if he wasn’t quite sure he was doing the right thing Meggie counted slowly to three before following her father, but a couple of tiie almost ran into hiht to the library Without looking back once, he opened the door with the Venetian printer’s mark on it, and closed it quietly behind hi all the silent books, wondering whether to follow hiry? She was just about to suo after him when she heard footsteps – rapid, firm footsteps, quick and iie opened the nearest door and slipped through it A four-poster bed, a wardrobe, silver-fraraphs, a pile of books on the bedside table, a catalogue lying open on the rug, its pages full of pictures of old books She was in Elinor’s bedroo, she listened for noises outside; she could hear Elinor’s energetic footsteps and then the sound of the library door closing for the second tiain She was still standing outside the library, undecided, when she felt a hand suddenly laid on her shoulder from behind Another hand stifled her cry of alarer into her ear ‘Keep quiet or we’re both in trouble, understand?’
Meggie nodded, and Dustfinger slowly took his hand away froive the old witch that book, right?’ he whispered ‘Has he taken it out of the van? Tell ie pushed him away ‘I don’t know!’ she snapped ‘Anyhat business is it of yours?’
‘What business is it of hed quietly ‘Well, perhaps I’ll tell you some time But just now all I want to knohether you’ve seen it’
Meggie shook her head She didn’t know herself why she was lying to Dustfinger Perhaps because he had pressed his hand over her er looked at her intently His scars were like pale lines that sohtly curved ht cheek running from ear to nostril ‘Capricorn will kill your father if he doesn’t get that book!’ hissed Dustfinger ‘Kill him, do you understand? Didn’t I tell you what he’s like? He wants the book, and he always gets what he wants It’s ridiculous to believe it will be safe from him here’