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‘Co her forever to unlock the car door

‘All right, all right!’ she growled back ‘I just don’t have such niered friend’

Mo put his arie’s shoulders as he looked around, but apart fro in the car park or aet into the back seat The boy hesitated for a e animal and he couldn’t be sure whether it was kindly disposed or would s hiie scowled at him and moved as far away from him as possible Her knee still hurt

‘Where’s the matchstick-eater?’ whispered Elinor ‘Daie was the first to spot hi over to the other cars Elinor clutched the steering-wheel as if resisting only with difficulty the temptation to drive off without him ‘What’s he up to this tier was gone for an excruciatingly long ti a flick-knife

‘What was the idea of that?’ Elinor snapped, when he squeezed into the back seat next to the boy ‘Didn’t you say wewith that knife? Not cutting soer, annoyed, as he forced his legs in behind the driver’s seat ‘I was slitting their tyres, that’s all Just to be on the safe side’ He was still holding the knife

Meggie looked at it uneasily ‘That’s Basta’s knife,’ she said

Dustfinger smiled as he put it in his trouser pocket ‘Not any more I’d like to have stolen his silly aht, and that would have been too dangerous’

Soan to bark Mo wound down hisand put his head out, looking concerned

‘Believe it or not, it’s only toads ie suddenly heard echoing through the night was nothing like the croaking of toads, and when she looked in alar out of one of the parked vehicles, a dusty, dirty white delivery van It was one of Capricorn’s ie had seen him in the church He looked around hiie could stop her, Elinor started the engine, and the un froie almost felt sorry for him – he looked so sleepy and baffled What would Capricorn do to a guard who fell asleep on duty? But then he aiie ducked her head well below the back of the seat, and Elinor pressed her foot down hard on the accelerator

‘Daer ‘Didn’t you see thatthe cars?’

‘No, I didn’t!’ Dustfinger shouted back ‘Now, drive! Not that way! It’s over there We -wheel around The boy was huddled down beside Meggie At every shot he had closed his eyes tight and put his hands over his ears Were there any guns in his story? Probably not, any ether as Elinor’s car bumped over the stony track When it finally reached the road things weren’t !’ cried Elinor Capricorn’s village looet any smaller