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‘Mo!’ whispered Meggie ‘You’ve got to tell Dustfinger! You’ve got to tell hio back’

But Mo shook his head ‘He won’t want to listen, I promise you I’ve tried more than a dozen tiether with Fenoglio after all He ht well be h, he brushed a few cake crulio’s kitchen table ‘There was a picture in Inkheart,’ hethe palm of his hand over the table-top as if to conjure up the picture itself ‘It showed a group of woateway, in splendid clothes as if they were going to a party One of them had hair as fair as your mother’s You can’t see the woman’s face in the picture, she has her back turned, but I always iie placed her hand on his ‘Mo, proe!’ she said ‘Please! Proet the book back’

The second hand on Fenoglio’s kitchen clock was dividing timents

At last Mo answered ‘I promise,’ he said

‘Look at me and say it!’

He did ‘I pro I want to discuss with Fenoglio, and then we’ll go hoie nodded Although she wondered what else there could be to discuss

Fenoglio returned with a tearful Pippo on his back The other two children followed their grandfather, looking crestfallen ‘Holes in the cake and now a dent in his forehead too I think I ought to send the lot of you holio told theed around in the big cupboard until he found a plaster, which he stuck none too gently on his grandson’s cut forehead

Mo pushed his chair back and stood up ‘I’ve changed er after all’

Fenoglio turned to him in surprise

‘Perhaps you can o back,’ Mo continued ‘Goodness knohat he erous for him – and I do have this idea, rather a weird idea, but I’d like to talk to you about it’

‘Weirder than what I’ve heard already? I’d say that’s hardly possible!’ Fenoglio’s grandchildren had disappeared into the cupboard again Giggling, they closed the doors ‘Very well, I’ll listen to your idea,’ said Fenoglio ‘But I want to see Dustfinger first!’

Mo looked at Meggie It wasn’t often that he broke a proie could understand that only too well ‘He’s waiting in the square,’ said Mo hesitantly ‘But let lio’s eyes widened ‘That’s wonderful!’ With one stride he was standing in front of the little ers through his black hair alht be disappointed by his creator’s appearance ‘I’ll pretend I don’t see hi to do’

There was a clattering in the cupboard, and Pippo stumbled out in a jacket that cae that it had slipped right over his eyes

‘Of course!’ Fenoglio took the hat off Pippo’s head and put it on his own ‘That’s it! I’ll take the children withabout that sight to gie out into the narrow passage