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‘Wrong page Go on,’ the Magpie told her ‘Find the page with the corner turned down’

Wordlessly, Meggie obeyed There was no picture on that page or the one opposite it Without thinking she s-eared pages

‘What’s the idea? Do you want to ain?’ hissed the Magpie ‘Begin with the second paragraph, but mind you don’t read aloud I don’t want to find the Shadow here in o? I ?’

‘How should I know?’ The Magpie leaned over and rubbed her left leg ‘How long does it usually take you to read your fairies and tin soldiers and so forth out of their stories?’

Meggie lowered her head Poor Tinker Bell ‘I can’t say,’ she murmured ‘It depends Soes, or not at all’

‘Well, read the whole chapter, that ought to be enough! And you can leave out the "not at all" business’ The Magpie rubbed her other leg They were both wrapped in bandages that could be seen through the dark stockings she wore ‘What are you staring at?’ she hissed at Meggie ‘Can you read ood? Do you know a story with a cure for old age and death in it, little witch that you are?’

‘No,’ whispered Meggie

‘Then don’t gawp so stupidly, look at the book Mind you notice every word I don’t want to hear you stu, no et exactly what he wants I shall see to that’

Meggie let her eyes wander over the letters She wasn’t taking in a word of what she read; she could think of nothing but Mo and the shots fired in the night But she pretended to be reading, on and on, while Mortola never took her eyes off her Finally, she raised her head and closed the book ‘Finished,’ she said

‘What, already?’ The Magpie looked at her suspiciously

Meggie did not reply She glared at Basta He was leaning on Mortola’s ar to read that aloud this evening,’ she said ‘You shot ht Basta told pie turned to Basta ‘What was the idea of that?’ she asked angrily ‘Do you think the child will read better if you break her silly heart? Tell her you et on with it’

Basta lowered his head like a boy caught doing wrong by his rowled ‘Cockerell’s a terrible shot Your father didn’t suffer so ie closed her eyes with relief She felt warht, or at least asn’t all right soon would be

Happinesselse,’ she said Why should she be afraid? They needed her She was the only one who could read their wretched Shadow out of the book for them, no one else could do it – except Mo, and they hadn’t caught him yet They would never catch hipie smoothed her sternly pinned-up hair What had she looked like when she was Meggie’s age? Had her lips been so er again Before he …’ She did not end the sentence

‘What for?’