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'Ernone I've ever heard of, Mister Rob,' Billy confessed 'Aye So you already know ave the boy a smile 'Do yer best, laddie I dinnae expect any more of you than that' Billy looked out of the shed door, and took a deep breath: 'Then I'll tell ye I think she's hidin' somewhere close like a hunted creature, Mr Rob This is a wee bit o' her ranny, the place where she's always felt safe I'll tell ye I think that we're in the soul and centre o' her The bit o' her that is her And I'htened to mah boots'

'Why?'

'Because I've been watchin' the shadows, Mr Rob,' said Billy 'The sun is movin' It's slippin' doon the sky'

'Aye, weel, that's whut the sun does-' Rob began Billy shook his head 'Nay, Mr Rob Ye dinnae understand! I' orld That's the sun o' the soul o' her' The Feegles looked at the sun, and at the shadows, then back at Billy He'd stuck his chin out bravely but he was treht cos than death, Mr Rob The hiver will have her, head tae toe-' That is nae gonna happen!' shouted Rob Anybody, so suddenly that Billy backed away 'She's a strong big wee lass! She fought the Quin wi' no more than a fryin' pan!' Awf'ly Wee Billy sed There were a lot of things he'd rather do than face Rob

Anybody now But he pressed on 'Sorry, Mr Rob, but I' ye she had iron then, an' she wuz on her ain turf She's a lang, lang way fra' hame here An' it'll squeeze this place when it finds it, leave no ht will come, an'-'

' 'Scusehis hands nervously Everyone turned to look at him 'Ye ha' an idea?' said Rob 'Aye, an' if I tell youse, I dinnae want you ta' say it's inna-pro-pre-ate, OK, Rob?' Rob Anybody sighed 'OK, Wullie, ye ha' ers knotting and unknotting 'What is this place if it's not truly her ain place? What is it if not her ain turf? If she cannae fight the creature here, she cannae fight it anywhere!'

'But it willnae coroeaker, this place will fade away'

'Oh, crivens,' ht? Even if it doesnae work?' Rob Anybody wasn't paying any attention He stared around the shepherding hut Myother than nuttin' folk, Jeannie had said 'Daft Wullie is right,' he said quietly This is her safe place She holds the land, she has it in her eye The creature can ne'er touch her here Here, she has power But 'twill be a jail hoose for her here unless she fights the ae doon the cludgie She'll look oot at the world like a pris'ner at a tiny , and see hersel' hated and feared So we'll fetch the beast in here against its will, and here it will die!' The Feegles cheered They weren't sure as going on, but they liked the sound of it 'How?' said Awf'ly Wee Billy 'Ye had to gae and ask that, eh?' said Rob Anybody bitterly 'An' I wuz doin' sae i' the thinkin'-' He turned There was a scratching noise on the door above him Up there, across the rows and rows of half rubbed-outone by one, as if an invisible hand riting them 'Worrds,' said Rob Anybody 'She's tryin' tae tell us soan 'I ken hat they say!' snapped Rob Anybody 'I ha' the knowin' of the readin'! They say-' He looked up again 'OK, they saythat's the snake, an' that's the kinda like a gate letter, an' the comb on its side, two o' that, an' the fat ain, and then there's e calls a "space" and then there's the letter like a saw's teeth, and two o' the letters that's roound like the sun, and the letter that's a man sittin' doon, and onna next line we ha'the man wi' his arain but noo he's walkin, an' next he's standin' still again, an' next is the coot his ary and we end the line with the coainan' on the next line we starts wi' the bendy hook,

that's the letter roound as the sun, the ooot tae the sky! then there's a space 'cos there's nae letter, then there's the snaky again, an' the letter like a hoose frame, and then there's the letter that'sroound letter, and, ha, oor ol' friend, the fat man walkin'! The End!' He stood back, hands on hips, and demanded: There! Is that readin' I just did, or wuz it no'?' There was a cheer froles, and some applause Awf'ly Wee Billy looked up at the chalked words: And then he looked at Rob Anybody's expression 'Aye, aye,' he said, 'Ye're doin great, Mr Rob Sheep's wool, turpentine and Jolly Sailor tobacco'

'Ach, weel, anyone can read it all in one go,' said Rob Anybody, disuid to break it doon intae all the tricksie letters And veera guid to have the knowin' o' the meanin' o' the whole'

'What is that?' said Awf'ly Wee Billy 'The o stealin' There was a cheer fro up very well, but they recognized that word all right 'An' it's gonna be a stealin' tae remember!' Rob yelled, to another cheer 'Daft Wullie!'

'Aye!'

'Ye'll be in charge! Ye ha' not got the brains o' a beetle, brother o' mine, but when it coot tae fetch turpentine and fresh ship wool and so hag a' bodies! Tell her sheit here! And ye'd best be quick, because that sun is movin' down the sky Ye'll be stearin' fra' Time itself - aye? Ye have a question?' Daft Wullie had raised a finger 'Point o' order, Rob,' he said, 'but it was a wee bittie hurtful there for you to say I dinnae hae the brains of a beetle

Rob hesitated, but only for a ht in whut ye say It was unricht o' me to say that It was the heat o' the moment, an' I am full sorry for it As I stand here before ye noill say: Daft Wullie, ye do hae the brains o' a beetle, an' I'll fight any scunner who says different!' Daft Wullie's face broke into a huge smile, then crinkled into a frown 'But ye are the leader, Rob,' he said 'No' on this raid, Wullie A' here I have every confidence that ye'll be a fiiinne leader on this raid an' not totally mess it up like ye did the last seventeen tiroan fro 'It's ot tae stay wi' her! I will no' ha' it said we left her tae die alone! Now, get movin', ye scunners, or feel the flat o' rowled They fled Rob Anybody laid his sword doith care, then sat on the step of the shepherding hut to watch the sun After a while, he are of soave Miss Level's brooround and it worried him He hitched up the bundle on his back that contained his parachute, although it was technically the 'paradrawers', since it wasand an old pair of Tiffany's best Sunday drawers, ashed They still had flowers on, but there was nothing like the it (or they) were going to be needed 'It's no' got feathers,' he coue!' said Daft Wullie 'We're in a hurry, ye ken, an' you're the only one who kno tae fly!'

'A brooic It hasnae any wings! I dinnae ken that stuff!' But Big Yan had already thrown a piece of string over the bristle end of the stick and was cliles followed 'Besides, how do they steer these things?' Hamish went on 'Weel, how do ye do it i' the birdies?' Daft Wullie deht, but-'

'Ach, yell learn as we go,' said Wullie 'Flying can-nae be that difficult Even ducks can do it, and they have nae brains at a'' And there was really no point in arguing, which is why, a fewthe stick's handle The rest of the Feegles clung to the bristles at the other end, chattering Firmly tied to the bristles was a bundle of what looked like sticks and rags, with a battered hat and the stolen beard on top of it At least this extra weight ap in the fruit trees Hales over his eyes and put

a hand on a shiny area of stick just in front of hih the air There was a cheer froles 'See? Told yez ye'd be OK,' Daft Wullie called out 'But can ye no' o a wee bit faster?' Carefully, Haa noise very like Arrrrrrrrrgg00ggg0gg0ghhhhhhhhhhhhhhIn the silent world of Tiffany's head, Rob Anybody picked up his sword again and crept across the darkening turf There was sorowing so fast that its twigs visibly rass Rob Anybody stared at it It had toAnd then he remembered what the old kelda had told them when he'd been a wee boy Once, the land had been all forest, heavy and dark Then rew up in the clearings The bigjobs brought in sheep, which ate the grass, and also what grew in the grass: tree seedlings And so the dark forests died There hadn't been much life in them, not once the tree trunks closed in behind you; it had been dark as the botto out the light Sometimes there was the crash of a branch, or the rattle and patter as acorns the squirrels had looes of the forest were the ho forest, was the home of wood But the turf lived in the sun, with its hundreds of grasses and flowers and birds and insects The Nac Mac Feegle knew that better than reen desert at a distance was a tiny, thriving, roaring jungle'Ach,' said Rob Anybody 'So that's yer game, izzit? Weel, ye're no' takin' over in here too!' He chopped at the spindly thing with his sword, and stood back The rustling of leaves behind hi And a third He looked across the grass and saw a dozen, a hundred tiny trees beginning their race for the sky Worried though he was, and he orried to his boots, Rob Anybody grinned If there's one thing a Feegle likes, it's knowing that wherever you strike you're going to hit an ene and the turf was dying Rob charged ArrrrrrrrrgggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhWhat happened during the Nac Mac Feegles' search for the right smell was

remembered by several witnesses (quite apart fro in the air by a broo little blue men) One of theinative farht and a draughty feeling on his back That was about as exciting as it got for NugggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhThen there was Mildred Pusher, aged seven, as the daughter of the farrown up and becoht she caht for a drink of water and heard the noises under the sink'And there were these little voices, you see, and one said, "Ach, Wullie, you cannae drink that, look, it says 'Poison!!' on the bottle," and another voice said, "Aye, gonnagle, they put that on tae frighten a man from havin' a wee drink," and the first voice said, "Wullie, it's rat poison!" and the second voice said, "That's fine, then, 'cos I'm no' a rat!" And then I opened the cupboard under the sink and, what do you think, it was full of fairies! And they looked at me and I looked at the, big wee girl!" and ireed! And the first one said, "So, in this drea us where the turpentine is, wouldya?" And so I told them it was outside in the barn, and he said, "Aye? Then we're offski But here's a wee gift fra' the fairies for a big wee girl who's gonna go right back tae sleep!" And then they were gone!' One of her grandchildren, who'd been listening with his ive you, Grandma?'