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Still droith sleep, Meggie nodded Outside, the birds were twittering loudly as if they’d been awake for hours Mo put two more pairs of jeans in her case, closed it and carried it to the door ‘Wear so warm,’ he said ‘It’s chilly outside’
‘Where are we going?’ asked Meggie, but he had already disappeared She looked out of the , feeling confused She aler, but there was only a blackbird in the yard hopping over the stones, which et after the rain Meggie put on her jeans and stu and Mo’s toolbox stood out in the hall
Her father was sitting at the kitchen tablesandwiches for the journey When she came into the kitchen he looked up briefly and sie could see he orried about soo away now!’ she said ‘The school holidays don’t start for another week!’
‘Well, it won’t be the first tio away on business in your terht about that In fact, he went away quite often, whenever an antique dealer, a book collector or a library needed a bookbinder and co the theie didn’t think the word ‘bookbinder’ described Mo’s work particularly well, and a few years ago she had‘Mortimer Folchart, Book Doctor’ And the book doctor never called on his patients without taking his daughter too They had always done that and they alould, never ie’s teachers said
‘How about chicken-pox? Have I used that excuse already?’
‘Yes, last tio and see that dreary ie scrutinised her father’s face ‘Mo Is it … is it because of last night we have to leave?’
For a– whatever there was to tell But then he shook his head ‘No, of course not,’ he said, putting the sandwiches he had‘Your mother has an aunt called Elinor We visited her once, when you were very stime She lives beside a lake in the north of Italy, I always forget which lake, but it’s a lovely place, a day’s drive away’ He did not look at her as he spoke
Meggie wanted to ask: but why do we have to go now? But she didn’t Nor did she ask if he had forgotten that he wassomeone at midday She was too afraid of the answers – and she didn’t want Mo to lie to her again
‘Is this aunt as peculiar as the others?’ was all she said Mo had already taken her to visit various relations Both he and Meggie’s ie could see, were scattered over half of Europe
Mo set on with her all right She has sooing to be away?’
‘It could be quite soie sipped her cocoa It was so hot that she burned her lips, and had to quickly press the cold blade of a knife to her mouth
Mo pushed his chair back ‘I have to pack a fewYou must be very tired, but you can sleep once we’re in the van’
Meggie just nodded and looked out of the kitchenIt was a greyMist drifted over the fields at the foot of the nearby hills, and Meggie felt as if the shadows of the night were still hiding a the trees
‘Pack up the food and take plenty to read!’ Mo called froo he had made her a box to hold her favourite books on all their journeys, short and long, near and far ‘It’s a good idea to have your own books with you in a strange place,’ Mo always said He himself always took at least a dozen
Mo had painted the box poppy-red Poppies were Meggie’s favourite flower They pressed well between the pages of a book, and you could stamp a star-shaped pattern on your skin with their pepper-pot seed capsules He had decorated the box and painted Meggie’s Treasure Chest in lovely curly lettering on the lid The box was lined with shiny black taffeta, but you could hardly see any of the fabric because Meggie had a great many favourite books, and she always added another whenever they travelled anywhere ‘If you take a book with you on a journey,’ Mo had said when he put the first one in her box, ‘an odd thing happens: the book begins collecting your memories And forever after you have only to open that book to be back where you first read it It will all cohts you saw in that place, what it s it … yes, books are like flypapers Me else’