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‘A book? Then why not give it to him?’

‘I can’t I’ll explain soon, but not now, all right?’

Meggie looked out of the vanThe world they were passing outside already looked unfamiliar – unfamiliar houses, unfamiliar roads, unfamiliar fields, even the trees and the sky looked unfaie was used to that She had never really felt at home anywhere Mo was her home, Mo and her books, and perhaps the camper van that carried theoing to see,’ she said, as they drove through an endless tunnel ‘Does she have any children?’

‘No,’ said Mo, ‘and I’m afraid she doesn’t particularly like children either But as I said, I’hed She could reot on’ particularly ith any of theh mountains now, the slopes on both sides of the road rose ever more steeply, and there came a point where the houses looked not just unfaie tried to pass the ti tunnels, but when the ninth sed them up and the darkness went on and on she fell asleep She dreamed of martens in black jackets and a book in a brown-paper cover

4

A House Full of Books

There is a sort of busy worm,

That will the fairest book deform

Their tasteless tooth will tear and taint

The poet, patriot, sage or saint,

Nor sparing wit nor learning

Now, if you’d know the reason why,

The best of reasons I’ll supply:

’Tis bread to the poor vermin

J Doraston, quoted by W Blades

Meggie woke up because it was so quiet The regular sound of the engine that had lulled her to sleep had stopped The driver’s seat beside her was eie a little while to remember why she wasn’t in bed at home Tiny dead flies were stuck to the windscreen, and the van was parked outside an iron gate It looked alarateto iie of one of her favourite stories, the tale of the Selfish Giant ouldn’t let children into his garden This was exactly how she had i in the road with Dustfinger Meggie got out and went over to theht of the road a densely wooded slope fell steeply to the bank of a wide lake The hills on the other side rose fro froht, darkly reflected in the waves, was already spreading across the sky The first lights were coloorms or fallen stars