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‘Dustfinger, go to the kitchen and get Mortola to put so voice ‘You’ll be no use for anything without the use of your hands’

Dustfinger looked at Mo for a long ti this order Head bent, with unsteady steps, he walked past Capricorn’s men The way to the church porch seeht sunlight shone into the building As it closed behind hiie, Mo and Elinor were left with Capricorn and his men – and the reek of petrol and burnt paper

‘And now let’s cos He earing black boots He exa a scrap of charred paper from the toe of one boot ‘Until now I, Basta and the unfortunate Dustfinger are the only evidence that you can conjure up extraordinary ic out of little black letters You yourself don’t seeift, if we’re to believe you – which, as I was saying just now, I don’t On the contrary, I think you are a ive us another taste of your skill at long last Cockerell!’ His voice sounded irritated ‘Where’s the reader? Didn’t I tell you to bring him?’

Cockerell stroked his beard nervously ‘He was still busy choosing books,’ he staht away’ And with a hasty bow, he liers on the arms of his chair ‘No doubt you’ve already heard that I had to resort to the services of another reader while you were hiding from me so successfully,’ he said to Mo ‘I found hio, but he’s useless You only have to look at Flatnose’s face’ Flatnose lowered his head, embarrassed, when all eyes turned on hiirls he read out of his books for htmares just to see their faces Finally, I had hi myself with his monsters, and I actually foundthe There’s a lonely boy who likes to play with fire in alernails like a satisfied cat exaht books for you At least the poor fool does know his way around books – he lives in them like one of those pale worms that feed on paper’

‘And just what am I supposed to read out of his books for you?’ Mo’s voice sounded bitter ‘A few monsters, a couple of human horrors to suit the present company?’ He nodded in Basta’s direction

‘For heaven’s sake, Mortimer, don’t put ideas into his head!’ whispered Elinor, with a nervous glance at Capricorn

But Capricorn merely flicked soue,’ he said ‘I have enough et around to the very ith Basta’s trained dogs and the local snakes They ue, all I want today as a test of your skill is gold I have such an appetite for money! My men do their best to squeeze all that can be squeezed out of this part of the country’ At these words froly stroked his knife ‘But it’s never enough for all the wonderful things that can be bought in this infinitely orld of yours A world of so es, and I want to write my name on every one of them’

‘In what kind of letters?’ enquired Mo ‘Is Basta going to scratch them into the paper with his knife?’

‘Oh, Basta can’t write,’ replied Capricorn calmly ‘None of my men can either read or write I’ve forbidden theot one of my maidservants to teachto be written the reader does it So you see, ue, I can make my mark on your world’

The church door opened as if Cockerell had just been waiting for this cue The man he ushered in had his head hunched between his shoulders and looked neither right nor left as he followed Cockerell He was small and thin, and couldn’t be any older than Mo, but his back was bent like an old s moved aardly, as if he didn’t quite knohat to do with thelasses The frae of his nose with sticky tape, as if it had often been broken He was clutching a number of books to his chest with his left arm, as if they offered some protection from the stares turned on him froht

When the twoan elbow into his companion’s ribs, and the man bowed so hurriedly that two of the books fell to the floor He was quick to snatch them up, and bowed to Capricorn a second ti for you, Darius!’ said Capricorn ‘I trust you’ve found what I wanted’

‘Oh yes, yes!’ stalance at Mo ‘Is that him?’

‘Yes Show him the books you’ve chosen’

Darius nodded and bowed again, this time to Mo ‘These – these are all stories with treasure in the them wasn’t as easy as I had expected,’ he added, with the faintest note of reproach in his voice ‘After all, there aren’t so e And however often I ask no one brings me any more, or if they do the books are useless But never mind that – here they are I think you’ll be happy with my choice, anyway’ He knelt down on the floor in front of Mo and began setting out the books side by side, so that Mo could read the titles

The very first one alarie Treasure Island She looked uneasily at Mo Not that one, she thought Not that book, Mo But Mo had already picked up another book: Tales Frohts

‘I think this will do,’ he said ‘There’s sure to be plenty of gold in those stories But I’ain, I don’t knoill happen Because it never does happen when I want it to I know you all think I’ic comes out of the books themselves, and I have no more idea than you or any of your men hoorks’

Capricorn leaned back in his chair looking expressionlessly at Mo ‘How ue?’ he asked in bored tones ‘You can say so as often as you like, but I don’t believe it In the world on which we finally slaicians, wizards and witches, and I very often had to deal with their obstinacy I know that Basta has given you a graphic account of the e used to break their will But in your case, and now that your daughter is here as our guest, I’m sure such painful methods will not be necessary’ With these words, Capricorn looked pointedly at Basta

Mo tried to hold on to Meggie, but Bastaher towards him, he quickly put an arm around her neck and held her in a headlock

‘Froue,’ continued Capricorn, his voice still sounding as indifferent as if he was talking about the weather, ‘frohter’s personal shadow This will provide her with reliable protection fros but not, of course, fro as I say so And that in turn will depend on whether I am pleased with your services Have I made myself clear?’