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‘Hurry up, Meggie!’ breathed Mo through the door

The boy glanced at hiainst the wall

‘Please!’ whispered Meggie ‘You s to you’

He was still looking at her Then he stood up, cautiously, never taking his eyes off her He was taller than she was by al for the open door He pushed Meggie aside so roughly that she fell over, but he couldn’t get past Mo

‘Here, take it easy!’ Mo said under his breath ‘We really do want to help you, but you lared at him with dislike ‘You’re all devils!’ he whispered ‘Devils or dee, and why not? His own story was told in every language in the world

Meggie got up and rubbed her knee She razed it on the stone floor ‘If you want to see some real devils then all you have to do is stay here!’ she hissed at the boy as she pushed her way past him He flinched as if she were a witch

Mo drew the boy to his side ‘See thatto the church tower ‘If he sees us they’ll kill us’

The boy looked up at the er went over to him ‘Hurry up, will you?’ he said quietly ‘If the lad doesn’t want to go with us then he can just stay here And the rest of you take your shoes off,’ he added, glancing at the boy’s bare feet, ‘or you’ll ru in a cross voice, but she obeyed, and the boy did follow the to outstrip his own shadow The alley dohich he led the, and every time Elinor stubbed her toes on the bumpy cobblestones she uttered a quiet curse It was dark between the close-set houses Masonry arches stretched from one side of the street to the other, as if to prevent the walls frohostly shadows Every noise sounded threatening, every cat scurrying out of a doorway e was asleep They passed only one guard, leaning on the wall in a side street and s souard bent to pick up a stone to throw at thelad he had made theuard whose back was still turned, but Meggie dared not breathe again until they were round the next corner Once again, she noticed the many empty houses, the blank s, the dilapidated doors What had wrecked these homes? Just the course of time? Had the people who once lived here run away froe already abandoned before he and hislike that?

He had stopped He raised his hand in a warning gesture, and put a finger to his lips They had reached the outskirts of the village Only the car park still lay ahead Two street lights illuminated the surface of the cracked asphalt, and a tall wire-netting fence rose to their left ‘The arena for Capricorn’s ceremonies and festivities is on the other side of that fence,’ whispered Dustfinger ‘I suppose the village children once played football there, but these days it’s the scene of Capricorn’s diabolical celebrations: bonfires, brandy, a few shots fired into the air, fireworks, blackened faces – that’s their idea of fun’

They put their shoes on before following Dustfinger into the car park Meggie kept looking at the wire fence Diabolical celebrations She could alie!’ urged Mo, leading her on The sound of rushing water could be heard soe they had crossed on the way here Suppose a guard was stationed there this time?

There were several cars in the car park, including Elinor’s, which was parked a little way fro around anxiously as they ran towards it Behind theh above the rooftops, and there was nothing now to shield theie couldn’t see him at this distance, but she was sure he was still there Fro over a table Did he have a pair of binoculars?