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‘Oh, I don’t know She tickled your fat little neck until you let go of the stones’ Mo turned round to look at her ‘Do you really not ie?’

‘I don’t know Well, only if I’ry with you’

‘About a dozen ti her elbow into his ribs

They both listened for any sounds in the night The as open just a crack, and it was quiet outside The to their wounds For ain the distance, but perhaps it was only the traffic on the nearby one?’ The darkness enveloped theht, I really will

‘I don’t know,’ said Mo His voice sounded absent ‘A long way off, I hope, but I’ie ‘Do you think that boy’s still with him?’ Farid She liked his naer like a dog’

‘He likes Dustfinger Do you think Dustfinger likes hied his shoulders ‘I don’t knoho or what Dustfinger likes’

Meggie rested her head against his chest, the way she always used to at ho her a story ‘He still wants the book, doesn’t he?’ she whispered ‘Basta will ot a new knife by now’

So the narrow alley A door opened and was closed again, a dog barked

‘If it wasn’t for you,’ said Mo, ‘I’d go back too’

30

Talkative Pippo

‘We were told there was a village nearby that ht enjoy our skills’

‘You were misinformed,’ Buttercup told him ‘There is no one, not for many miles’

‘Then there will be no one to hear you screaility toward her face

William Gold, at around ten o’clock, Elinor rang Fenoglio’s house Meggie was sitting upstairs with Mo, watching hi as carefully as if he were releasing an injured anilio called up the stairs ‘Come down at once, will you? There’s so in my ear I can’t make head nor tail of it Says she’s a friend of yours’

Mo put the book to one side, lio handed hilooe and despair into the peaceful study Mo hi sense of what she was saying

‘But how did he know … oh, of course …’ Meggie heard hi ‘Burnt? All of theie’s direction, but she had a feeling that he was looking straight through her ‘All right,’ he said ‘Yes, of course, though I’m afraid they won’t believe a word of it And the police down here aren’t responsible for what’s happened to your books … yes, of course Naturally … I’ll pick you up Yes’