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‘What’s that for?’ he said, when Basta caht as well put it away If you kill ive you for that in a hurry’

Yes, he was afraid Meggie could hear it in his voice The words were spilling out of hisabout killing?’ growled Basta as he closed the cell door behind hier retreated as far as the stone coffin ‘Ah, you were thinking of adding a fewThere was soe ‘Don’t expect it to be so easy this time,’ he said softly ‘I’ve learned a few useful tricks since then’

‘Have you indeed?’ Basta was standing barely a pace away from him ‘And what may they be? Your friend fire isn’t here to help you You don’t even have that stinking er placed a hand on the coffin ‘You see, the fairies have taught me how to lay a curse on someone They were sorry forSo … I curse you, Basta – I curse you by the bones of the deadin this coffin I’ll bet there’s no old priest in it now, but soht?’

Basta did not answer, but his silence was more eloquent than any words

‘Of course An old coffin like this er caressed the cracked lid with his fingers as if trying to call the dead back to life with the warmth of his hand ‘May his spirit haunt you, Basta!’ he said in a solemn voice ‘May he breathe my name in your ear at every step you take, ie saw Basta’s hand leap to his rabbit-foot

‘That thing won’t help you!’ Dustfinger’s hand was still on the coffin ‘Poor Basta! Are you feeling hot already? Do your lied at hiht on his feet as he was, avoided the blade ‘Fire is faster than you, Basta!’ he whispered ‘Much faster’

‘Give me the note you handed her!’ Basta screaer just put the note in his trouser pocket

Meggie stood motionless as a doll Out of the corner of her eye she saw her ht it out again she was holding a stone in it, a grey stone not er passed his hands over the lid of the coffin, then held them out to Basta ‘Shall I touch you?’ he asked ‘What happens when you touch a s’

He took another step aside, like a dancer circling round his partner

‘I’ll cut your filthy fingers off if you try to touch e ‘Every one of theed with the knife again, cutting through the air with the bright blade, but Dustfinger avoided it He was leaping around Basta faster and faster, ducking, retreating, advancing, but suddenly he found that his fearless dance had trapped hi cut off his retreat to the right – and Basta was coie’s mother raised her hand The stone hit Basta on the head Astonished, he spun round, looked at her as if trying to re face She never kne Dustfinger did it, but suddenly he had Basta’s knife in his hand Basta was staring at its farasp the fact that the faithless thing was pointing at his own chest

‘Well, how’s this, then?’ Dustfinger slowly brought the tip of the knife close to Basta’s stomach ‘Do you feel how soft your flesh is? The huet a new one What is it you and your friends do to cats and squirrels? Flatnose likes describing it--’