Inkheart

10. THE LION'S DEN

Meggie sat on the bench behind the house. Dustfinger's burnt-out torches were still stuck in the ground beside it. She didn't usually hesitate so long before opening a book, but she was afraid of what was waiting for her inside this one. That was a brand-new feeling. She had never before been afraid of what a book would tell her. Far from it. Usually, she was so eager to let it lead her into an undiscovered world, one she had never been to before, that she often started to read at the most unsuitable moments. Both she and Mo often read at breakfast and, as a result, he had more than once taken her to school late. And she used to read under the desk at school, too, and late at night in bed until Mo pulled back the covers and threatened to take all the books out of her room so that she'd get enough sleep for once. Of course he would never have done such a thing, and he knew she knew he wouldn't, but for a few days after such a threat she would put her book under her pillow around nine in the evening and let it go on whispering to her in her dreams, so that Mo could feel he was being a really good father.

She wouldn't have put this book under her pillow for fear of what it might whisper to her. For the very first time in her life Meggie wasn't sure that she wanted to enter the world waiting for her between the covers of a book. All the bad things that had happened over the last three days seemed to have come out of this book, and perhaps they were only a faint reflection of what still awaited her inside it.

All the same, she had to begin. Where else was she to look for Mo? Elinor was right; there was no point in simply running off at random. She had to look for Mo's trail among the printed letters in Inkheart. But she had hardly opened it at the first page when she heard footsteps behind her.

"You'll get sunstroke if you keep on sitting in the full sun light, " said a familiar voice.

Meggie spun around.

Dustfinger made her a bow. Of course his face wore its usual smile. "Well, what a surprise!" he said, leaning over her shoulder and looking at the open book on her lap. "So it's here after all. You've got it. "

Meggie was still looking uncomprehendingly at his scarred face. How could he stand there acting as if nothing had happened? "Where've you been?" she snapped. "Didn't they take you, too? And where's Mo? Where have they taken him?" She couldn't get the words out fast enough.

But Dustfinger took his time answering. He examined the bushes all around as if he had never seen anything like them before. He was wearing his coat, although the day was so hot that perspiration stood out in gleaming little beads on his fore head. "No, they didn't take me, too, " he said at last, turning to face Meggie again. "But I saw them drive off with your father. I ran after them, right through the undergrowth, a couple of times I thought I'd break my neck going down that wretched slope, but I got to the gate just in time to see them driving off south. Naturally I recognized them at once. Capricorn had sent his best men. Even Basta was with them."

Meggie was staring at his lips as if she could make the words come out of them faster. "Do you know where they've taken Mo?" Her voice shook with impatience.

"To Capricorn's village, I think. But I wanted to be sure," said Dustfinger, taking off his coat and draping it over the bench, "so I ran after them. I know it sounds silly to run after a car," he added, when Meggie frowned in disbelief, "but I was so furious. It had all been for nothing – my warning you, the three of us coming here… Well, I managed to hitch a lift to the next village. They'd filled up the fuel tank there, four men in black, not very friendly. And they hadn't been gone long. So I… er… borrowed a moped and tried to go on after them. Don't look at me like that – you can set your mind at rest – I took the moped back later. It wasn't particularly fast, but luckily the roads are very, very winding here, and I eventually saw them again far down in the valley, while I was still making my way around the bends above them. So then I was sure they were taking your father to Capricorn's headquarters.

Not to one of his hideouts farther north, but straight to the lion's den. "

"The lion's den, " Meggie repeated. "Where is it?"

"About three hundred kilometers south of here, I'd say. " Dustfinger sat down on the bench beside her and blinked as he peered at the sun. "Not far from the coast. " Once again, he looked at the book still lying on Meggie's lap. "Capricorn's not going to be pleased when his men bring him the wrong book, " he said. "I only hope he doesn't take his disappointment out on your father. "

"But Mo didn't know it was the wrong book! Elinor swapped them in secret." There they came again, those infuriating tears! Meggie wiped her eyes on her sleeve. Dustfinger wrinkled his brow, looking at her as if he wasn't sure whether to believe her.

"She says she just wanted to look at it! She had it in her bedroom. Mo knew the secret place where she'd hidden it, and because the book they took was wrapped in brown paper he never noticed it was the wrong one! And Capricorn's men didn't check either. "

"Of course not. How could they?" Dustfinger's voice was full of scorn. "They can't read. One book is just like any other to them, just printed paper. Anyway, they're used to being given anything they want."

Meggie's voice was shrill with fear. "You must take me to that village! Please!" She looked pleadingly at Dustfinger. "I'll explain everything to Capricorn, and give him the book, and then he'll let Mo go. All right?"

Dustfinger blinked up at the sun again. "Yes, of course," he said, without looking at Meggie. "That's probably the only solution…"

But before he could say anymore they heard Elinor's voice calling from the house. "Well, well, what have we here?" she cried, leaning out of her open window. Its pale yellow curtain flapped in the wind as if a ghost were caught in it. "If it isn't our friend the matchstick-swallower!"

Meggie jumped up and ran over the lawn toward her. "Elinor, he knows where Mo is!" she cried.

"Does he indeed?" Elinor leaned on the windowsill and scrutinized Dustfinger through narrowed eyes. "Put that book down!" she snapped at him. "Meggie, take the book away from him. "

Taken aback, Meggie turned around. Dustfinger really was holding Inkheart, but when Meggie looked at him he quickly put it back down on the bench. Then, with a nasty glance in Elinor's direction, he beckoned her over. Hesitantly, Meggie went to him.

"Yes, all right, I'll take you to your father, even though it may be dangerous for me, " whispered Dustfinger when she was beside him. "But she stays here, understand?" He slyly nodded his head in Elinor's direction.

Meggie looked uncertainly at the house.

"Like me to guess what he whispered to you?" called Elinor across the lawn.

Dustfinger cast Meggie a warning glance, but she ignored it. "He's going to take me to Mo!" she called back.

"A good idea, " called Elinor. "But I'm coming, too. Even if the pair of you might prefer to do without my company!"

"We certainly might!" muttered Dustfinger, smiling guilelessly at Elinor. "But who knows, perhaps we can swap her for your father! I daresay Capricorn could do with another maidservant. I know she's no good at cooking, but perhaps she can do the laundry – even if that's not something you learn from books. "

Meggie had to laugh – although she couldn't tell from Dustfinger's face if he was joking or meant it seriously.