forgot to show this to you, Ralick. See, it's another gold charm. It fell off the top of the curtains when I drew them."
"What a peculiar place to keep a gold charm."
"I can't imagine how it got up there," Copper agreed. "It looks just like mine but it's evil, isn't it? So it couldn't really be like mine, could it?"
"No. Your charms are bursting with nice feelings . . . though since we got up here in the mountains they've changed or the bracelet has changed. It seems to be buzzing and—"
"We're back!" Oriole appeared carrying boxes of food, and Copper helped her put them on the table and began unpacking them.
"I'm glad to see you, Copper. Goodness me, I was so worried, but of course you're all right. Is Silver back yet? She's always there to meet the sled."
"There's no sign of her," said Copper.
"Dogs do sometimes go off to hide to have their pups," said Oriole. "They don't always choose the best places either."
"We'll organize a proper search for her this afternoon," said Robin. "Questrid will find her. You know how good he is at tracking."
"Yes. I hope you're right. Ring the bell for Uncle Greenwood to come up for lunch, will you, Copper?" said Oriole. "We'd better eat quickly. Silver has never disappeared like this before."
14. Copper Investigates The Dumbwaiter
Later that afternoon, Copper was alone again—except for the birds and Ralick.
Sitting in the kitchen, she found her eyes drawn to the dumbwaiter again and again. Who did it carry food to? Where did it go?
"Why not find out?" said Ralick. "No one will know."
Copper sidled over to the dumbwaiter and quickly, guiltily, pressed the button.
The machine hummed into life with a distant rumble and soon the lift appeared and shuddered to a halt. Copper dragged a chair across to it and climbed in. By bending her knees up and squashing her head down, she could just squeeze in. Then she reached round and pressed the up button.
Immediately, with a jerk and a shudder, the lift began moving upward into the dark.
Dark! I never thought it would be dark, she worried, as the lift inched its way up into the stuffy woodiness. This is a bad idea, this is a silly thing to do. What if it gets stuck? What if it drops to the ground under my weight?
The ropes whined and the lift rumbled and squeaked.
Where's it going? What's up there? Why do I do these things, and where's Ralick when I need him?
At last a chink of light appeared, then more, and seconds later the lift shuddered to a halt. It had stopped in the middle of a round room with small windows facing out in all directions: the top of the house—at last!
A pair of pigeons cooed and trilled from a shelf and stared down at her with interest. There were chairs and a table, and the curved walls were lined with books.
Gingerly, Copper eased herself out of the dumbwaiter.
Can't see anyone, she thought, but there's Oriole's tray and the food's gone.
Copper crept round. Behind the lift, on the other side of the room, she found a fixed wooden ladder going up through a hole in the ceiling to the floor above.
"Okay, here goes," she said.
She climbed the ladder slowly, her heart pounding in her ribs, her breathing fast and hard. Just before she poked her head out through the hole, she called out, "Hello! Ready or not, here I come!" and pushed her way into the room above.
She couldn't believe what she saw . . .
There were two of them. TWO Uncle Greenwoods!
15. Copper Runs Away
The men hurried over to Copper as she scrambled through the hole in the floor.
"Hey!" she cried as she was scooped up in some long arms and hugged tightly. "Hey!"
"Copper, my dear," said the owner of the arms. "Copper."
Copper angrily wriggled free and stepped back. "How dare you!" she heard herself say. She stared up at the two identical faces until they began to swim and skid before her eyes.
"I think you should explain," she muttered weakly. "I have this dreadful feeling that one of you is
"What a peculiar place to keep a gold charm."
"I can't imagine how it got up there," Copper agreed. "It looks just like mine but it's evil, isn't it? So it couldn't really be like mine, could it?"
"No. Your charms are bursting with nice feelings . . . though since we got up here in the mountains they've changed or the bracelet has changed. It seems to be buzzing and—"
"We're back!" Oriole appeared carrying boxes of food, and Copper helped her put them on the table and began unpacking them.
"I'm glad to see you, Copper. Goodness me, I was so worried, but of course you're all right. Is Silver back yet? She's always there to meet the sled."
"There's no sign of her," said Copper.
"Dogs do sometimes go off to hide to have their pups," said Oriole. "They don't always choose the best places either."
"We'll organize a proper search for her this afternoon," said Robin. "Questrid will find her. You know how good he is at tracking."
"Yes. I hope you're right. Ring the bell for Uncle Greenwood to come up for lunch, will you, Copper?" said Oriole. "We'd better eat quickly. Silver has never disappeared like this before."
14. Copper Investigates The Dumbwaiter
Later that afternoon, Copper was alone again—except for the birds and Ralick.
Sitting in the kitchen, she found her eyes drawn to the dumbwaiter again and again. Who did it carry food to? Where did it go?
"Why not find out?" said Ralick. "No one will know."
Copper sidled over to the dumbwaiter and quickly, guiltily, pressed the button.
The machine hummed into life with a distant rumble and soon the lift appeared and shuddered to a halt. Copper dragged a chair across to it and climbed in. By bending her knees up and squashing her head down, she could just squeeze in. Then she reached round and pressed the up button.
Immediately, with a jerk and a shudder, the lift began moving upward into the dark.
Dark! I never thought it would be dark, she worried, as the lift inched its way up into the stuffy woodiness. This is a bad idea, this is a silly thing to do. What if it gets stuck? What if it drops to the ground under my weight?
The ropes whined and the lift rumbled and squeaked.
Where's it going? What's up there? Why do I do these things, and where's Ralick when I need him?
At last a chink of light appeared, then more, and seconds later the lift shuddered to a halt. It had stopped in the middle of a round room with small windows facing out in all directions: the top of the house—at last!
A pair of pigeons cooed and trilled from a shelf and stared down at her with interest. There were chairs and a table, and the curved walls were lined with books.
Gingerly, Copper eased herself out of the dumbwaiter.
Can't see anyone, she thought, but there's Oriole's tray and the food's gone.
Copper crept round. Behind the lift, on the other side of the room, she found a fixed wooden ladder going up through a hole in the ceiling to the floor above.
"Okay, here goes," she said.
She climbed the ladder slowly, her heart pounding in her ribs, her breathing fast and hard. Just before she poked her head out through the hole, she called out, "Hello! Ready or not, here I come!" and pushed her way into the room above.
She couldn't believe what she saw . . .
There were two of them. TWO Uncle Greenwoods!
15. Copper Runs Away
The men hurried over to Copper as she scrambled through the hole in the floor.
"Hey!" she cried as she was scooped up in some long arms and hugged tightly. "Hey!"
"Copper, my dear," said the owner of the arms. "Copper."
Copper angrily wriggled free and stepped back. "How dare you!" she heard herself say. She stared up at the two identical faces until they began to swim and skid before her eyes.
"I think you should explain," she muttered weakly. "I have this dreadful feeling that one of you is
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