too great. She grabbed the food and began to stuff it into her mouth. She sat down on the log, no longer watching them. It was the same log, Finn was sure, that he and Shireen had shared all that time ago.
Finn and Connor perched next to her, one on each side. Finn broke the rest of the pasty into three and handed it round. Connor had bread and a hunk of beef that he hacked into three with his knife. Finn passed around the water.
‘So what did you do to them?’ asked Connor. ‘It must have been something incredible.’
‘Didn’t do anything,’ the girl mumbled through a mouthful of food.
‘But there were loads of them hunting you,’ said Finn. ‘Dogs too. And they had an engine with them. We saw it. A machine on wheels that moved by itself.’
‘What? You’ve seen the Ironclads?’ The girl stopped chewing. His eyes were wide with shock again. ‘They’re here?’ She glanced past them at the wall of trees, expecting her pursuers to burst out at any moment.
‘They passed by yesterday, heading up the valley,’ said Finn. ‘But they must have lost your trail.’
‘They know I’m here somewhere,’ the girl said. ‘There are only two ways out of the valley.’ She looked down at the ground. ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do. They’ll find me sooner or later. They never give up, never.’
There were tears in her eyes. She had already been crying, Finn could see, smudges running down the grime on her cheeks.
‘We’ll help you,’ said Connor. ‘We can bring you food. And keep an eye out for the Ironclads. We know these woods better than anyone. We can watch the tracks and not be seen.’ He looked thoughtful for a moment. ‘Hey, I know, there’s an old barn in the high meadow on our farm. The cows shelter in it but there’s an upper floor no-one uses.’
‘I could stay there?’
‘Sure. No-one else would know.’
‘We play there sometimes,’ said Finn. ‘There’s these little slit windows you can see out of. No-one could sneak up on you.’
‘Is it far?’
‘Back down the valley a bit,’ said Connor. ‘We can go through the woods and cut across the field if there’s no-one around.’
‘We’d have to make sure Mrs. Megrim didn’t see us,’ said Finn.
‘We’ll keep the barn between us and the Switch House,’ said Connor. ‘It’ll be easy.’
The girl looked reluctant, not able to bring herself to trust them.
‘How did you escape the dogs?’ asked Finn. ‘They must have had your trail.’
‘I waded up the river,’ she said. ‘At night, so no-one would see.’
‘Smart,’ said Finn. ‘When they came for my sister there was nothing we could do.’
‘They took your sister?’
‘Years ago. I was only young.’
Sitting there, the memories of that day were vivid now. Thinking Shireen had returned had brought her surging back. It was a strange coincidence that he had found the glade again just as the Ironclads had returned to the valley.
‘What’s inside the engine?’ asked Connor.
‘It’s just a cage. It’s what they put you in when they catch you. To make sure you don’t get away when they take you to Engn.’
Finn looked to see if the girl meant it. He and Connor spent their lives roaring through the woods, running where they wanted, going miles and miles. They could walk all day together and not feel tired. The thought of being caged inside that smoking, iron box was too much.
‘We’ll take you to the barn,’ said Finn, standing up. ‘You’ll be safe. We’ll make sure no-one sees you. I promise.’
The girl hesitated for a moment more then stood. She stooped to pick up her bundle of blankets and looked back at Finn.
‘Thanks.’
‘What’s your name?’ asked Connor, also standing up.
‘Diane.’
‘I’m Connor. This is Finn. We’ll go first to make sure no-one’s watching.’
They stood together in the shadows of the trees, looking out onto open fields. The stone barn sat a little way away. Nothing moved apart from two
Finn and Connor perched next to her, one on each side. Finn broke the rest of the pasty into three and handed it round. Connor had bread and a hunk of beef that he hacked into three with his knife. Finn passed around the water.
‘So what did you do to them?’ asked Connor. ‘It must have been something incredible.’
‘Didn’t do anything,’ the girl mumbled through a mouthful of food.
‘But there were loads of them hunting you,’ said Finn. ‘Dogs too. And they had an engine with them. We saw it. A machine on wheels that moved by itself.’
‘What? You’ve seen the Ironclads?’ The girl stopped chewing. His eyes were wide with shock again. ‘They’re here?’ She glanced past them at the wall of trees, expecting her pursuers to burst out at any moment.
‘They passed by yesterday, heading up the valley,’ said Finn. ‘But they must have lost your trail.’
‘They know I’m here somewhere,’ the girl said. ‘There are only two ways out of the valley.’ She looked down at the ground. ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do. They’ll find me sooner or later. They never give up, never.’
There were tears in her eyes. She had already been crying, Finn could see, smudges running down the grime on her cheeks.
‘We’ll help you,’ said Connor. ‘We can bring you food. And keep an eye out for the Ironclads. We know these woods better than anyone. We can watch the tracks and not be seen.’ He looked thoughtful for a moment. ‘Hey, I know, there’s an old barn in the high meadow on our farm. The cows shelter in it but there’s an upper floor no-one uses.’
‘I could stay there?’
‘Sure. No-one else would know.’
‘We play there sometimes,’ said Finn. ‘There’s these little slit windows you can see out of. No-one could sneak up on you.’
‘Is it far?’
‘Back down the valley a bit,’ said Connor. ‘We can go through the woods and cut across the field if there’s no-one around.’
‘We’d have to make sure Mrs. Megrim didn’t see us,’ said Finn.
‘We’ll keep the barn between us and the Switch House,’ said Connor. ‘It’ll be easy.’
The girl looked reluctant, not able to bring herself to trust them.
‘How did you escape the dogs?’ asked Finn. ‘They must have had your trail.’
‘I waded up the river,’ she said. ‘At night, so no-one would see.’
‘Smart,’ said Finn. ‘When they came for my sister there was nothing we could do.’
‘They took your sister?’
‘Years ago. I was only young.’
Sitting there, the memories of that day were vivid now. Thinking Shireen had returned had brought her surging back. It was a strange coincidence that he had found the glade again just as the Ironclads had returned to the valley.
‘What’s inside the engine?’ asked Connor.
‘It’s just a cage. It’s what they put you in when they catch you. To make sure you don’t get away when they take you to Engn.’
Finn looked to see if the girl meant it. He and Connor spent their lives roaring through the woods, running where they wanted, going miles and miles. They could walk all day together and not feel tired. The thought of being caged inside that smoking, iron box was too much.
‘We’ll take you to the barn,’ said Finn, standing up. ‘You’ll be safe. We’ll make sure no-one sees you. I promise.’
The girl hesitated for a moment more then stood. She stooped to pick up her bundle of blankets and looked back at Finn.
‘Thanks.’
‘What’s your name?’ asked Connor, also standing up.
‘Diane.’
‘I’m Connor. This is Finn. We’ll go first to make sure no-one’s watching.’
They stood together in the shadows of the trees, looking out onto open fields. The stone barn sat a little way away. Nothing moved apart from two
Similar Books
