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Authors: Margaret Mahy
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we trust anyone?’
Maddie looked at her with a sort of annoyed astonishment. The Fantasia began to chatter again, all staring at the two boys, some frowning, others smiling, some suspecting them, others willing to take them in. ‘Listen to
her
,’ cried Shell, pointing at Garland. ‘She’s a Maddigan, isn’t she?’
‘Ask
them
,’ said Tane the clown, jerking his thumb back over his shoulder in the general direction of the boys. ‘Do they
want
to come with us? Let them have their say.’ And everyone turned to stare towards Timon and Eden. Timon cleared his throat.
‘We’re not Road Rats,’ he said. ‘We’re just wanderers. We’ll wander off, if there’s no room for us here …’ (he hesitated and looked at Eden and then over at Goneril holding the baby Jewel) ‘… though we’d like to stay.’
Goneril hoisted the little Jewel high in the air.
‘Road Rats!’ she screamed. ‘Whenever did Road Rats weigh themselves down with babies? Road Rats have too much sense to waste their time changing nappies. I’m the one who gets stuck with all that stuff.’
‘Let’s stick with the old ways. Let’s take a vote,’ said Yves. ‘And then let’s move on. Those in favour – right! Those against – left!’
The Fantasia began with shuffle and flow … some going left, some going right.
‘Garland!’ said Maddie, watching Garland make for the left-hand group. ‘Garland! What’s wrong with you?’
‘I don’t trust them,’ said Garland. ‘I can’t.’
Lilith went right, looking up at Timon as she moved – staring with admiration, Garland thought. Well, Lilith was only a little squirt. Of course she would be impressed by someone tall with golden hair and blue eyes like the hero in some old fairy tale.
Boomer sidled up to Garland’s side.
‘You’re right,’ he muttered. ‘We shouldn’t trust them.’
Yves and Bannister counted the heads.
‘Fifty-fifty!’ Yves said at last.
‘Not quite!’ said Maddie. ‘I haven’t voted … and I am going to vote the way Ferdy would have voted. When did we ever shut a great act out of our show? I don’t care if it’s talent or trickery … that boy’s great. I want him, OK? I want him to become part of Maddigan’s Fantasia.’
And saying this Maddie moved right.
‘OK! You’re in!’ Yves said, holding out both hands towards the boys. ‘Come on in and make yourselves part of us.’
‘We’re really grateful,’ said Timon, nudging Eden forward. ‘I don’t blame you for being careful about strangers, but we’ll be as useful as we can. We’ll be true members of your circus.’
‘We’re not just a circus,’ shouted Garland. ‘We’re a Fantasia.’
‘That’s right,’ said Boomer. ‘We’re more than a circus.’
Timon looked towards Boomer and Garland.
‘Eden and Jewel and me – we’re nothing but wanderers … and wanderers in a strange country,’ he said. ‘We’ll be glad of the company and we’ll be glad of the safety. Because it’s a rough world out there, isn’t it? But I promise you wonders – I mean that’s something we
can
do. Isn’t a Fantasia a true home for wonders?’
‘Your mum just wants to be the boss of everything,’ said Lilith, frowning at Garland.
‘She’s allowed to be boss. She’s a Maddigan! And this is Maddigan’s Fantasia. OK?’ Garland replied.
‘And now that’s worked through, we’ve got to be on our way,’ said Yves. ‘In and up and forward. And quickly.’
6
The Gorge
Almost at once the land began to swivel and buck. Hills hunched up higher on either side of them.
‘This way – I think,’ called Bannister, riding his bay horse and guiding Maddie’s van, which bumped along at the head of the caravan, winding along the vague road. Light shone over his shoulder onto the map he held stretched out in front of him, then reflected back onto his frowning face. Garland thought she could almost see roads and place names marked in shadow on his skin. At last he looked up, and
Maddie looked at her with a sort of annoyed astonishment. The Fantasia began to chatter again, all staring at the two boys, some frowning, others smiling, some suspecting them, others willing to take them in. ‘Listen to
her
,’ cried Shell, pointing at Garland. ‘She’s a Maddigan, isn’t she?’
‘Ask
them
,’ said Tane the clown, jerking his thumb back over his shoulder in the general direction of the boys. ‘Do they
want
to come with us? Let them have their say.’ And everyone turned to stare towards Timon and Eden. Timon cleared his throat.
‘We’re not Road Rats,’ he said. ‘We’re just wanderers. We’ll wander off, if there’s no room for us here …’ (he hesitated and looked at Eden and then over at Goneril holding the baby Jewel) ‘… though we’d like to stay.’
Goneril hoisted the little Jewel high in the air.
‘Road Rats!’ she screamed. ‘Whenever did Road Rats weigh themselves down with babies? Road Rats have too much sense to waste their time changing nappies. I’m the one who gets stuck with all that stuff.’
‘Let’s stick with the old ways. Let’s take a vote,’ said Yves. ‘And then let’s move on. Those in favour – right! Those against – left!’
The Fantasia began with shuffle and flow … some going left, some going right.
‘Garland!’ said Maddie, watching Garland make for the left-hand group. ‘Garland! What’s wrong with you?’
‘I don’t trust them,’ said Garland. ‘I can’t.’
Lilith went right, looking up at Timon as she moved – staring with admiration, Garland thought. Well, Lilith was only a little squirt. Of course she would be impressed by someone tall with golden hair and blue eyes like the hero in some old fairy tale.
Boomer sidled up to Garland’s side.
‘You’re right,’ he muttered. ‘We shouldn’t trust them.’
Yves and Bannister counted the heads.
‘Fifty-fifty!’ Yves said at last.
‘Not quite!’ said Maddie. ‘I haven’t voted … and I am going to vote the way Ferdy would have voted. When did we ever shut a great act out of our show? I don’t care if it’s talent or trickery … that boy’s great. I want him, OK? I want him to become part of Maddigan’s Fantasia.’
And saying this Maddie moved right.
‘OK! You’re in!’ Yves said, holding out both hands towards the boys. ‘Come on in and make yourselves part of us.’
‘We’re really grateful,’ said Timon, nudging Eden forward. ‘I don’t blame you for being careful about strangers, but we’ll be as useful as we can. We’ll be true members of your circus.’
‘We’re not just a circus,’ shouted Garland. ‘We’re a Fantasia.’
‘That’s right,’ said Boomer. ‘We’re more than a circus.’
Timon looked towards Boomer and Garland.
‘Eden and Jewel and me – we’re nothing but wanderers … and wanderers in a strange country,’ he said. ‘We’ll be glad of the company and we’ll be glad of the safety. Because it’s a rough world out there, isn’t it? But I promise you wonders – I mean that’s something we
can
do. Isn’t a Fantasia a true home for wonders?’
‘Your mum just wants to be the boss of everything,’ said Lilith, frowning at Garland.
‘She’s allowed to be boss. She’s a Maddigan! And this is Maddigan’s Fantasia. OK?’ Garland replied.
‘And now that’s worked through, we’ve got to be on our way,’ said Yves. ‘In and up and forward. And quickly.’
6
The Gorge
Almost at once the land began to swivel and buck. Hills hunched up higher on either side of them.
‘This way – I think,’ called Bannister, riding his bay horse and guiding Maddie’s van, which bumped along at the head of the caravan, winding along the vague road. Light shone over his shoulder onto the map he held stretched out in front of him, then reflected back onto his frowning face. Garland thought she could almost see roads and place names marked in shadow on his skin. At last he looked up, and
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