paid to make provision in case of emergency. The lens look-out is a recent addition,’ she added proudly, ‘I take it they worked well?’ They both nodded their heads, their teeth sticking together with the sugary goo. She smiled and looked at her people, all milling around purposefully despite remaining down there for days. Well, there was nothing for it now, the dogs’ intelligence had been right. She’d have to leave again for the first time in years, and she had a fair idea where they’d be heading.
Chapter Seven
The importance of Cheese Alley
Rufus and Elli reached the middle chamber of the Council House and stood in the centre of the circular walls, jostled and brushed against by the many people anxious to find the right way in. There were eight different corridors leading out of the room, and according to the sign each corridor had an additional eight separate corridors branching off of them. Rufus had told her that only one of the additional corridors led to a room as the others were dead-ends containing a small sign that thanked them for their efforts, and asked why they hadn’t paid more attention.
It was smelly and hot in the middle of the group, and people everywhere seemed to be in a great rush. The dog-heads peered over the top of the crowd, and Elli looked up to see something much taller than them bowing down so that his head didn’t touch the ceiling.
‘Don’t tell me,’ she said, pointing to the stooping shape as people jumped out of his way. 'An ogre.'
‘Now what gave it away?’ Rufus asked her. ‘The horns, the teeth like tent pegs or the fact that he’s twelve feet tall? Nothing wrong with ogres you know, they’re a bit grouchy but then so are you in the mornings. Of course, if you’re in a bit of a mood you don’t tend to rip people’s heads off, but you never know, you might be able to soon,’ he added warmly. Elli stopped and looked up at him.
‘Oh I didn’t mean it. Who’s touchy this morning?’ A small red-bodied gorgades stood on her toe, and Elli squealed as he apologised profusely. More gorgades appeared and separated them, and Elli pushed her way through them to get back to Rufus, who seemed oblivious. He took her hand and walked towards one of the corridors, following a stream of people who were converging and heading the same way.
‘Rufus, how long will this take?’ she asked over the noise, willing it to be over soon.
‘Well, when they introduced this system you were advised to bring food, drink and blankets. Nowadays it’s not so bad,’ he answered, swimming through the throng of people and pulling Elli with him. They walked on for a while, following the crowd. ‘Through there!’ he said at last, and weaved across the stream of bodies to duck into a narrow corridor that led off from the main one. They were the only ones in the corridor, and Elli chewed her lip thoughtfully.
‘Rufus, exactly how did you know that this was the right one to take?’ she asked, plodding along behind him and looking up at the small narrow windows.
‘There was a sign. Very small and hidden near the ceiling above the entrance. It said, ‘ Don’t tell anyone else .’
‘Right,’ she replied thoughtfully. ‘And you’re quite sure that this is the way then?’
‘Oh yes,’ he said, his voice echoing in the dark corridor. ‘You’ve just got to think like a blemmyae. It’s hidden for one thing, so that only the observant will notice it, and it’s about keeping a secret, a test to see if you can do it.’
‘And what happens if you can’t, I mean if you tell everybody that this is the way?’
‘Well, the blemmyaes are pretty cunning you know,’ he said, jumping up and down. ‘I’d imagine that they have a way of making sure. There might be a weight allowance under the floor or secret spy-holes to check. Either way, you’d find yourself dazed and stuck outside of the building, having to start all over again.’
‘So why didn’t anyone follow you? They
Chapter Seven
The importance of Cheese Alley
Rufus and Elli reached the middle chamber of the Council House and stood in the centre of the circular walls, jostled and brushed against by the many people anxious to find the right way in. There were eight different corridors leading out of the room, and according to the sign each corridor had an additional eight separate corridors branching off of them. Rufus had told her that only one of the additional corridors led to a room as the others were dead-ends containing a small sign that thanked them for their efforts, and asked why they hadn’t paid more attention.
It was smelly and hot in the middle of the group, and people everywhere seemed to be in a great rush. The dog-heads peered over the top of the crowd, and Elli looked up to see something much taller than them bowing down so that his head didn’t touch the ceiling.
‘Don’t tell me,’ she said, pointing to the stooping shape as people jumped out of his way. 'An ogre.'
‘Now what gave it away?’ Rufus asked her. ‘The horns, the teeth like tent pegs or the fact that he’s twelve feet tall? Nothing wrong with ogres you know, they’re a bit grouchy but then so are you in the mornings. Of course, if you’re in a bit of a mood you don’t tend to rip people’s heads off, but you never know, you might be able to soon,’ he added warmly. Elli stopped and looked up at him.
‘Oh I didn’t mean it. Who’s touchy this morning?’ A small red-bodied gorgades stood on her toe, and Elli squealed as he apologised profusely. More gorgades appeared and separated them, and Elli pushed her way through them to get back to Rufus, who seemed oblivious. He took her hand and walked towards one of the corridors, following a stream of people who were converging and heading the same way.
‘Rufus, how long will this take?’ she asked over the noise, willing it to be over soon.
‘Well, when they introduced this system you were advised to bring food, drink and blankets. Nowadays it’s not so bad,’ he answered, swimming through the throng of people and pulling Elli with him. They walked on for a while, following the crowd. ‘Through there!’ he said at last, and weaved across the stream of bodies to duck into a narrow corridor that led off from the main one. They were the only ones in the corridor, and Elli chewed her lip thoughtfully.
‘Rufus, exactly how did you know that this was the right one to take?’ she asked, plodding along behind him and looking up at the small narrow windows.
‘There was a sign. Very small and hidden near the ceiling above the entrance. It said, ‘ Don’t tell anyone else .’
‘Right,’ she replied thoughtfully. ‘And you’re quite sure that this is the way then?’
‘Oh yes,’ he said, his voice echoing in the dark corridor. ‘You’ve just got to think like a blemmyae. It’s hidden for one thing, so that only the observant will notice it, and it’s about keeping a secret, a test to see if you can do it.’
‘And what happens if you can’t, I mean if you tell everybody that this is the way?’
‘Well, the blemmyaes are pretty cunning you know,’ he said, jumping up and down. ‘I’d imagine that they have a way of making sure. There might be a weight allowance under the floor or secret spy-holes to check. Either way, you’d find yourself dazed and stuck outside of the building, having to start all over again.’
‘So why didn’t anyone follow you? They
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