sporting fight, no low blows, best of, er, three falls or one submission. No time limit . Winner takes all … that’s me. Are you both ready?’
‘We are!’ they said.
‘Then … go!’
The twins charged at each other, swinging their wooden swords. There was a thump as their shields clashed, then they danced around each other hacking and stabbing with their swords. Alice winced at the ferocity of the blows, feeling a little guilty at being the cause of such animosity and the trick she had played on them. Then she remembered everything she had suffered at their hands and decided the pair would soon get over it.
Behind her back she was frantically sawing away at the rope with the nail. Crash! bang! Dum and Dee reeled about in furious motion. Alice felt the rope parting, gritted her teeth and jerked her arms sharply. The rope about her waist snapped and hung loose. She froze but, as she had hoped, the twins were too engrossed in their battle to notice.
Her elbows protested after having been twisted behind her for so long, but she forced her arms to stretch, sliding her bound wrists down over her hips and stepping through them with a gasp of relief. It was an agony to raise her arms in front of her and she whimpered in pain. Somehow she reached her collar, fumbled for the spring clip and unsnapped her leash.
She was free!
Slowly she edged round the tree until it was between her and the battle, then set off along the path she had been following almost a week earlier. She walked briskly, trying not to call attention to herself with any sudden movement. Just slip away, she told herself …
From behind her the clatter of combat suddenly ceased and was replaced with angry shouts. Then she began to run.
Alice raced though the forest, holding her still bound wrists awkwardly in front of her. She snatched a rearward glance. The pair were pounding along in her wake panting and puffing like steam trains, shedding blankets and ironware as they came. Despite their bulk they were gaining on her.
Ahead the path ran between a holly bush and a large rhododendron. A child’s rattle lay on the ground. She hoped Dum and Dee were too angry to realise where she was leading them.
With the twins almost at her heels Alice jumped with all her strength, landing on the far side of the pit, stumbling but staying on her feet. From behind her came a crash and snap of breaking branches mingled with yells of surprise, then the thump of two heavy bodies hitting the ground.
Alice did not look back but ran on towards the barrier. The two of them should be able to get themselves out all right – eventually. And when they did she wanted to be long gone.
The woods began to thin. Ahead it seemed as though the forest had been cut through with a giant knife right across her path.
Suddenly the trees ended and there was a misty, blurred barrier before her, running down the middle of a brook a few feet wide. Alice did not break stride but sprang across the narrow channel. She felt a momentary tingling, twisting sensation as she passed through the insubstantial curtain, then she landed on a soft grassy bank, rolled onto her back and lay there panting heavily.
She had made it through the first square, she thought as she regained her breath, and it had only taken five days!
Five
AFTER ALLOWING HERSELF a minute to recover, Alice sat up and took in her surroundings.
Beyond the grassy verge a tall redbrick wall ran along the length of the dividing barrier. A little way to her left the wall was pierced by an arched gateway. In the other direction Alice could see where the wall ended and the corners of four squares met, the misty barriers rising up into the sky forming a perfect right angle. For the moment at least she seemed to have the narrow strip of land to herself.
Alice got to her feet and backed up against the wall, using her teeth to loosen the knotted ropes binding her wrists while she kept a keen watch all round her. But nothing had changed five
‘We are!’ they said.
‘Then … go!’
The twins charged at each other, swinging their wooden swords. There was a thump as their shields clashed, then they danced around each other hacking and stabbing with their swords. Alice winced at the ferocity of the blows, feeling a little guilty at being the cause of such animosity and the trick she had played on them. Then she remembered everything she had suffered at their hands and decided the pair would soon get over it.
Behind her back she was frantically sawing away at the rope with the nail. Crash! bang! Dum and Dee reeled about in furious motion. Alice felt the rope parting, gritted her teeth and jerked her arms sharply. The rope about her waist snapped and hung loose. She froze but, as she had hoped, the twins were too engrossed in their battle to notice.
Her elbows protested after having been twisted behind her for so long, but she forced her arms to stretch, sliding her bound wrists down over her hips and stepping through them with a gasp of relief. It was an agony to raise her arms in front of her and she whimpered in pain. Somehow she reached her collar, fumbled for the spring clip and unsnapped her leash.
She was free!
Slowly she edged round the tree until it was between her and the battle, then set off along the path she had been following almost a week earlier. She walked briskly, trying not to call attention to herself with any sudden movement. Just slip away, she told herself …
From behind her the clatter of combat suddenly ceased and was replaced with angry shouts. Then she began to run.
Alice raced though the forest, holding her still bound wrists awkwardly in front of her. She snatched a rearward glance. The pair were pounding along in her wake panting and puffing like steam trains, shedding blankets and ironware as they came. Despite their bulk they were gaining on her.
Ahead the path ran between a holly bush and a large rhododendron. A child’s rattle lay on the ground. She hoped Dum and Dee were too angry to realise where she was leading them.
With the twins almost at her heels Alice jumped with all her strength, landing on the far side of the pit, stumbling but staying on her feet. From behind her came a crash and snap of breaking branches mingled with yells of surprise, then the thump of two heavy bodies hitting the ground.
Alice did not look back but ran on towards the barrier. The two of them should be able to get themselves out all right – eventually. And when they did she wanted to be long gone.
The woods began to thin. Ahead it seemed as though the forest had been cut through with a giant knife right across her path.
Suddenly the trees ended and there was a misty, blurred barrier before her, running down the middle of a brook a few feet wide. Alice did not break stride but sprang across the narrow channel. She felt a momentary tingling, twisting sensation as she passed through the insubstantial curtain, then she landed on a soft grassy bank, rolled onto her back and lay there panting heavily.
She had made it through the first square, she thought as she regained her breath, and it had only taken five days!
Five
AFTER ALLOWING HERSELF a minute to recover, Alice sat up and took in her surroundings.
Beyond the grassy verge a tall redbrick wall ran along the length of the dividing barrier. A little way to her left the wall was pierced by an arched gateway. In the other direction Alice could see where the wall ended and the corners of four squares met, the misty barriers rising up into the sky forming a perfect right angle. For the moment at least she seemed to have the narrow strip of land to herself.
Alice got to her feet and backed up against the wall, using her teeth to loosen the knotted ropes binding her wrists while she kept a keen watch all round her. But nothing had changed five
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