said and turned away. By now the others had gathered around them, talking and patting their horses.
"Is there any reason why we shouldn't take a break now?" asked David. "Don't we usually stop about here?"
"We certainly do. There's a rail just up ahead where we can tether the horses," said Philippa.
They rode on in silence, for they each had something to worry about. David worried about Jake and Philippa directed an occasional, puzzled glance at the back of Lewis's head, and they were all still ringing a little with the 'mild lightning'. Now her secret was out, Jake felt a bit better about her lack of riding skill and was determined to improve. She tried to make Cooney catch up with the others without actually trotting again. However her efforts to encourage him to go a little faster were so timid and uncertain that he ignored them contemptuously, even insisting on putting his head down every now and then to snatch at some grass.
"How come you can ride?" she hissed at Bond. "Do you ride in your... where you come from?"
"I have a way with animals," he said. "I can control them... but we're not supposed to, and we must never, never control people. Not that I can do people. I'm only a student."
"Even now if you're being followed?" asked Jake. "Couldn't you control the ones that are after you?"
"I may be being followed but I can't feel anyone close and neither can—" he broke off and laid his hand on his transistor. "The world's quite empty."
Dora came up beside them. "Bond says he's being followed," Jake told her. Dora gazed around. The line of the hills against the sky was entirely empty. Nothing moved on the track behind them.
"There's nobody there," she said. "They couldn't be ahead of us."
"I don't know what to do," Bond said. He was talking aloud, but not to Dora or Jake.
"We'll look after you," Dora promised him.
They rode out along a flattened ridge which fell away on either side into deep bush. The sound of water came faintly to their ears, for somewhere below them hidden among the trees was a stream that must, by the sound of it, be flowing over stones.
"Webster's Bush," announced Philippa. "There are the tethering rails. We'll take a break here."
"It does look haunted," Dora said, staring uneasily down the slope at the dense, green, uneven canopy of trees below them. They dismounted and Philippa went from one to the other checking that they put the stirrups up correctly.
Lewis let Philippa do the task for him. "You know how to do this, Lewis!" she said. "Come on—shake out of it!"
"I don't remember," said Lewis in a composed, but slightly childish voice.
"You do!" Philippa exclaimed. "You must. What's wrong with you today?"
"I'm fine," he replied. "Really I am. It isn't my fault if I forget. It's eagle weather. I'm looking with my eagle eyes and my eagle claws can't do up stirrups."
"Aaah, I see," Philippa looked relieved. "Dream on, you old eagle you!"
As soon as they stopped talking they were engulfed in a sunny silence, not hostile, but not exactly welcoming either. It was as if the hills did not mind them being there but would not mind if they went away. Jake thought it was very restful. Lewis, having been firmly summoned by Philippa, became quite interested in the tea, orange juice and biscuits that were being offered and forgot all about Bond for a few minutes. Dora jiggled from one foot to the other watching the tea being poured. She really preferred orange juice, but on the other hand, tea would be warm and comforting. She felt her stomach glow a little with anticipation.
"Have some tea, Bond," she called as she turned around, looked once, looked again, and then immediately felt her stomach grow cold once more. There was only one person behind her... Jake, forlorn without her cowboy hat prop. Dora moved away from her chattering parents to Jake's side. "Bond's gone," she muttered. "I just turned around and he wasn't there anymore."
Jake looked over her shoulder. She had imagined Bond would
"Is there any reason why we shouldn't take a break now?" asked David. "Don't we usually stop about here?"
"We certainly do. There's a rail just up ahead where we can tether the horses," said Philippa.
They rode on in silence, for they each had something to worry about. David worried about Jake and Philippa directed an occasional, puzzled glance at the back of Lewis's head, and they were all still ringing a little with the 'mild lightning'. Now her secret was out, Jake felt a bit better about her lack of riding skill and was determined to improve. She tried to make Cooney catch up with the others without actually trotting again. However her efforts to encourage him to go a little faster were so timid and uncertain that he ignored them contemptuously, even insisting on putting his head down every now and then to snatch at some grass.
"How come you can ride?" she hissed at Bond. "Do you ride in your... where you come from?"
"I have a way with animals," he said. "I can control them... but we're not supposed to, and we must never, never control people. Not that I can do people. I'm only a student."
"Even now if you're being followed?" asked Jake. "Couldn't you control the ones that are after you?"
"I may be being followed but I can't feel anyone close and neither can—" he broke off and laid his hand on his transistor. "The world's quite empty."
Dora came up beside them. "Bond says he's being followed," Jake told her. Dora gazed around. The line of the hills against the sky was entirely empty. Nothing moved on the track behind them.
"There's nobody there," she said. "They couldn't be ahead of us."
"I don't know what to do," Bond said. He was talking aloud, but not to Dora or Jake.
"We'll look after you," Dora promised him.
They rode out along a flattened ridge which fell away on either side into deep bush. The sound of water came faintly to their ears, for somewhere below them hidden among the trees was a stream that must, by the sound of it, be flowing over stones.
"Webster's Bush," announced Philippa. "There are the tethering rails. We'll take a break here."
"It does look haunted," Dora said, staring uneasily down the slope at the dense, green, uneven canopy of trees below them. They dismounted and Philippa went from one to the other checking that they put the stirrups up correctly.
Lewis let Philippa do the task for him. "You know how to do this, Lewis!" she said. "Come on—shake out of it!"
"I don't remember," said Lewis in a composed, but slightly childish voice.
"You do!" Philippa exclaimed. "You must. What's wrong with you today?"
"I'm fine," he replied. "Really I am. It isn't my fault if I forget. It's eagle weather. I'm looking with my eagle eyes and my eagle claws can't do up stirrups."
"Aaah, I see," Philippa looked relieved. "Dream on, you old eagle you!"
As soon as they stopped talking they were engulfed in a sunny silence, not hostile, but not exactly welcoming either. It was as if the hills did not mind them being there but would not mind if they went away. Jake thought it was very restful. Lewis, having been firmly summoned by Philippa, became quite interested in the tea, orange juice and biscuits that were being offered and forgot all about Bond for a few minutes. Dora jiggled from one foot to the other watching the tea being poured. She really preferred orange juice, but on the other hand, tea would be warm and comforting. She felt her stomach glow a little with anticipation.
"Have some tea, Bond," she called as she turned around, looked once, looked again, and then immediately felt her stomach grow cold once more. There was only one person behind her... Jake, forlorn without her cowboy hat prop. Dora moved away from her chattering parents to Jake's side. "Bond's gone," she muttered. "I just turned around and he wasn't there anymore."
Jake looked over her shoulder. She had imagined Bond would
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