Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

to show that a passion for books is extremely unhealthy."
    "You dress like an old granny," said Meggie.
    Elinor looked down at herself. "Thank you very much," she said, "but comments on my appearance are uncalled for. Anyway, I could be your granny. With a little stretch of the imagination."
    "Have you ever been married?"
    "No, why would I want to? And could you now kindly stop making personal remarks? Hasn't your father ever taught you that it's bad manners?"
    Meggie did not reply. She wasn't sure herself why she had asked the question. "This book is very valuable, isn't it?" she asked.
    "What, Inkheart?" Elinor took it from Meggie's hand, stroked the binding, and then gave it back.
    "I think so. Although you won't find a single copy in any of the catalogs or lists of valuable books.
    But I'm sure that many collectors would offer your father a great deal of money if word got around that he has what may be the only copy. Actually, I found out quite a lot about it, and I believe it's not just a rare book but a good one, too. I can't give an opinion on that. I scarcely 50

    managed a dozen pages last night. When the first fairy appeared I fell asleep. I never was particularly keen on stories full of fairies and dwarves and all that stuff."
    Elinor went around behind the closet door again, obviously to look at herself in a mirror.
    Meggie's comment on her clothes seemed to be bothering her after all. "Yes, I think it is very valuable," she repeated thoughtfully. "Although it's almost forgotten now. Hardly anyone seems to remember what it's about, hardly anyone seems to have read it. You can't even find it in libraries. But now and then these strange stories about it do crop up: They say it's been forgotten only because all the copies that still existed were stolen. I expect that's nonsense.
    Although it's not just plants and animals that die out, so do books. Quite often, I'm sorry to say.
    I'm sure you could fill a hundred houses like this one to the roof with all the books that have disappeared forever." Elinor closed the closet door again and pinned up her hair with clumsy fingers. "As far as I know the author's still alive, but obviously he's never done anything about getting his book reprinted — which strikes me as odd. I mean, you write a story so that people will read it, don't you? Well, perhaps he doesn't like his own story anymore, or perhaps it just sold so badly that no publisher was willing to bring it out again. How would I know?"
    All the same, I don't think they stole it just because it's valuable," muttered Meggie.
    You don't?" Elinor laughed out loud. "My word, you really are your father's daughter! Mortimer could never imagine people doing something bad for money because money has never meant much to him. Do you have any idea what a book can be worth?"
    Meggie looked at her crossly. "Yes, I do. But I still don't think that's the reason."
    "I do. And Sherlock Holmes would think so, too. Have you ever read those books, by the way?
    Wonderful stuff. Especially on rainy days." Elinor slipped on her shoes. She had strangely small feet for such a sturdily built woman.
    "Perhaps there's some kind of secret in it," murmured Meggie, thoughtfully caressing the close-printed pages.
    "You mean something like invisible messages written in lemon juice or a map hidden in one of the pictures showing where to find treasure?" Elinor sounded so sarcastic that Meggie felt like wringing her short neck.
    "Why not?" Meggie closed the book again and put it firmly under her arm. "Why else would they take Mo, too? The book would have been enough."
    Elinor shrugged her shoulders.
    Of course she can't admit she never thought of that, Meggie told herself scornfully. She always has to be right!
    Elinor looked at Meggie as if she had guessed her thoughts. "Listen, I tell you what, why don't you read it?" she said. "You really might find something that you don't think belongs in the story.
    A few extra words here, a couple of unnecessary