Ciavolga. ‘We are not sure why. Perhaps there is a wildness in thieves that speaks to the wildness that is here. Perhaps a thief sees the secret paths, the hidden places.’
She looked hard at Goldie. ‘Listen to me carefully, child. I do not wish to glorify theft. There are people in this world who think they are better than others, or deserve more. People who would rob their grandmother of her last coin and laugh as they did it. I have no time for such people. To move quietly, to be quick of hand and eye, that is a gift. If you use it to hurt others, even in a small way, you betray yourself and everyone around you.’
She paused. ‘But there’s some things—’ prompted Herro Dan.
‘I was coming to that,’ said Olga Ciavolga. ‘Are you taking the words out of my mouth now?’
But she was smiling when she turned back to Goldie. ‘But there are some things, child, that you should steal. That you must steal, if you have enough love and courage in your heart. You must snatch freedom from the hands of the tyrant. You must spirit away innocent lives before they are destroyed. You must hide secret and sacred places.’
‘Takes a brave thief to do such things, lass,’ said Herro Dan. ‘And you’re brave, even if you don’t believe it. If you want to, you can help us.’
‘But only if you truly want to,’ added Olga Ciavolga. ‘If you do not, no one will blame you. We will send you out of the city to a safe place.’
It was only a little while ago that Goldie had been wishing she had gone to Spoke after all. But now, at the thought of leaving, she felt a jolt of dismay. ‘I’ll stay!’ she said quickly. ‘I’ll help! I’ll even learn to fight if you want me to!’
She thought Olga Ciavolga would be pleased. But the old woman shook her head. ‘Tsk! Do you take time to think about this question? No, you run headlong into the unknown!’
She put her hands on Goldie’s shoulders. ‘Listen to me, child. You have been treated like an infant all your life. Now you must grow up quickly. You are bold, and that is good, but you must also be wise. Think carefully before you make decisions. The museum is full of dangers—’
‘I will protect her,’ interrupted Broo.
‘I know you will do your best, my dear,’ said Olga Ciavolga, ‘but even you cannot guarantee her safety in this place.’
She turned back to Goldie. ‘Think carefully. Then make your choice.’
Goldie thought. She thought about that first night in the city, and how frightened she had been. She thought about Morg, and Old Scratch, and the moment when she had stepped around the boulder and come face to face with the brizzlehound. And there’s worse. MUCH worse.
Was she brave? She didn’t think so. Could she bear to stay in such a dangerous place?
In the back of her mind, the little voice echoed Olga Ciavolga’s words, We protect the museum, and we protect the city as well . . .
Goldie slipped her hand into her pocket and wrapped her fingers around the little blue bird. She still wished more than anything that she could rescue Ma and Pa from the House of Repentance. But Toadspit was right. No one escaped from that awful place before their sentence was finished.
At least if she stayed here she could help protect them from even worse things. She would be protecting Favour, too, and Frow and Herro Berg, and all her other friends.
She took a deep breath. ‘I’ll stay,’ she said. She was amazed at how calm her voice sounded. ‘I’ll do everything I can to help.’
.
here are things you must learn, child,’ said Olga Ciavolga the next morning at breakfast. ‘We will all teach you, whenever we have time. But Toadspit will be your main teacher.’
Toadspit groaned. ‘Do I have to?’
Sinew glanced up from his gazette. ‘It’s not so long since you learned these things yourself. I’m sure you remember how hard it can be.’
Toadspit flushed and looked away. He hadn’t spoken to Goldie this morning, and she hadn’t
She looked hard at Goldie. ‘Listen to me carefully, child. I do not wish to glorify theft. There are people in this world who think they are better than others, or deserve more. People who would rob their grandmother of her last coin and laugh as they did it. I have no time for such people. To move quietly, to be quick of hand and eye, that is a gift. If you use it to hurt others, even in a small way, you betray yourself and everyone around you.’
She paused. ‘But there’s some things—’ prompted Herro Dan.
‘I was coming to that,’ said Olga Ciavolga. ‘Are you taking the words out of my mouth now?’
But she was smiling when she turned back to Goldie. ‘But there are some things, child, that you should steal. That you must steal, if you have enough love and courage in your heart. You must snatch freedom from the hands of the tyrant. You must spirit away innocent lives before they are destroyed. You must hide secret and sacred places.’
‘Takes a brave thief to do such things, lass,’ said Herro Dan. ‘And you’re brave, even if you don’t believe it. If you want to, you can help us.’
‘But only if you truly want to,’ added Olga Ciavolga. ‘If you do not, no one will blame you. We will send you out of the city to a safe place.’
It was only a little while ago that Goldie had been wishing she had gone to Spoke after all. But now, at the thought of leaving, she felt a jolt of dismay. ‘I’ll stay!’ she said quickly. ‘I’ll help! I’ll even learn to fight if you want me to!’
She thought Olga Ciavolga would be pleased. But the old woman shook her head. ‘Tsk! Do you take time to think about this question? No, you run headlong into the unknown!’
She put her hands on Goldie’s shoulders. ‘Listen to me, child. You have been treated like an infant all your life. Now you must grow up quickly. You are bold, and that is good, but you must also be wise. Think carefully before you make decisions. The museum is full of dangers—’
‘I will protect her,’ interrupted Broo.
‘I know you will do your best, my dear,’ said Olga Ciavolga, ‘but even you cannot guarantee her safety in this place.’
She turned back to Goldie. ‘Think carefully. Then make your choice.’
Goldie thought. She thought about that first night in the city, and how frightened she had been. She thought about Morg, and Old Scratch, and the moment when she had stepped around the boulder and come face to face with the brizzlehound. And there’s worse. MUCH worse.
Was she brave? She didn’t think so. Could she bear to stay in such a dangerous place?
In the back of her mind, the little voice echoed Olga Ciavolga’s words, We protect the museum, and we protect the city as well . . .
Goldie slipped her hand into her pocket and wrapped her fingers around the little blue bird. She still wished more than anything that she could rescue Ma and Pa from the House of Repentance. But Toadspit was right. No one escaped from that awful place before their sentence was finished.
At least if she stayed here she could help protect them from even worse things. She would be protecting Favour, too, and Frow and Herro Berg, and all her other friends.
She took a deep breath. ‘I’ll stay,’ she said. She was amazed at how calm her voice sounded. ‘I’ll do everything I can to help.’
.
here are things you must learn, child,’ said Olga Ciavolga the next morning at breakfast. ‘We will all teach you, whenever we have time. But Toadspit will be your main teacher.’
Toadspit groaned. ‘Do I have to?’
Sinew glanced up from his gazette. ‘It’s not so long since you learned these things yourself. I’m sure you remember how hard it can be.’
Toadspit flushed and looked away. He hadn’t spoken to Goldie this morning, and she hadn’t
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