ducked behind the ticket offices and
made their way quickly round the big modern building behind. In fact it was two
buildings, joined by a huge glass wall and roof. A pedestrian walkway led between it and
an old church. They pounded along it, fully expecting to hear someone screaming for them
to stop.
It didn’t happen.
Sam realized he was crying. This
wasn’t right. To be running away from other kids. He was letting them down. He
felt really bad for Ed. Ed had been the kindest. He’d only wanted to help Sam,
keep him alive. Ed was sensible. Tish seemed reckless and a bit strange.
Sam knew he’d be putting Ed to a lot
of trouble – all of them. They’d wonder what had happened, probably get together a
search party. Ed would worry about him. And he was clever. He’d work it out.
He’d know that Sam had gone off to look for Ella. Sam hoped he wouldn’t try
to follow. He didn’t want to put any of the castle kids in danger. He remembered
what Ed had said, about how he couldn’t risk other kids getting hurt for
Sam’s sake.
And now look what he’d done.
It was Tish’s fault. She’d
rushed him into it. Dragged him into the forbidden zone. Even the bravest fighters from
theTower didn’t come here. Not Ed. Not Kyle. Not anyone. And
there was only this green-shirted girl to show them the way.
Already his legs were aching, his chest
burning. He knew he wouldn’t be able to keep this up for long. His sword slapped
painfully against his side and twice now he’d almost tripped over it. His helmet
was heavy on his head; the breastplate he was wearing, part of a child’s suit of
armour, cut into him. He wished now that he’d left the armour behind.
‘Can we slow down?’ he gasped,
trying to catch up with Tish and The Kid.
‘Whassup, shortstuff? Ain’t got
the legs for it?’ said The Kid.
‘I’m getting a
stitch.’
‘We need to make sure we’re well
out of sight of the Tower,’ said Tish.
Sam stopped and looked back. The road had
curved to the left and he couldn’t see anything of the castle past the tall
buildings. And if he couldn’t see the Tower then surely nobody in the Tower could
see him.
‘They can’t see us here,’
he said. ‘We’re miles away.’ He bent over and rested his hands on his
knees.
‘We should keep going,’ said
Tish.
‘Should we?’ Sam said
angrily.
‘Of course.’
‘We’re running from the wrong
people,’ Sam muttered and stretched his aching side.
‘Chin up. We made it,’ said The
Kid. ‘Out of the frying pan.’
‘You know the rest of that saying,
don’t you?’ said Sam.
‘What saying?’
‘Out of the frying pan.’
‘I just made it up.’
‘No, you didn’t.’
‘Yes, I did. I’m a
wordsmith.’
‘Oh, never mind.’ Sam
straightened up and looked around. They were on a boring street of offices and banks. Ed
had told him that this part of town was where people had come to work during the day. No
one had really lived here. There were no normal shops, just a few sandwich bars and
coffee places.
He hoped it would stay boring. The last
thing he wanted now was excitement. Maybe he’d worried too much. It was still and
quiet. There was nobody else around. No signs of life at all apart from a few pigeons
flapping about.
So far so good.
He knew that it could be a trick, though.
Tish and her friends had been attacked by grown-ups close by here, hadn’t she? He
just hoped that all the grown-ups were asleep now, down in their cellars.
‘We have to hurry,’ said Tish.
‘The quicker we get through the zone, the better.’
‘How long did it take you
before?’
‘About an hour.’
‘That quick?’
‘Maybe two. It’s hard to say,
because when we got chased, we lost our way. Get moving, though, Sam, yeah? We can talk
as we run.’
‘Fast walk,’ said Sam. ‘I
can’t run for two hours. I’m not Superman.’
‘We won’t have to;
made their way quickly round the big modern building behind. In fact it was two
buildings, joined by a huge glass wall and roof. A pedestrian walkway led between it and
an old church. They pounded along it, fully expecting to hear someone screaming for them
to stop.
It didn’t happen.
Sam realized he was crying. This
wasn’t right. To be running away from other kids. He was letting them down. He
felt really bad for Ed. Ed had been the kindest. He’d only wanted to help Sam,
keep him alive. Ed was sensible. Tish seemed reckless and a bit strange.
Sam knew he’d be putting Ed to a lot
of trouble – all of them. They’d wonder what had happened, probably get together a
search party. Ed would worry about him. And he was clever. He’d work it out.
He’d know that Sam had gone off to look for Ella. Sam hoped he wouldn’t try
to follow. He didn’t want to put any of the castle kids in danger. He remembered
what Ed had said, about how he couldn’t risk other kids getting hurt for
Sam’s sake.
And now look what he’d done.
It was Tish’s fault. She’d
rushed him into it. Dragged him into the forbidden zone. Even the bravest fighters from
theTower didn’t come here. Not Ed. Not Kyle. Not anyone. And
there was only this green-shirted girl to show them the way.
Already his legs were aching, his chest
burning. He knew he wouldn’t be able to keep this up for long. His sword slapped
painfully against his side and twice now he’d almost tripped over it. His helmet
was heavy on his head; the breastplate he was wearing, part of a child’s suit of
armour, cut into him. He wished now that he’d left the armour behind.
‘Can we slow down?’ he gasped,
trying to catch up with Tish and The Kid.
‘Whassup, shortstuff? Ain’t got
the legs for it?’ said The Kid.
‘I’m getting a
stitch.’
‘We need to make sure we’re well
out of sight of the Tower,’ said Tish.
Sam stopped and looked back. The road had
curved to the left and he couldn’t see anything of the castle past the tall
buildings. And if he couldn’t see the Tower then surely nobody in the Tower could
see him.
‘They can’t see us here,’
he said. ‘We’re miles away.’ He bent over and rested his hands on his
knees.
‘We should keep going,’ said
Tish.
‘Should we?’ Sam said
angrily.
‘Of course.’
‘We’re running from the wrong
people,’ Sam muttered and stretched his aching side.
‘Chin up. We made it,’ said The
Kid. ‘Out of the frying pan.’
‘You know the rest of that saying,
don’t you?’ said Sam.
‘What saying?’
‘Out of the frying pan.’
‘I just made it up.’
‘No, you didn’t.’
‘Yes, I did. I’m a
wordsmith.’
‘Oh, never mind.’ Sam
straightened up and looked around. They were on a boring street of offices and banks. Ed
had told him that this part of town was where people had come to work during the day. No
one had really lived here. There were no normal shops, just a few sandwich bars and
coffee places.
He hoped it would stay boring. The last
thing he wanted now was excitement. Maybe he’d worried too much. It was still and
quiet. There was nobody else around. No signs of life at all apart from a few pigeons
flapping about.
So far so good.
He knew that it could be a trick, though.
Tish and her friends had been attacked by grown-ups close by here, hadn’t she? He
just hoped that all the grown-ups were asleep now, down in their cellars.
‘We have to hurry,’ said Tish.
‘The quicker we get through the zone, the better.’
‘How long did it take you
before?’
‘About an hour.’
‘That quick?’
‘Maybe two. It’s hard to say,
because when we got chased, we lost our way. Get moving, though, Sam, yeah? We can talk
as we run.’
‘Fast walk,’ said Sam. ‘I
can’t run for two hours. I’m not Superman.’
‘We won’t have to;
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