Earthborn
Page 18
Her mother clutched her arm urgently. The inspector had come just a little too close.
‘What could you not face, Nesta?’ he said quickly.
The girl looked sharply at the stranger and clung more closely to her mother.
‘This is Inspector Stirling,’ said Alison, emphasizing the word ‘inspector’. ‘He has been helping us to search for you, though none of us knew where to start.’
Recalling Stella’s words of warning, Nesta turned away, hid her head deeply in her mother’s shoulder, and said nothing.
Detective Inspector Stirling, to give him his full title, was about to speak again, to assert his authority, when Matthew looked at him and said gently, for he was a very gentle man, ‘Leave them, Inspector. This has been an ordeal for both of them – and for me.’
Alison looked over Nesta’s shoulder at the looming policeman.
‘You can go now,’ she said. ‘I am sure you can see that my daughter is safe and well.’
‘But where has she been?’ said the inspector. ‘And why did she go? And what about the frog? Reporters from the local papers have already shown interest. It is not something that will go away.’
‘The two events were totally unconnected,’ said Alison icily. ‘Do what you think best about the explosion in our back garden. Myself, I would put it down to a freak build-up of underground gas. But your scientist might know better. At least you know that you are unlikely to find a dead body there.’
Inspector Stirling was not put out by her remarks. He simply ignored them.
‘You do see, Mrs Gwynn, that after four nights’ absence from home, it would at least be prudent for us to find the answers to some of our questions. The Social Services will be concerned.’
Alison looked up into his pale, fish eyes, which lacked any spark of real intelligence: dull-witted and dogged.
‘Leave it,’ said Alison peremptorily. ‘Go away and leave it. I believe you have a driver waiting in a car outside. You go to your car. We’ll go to ours.’
Nesta never spoke. She moved from her mother’s arms to her father’s and silently hugged him. Matthew felt how fragile she was, and he had that fragility to set against his own sense of bereavement. How could she know or even guess what pain she had inflicted?
‘It’s good to have you back,’ he said softly, so that no one but his daughter heard, ‘to have you safe home.’
The inspector looked at Alison, paused, faltered for a few moments, and then walked obediently away. She had used the power of Ormingat for the very last time. Her subject would know exactly what had occurred but it would become no more important to him than a snarl-up in the local traffic. Case closed. Pass on the paperwork!
About the Author
Sylvia Waugh lives in Gateshead. She taught English at a local school for many years but has now given up teaching to devote her time to writing. She has three grown up children and two grandsons.
Also by Sylvia Waugh
THE MENNYMS (Winner of the Guardian Award)
MENNYMS IN THE WILDERNESS
MENNYMS UNDER SIEGE
MENNYMS ALONE
MENNYMS ALIVE
‘When Sylvia Waugh created the Mennyms, she lit a touch-paper of genuine, original fantasy’
Guardian
The Ormingat Trilogy
SPACE RACE
EARTHBORN
WHO GOES HOME?
‘Intelligent thrilling and gripping . . .’
School Librarian
EARTHBORN
AN RHCP DIGITAL EBOOK 978 1 448 19321 9
Published in Great Britain by RHCP Digital,
an imprint of Random House Children’s Publishers UK
A Random House Group Company
This ebook edition published 2013
Copyright © Sylvia Waugh, 2003
First Published in Great Britain
Red Fox 9781849411462 2002
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