by Lian Tanner
And really, he had a point. Until a day and a half ago, they had all (except the cat and the chicken) been slaves in the salt mines, and they were half starved and filthy. Sooli was worst off – she had been in the mines for three months or more – but none of them were at their best. Their faces were caked with earth and salt, their hair was matted and their clothes hung off them in tatters.
What’s more, Grandpa still wore the remains of an enormous dress, which had been part of a disguise. Otte wore a dress too. His skirt had been torn off for bandages, so now it was more like a tunic, but he still didn’t look anything like who he really was.
All the same, Duckling said, ‘They don’t have to take us seriously. We’re not going to march in the front gate of the Strong-hold and announce ourselves. We’re going in secretly, and we’re going to stay secret for as long as we can. We agreed on this, Grandpa. We all agreed.’
The wind whistled past Duckling’s ears. The city drew closer. The tarpaulin slipped lower in the sky.
Otte cleared his throat, fixed his eyes on the Stronghold and said, ‘We will need clean clothes. It is good if the rest of you go in secretly. Sooli in particular must not be seen. But I have been hiding all my life, pretending to be someone I am not, and I am sick of it. So Arms-mistress Krieg and I will march in the front gate.’
And although they argued with him, he would not change his mind.
Several years ago, over a cup of tea in Tricycle Café in Hobart, friend and dramaturg Peter Matheson uttered the fateful words ‘warrior chicken’. He probably doesn’t remember the conversation, but the phrase stuck in my head and ended up being the basis for one of the most delightful characters I’ve ever created. So thanks, Peter.
Many thanks also to illustrator Sher Rill Ng and designer Joanna Hunt for such a beautiful cover. I thought the Accidental Heroes one was good – this is even better.
Some writers moan about their editors and publishers – they have obviously never met Kate Whitfield and Susannah Chambers from Allen & Unwin. They both have a keen eye for what a story needs, and I rely on them to stop me making awful mistakes, and to nudge me in the right direction so that each book will be as good as it can possibly be.
Some writers moan about their agents – they have obviously never met Margaret Connolly, who has become a friend as well as a trusted advisor over the last few years.
Lastly, this book is dedicated to the booksellers, but I include them in the acknowledgements as well, because they are such an important part of the process. I’m thinking particularly of the ones who know their stock and their customers, and can match a book with the right reader. The ones who hand sell the books they love. The ones who are passionate about reading and its importance in our lives. Many many thanks to you all.
Lian Tanner has been dynamited while scuba diving and arrested while busking. She once spent a week in the jungles of Papua New Guinea, hunting for a Japanese soldier left over from the Second World War. She likes secrets, old bones, and animals that are not what they seem. Nowadays she lives by the beach in southern Tasmania with a large fluffy tomcat called Harry-le-beau.
PRAISE FOR ACCIDENTAL HEROES
‘Lian Tanner returns her readers to the world of the Keepers, but delivers a new adventure/fantasy brimming with likeable characters and a page-turning plot.’
The Age
‘Lots of fun… Action, adventure, and wild magic await readers aged 9 to 13 who are looking for something different in their fantasy.’
Reading Time
‘A wonderfully gripping tale with believable characters and interesting twists… all the key ingredients of another spellbinding adventure.’
Books + Publishing
‘The Rogues is a delight. Thrilling, mysterious and highly original, with characters who breathe warmth and humour into every page.’
Jaclyn Moriarty
For more fantastic adventures in the world of The Rogues …
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