Free THE CLEARING by Shalini Boland Page A

head and pointing to her own bowl. Liss then saw the girl tip her soup into her neighbour’s bowl. She did it so quickly, Liss thought she might have imagined it. She gasped and the girl smirked. Leah snapped her head up and Liss cast her eyes down and blew on her soup again.
    A moment later, Liss risked glancing back at the girl. Liss saw her rub her nose and discreetly point to her. Did the girl want her to dispose of her own soup in the same way she had? But the soup was delicious and she had been really looking forward to putting the spoon of hot liquid in her mouth. The girl put some bread in her mouth and chewed.
    Liss felt her heart beating. How could she tip away her soup without Leah or one of the others noticing? Surely she would get caught. Annabelle sat on one side of her. There was no way she would tip it into her little friend’s bowl. To her right sat one of the outsiders, her face scrubbed clean now, her hair brushed to a smooth caramel gleam. The outsider girl had almost finished her soup.
    Everyone at the table was focused on their food. No one was looking in her direction. Quickly, she lifted her bowl and up-ended it into her neighbour’s. Some of it splashed onto the table, but miraculously no one seemed to notice. Liss’s heart thrummed and she felt almost elated. She stuffed a piece of bread in her mouth to quell the urge to giggle.
    The blonde girl’s eyes widened and Liss could tell she was really pleased. The outsider was now slurping down her second bowlful without even realising what had happened. Liss felt hunger stab at her belly, but she made do with the bread.
    She would have to find an opportunity to speak to her dangerous new friend. Find out what was going on and find out what was wrong with the soup.

Chapter Twelve
    Riley
    *
    Eddie, Rita and Luc had left the house. Now it was only me and Pa left here in the chilly dining room. He said he would stay for a couple more minutes and then he had to go and sort stuff out with Eddie. The fire had burnt out a while ago and there were only a few glowing embers in the grate.  It was late and everything felt precarious and strange.
    Ma came downstairs in her dressing gown.
    ‘Can’t sleep?’ Pa asked her.
    She shook her head. ‘Come on. Help me clear the table. We can wash up tomorrow.’
    The three of us began stacking dirty plates and carrying empty dishes back into the kitchen.
    ‘So what’s going to happen now?’ I asked.
    ‘Eddie and I will have to gather as many people as we can,’ Pa replied. ‘We’ll head to Ringwood tomorrow.’
    ‘Will you at least try and talk to Grey first?’ Ma asked.
    She didn’t realise that James Grey wasn’t a man you could to talk to. He was not the listening kind.
    ‘No,’ Pa replied. ‘Eddie’s right. It’s too late for talking. We’ll have to hold him off; drive him back.’
    Pa confirmed what I thought.
    ‘Don’t worry about it,’ he said. ‘Eddie and I can take him.’ Pa grinned, but I didn’t feel like laughing.
     ‘Come on, you two,’ Pa said. ‘Stop looking so worried. We’ve been through worse and we’ll get through this.’
    I stacked the glasses next to the sink.
    ‘Cup of tea?’ Ma asked.
    ‘Mint please,’ I replied. ‘Well at least Luc and I can help,’ I said. ‘We’ve seen Grey up close.’
    ‘We can use your knowledge,’ Pa said. ‘And we’ll talk to Fred and Jessie some more.’
    ‘Luc and I can go up to Salisbury with Fred and Jessie,’ I said. ‘We can help them get their kids back, like we did last time.’
    ‘What?’ Pa said. ‘No, Riley. Absolutely not. You’re going anywhere near that place again.’
    ‘But you promised Fred you’d get their kids back.’
    ‘And I’ll keep my word. But you’re not going to be the one to do it.’
    ‘You need us to get in. We can pretend to be outsiders like last time.’
    ‘I said no. And anyway, now’s not the time to be running around Salisbury.’
    ‘But that’s stupid. You need me to . .