Free The Lightning Bolt by Kate Forsyth Page B

‘Stop it! Leave her alone!’ he cried, sounding frightened. Then Fairnette screamed again.
    â€˜London!’ Fairnette sobbed. ‘They were headed for London, I’m sure.’
    Luka and Emilia could only gaze at each other in consternation. They were indeed planning ongoing next to London, because that was where the last of the Graylings was meant to be, but they had not told Fairnette so. She was only guessing, or perhaps, more likely, saying the least likely place she could think of.
    â€˜London!’ Coldham said. ‘Why on earth . . . All right! Men! Rip this place to pieces. I want to make sure this girl isn’t lying through her teeth. If those gypsy kids are hiding here, I want them found.’
    They heard a great clatter of boots, a cry of dismay from Fairnette, and then the crash of furniture being overturned, plates falling, pewter jugs clanging, glass smashing, iron clanking, fists hammering, and doors banging.
    Rollo barked angrily.
    â€˜The dog!’ Coldham cried. ‘That dog’s here! Find it!’
    â€˜Sssh, Rollo, sssh!’ Emilia hissed. She exchanged an agonised look with Luka.
    â€˜We’ll go out the cowl,’ he decided.
    â€˜But . . . Rollo!’
    Luka seized the dog by his thick ruff and dragged him over to a pile of sacks by the big double doors that led out to the courtyard. ‘Down, boy, down. Stay!’
    Obediently Rollo lay down on the sacks, and Luka draped more sacks over him. ‘Stay, boy. Sssh now.’
    â€˜He’ll never stay quiet if the soldiers come in here,’ Emilia protested. ‘He’ll fly at them and they’ll shoot him . . .’ She gave a little sob.
    â€˜We’ll get out the cowl and then open the doors and let him out,’ Luka said. ‘Come on! We have to be quick!’
    They could hear banging and crashing in the kitchen, and the sound of Fairnette crying, ‘Father!’ Emilia could only hope the soldiers would not notice the door to the oast house, which was white-panelled like the walls and easy to miss. It was a faint hope.
    Under the cover of the noise, Emilia and Luka quickly climbed to the next floor, and looked up at the tiny crack of light so far above them.
    â€˜No help for it,’ Luka said.
    A rope and pulley was attached to the cowl so that it could be moved to catch the wind, funnelling air down to the drying hops below. Luka had to jump and jump before he could catch the end of the rope and draw it down towards him. Then Emilia swarmed quickly up it, and Luka and Zizi followed swiftly behind.
    The hole at the top was not much bigger than Emilia’s head, and the mossy red tiles of the roof fell away steeply. Emilia was afraid.
    â€˜I’ll hold your ankles,’ Luka said. ‘Can you see the ivy growing up? It looked thick and strong. Try and grab it, hold on to it.’
    Emilia took a deep breath, then squeezed her head and shoulders out through the tiny hole. She had to twist and squirm to get her body through,and there was only the narrow windvane for her to cling to as she wriggled out. Luka had a tight grip on her ankles, but the roof was too tall. She could not reach the ivy growing over the gutter. So she kicked her feet free of Luka’s grasp, and slithered helplessly down towards the edge of the roof, making a great clatter as she went. Over the edge she went, at high speed, and the ground hurtled up towards her. In midair, she managed to grasp the top of the ivy. At once it pulled away from the house, but it had slowed her descent long enough for her to bring her body somersaulting round so her head was up and her feet down.
    Her feet found a thick branch. Panting, she clung to the side of the tower, and rested her hot face against her scratched and filthy arm.
    Zizi paused by her head, chattering derisively, then bounded easily down the wall to the ground. Slowly, her heart still hammering, Emilia followed.
    Luka catapulted himself through the