Free Emily's Penny Dreadful by Bill Nagelkerke Page B

Miley and the other kids in my story but I don’t know how
she can get to them for that to happen.”
      Uncle Raymond began
to read Emily's story.
     

Chapter Fourteen
     
    “ Hmm,” he said.
      And, “hmm” he said
again.
      And again. Several
times.  
    “ This big-waisted man in
chapter four,” he said. “The one who bumps into Miley. He reminds
me of somebody.”
      “ It’s Millie, not
Mile-y,” said Emily. She turned a little red. She had sort of
forgotten about the big-waisted man.
      Luckily Uncle
Raymond didn’t wait for an answer.
    “ Might he be Miley’s – I
mean Miley’s - uncle, on his way to take over her room? The reason
why Miley has run away?”
    “ Wow! I hadn’t thought of
that,” said Emily. “Of course he is!”
    “ Hmm,” said Uncle Raymond,
his ‘hmm’ sounding more pleased than annoyed. He continued to read.
Very quickly. Emily was astounded. When he’d finished, Uncle
Raymond handed the book back to Emily.
      “ There are some
other interesting creative
    borrowings in this tale,” he said. “Why did
you write a
    story featuring a match factory when you
said the one you visited with your class gave you such
nightmares?”
    “ I was trying to do what
you said the other day. Trying to write things better.”
      “ Ah. It was clever
of you to work out what I meant by that.”
      “ I kind of knew
straightaway,” said Emily. “The kids who worked in the real match
factory, the ones I learnt about, couldn’t get away, but I want
Miley and Ned and the others to escape. They can do it for
them.”
      “ Well, Emily, it
seems to me that you have solved your dilemma. The seeds of Miley
and Ned’s escape are already planted in the story. You planted them
there.”
      “ Are they?” said
Emily. “Did I?”  
    “ Indeed. It’s clear. Let me
ask you some questions to prove my point,” said Uncle Raymond.
“Just for a change.”
      “ I don’t mind,” said
Emily.
    “ Are there only children
working in The Devil’s Element?”
      “ Yes.”
      “ Who packs the boxes
of match boxes?”
      “ The kids
do.”
      “ I know they count
the matchsticks and put them into small boxes. I meant, who puts
the small matchboxes into the bigger boxes? The ones lined up
against the wall.”
      Emily chewed her
lip. “I don’t know. The kids as well, I suppose.”
      “ But do they have to? Next question. What happens to these big
boxes?”
      “ I don’t know that
either.”
      “ Just so. It would
repay some serious thought,” said Uncle Raymond. “Next question.
Through which door did Miley enter the match factory?”
      “ The Inward Goods
Only door,” said Emily. “You see, I’ve been past places which say
exactly that. “
      “ Allow me to
suggest, then, that if things enter the match factory they must
also leave it.”
      “ Uh huh,” said
Emily. “But what about Pork Pie?”
      “ What of him?” asked
Uncle Raymond.
      “ How do Miley and
Ned get past him, even if other stuff does?” Emily asked.
 
    “ Do they
need to get past him ?” replied Uncle Raymond. “What is the opposite of Inward ? Now, I think
I’ve given you more than enough assistance. The rest is for you to
work out. As I’ve said, the solution to your writing dilemma is
already written into your story. That’s often the way it is with
stories, I find. Now, ask me your question,” said Uncle Raymond, “the one you came
to ask me before I made you cry. I shall use my best endeavours to
answer it.”
      “ Promise?”
      Uncle Raymond
nodded.
    “ Auntie Dot said I should
ask you about the fire,” Emily said.
    “ The fire?”
      “ That’s exactly what
Auntie Dot said. The fire that burnt your house down,” said Emily.
“I asked her how it happened and she said to ask you.”
      Uncle Raymond rubbed
his chin. “Did she indeed,” he said.
      Emily
waited.
      With some
difficulty, Uncle Raymond stood up. He paced up and down the room,
from one