Free The Little Secret by Kate Saunders Page B

you?”
    Staffa coolly raised her eyebrows. “Not really.”
    Jane was more curious than scared. “What are you, then?”
    â€œIt’s complicated,” Staffa said. “My family — the royal family of Eckwald — comes from a race of elves. But we have to marry full humans — like you. Or our race will die out.”
    â€œWas your father a full human?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œDo any humans live here?”
    Staffa smiled sourly. “Obviously not — you’ve seen how hard it is to bring a human through the box.”
    â€œBut it’s not hard for you,” Jane said. “Your mother came back, didn’t she? That night when her hat was on fire.”
    â€œYes, well done. Mother and I can slip in and out whenever we please, but humans can only pass through the one crossing point. And it has to be on our own remote island.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œSo the box won’t get stolen when we’re not there to guard it — or kicked over by a sheep. It has to stay in a very safe place.”
    â€œWhat about … you know…” Jane nodded towards Twilly. “Is she partly human too?”
    â€œOh, she’s just an Ecker,” Staffa said. “The Eckers are quite different — another race entirely, mostly goblin with a dash of field mouse. They’re not as clever as we are. That’s why we have a stern duty to keep the royal family going. They need us.”
    Jane looked at Twilly to see if she minded this rude description of her people. But Twilly was busy dusting the glass bottles on the dressing table and didn’t seem to have heard.
    â€œWhere is this place, Staffa?” she asked. “Is it part of my world?”
    â€œNot really.”
    â€œWhere did the huge spiders come from, then?”
    Staffa said, “They were mostly brought in through the box by mistake, and the Eckers learned to farm them. Otherwise, we are completely outside your time and space.”
    This was not a comfortable idea. The Boy Garden seemed very, very far away.
    Jane asked, “Who’s being sentenced to death?”
    â€œAh, you heard.” Staffa was embarrassed. “Just a few troublemakers — it’s not as bad as it sounds.”
    â€œBut that’s terrible!”
    â€œTake my advice,” Staffa said, very seriously. “Try not to notice — and don’t ask too many questions. Now I must dress for dinner.” She hurried out of the room.
    Jane swallowed several times, trying not to cry. This place was weird and dangerous. She was suddenly very homesick. Her watch said it was half past six. She pictured the messy kitchen at the Boy Garden. Mom would be taking little Ted upstairs for his bath. Dan and Jon would be playing loud music in their bedroom. Dad would be making the big pasta-and-tuna bake they always had on Wednesdays. She wished with all her heart that she could call them. Two hot tears spilled down her cheeks.
    â€œOh, madam!” Twilly cried. “Don’t cry, my poor dear!” She sat down on the bed beside Jane and pushed a lace handkerchief into her hand. “Everything will be lovely — you’ll see!”
    Her curls bobbed around her head, and her eyes were full of kindness. She patted Jane with her warm little hand — Jane noticed that it had the smallness and delicacy of a mouse’s paw, and that Twilly’s ears were large and soft, a bit like the soft ears of a mouse. She remembered that Twilly’s people — the Eckers — were partly descended from field mice. This must be why Twilly’s pale blue eyes were so big and round.
    â€œTell you what, madam,” said Twilly, “I’ll fetch you a nice glass of buttercup juice.”
    Jane sniffed. “You don’t have to do things for me.”
    Twilly giggled. “Oh, yes I do. I’m your private servant, and you’ve got to give me orders.”
    â€œBut I