Free Crystal by Rebecca Lisle

small patches of flowers and baby trees were sprouting. It made Crystal smile. Perhaps in years to come it would all be green. That would be so much nicer than grey.
    ‘Where are we going?’ Effie was looking up and down the streets anxiously. ‘Where? Why are you telling me to hush! What is it?’
    ‘Nothing. We’re going to see the mines. It’s a treat. I told you.’
    ‘The mines? What are the mines, Crystal?’
    ‘Shh. Where they dig up Grint’s precious metals,’ Crystal said quietly. ‘You know.’
    ‘Metal and rock,’ her mum said. ‘Solid and hard.’
    ‘Yes, that’s right.’
    ‘It’s bad, Crystal, bad.’
    There were four gates in the Wall and each was heavily guarded. The Town Guard would search their papers. Maybe their names were on a wanted list. She could imagine they might be on a list of people not allowed out. Grint might do that. She could feel her heart pounding madly and her hands were sweating. It was hard to breathe. They were getting closer and closer to the West Gate. The Wall loomed up beside them, towering a hundred metres high like a dark red cliff.
    The Town Guard was there; the gold buttons on their jackets glinted. There were so many men, row upon row, as if they expected trouble.
    Effie suddenly sat up. For the first time she seemed to see her surroundings.
    ‘Where are we?’
    ‘Just coming to the West Gate.’
    ‘You didn’t tell me we were coming here .’
    ‘I did. Mum, hush, we’re going out to see the mines and—’
    ‘We’re not! I know we’re not.’ Effie stood up and overbalanced, falling back onto the seat. People stared. ‘Oh, Crystal, no! This is terrible!’
    ‘Sit down, Mum. Please!’
    ‘We shouldn’t have come!’
    The wagon stopped in the deep cold shadow of the vast Wall. The West Gate was open and everyone was trying to look through it. Crystal glimpsed pale hills stretching away into the distance. She imagined snow-covered mountains and icy rivers. She longed to run there.
    Suddenly two groups of the Town Guard detached themselves smoothly from the ranks and surrounded the wagon. In one neat manoeuvre they raised their spiked staffs and pointed them at the vehicle.
    ‘What’s the matter?’ asked the driver. ‘It’s only me and the mines tour.’ He laughed. ‘What’s going on?’
    ‘Sorry, mate,’ said a guard with a silvery helmet. ‘You can’t go through. We’ve had word from John Carter to search the wagon. Everyone out! You’ve got robbers on board!’
    John Carter? Crystal was surprised. That was Stella’s father – what had he got to do with robbers?
    There were moans and complaints as everyone climbed down and was made to stand in a huddle beside the wagon. Some of the guards kept up the fence of pikestaffs; others climbed onto the cart and began to search it.
    Crystal’s legs were weak; her knees longed to fold so she could sit down. She could not keep herself from staring out at the free, vast landscape through the big gateway. She just knew there would be clear water there: waterfalls, pools, rivers, oceans. And she was close. So close …
    ‘I saw this,’ Effie whispered to her. ‘I remember seeing all this, as if it was in a mirror. It was flat and bare, but I saw it. Why do I always remember too late?’
    ‘What do you remember?’ Crystal whispered back.
    ‘The gate, the guards … I saw them …’
    The other Towners were muttering quietly to each other too. Crystal knew that some were glancing over towards her and her mother as if this delay was something to do with them. It was dreadful to be different. Perhaps they should have dyed their hair for the trip? Perhaps they should have dyed their hair long, long ago. But how could they ever hide their blue eyes?
    A tall guard jumped down from the wagon. ‘Who was sitting in seats thirteen and fourteen?’ he demanded.
    Crystal stared at her feet.
    ‘Hang on a minute.’ The driver was checking his papers. He read out from his list: ‘Seats thirteen and