Free Crystal by Rebecca Lisle Page A

fourteen, was it? Effie and Crystal Waters, that was.’
    The other travellers turned and stared at them. Then began to shift back, putting as much distance between the Waters and themselves as they could.
    The guard held up the sly-ugg’s carry-box that Crystal had left under the seat. ‘They were trying to smuggle out a sly-ugg,’ he said.
    ‘We weren’t!’ Crystal cried. ‘I didn’t know you couldn’t take it. You know we have to take it with us everywhere, so of course we took it. Anyway, it wanted to come!’
    ‘Sly-uggs do not have wishes or wants. It is highly illegal behaviour. And look here! This is what we were looking for, a gold candlestick belonging to Grint, Bless and Praise his Name. It has his initials on it. John Carter suspected Effie Waters had stolen it and he was right. She was probably going to try and sell it to the mine chiefs.’
    ‘She didn’t!’ Crystal cried. ‘It’s not true! I don’t know how that got there. It wasn’t—’
    Suddenly she knew. It was as shocking as being drenched with cold water. She remembered how keen Stella had been to get her on the trip, how delighted she’d been to give up her tickets. She recalled Stella’s cold knowing smile.
    Stella, surely not you! The Carters, father and daughter, had set them up!
    ‘Arrest them!’ the guard cried.
    Immediately they were surrounded. Two burly guards grabbed Crystal and held her arms behind her back. Two more took hold of her mother and marched her off to their office. It all happened quickly, so quickly Crystal could hardly believe everything had gone so completely wrong.
    ‘Mum, Mum!’ Crystal struggled against the strong hands. But they had already got her mother through the door of the West Gate office and she was out of sight.
    ‘Stop yelling!’ the guard said. ‘She’ll be taken to the prison for questioning. You can see her later.’
    ‘She didn’t do anything wrong!’ Crystal sobbed. ‘It’s not fair! We didn’t steal anything!’
    ‘Not how it looks to us,’ said the guard.
    ‘But it’s true! Wha-what about me?’ Crystal asked.
    ‘Back home for you,’ he said. ‘You’re a minor so you aren’t responsible. Mr Carter has had his eye on that Effie Waters for some time, I understand. Here, take your horrid sly-ugg and get off back to your block.’
    ‘But I want my mum!’
    ‘Do as you’re told, go on!’
    The other guards began to usher the Towners onto the wagon. They got back on with obvious relief. Once they were safe in their seats they peered down at Crystal as if she were something disgusting, something unclean. The driver gave her a sad little smile as he returned to his place and chivvied the horses to go. The wagon disappeared through the gateway and the great gates slowly closed behind them.
    The black kitten had disappeared, so Crystal sat in the apartment alone. Alone, except for the sly-ugg who had curled up in its carry-box on the table where she had left it. She could see it had shrunk into the corner, as if it were shy or suddenly nervous of her.
    ‘What’s up with you?’ she asked it crossly, opening its box. ‘You’ve nothing to worry about, you horrid little worm.’ The sly-ugg cringed and she regretted her words immediately. ‘Sorry.’
    She felt leaden. She couldn’t move. She looked round at the grey walls and metal furniture. She hated it so much! And she’d really thought this morning that she would never see it again.
    Of course her mother had not stolen the candlestick. That weasel, John Carter, had planted it in their seats knowing exactly which ones they would be sitting in. And she had actually thought that because Mr Carter sometimes spoke up against Grint he might have been on their side. But he was no different from the rest. The injustice of it all! What a false friend Stella had turned out to be! The Guard had been expecting them at the West Gate all along …
    West Gate .
    She tried to think but her brain felt like treacle. Her mother had