Alice-Miranda in the Alps by Jacqueline Harvey

Author:Jacqueline Harvey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Australia
Published: 2015-08-24T04:00:00+00:00

The children wove their way through the food stalls, past gleaming luxury cars on plinths and along a line of marquees hosting various events. There looked to be a fashion parade going on in one of them, while in another a large crowd was being serenaded by a string quartet. As they neared their destination, the children heard a loud sob.

‘You must find her, you simply must!’ It was Herr Fanger and he was surrounded by a circle of grim-faced onlookers.

‘When did you see her last?’ asked a well-meaning woman in a black fluffy coat and red turban.

‘She was here just a minute ago and now she is gone,’ the man moaned, cradling his face in his hands.

Alice-Miranda walked up to the man. ‘Excuse me, Herr Fanger, who are you looking for?’

He turned to the child, tears welling in his eyes. ‘My little Gertie has disappeared.’

‘Oh dear, we can help look for her,’ she offered. ‘Millie, do you want to see if Sloane and the others are in the tent? They can help with the search too.’

Millie wrinkled her nose, thinking of all the treats she would miss out on. ‘All right, but I want something really yummy to eat as soon as we find her,’ she said, before scurrying away.

Alice-Miranda turned back to the distraught man. ‘She can’t have gone too far.’

‘It is not like her to wander off,’ Herr Fanger said, dabbing at his cheeks with a handkerchief.

Millie reappeared with their friends in tow.

‘We’d better find that spoilt pooch fast. I was just about to eat the biggest, most delicious-looking slice of strudel you have ever seen. It had cream and ice-cream,’ Jacinta blustered.

Millie cleared her throat and gestured towards Herr Fanger, who was sniffing quietly to himself.

‘I mean, that sweet little dog,’ Jacinta mumbled, hoping the man hadn’t heard her the first time.

‘Why don’t we split up and each take a couple of rows of tents?’ Alice-Miranda suggested. ‘Gertie might have wandered into one of them and found something yummy to eat, like Jacinta’s strudel.’

‘My princess does not like strudel at all,’ Herr Fanger whimpered. ‘She is a very fussy eater.’

The children split up into pairs and Lucas allocated their search zones. ‘Remember,’ he instructed in a low voice, ‘if you do find the snappy mutt, she’s a princess in looks only. Take care of your hands – you’re likely to lose a finger if you go in too quickly.’

Sep grinned and the girls giggled.

Alice-Miranda and Millie headed around to the back of the sponsors’ tent while Lucas and Sep charged off to the other end of the food stalls. Lucas considered that, if they didn’t end up finding the dog, he could at least grab himself that rösti he’d been hankering after.

Sloane and Jacinta darted to the back of the grandstands. As the children scattered, the afternoon train could be heard pulling out of the station.

Millie and Alice-Miranda didn’t find anything, so they decided to try the outdoor cafe that fronted the jazz band. A U-shape

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