Finders Keepers by Emily Rodda

Author:Emily Rodda [Rodda, Emily]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781760270698
Publisher: Schoalstic Australia
Published: 1990-05-15T04:00:00+00:00

13

Lost and Found

The crack was widening. The Guards were shouting at each other as they ran towards it, and the people from the little stalls dotted between the sentry boxes had abandoned their tables and were also hurrying to the spot. They were a rather strange-looking group, dressed in a weird array of tattered clothing in all sizes and colours.

“Let’s go closer,” urged Patrick, tugging at Wendy’s arm.

“Oh, we really shouldn’t,” she murmured uneasily. “You aren’t supposed to.” Then she shook her head. “Oh, why not!” she said. “What harm can it do? Come on!”

They ran down the hill towards the Barrier. As they drew closer, they could hear the Guards shouting to one another. A tall woman with gold stripes on the arm of her jacket was blowing a whistle and trying to get them organised.

“Listen to them,” said Wendy scornfully. “Panicking. That’s what happens when you put inexperienced people in charge of weak spots. The Barrier’s always breaking round here. They should have their best Guards on duty.”

“Were you one of their best people?” asked Patrick.

She looked confused. “Well, put it this way, I’ve been … I had been, I should say, a Guard ever since I left school. It was all I ever wanted to be. Fifteen years, I’d worked on the Barrier when – when I made the mistake that cost me my job. Fifteen years! At least I knew what was what. And I didn’t panic, no matter what happened.”

“So –” Patrick began, but she caught his arm.

“Watch,” she said. “It’s starting.”

A glint of silver shone through the crack in the Barrier. The crack widened. With a rush and a clatter two forks and a dog’s bowl shot through the crack and fell to the ground on to a Guard’s foot. He kicked out angrily. Another Guard picked up the bowl and began trying to shove it back where it had come from.

“Too rough,” said Wendy Minelli, shaking her head.

Sure enough, there was a hissing, tearing sound, and two more long black cracks appeared on the Barrier surface, running sideways from the main hole down to ground level. A football sock began to ooze through one, like a striped snake. Two tennis balls popped through the other, followed by some gardening gloves and a baby’s dummy. The watching stall-holders cheered.

“You idiot, Peabody!” roared the tall Guard with the whistle. “If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times, gently, gently! Look what you’ve done!”

Now more and more objects were popping through the holes in the Barrier. A saucepan, spoons, sunglasses, a radio, a stuffed toy, an umbrella, boxes of matches, knives, tins of food, a bar of chocolate, letters, newspapers, books … they fell and lay in heaps on the ground, and still more came.

“Where are those Department of Works fools?” raged the tall Guard, shaking her fists at the empty air. “Get that stuff back, Peabody, Moore, Nghi! Come on! The rest of you, hold back the scavengers. Hold them!” A half-eaten ham sandwich shot through the crack above her head and landed on her cap.

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