Inkheart [1] by Cornelia Funke

Author:Cornelia Funke
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Europe, Magic, Storytelling, Books & Libraries, Fantasy Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, Children's Stories, Created by pisces_abhi, Inkheart, People & Places
ISBN: 9781904442219
Publisher: Chicken House
Published: 2003-01-02T06:00:00+00:00

Meggie opened the window very slowly, so that Gwin wouldn't take fright and perhaps fall off the sill. Even a marten would break all his bones if he fell into the paved yard from this height.

She put out her hand, still very slowly. Her fingers trembled as she stroked Gwin's back. Then she grabbed him before his little teeth could snap at her and quickly lifted him into the room.

She looked anxiously down, but none of the maids had noticed anything. They were all bending over the vegetable patch, their clothes drenched with perspiration from the heat of the sun burning down on their backs.

There was a note under Gwin's collar. It was dirty and had been folded very small and tied in place with a piece of tape.

"Why are you opening the window? The air outside is even hotter than in here. We —" Fenoglio broke off and stared in amazement at the animal in Meggie's arms. She quickly put a warning finger to her lips. Then, holding the struggling Gwin tight, she removed the note from under his collar. The marten chattered crossly and snapped at her finger again. He didn't like being held too long and would even bite Dustfinger if he tried it.

"What have you got there — a rat?" Fenoglio came closer. Meggie let go of the marten, and Gwin immediately leaped back to the windowsill.

"A marten!" cried the astonished Fenoglio. "Where did that come from?" Meggie looked anxiously at the door, but obviously the guard outside had heard nothing. Fenoglio pressed his hand to his mouth and looked again at Gwin in such amazement that Meggie almost laughed.

"He's got horns!" he whispered.

"Of course! That's the way you wrote him!" she whispered back.

Gwin was still sitting on the windowsill, blinking uncomfortably at the sun. He didn't like bright light and preferred to sleep through the day. So how had he got here?

Meggie put her head out of the window, but there were still only the maids down in the yard.

Hastily, she moved back into the room and unfolded the note.

"A message?" Fenoglio leaned over her shoulder. "Is it from your father?"

Meggie nodded. She had recognized the writing at once, although it wasn't as steady as usual.

Her heart began dancing inside her. She traced the letters with her eyes as longingly as if they were a path with Mo waiting for her at the end of it.

"What on earth does it say? I can't make out a word of it!" whispered Fenoglio.

Meggie smiled. "It's elvish writing!" she whispered. "Mo and I have been using it as our secret writing ever since I read The Lord of the Rings, but he's probably rather out of practice. He's made quite a lot of mistakes."

215

"Well, what does it say?"

Meggie read it to him.

"Farid — who's he?"

"A boy. Mo read him out of The Thousand and One Nights, but that's another story. You saw him

— when Dustfinger ran away from you Farid was with him." Meggie folded the note up again and looked out of the window once more.

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