Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner

Author:Lian Tanner
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd
Published: 2010-11-20T23:00:00+00:00

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he Dirty Gate was deeper inside the museum than Goldie had ever gone before. It was made of iron – not a solid piece, but strips welded together like a giant honeycomb. It was brown with rust, and fitted into the wall so carefully that there was no gap above or below it. On the right-hand side there was an enormous keyhole.

Morg was perched on one of the iron strips. She rattled her wings when she saw them. ‘Wa-a-ar!’ she croaked. ‘Wa-a-a-a-a-r!’

A shiver ran down Goldie’s spine. ‘What does she mean? Why is she saying that?’

‘That’s what’s on the other side of the Dirty Gate,’ said Toadspit grimly. ‘The war rooms. The plague rooms. The famine rooms. All the really awful stuff that happened in the early years of Dunt. It’s still here in the museum. Most of the time it’s quiet and doesn’t cause any problems, but something must have stirred it up. You heard the guns. Come and look.’

Goldie sidled up to the gate and stared through the honeycomb holes, some of which were big enough to climb through. At first all she could see was long grass, but then Toadspit pointed to a flash of white far to the left.

‘See those tents? That’s an army camp,’ he said. ‘This is the first of the war rooms.’

‘Who are they fighting?’

‘Anyone. Everyone. I don’t know. It’s just – war.’

Goldie thought she saw a movement near the tents. She took a quick step backwards. ‘Won’t they see us? Won’t they try and break down the gate? Or shoot us or something?’

Toadspit shook his head. ‘As long as the gate is shut they can’t see it and they can’t come through.’

As he spoke, he took a folding knife and a bit of wire out of his pocket. He slid the tip of the knife into the keyhole, and pushed the wire in above it. Then he began to wiggle it carefully back and forth. Broo growled softly.

‘What are you doing?’ said Goldie.

Toadspit’s face was pale, but there was a stubborn set to his jaw. ‘Herro Dan should’ve come back last night.’ He spoke slowly, concentrating on the keyhole. ‘I reckon he heard the guns and went through here to see what was happening, and the soldiers caught him. They probably thought he was a spy. I’m going to see if they’ve got him. And if they have, I’m going to steal him back.’

‘Shouldn’t we go and find Olga Ciavolga first? Or Sinew?’

‘There’s no time. They might shoot Herro Dan at any moment.’

‘They might’ve shot him already!’

‘If they had, we’d know . . . Got it!’ said Toadspit. There was a loud click and the lock sprang open. Toadspit slipped the knife and the wire back into his pocket. ‘Are you coming?’

Think carefully, whispered the little voice in the back of Goldie’s mind. Think carefully before you rush into danger.

But Goldie didn’t want to think carefully, not if Herro Dan might be shot at any moment. ‘Of course I’m coming!’ she said.

The Dirty Gate was so heavy that the two children could hardly move it.

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