The End of the Sky by Sandi Toksvig

Author:Sandi Toksvig [Toksvig, Sandi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Random House Children's UK
Published: 2017-10-05T00:00:00+00:00

CHRONICLE RACED FORWARD and skidded to a halt between the man and where Jack lay on the ground bleeding. My wonderful friend had tried to save Toby’s life and the bullet had hit him instead. Toby dropped to his knees beside him.

‘Oh, Jack!’ I heard him cry.

Now the two of them were hidden from the man by my horse. I strained my eyes in the dark and the rain, and realized it was Nervous Bob. He turned and pointed his gun straight at me. I had stopped thinking about what I was doing and instead pulled both pistols from my belt and aimed them at him.

‘Leave them alone!’ I called.

Bob was shaking. ‘I didn’t mean it, but now … now I have to shoot you too.’

‘Slim!’ cried Toby, frightened.

Bob looked around. ‘You alone?’ he demanded.

‘The others are coming,’ I lied. ‘Lots of them.’

Bob shook his head. ‘I don’t think so.’ He sneered at me through the pouring rain. ‘A girl! Quite the cowboy. That’s who they send out to protect them? It’s pathetic! They’ll learn. They should have listened to me.’

He raised his gun, and in that second I knew I was going to have to shoot him. I clutched my guns. This was not at all the same thing as firing at a mechanical lion, as I had done in New York. The pistols shook in my hand but I had to protect the others. I moved to squeeze the trigger, when suddenly there was a sharp noise and Bob’s weapon flew out of his hand at the same time that there was the loud flash of fire from his gun. I swear I felt a bullet whistle past my ear. Without any instruction from me Chronicle rushed forward and knocked Nervous Bob to the ground.

I looked to the right and saw Cornelius Stringer racing towards us. His curly hair was wet through and it lay flat against his head. In his hand he held one of his slingshots. It was Cornelius who had knocked Bob’s gun away using a stone and his clever rubber bands.

‘Keep your guns on him,’ shouted Cornelius as he reached into his own jacket pocket.

I kept my shaking pistols pointed at Bob as Cornelius pulled the terrible man’s hands tight behind his back and fastened his wrists together with rubber bands.

I jumped down from my horse to Jack’s side. He was bleeding and his breathing was shallow.

Toby was crying.

Jack could hardly speak. Blood was pouring from his leg.

‘I’m so sorry, Slim. I tried to protect Toby, but he wouldn’t leave the animals.’

‘I’m sorry,’ sobbed Toby. ‘They needed me.’

Malvolio snorted in agreement and pushed his head gently against my little brother. I pulled my red neckerchief off and held it against Jack’s wound.

‘Hold this,’ I cried, and he clutched it against his body.

‘We can’t stop here,’ yelled Cornelius over the roar of the storm. ‘We have to get Jack to the wagon. Where’s Henry?’

‘He’s hurt too!’ I shouted back.

Somehow we managed to lay Jack across Malvolio’s back.

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