The Ruby Redfort Collection: 4-6: Feed the Fear; Pick Your Poison; Blink and You Die. Lauren Child

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      RUBY STOPPED BY AMSTER GREEN HOPING TO CATCH CLANCY – she felt like she needed to see a friendly face after her disappointing morning at Spectrum. But it was a long shot, and when she climbed the oak and reached into one of the many knots in its bark, she found only a small piece of paper, folded into the shape of a bug. She opened it up and read the message.

       ukuevj’t bl wm usxylaptbfc kbvviedw.*

      ‘Poor Clance,’ sighed Ruby, ‘that Olive kid is something else.’

      She climbed back down and began her short trip home. The skateboard ran smoothly along the level road of Amster and her tired limbs took it easy.

      As soon as Ruby got in she called Clancy.

      ‘I got your message, sounds like a drag – couldn’t your sister Minny help you out? She owes you for all those other times.’

      ‘You got that right,’ grumbled Clancy. ‘Anyway, so where were you today?’

      ‘I had to take my Girl Scout test.’ Ruby and Clancy had learned from experience to speak in a roundabout fashion on an unsecured line.

      ‘Are you back in?’

      ‘Nope.’

      ‘Whatdaya mean? You must be back in, I mean, what was it testing?’

      ‘You know, to see if I was all there in mind and body.’

      ‘And?’

      ‘Something was missing, apparently.’

      ‘What something?’

      ‘Fear.’

      ‘Is that bad?’

      ‘They seem to think so – they figure I have some kind of deathwish.’

      ‘They said that?’

      ‘No, they dressed it up a bit, called it the Miracle Effect.’

      ‘This thing they’re saying about you,’ said Clancy, ‘is it true, do you think?’

      ‘If it’s weird to feel like your number’s not gonna come up then I guess I got some kinda syndrome, call it the Miracle Effect, the Angel Complex, call it any darned thing you want, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m still here and probability says I shouldn’t be.’

      ‘So what does it feel like?’ asked Clancy. ‘Believing you can’t die?’

      Ruby paused before saying, ‘I sort of can’t help pushing things to see what will happen, to see how it feels to be invincible and every time I don’t die it’s harder to believe I ever will. But I don’t get what the problem is – I mean, I’m a Girl Scout, right? Or at least a trainee agent, so how can fearlessness be a bad thing?’ She paused. ‘Look, you coming over or what?’

      ‘What,’ said Clancy.

      ‘That’s funny Clance. . . you’re a laugh a minute buster, you know that?’

      ‘Yeah, well, if I could I would you know.’

      ‘I know, but there’s Olive, right?’

      ‘Yeah, but once I’m done with that I’m planning on meeting Elliot at the diner if you feel like it.’

      ‘I’ll bear it in mind,’ said Ruby. ‘Meantime, stay outta jail.’ She hung up and went down to the kitchen looking for food but as she was passing the hall table, the telephone began to ring. She picked up the receiver. ‘Twinford Space Programme, slip into an astronaut suit and make gravity a thing of the past.’

      ‘Uh. . .’ said a hesitant voice down the end of the line.

      ‘Oh, hi Quent.’

      ‘It’s Quent,’ said Quent.

      ‘I know,’ said Ruby.

      ‘You did? How come?’ He sounded СКАЧАТЬ