solid enough to impede rapid progress. Here and there a grandfather clock had fallen over, just as real trees topple in the forests of the earth. If it was on its face there was glass everywhere, sometimes a pathetic hand or two, and in extreme cases, cogs, wheels, ratchets, a large shiny pendulum, chains and weights and other internal works. These were clocks with pretty faces too: pastoral pictures of goosegirls leading their flocks, or ploughboys at the plough. Chloe thought that if she ever owned such a clock she would never banish it to an attic.
When they emerged from the forest they came across two massive armies of toy soldiers. A great battle was taking place. Although the generals and their troops were not interested in the human children their numbers were so great they formed a sea of uniforms – many different kinds – spread across the attic’s boards. The noise, for such tiny creatures, was astonishing. There were no guns going off, nor rifles which worked, but there was a clatter of tiny swords, bayonets and other metal objects against metal chests. So far as Chloe could see, none of the soldiers could hurt each other, but seemed intent on doing so. Generals of course were having a fine time, ordering battalions here, divisions there, and corps everywhere else.
‘Stupid creatures,’ she muttered, trying to step between them. ‘If they get squashed, it’s their fault.’
In the end the three travellers found it easier to sweep a path through the armies, brushing the soldiers into heaps either side. When they first did it they prepared to run, thinking they might anger the troops. But the toys were not interested in revenge. They just wanted to get back into the battle again. The objective appeared to be a line of forts and castles at each end of the boards and Chloe could foresee it ending in stalemate, with one lot of attacking soldiers occupying their enemy’s forts, and the other lot overrunning their foe’s castles. It was all pretty much a waste of time so far as she could tell. She wondered if Nelson came to this corner of the attic: he loved little moving things he could chase and bat about with his paw.
Jordy and Alex had started to take their newly learned navigational skills quite seriously. They lined up sunshafts sent down by skylights at a set hour of the day in order to keep to a straight line. This was much like using a sextant to navigate a ship. And another aide which had been employed by early sailors: celestial bodies. The square stars embedded above lofty networks of beams and rafters were excellent direction-finders. Jordy had learned about the clusters of skylights and the star patterns they created.
The bortrekker had given them a route to follow and Jordy and Alex found their way across the boards with unerring accuracy now. Of course they made one or two mistakes but these were corrected by going back to a known point and beginning that section again. They were beginning to familiarise themselves with the constellations of the attic, with its changing landscapes.
Fortunately the weather remained mild. There was a heavy mist one morning, rising from a group of water tanks, but though this hid any likely dangers from the voyagers, they encountered no trouble. For the most part it was simply a long slog which had Chloe wondering if they would ever see home again. To make such a journey back again, across that vast and troubled land, would take an enormous amount of fortitude.
Still, she remained outwardly optimistic, being a girl with a naturally cheerful disposition.
‘Come on, you two, step it out,’ she cried, her shoes echoing on the hollow floor. ‘Let’s get to our destination.’
‘I’ll tell you what,’ said Jordy, going to the side pockets of his huge backpack, ‘I just remembered. I’ve got skateboards for you two as well. Here,’ he produced them, ‘I found them in a bunch of sports equipment. I always said skateboarding was a sport, didn’t I? Well, that sort of proves it.’
Alex was not the best skateboarder in the world, but he could still kick and run with the other two. Thus the three travellers were soon speeding on their way, leaving any followers trailing far behind them.
CHAPTER 16
Atticans in Khaki Coats
‘The Removal Firm is very near.’
I know, I know. It’s those damn kids. They brought them by using fire.
‘It’s not the fault of the kids. You know how relentless