Alfie Bloom and the Talisman Thief Read Free Page B

way that she was sitting so stiffly he knew she didn’t like the way Caspian spoke to them at all. Alfie was used to the solicitor’s coldness by now, but Amy never let anyone get away with trying to intimidate her. She looked Caspian up and down.
    â€œWho do you think you are?” she asked. Alfie exchanged a nervous glance with his dad.
    â€œI beg your pardon?”
    â€œYou heard me.
You
might not have an ounce of compassion, but
our
friend has been hurt and kidnapped and all you can do is talk down your big nose and bully Alfie into shutting up.”
    Caspian glared and the lights started to flicker again.
    â€œDon’t start that nonsense.” Amy got to her feet and pointed at him. “You’re not half as intimidating as you think you are. You’re Alfie’s solicitor. It’s
your job
to help him and answer his questions. So stop being so … so obtuse!”
    The carriage was silent as Amy and Caspian seemed to be locked in some kind of staring competition. Alfie held his breath. Caspian broke the silence first.
    â€œObtuse?”
    â€œYeah. It’s a word. Look it up!”
    â€œI
know
what it means,” said Caspian. Alfie wasn’t sure, but he thought he might have seen the slightest trace of a smile flicker across Caspian’s lips. He spoke again in a very slightly softer tone. “I’m afraid I am not one to offer false hope and reassurance. The most you can do is hope that there is something, other than the talisman, that she is willing to accept in exchange.” Alfie and his dad stared at Amy in a mixture of amazement and admiration, unable to believe that she had faced down the haughty solicitor.
    At that moment the coach bounced and shuddered. The horses dropped from a gallop to a canter before slowing to a stop. Alfie wondered if he would ever be allowed to travel up top with Johannes to see their journey. He didn’t think it was likely – everything about Muninn and Bone’s operations seemed extremely secretive.
    The doors popped open and Alfie leapt out into the huge coach house, glad to be away from the silence that had descended on the carriage. Johannes jumped down to tend to the horses as Caspian swept ahead, leading them through the door to the entrance hall. Alfie could tell that Amy was dying to stop and investigate the array of coaches as they hurried after Caspian.
    â€œEmily will join you shortly,” said the solicitor as he strode across the grand reception to stand on the round brass crest that served as a lift to the upper floors. The brass cylinder that formed the walls of the lift descended from the ceiling. “I must prepare to meet the Queen and begin our negotiation.” The cylinder clanked down around him. There was a hiss of steam and a whooshing noise that lasted nearly a minute before the cylinder retracted back into the ceiling, leaving them alone in the entrance hall.

The Greatest Thief Who Ever Lived
    â€œOK, I didn’t want to say anything in front of that pompous git,” exploded Amy, “but that coach was awesome, and the journey here?
Crazy!
This place is so weird! Where are we?”
    â€œA long way from home,” said a gentle voice behind them. A small woman with huge green eyes had entered the hall. She was smiling at Amy’s ill-timed outburst, but didn’t seem quite her usual bubbly self.
    â€œEmily!” shouted Alfie, rushing to greet Caspian’s administrator. He realized too late that he wasn’t sure whether to hug her or shake hands, and ended up delivering an awkward combination of the two.
    â€œ Smooth,” Amy whispered out of the corner of her mouth as she came over to introduce herself.
    â€œOh, your poor face!” said Emily. Amy’s left eye was swollen and her cheek was turning a nasty shade of purple. “Come on. Let’s get you all fixed up.”
    Alfie had hoped they would be taking the odd lift Caspian had used, but the