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11.2: RELATIVE VALUES (part 2)

It couldn't be said that progress with the cart was going well, but at least it was a form of progress. The shards of barrel had been swept into haphazard piles, and the cart's wheels were leaning against the inn wall. The apples had mysteriously disappeared. Or perhaps not so mysteriously: Fang spotted one of the serving-men surreptitiously licking his fingers.

"What do you think you're doing, you no-good slackers? Still work to be done!" The farmer had resumed authority. "John Dogby! Oy, you-Dogby! Put some effort into it, you weas-" His enthusiastic reprimands drained away when he noticed Fang. But Fang had had enough of the man for one night, merely granting him a brief sneer before passing by.

Fang did not particularly want to return to the market square, but he reasoned that it was the best place to find information about Rupert and the Winkton girl, if indeed they were in the town at all. He started down the street in that direction.

But not for long. When he was only a few feet clear of Winkton's coach-still stuck in the middle of the street-he came to a sudden halt. That couldn't be... It couldn't possibly be... How could Elizabeth be so stupid as to-

"Fang!"

"Uncle Fang! Does he have Jugglalug?"

"Found him! My turn to hide!"

Night help me.

"Elizabeth," Fang growled. His sister was trailing a thoroughly dishevelled niece and husband behind her, and looking fairly dishevelled herself. "Are those... splinters in your hair?" Fang couldn't help asking.

"Oh, are there?" Elizabeth reached up, plucked one out, and flicked it away. "I suppose they are splinters, yes."

"And what," said Fang, trying to keep his voice under control, "are they doing there?"

"Our coach fell apart."

"Weeeeeeee!"

To Fang, everything seemed to be falling apart tonight, never mind carts and coaches. "What were you doing in the coach in the first place? What are you doing here?" he hissed.

A flash of anger kindled in Elizabeth's eyes. She drew herself up to face her brother. "I'll have you know, Fang, that I am acting in the best interests of our family."

"You don't look like it," Fang spat back. "Out in public in such a state."

"Banshee's brains, this is not about appearances!" Elizabeth surprised Fang by retaliating. "This is about family. Rupert is missing, Fang. And when we tried to find you to ask for advice-"

"Fang will know what to do!" Edmund chimed in.

"Quite, darling. When we tried to find you, we found that you had disappeared as well."

"Aunt Lizzie!"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "And Juggalug."

"He's not with you, is he, Uncle Fang?"

"You really think I'd voluntarily suffer that half-breed to be anywhere near me?"

"He's not that bad," Pim moaned.

"So really, what else were we to do?" Elizabeth returned to the point. "We knew you wouldn't stay out all day without telling us, so we searched the villages-" Here she paused. "With a little too much vigour, in some cases."

Pim pouted. "That boy was asking for it."

"And then we came here. And here you are!"

Fang wanted to continue seething, but on closer consideration he acknowledged that Elizabeth's actions had not been so rash after all. Although bringing along a senile husband and an infuriating niece had not been the most well-considered part of the plan. Glancing at Edmund and Pim, he took Elizabeth aside.