When the sun sets more than once a day and the world's diamonds are stolen, a small brave girl, struggling to belong, has secrets to discover.
Marigold leaves her lonely life to join extraordinary thieves, Bert and Bob. Who is their Mistress? What i...
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Lady Artifice's scream echoed underground. The large woman - aged 63 with the sensibly cut grey hair - looked up from clearing the rubble in her upward-moving tunnel.
'That dreadful woman', she said in her screechy-scratchy voice. As she spoke, the ray of light shot out of her mouth and caused stones and soil to rain down on her. With a sigh, she used her fingers to comb them out of her hair. She wiped her hands on the bottle green trouser suit. At her knees, the moles continued to clear the way.
'Must be nearly there, chaps', she told them. As she ducked out of the way of the next shower, she desperately hoped she was right.
*
Lady Artifice's scream echoed around Bert and Jet as they reached the bottom of the seven flights of stairs. They were in search of Marigold. Bert looked at Jet in alarm.
'I hope she ant started her work on t' poor lass', panted the dog.
*
Marigold followed the frantic movements of Lady Artifice's wizened hands as she touched her screen. Images of diamonds whizzed across it.
'Come on', said the stooped old woman impatiently. 'There has to be something...'
Bert zoomed into the workshop with an anxious Jet tucked under his arm. The dog looked her up and down.
' as she done owt to you?' he asked.
'She's safe', said Whatnot before she could answer. She stared at him. Again he avoided her gaze.
'Not in library. We worry', said Bert still clutching on to Jet as if he were a giant cuddly toy.
'I know', she said, looking at Jet. 'I've done it again, haven't I. I'm sorry.'
'Well' Jet began. 'Meb-ee you should've left note.' She felt guilty for a moment. Then he gave her a smile and she returned it.
'Give over, Bert', he exclaimed with a wriggle. 'Too tight, lad. You'll crush life out o' me. You can put me down now any road.'
'Silence!' commanded Lady Artifice. 'How can I work with your mindless prattle?'
As Bert lowered Jet to the floor, they both took their eyes off Marigold and looked at the woman for the first time since entering the workshop.
'Flippin' 'eck!' cried Jet.
Bert twisted his face in utter confusion.
'You'll be wanting money back for that face lift', said Jet.
Marigold giggled.
'Out! All of you!' Lady Artifice wailed.
The four of them followed the direction of the bony finger that pointed towards the door.
Marigold started to go down the stairs.
We'll obey you for now. But watch out.
*
Back in the library, an excited Marigold stood on her bed as she spoke to Bert and Jet. 'Now's our best chance to stop her', she said. 'She's weak. The light of The Black Flame has gone dim.'
Jet nodded. 'We need a plan'.
'Plan' repeated Bert.
The three of them exchanged blank looks.
'Good luck with that', sneered Bob from the other side of the room. Marigold noticed he was sitting up against the little door that was hidden in the bookshelf. She turned back to her friends.
'Think', she said.
There came a loud rumbling, screeching and scratching from beneath them. Marigold's book tower began to wobble and collapse. The floor shook. Marigold, Bert and Jet were knocked to their knees. Books, shelves and bits of plaster started to fly across the room. With a handful of Jet's fur and another of Bert's sweater, she dragged them under the table with her.
Bob slid across the floor on his bottom to join them. All four peered out into the chaos.
'Do we 'ave earthquakes in Yorkshire now?', asked Jet, his eyes growing with alarm.
The wooden floor in front of them cracked open into a hole. A large woman, (of about 63, Marigold thought), with sensible grey hair, popped up from inside it. She had a mole on her head. She carefully placed it on the floor. It squinted at Marigold and then leapt back down the hole.
The woman pulled herself up and onto the library floor. Spitting soil out of her mouth and brushing mud from her bottle green trouser suit, she surveyed the wreckage of the room.
Astonished, Marigold crawled out from under the table.
Bob climbed over Bert who had tucked his knees under his chin to fit safely between the table legs.
Bob was drawn towards the woman.
Jet lifted his head from the floor, stared at the stranger and scratched his chin in thought.
At the woman's feet, Bob gave a sniff. 'Intriguing', he said.
'I've seen her before', whispered Jet to Marigold.
'Who?' said Bert, emerging from under the table and extending his legs.
'Yes, who are you?' asked Marigold.
'Terribly sorry about the mess...', the woman began. As she spoke, the beam of white light struck the crystal chandelier. The cable it was hanging from had already frayed with the shaking of the room. The chandelier fell. It smashed to pieces inches away from Marigold. She screamed.
The woman clamped a hand over her mouth in horror.
'I'm sorry', she mouthed.
'It's diamond light!', said Marigold finally, recovering from the shock.
She saw that Bob was running his snout up the woman's trouser leg. He was shooed away with a gesture from her muddy hand. The stranger then took out a notepad and pen from her jacket pocket. Marigold studied her as she wrote something on the cover. The woman handed the pad to her. Marigold read the words aloud.
'Awfully sorry. Chaos every time open mouth. Please read. I am Professor Ethel Bloom, by the way.'
'Okay, Professor Bloom', said Marigold, looking up at the woman. 'Pull up a book.'
'She'll need more than one. Look at the size of her', sniggered Bob.
'Ignore him', said Marigold.
Professor Bloom gave Bob a look so withering that he had to turn away from her.
Marigold smiled as she sat on The House of Artifice. It was the only part of her bed that hadn't been flung into the corners of the room.
The Professor pushed together two thick encyclopaedias and lowered herself onto them.
Bert returned his favourite shelves back to their bookcases and made himself comfortable against them.
Marigold sensed Bob was watching them. She met his eye. He gave her a dismissive toss of his head.
You're just as curious as the rest of us, pig thing.
She felt the warmth of Jet's body as he moved to her side to look at the notepad. Marigold flipped over the cover and began to read.
