The blizzard of thoughts in Elizabeth`s head were starting to clear and settle. One reason for this was that instead of being split in half she had somehow returned to her normal one-of-her self.

　　The other reason had more to do with Barnaby`s surprising discovery.

　　"If I`m not mistaken", said Izzario, sounding bemused, "I think we`ve found a . . . railway".

　　Aelgren rustled his beard. "But we`re in the middle of the Caradeen forest".

　　"And I don`t remember seeing it on any of the surveys", added Barnaby. "So whoever put it there has done a good job keeping it secret".

　　Luella snatched the spyglass and looked for herself, with a scowl. "It must have something to do with the Dominion. And judging by the direction of the tracks I`d say it`s heading for Caranthis".

　　"That`s our way out then!" Aelgren declared.

　　The others looked at each other with faces that had Bad Move` written all over them.

　　"It doesn`t seem", Barnaby sighed, "as if we have much of a choice".

　　Izzario nodded thoughtfully. "We certainly do not. We have to find the Omnaria before the Dominion works out how to use it".

　　"You don`t need to remind me. I`ve been thinking of little else since we fell out of the sky".

　　The journey down the side of the hill - which in truth was more of a clamber - involved a treacherous scramble along an almost-vertical slope, a carefully plotted route through a welter of thorny bushes, a close shave with a swarm of nocturnal puffer bees (never disturb them in the morning, Barnaby warned) and a leap across a river that was just too wide for Elizabeth to jump and which ended with a splosh and a soggy foot for the rest of the day.

　　When they finally reached their destination her mood was down at the very bottom of the dumps.

　　"It doesn`t look safe to me", she said, gazing up at a mossy green archway.

　　Aelgren began climbing over a pile of fallen bricks. "Ach, dinnae be such a worryguts. You can say what you like about the Artellians, but they knew how to build a thing or two".

　　"Well I`m still not sure that this is a very good idea . . . "

　　A few minutes later and all five of them were on top of the ruin, from where, through the trees, they surveyed the length of the track below.

　　And there they sat.

　　And watched.

　　And waited.

　　And sat.

　　And watched.

　　And waited some more.

　　"Maybe it`s running late", suggested Aelgren.

　　Elizabeth`s watch blinked to 9:32. Back in Hexley-on-Heath she would just be sitting down for the first class of the day, which, because it was Wednesday meant two hours of modern languages with Mrs Emery who couldn`t pronounce her Rs`. Elizabeth would be spending the whole time wishing that she was in maths (even if it was ridiculously easy), Amanda Pettigrew would be smirktateously causing trouble and everyone else would be pretending to pay attention and sniggering whenever Mrs Emery said things like au revoir`. Elizabeth`s mum would be doing whatever she did in her office, but would probably be spending all of her time worrying about her daughter, who was still missing from home because right now she was stuck in a parallel universe, sitting on an aqueduct, waiting for a train.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author`s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

　　Izzario perched nearby. "Are you okay?" he said, with a warm voice of concern.

　　Elizabeth shrugged, staring blankly into her lap. "I just want to go home".

　　"Don`t worry. We`ll get the Omnaria back". Izzario smiled encouragingly. "Look, about what happened back there", he added. "You know . . . what you just did?"

　　"No", said Elizabeth, crossing her arms. "Because I didn`t do anything. And whatever it was I don`t want to discuss it!"

　　"All right, but if you feel any sort of - "

　　Whatever Izzario was about to say next was lost to Aelgren`s yelling and the sight of vanilla scoops of steam floating into the sky.

　　"Here it comes!" shouted Luella, as she sprang into action.

　　Elizabeth`s nerves began to jangle.

　　"Get ready", grizzled Aelgren, hustling the others along. "And remember to do it exactly as we agreed".

　　"I`ll go first", Luella said. "Just watch what I do and try to keep your knees bent".

　　The train was getting nearer now, a hulking, black iron beast ploughing its way towards them. The end of it had yet to appear as the front of the train began rolling through the archway, the whole of the aqueduct trembling as it went.

　　Elizabeth`s legs were shaking for an entirely different reason. What on earth did she think she doing? This was the sort of thing that only happened in films and even then it was all special effects. It was most certainly not the sort of behaviour that was appropriate for a twelve-year-old girl in real life.

　　"I don`t think I can do it", she said, as a surge of fear powered through her bones.

　　Aelgren clapped a broad hand on her shoulder. "Ach, now how can you say a thing like that? There`s nae anything to it. I`ve done this lots of times before".

　　"Have you?"

　　"Well, maybe once or twice".

　　"Once or twice?"

　　"Oh all right, it`s my first go. But how hard can it be? All you have to do is land in the right place".

　　Elizabeth peered over the edge. "Actually that`s the part that bothers me".

　　Luella jumped . . .

　　Elizabeth looked on with her heart between her teeth as the girl in the top hat went feet first into a pile of coal, sent a swish of black dust over her head and passed slowly beneath the aqueduct like a leaf on a lazy river.

　　The whole of Elizabeth`s body began copying her legs.

　　"Let me give you some advice", offered Aelgren, licking a finger and holding it in the air. "Judging by the levels of precipitation, and taking into account the strength and direction of the wind, as well as the distance from here to the train and the speed at which the locomotive is presently moving . . . "

　　Elizabeth looked at him expectantly.

　　"I suggest you jump as far as you can".

　　"Thanks. You`re a great help", Elizabeth said, flatly.

　　And with that, Aelgren too leapt into a coal pile down below.

　　"Dinnae be long", he shouted as he went.

　　It was difficult to judge the exact scale of the drop, but Elizabeth reckoned that you could probably squeeze a small bus into the space between the train and the spot where she was standing.

　　It wasn`t that far really.

　　"Are you ready?" said Barnaby, raising his voice to be heard over the puffing and juddering and general clatteryness of the train.

　　Obviously the answer to that particular question was no`, because in the very next moment Elizabeth turned into a frozen crystal of ice. "I can`t do it!" somebody inside her shouted out.

　　"Of course you can, it`s only a little drop".

　　"No it isn`t. It`s a great big jump onto a great big moving train!"

　　The last of the trucks were chuntering into view.

　　"Elizabeth we have to go".

　　"But I`m not ready!"

　　Izzario crouched beside her. "Sometimes we all have to do things we`re not ready for. You came through the rift made by the Omnaria - you couldn`t have been ready for that".

　　Yes, thought Elizabeth, but then there were monsters coming out of the walls . . .

　　"Look, just between us, I`m not ready to do this either. So let`s not be ready together".

　　Elizabeth thought about all this, very quickly.

　　She nodded.

　　Izzario closed his eyes, took several deep breaths, opened his eyes and took an even bigger breath than before. "Come on, let`s go".

　　And before Elizabeth had time to think about what was happening they were flying hand-in-hand through the air. It was incredible! And impossible to believe that she was actually doing it. Bright waves of sparkling excitement raced about inside her.

　　She landed with a flunch, screaming and squealing with laughter amongst the lumps and chips and scrappy nuggets of coal. The whole of her body was still buzzing with exhilaration as the others scrabbled to find them. Everyone was covered in thick black layers of dust.

　　The train steamed its way across the flattened edge of a hillside, opening up onto a magnificent sweep of green and orange hue. And right then that heart-gladdening sight was all there was or ever needed to be.

　　For the first time in a very long time, Elizabeth smiled all over. She brushed back her hair and rubbed her knees and yawned.

　　"Ach, I told you it was easy", said Aelgren, scratching his beard.

　　And he grinned a grin that was so wide it was in need of another head.