Alice-Miranda Shines Bright 8 by Jacqueline Harvey Page A

she could do to help Mrs Parker. The woman seemed to like having company when she was doing the housework. Maybe Alice-Miranda could go and visit her.
    A breath of wind sprung up on the ridge and Bonaparte whinnied and turned his head to look at the girls.
    â€˜No way, fat boy, you’re not getting any of this cake,’ Millie said with her mouth half-full.
    Alice-Miranda was about to eat hers too when something caught her attention. A branch swayed lazily in front of the rock face, back and forth like a metronome. She put her cake and drink bottle down and stood up.
    â€˜Don’t you want it?’ Millie asked.
    â€˜I thought I saw something.’ Alice-Miranda walked towards the branch.
    Millie scooped up Alice-Miranda’s cake just as a small trail of ants were about to enjoy a feast. She wrapped it up and scampered over to her friend.
    â€˜Millie, can you see that?’
    Millie wondered what she was meant to be seeing. ‘Trees?’
    â€˜No. I think there’s a hole in the rock face.’
    â€˜A hole?’ Millie frowned. She’d never heard any­one mention that there were caves on the ridge.
    â€˜Maybe.’ Alice-Miranda dashed towards the trees and pushed the branches apart.
    Sure enough, in front of them was a small hollow gouged out of the rock. It was about the size of a large dog door.
    â€˜Come on,’ Alice-Miranda said.
    Millie looked at her friend. ‘You’re not serious. You don’t really want to go in there, do you?’
    Alice-Miranda nodded. ‘It can’t hurt to poke our heads inside and take a quick look.’
    â€˜But caves can be dangerous. And there might be bats and spiders,’ Millie protested.
    â€˜It can’t be that bad,’ Alice-Miranda reasoned.
    Millie gulped. ‘But we haven’t got a torch.’
    Alice-Miranda’s face fell. ‘Oh, good point.’ Then her eyes lit up. ‘Yes, I have. It’s in my saddlebag. I put it in there a few weeks ago, just in case we were late getting back.’
    â€˜Great.’ Millie tried to sound enthusiastic but she wasn’t at all keen. ‘You should eat this first. It might be your last meal.’ She handed Alice-Miranda her slightly squashed piece of cake.
    Alice-Miranda giggled. ‘Thanks, I’ll save it for later. You’re not turning into Sloane, are you?’ She put the back of her hand against her forehead dramatically.
    â€˜What? Oh, a drama queen. No, of course not!’
    Alice-Miranda shot off back to the ponies and rummaged about in the bottom of her saddlebag. She found the little torch just where she’d put it, then shoved the cake inside and raced back to where Millie was peering into the darkness.
    â€˜It’s not a very big gap.’ Millie wondered how tight it would be once they were inside.
    â€˜It’s just as well we’re both small then.’ Alice-Miranda knelt down and held the torch in her teeth. She shone the light and wriggled through the opening.
    â€˜Can you see anything?’ Millie stood outside, hoping that the cavity led straight into another rock wall.
    There was a mumbling noise and then silence.
    â€˜Are you all right in there?’ Millie called. She wondered why Alice-Miranda had gone quiet.
    There was another long pause.
    â€˜Come on, that’s not funny,’ Millie said. ‘Are you okay? I was just kidding before about your last meal, Alice-Miranda.’
    There was a thud from inside as Alice-Miranda dropped the torch from her mouth and stood up. She brushed the dirt off her jodhpurs and retrieved the light from the ground.
    â€˜Wow! Millie, you should see this.’ Her words echoed. ‘It’s a proper cave. It’s not huge but I can stand up. Come on!’
    â€˜Is it safe?’ Millie called back, relieved to hear Alice-Miranda’s voice.
    â€˜I think so. We won’t go far. But you have to see it. It’s so pretty.’
    Millie turned