The Lightning Bolt by Kate Forsyth

tiny hole at the top of the tower with great speed and very little thought, and, like Emilia, found himself slithering down the steep slope of the roof with no way of slowing his descent. He saw the edge of the roof coming, grabbed it with one hand, and slid sideways, sending old tiles crashing down. Then he too found the ivy, and managed to grab it before he slid right over the edge. It was an old, stout plant, very strong and wiry. Luka was able to climb down it as easily as if it had been a tree, and soon found himself, rather scratched and shaken, on the ground.
    Quietly he dragged back the bolts and opened the door to the oast house. Rollo leapt up, whuffing with joy, and their hearts sank. They dragged him out, bolted the door again, then ran into the woods, Rollo bounding at their heels. Behind them, they could hear soldiers shouting.
    â€˜Did they see us?’ Emilia panted.

    Luka shook his head. ‘They must’ve heard Rollo though. You’re a bad, noisy dog! We told you to be quiet.’
    Rollo wagged his tail happily.
    â€˜It could be any old dog,’ Emilia said. ‘They’ve got no way of knowing it was Rollo barking.’
    â€˜Coldham will know,’ Luka said grimly.
    They came to the glade where the beehives were, and stopped in sudden dismay.
    Someone had smashed open all the hives and stolen the honey.
    â€˜No wonder the bees were in such a rage!’ Emilia said. ‘Look! They’re all wrecked.’
    Slowly the two children went forward, afraid of the bees. There were only a few, though, buzzing aimlessly about. They did not seem to know what to do. The hives lay broken on the ground, their contents hacked out. Honey dribbled from one like blood from a wound. Dead bees were stuck in it.
    Luka bent and examined the ground. ‘Milly, look!’
    Emilia came to see. There, in the soft ground before the beehives, were the marks of a big boot.
    And the large, heavy and unmistakable print of a bear.
    The two children stared at each other, scared and astounded.
    â€˜It couldn’t be!’
    â€˜Sweetheart? Here?’
    Emilia suddenly remembered something that Bob had said to her. So, are you gypsies? Have you come here for the horse fair too? You’re all early this year .
    She had paid no attention at the time, thinking only of the lightning bolt charm, but now she realised what it meant. ‘Luka! The Hearnes! They must be here! That boy, Bob, who sent us here, he said there were gypsies here for the horse fair. Remember, Sebastien said they come here to Horsmonden, for some fair in early September. They’ve come early . . .’
    â€˜. . . because they knew we would be coming, to beg the Smiths for help.’ Luka was furious. ‘It was the Hearnes that told Coldham we were here!’
    â€˜They wouldn’t,’ Emilia said feebly.
    â€˜They must’ve!’ Luka snapped.
    â€˜But why?’
    Luka shrugged. ‘For money? To save themselves from being arrested?’
    â€˜But we’re kin. Sebastien and Beatrice are betrothed.’
    â€˜Maybe they wish they’d never agreed to the marriage. Maybe they don’t want to be associated with gaolbirds.’ Luka’s voice was bitter.
    â€˜But they’re Rom. The Rom don’t talk to constables.’
    â€˜Do you really think they would risk getting on the wrong side of the law for our sake? What if Coldham threatened them, said he’d take away all their horses?’
    Emilia felt close to tears. ‘I can’t believe it! I thought Sebastien was our friend!’
    â€˜It mightn’t have been Sebastien. It was probably that Cosmo fellow. He never wanted to help us in the first place.’
    They could not discuss it any more, because Rollo was looking back the way they had come, hishackles raised, growling deep in his throat. Then they heard a distant shout.
    â€˜Come on, let’s go!’ Luka cried, and they ran on past the plundered beehives,