Rube had thought of Sleet and the other people in Wallfruit Cove as “they” because she hadn’t known whether any of them were men or women.  The person she was speaking to now was a “they” in a very different sense.

They’d introduced themselves as the Finery family.  The woman they’d seen leaving the building was Til Finery, and her siblings were Ab, Si, Bon and Koo.  Together, they made a silver, tree-like being who worked for the Opal City council.

“So,” said the family, who’d sat behind a desk made out of dark green stone, “what can we do for you?”

Rube swallowed.  She wasn’t sure where to start.  “Well… do you know Colwyn Ballantine?”

“From Dovecote Gardens?”  When the Finery family spoke, it sounded as if one person was speaking, not five.  Rube wondered what everyone’s individual voice sounded like, and whether that affected the whole.  “Yes, we’ve crossed paths from time to time.  Wonderful man.”

Jeanette said it before Rube could.  “He’s been kidnapped.  We need your help.”

The Finery family didn’t reply right away.  Their face might have looked more like tree bark than anything human, but Rube was sure it had frozen into a rictus grin.  “OK.  And you are…?”

“His nieces,” Rube said quickly, “His sister Jackie’s daughters.”

Jeanette gave her an odd look, but didn’t say anything.  Rube was sure she’d done the right thing.  Mum and Colwyn were practically siblings, right?  And “cousin” might have made them sound too far-removed.  They needed to make it clear that things were urgent.

The Finery family nodded.  “And who told you he’d been kidnapped?”

“He did,” said Rube.

The Finery family looked confused.  Rube wondered if they had phones in Opal Hill.  If not, the idea of someone talking to you while they were trapped somewhere else might be a hard one to swallow.

Sally cut in.  “There’s a horse’s head in…”

“It’s OK, Sally,” said Rube.  If they didn’t already know about Falada, it was best not to bring it up now.  “The point is, he has a way of getting in touch with us.”

“I see,” said the Finery family.

Rube wasn’t sure if they did see, but she decided to carry on anyway.  “Did Colwyn ask you questions about the Iridescence family?  And about a boy named Kai?”

This time, the Finery family smiled.  “Ah.  Kai Domino.  We’ll tell you what we told Colwyn- there’s absolutely no record of a boy with that name going missing.  I don’t know who Colwyn relies on for his information, but they steered him wrong this time.”

“We’ve met him!” Sally burst out, “They turned him into a moth!”

The Finery family edged back, as of they were worried that Sally was going to spit at them.  “A moth?”

“Yes!”

“Why would they do that?”

“I don’t know!  Ask them!”

The Finery family settled in their chair.  “And where is he now?  Kai the moth?”

“He went to Wallfruit Cove to get help for us,” said Rube.  She didn’t feel like getting into the whole story, but if it would get things moving…

“Ah.”  The Finery family smiled.  “Well, I’m afraid we can’t proceed on this without him.  We’d need to hear….”

“But they’re keeping Colwyn prisoner!” snapped Jeanette.

The Finery family sighed.  “The Iridescence family?”

“Yes!”

“And do you have any proof of that?”

“Colwyn told us!”

“From his prison?  In, what, the Iridescence family’s attic?”

“I don’t know!  Probably!”

The Finery family sighed again- a heavy, long-suffering sigh- and stood up.  They were around eight feet tall, although Til Finery had looked much shorter on her own.  “Look.  We’re going to take you to the Iridescence family’s house.  You are going to see that Colwyn’s not there.  And then do you promise to drop it so that we can actually find your uncle?”

Rube looked at her sisters.  What other option did they have?  “OK.  Yes.”

(To be continued)