Chapter Eight (part b)

Jamie heard it too. The something was in the bushes on the other side of the stream and it was creeping slowly towards them. Whatever it was, it soon realized they were watching it. It stopped and the bushes were still again.

"I think we're being followed, " whispered Jamie.

"Maybe it's the dwarves!" Jennifer whispered back.

"Do you think it is?"

"I don't know, and I don't want to know either!"

They turned and walked quickly away along the path. As they did they heard sounds in the bushes again. They were both just deciding to walk even faster when they were suddenly brought up short by the sound of breaking wood.

There was a sharp Craaaaack, followed by a soft Splash!

"Holy!" said Jamie. "What was that?"

"I don't know!" said Jennifer. "But whatever it was it just fell in the stream. Come on, let's get out of here!"

She started to run down the path. Jamie did too. After a while they stopped to catch their breath.

"Did we lose it?" asked Jamie.

"I don't think so," said Jennifer. "Listen."

Jamie listened. They were still being followed. "Let's ask the pendulum what to do," he said.

Jennifer took out the pendulum. "Should we keep running down the path?" she asked.

The pendulum shook itself no.

"Do we go this way?" she said, pointing off to the left.

"That way?" asked Jamie, pointing off to the right.

The pendulum continued to say no. Jennifer frowned. It was hard to know which way to go.

"There's still one way that we haven't asked it yet," said Jamie. "Back down the path, the way we came."

The pendulum suddenly started swinging yes.

"Oh no!" said Jennifer. 'We can't go that way!"

But Jamie was already hurrying back up the path. Jennifer reluctantly followed. They went back around a bend, then they stopped and listened. At first it was quiet, but then they heard a faint rustling nearby. Jennifer got worried. She was sure it was the dwarves again and she turned to run away up the path. But Jamie just stared intently into the bushes.

"Hey Jenny, look!" he shouted. "It's not the dwarves at all! It's my sister!"

Jennifer turned and looked. It was Rachael all right.

"You were spying on us!" Jennifer accused her angrily.

"Well, what if I was, is that a crime?" said Rachael. "If you had nothing to hide then you wouldn't care!"

"We don't care!" said Jennifer. "Come on Jamie, there's no sense wasting our time around here."