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"Hello," said Questrid. "Here's your sled."

"It's beautiful!" said Copper, gazing at it. It was an old-fashioned design, with curved runners trimmed with a silver
metal. There were leather reins attached to the front that swiveled from side to side, and the seat was padded with fur.

"Who made it?"

"I don't know," said Questrid, "but I'm sure it was a Beech. My sled is the same. They're both really fast and well balanced. You'll love riding them."

They pulled the sleds across the yard and headed up the hill.

"Did you find out anything new yesterday?" Questrid asked Copper.

"I told you everything," Copper said. It was easier to talk to Questrid than anyone else. "And now all I can think about is going to look for my mother and father. I wrote to Aunt Ruby this morning, a long letter telling her everything too. I do miss her."

Copper had given the letter to Oriole, who promised to send it on.

"Of course you must miss her. . . . Can you manage that sled? Come on. We'll go up to those pine trees,
there,"
said Questrid, pointing up the steep hill. "Then we can zoom down and whiz straight into the courtyard—right through the arch—without stopping. It's fantastic!"

At last they reached the trees, and dusting the snow off a fallen log, they sat down, panting heavily.

"Now, take a look at that," said Questrid, spreading out his arms at the scene in front of them.

They could see for miles.

Below, Spindle House was dark against the snow. The red
roofs balanced like pointed hats on its branches were the only specks of color. Smoke, trailing out of a chimney at the back, lay draped over the wall like a wet scarf. It was like looking at a toy house, and there was Silver in the yard, a tiny toy dog.

It was very quiet and still. The only sound was the wind gently teasing the pine trees and occasionally the softest
plop
as snow dropped from their branches.

Then Copper heard something else.

Behind the normal earthy noises was a creeping noise, a slithering and sneaky noise. Something or someone was creeping up on her . . . again! But this time the hairs on the back of Copper's neck prickled and she felt really scared. This was different. This was
menacing.

Her fingers tightened their grip on the fallen tree beneath her.

Copper looked at Questrid. Yes, he'd heard it too. His eyes were as round as saucers. They stared at each other, straining to hear the tiny unnatural sounds: soft slithering of snow, bodies brushing against trees, squelching, crunching snow beneath feet.

Whatever it was, it was getting closer and closer. . ..

Suddenly: "Yahoo! Yahoo! There she is!" a voice called, and six small men stormed out from the cover of the trees and came running straight at them, whirling long pointed swords above their heads and yelling.

"Rockers!"
cried Questrid, leaping up. "Quick! Get on your sled!"

Rockers? "Two of them were at the station!" cried Copper.

"Come on!" yelled Questrid, ignoring her. He yanked the sleds round, but his foot caught in the reins and he tripped and fell, sending the two sleds across each other, runners jammed and stuck together.

Copper screamed.

The men were coming at them like a flock of angry crows. They were nearly on top of them. She could hear the whir of their swords through the air, see their shining black eyes locked onto her.

Questrid hauled himself up and the two of them pulled at the sleds, tugging them apart. Then suddenly hers was free, and she spun it round to point downhill.

"Hurry, hurry. Get on!" cried Questrid.

Copper threw herself onto the sled just as a man with a black woolly hat and a straggly black beard reached them, grabbing at her, snatching at her clothes.

"GO! GO!" screamed Questrid. He gave the sled a massive push and heaved his shoulder against her.

The sled went.

It shot off with a whoosh like a rocket, swerved as Copper yanked it straight, then went racing, straight as an arrow down toward Spindle House.

Behind her, there were shouts and cries of anger, but Copper didn't dare look back. Was Questrid all right? If she turned she knew she'd fall off. She was too scared to do anything except hold on. What if they were right behind her, reaching and grabbing at her collar?

Hunched down, she urged the sled on faster and faster, and soon there was only the sharp sound of its runners cutting through the icy snow and the cold wind singing in her ears.

Seconds later, the sled slid under the archway and into the courtyard, just like Questrid said it would.

Home.

Copper glided to a standstill and slipped onto the ground. Silver bounded over to her, licking her face, pushing her wet nose against Copper's cold cheek.

Copper wrapped her arms round the dog. "I'm all right."

Before Copper could even scramble to her feet, she saw Questrid's sled heading down the hill, and a second later it came zooming into the courtyard like a bullet.

"Look out!" cried Questrid, swerving round Silver and Copper. "Watch it!" He tumbled off, landing upside down in a pile of snow. "Phew!" he said, dusting himself off. He was grinning from ear to ear. "That was fun, wasn't it?"

"Fun?" cried Copper. "It was scary, more like. They were trying to get me, or didn't you notice?"

"I know, I know," said Questrid. "Sorry. I suppose I'm used to Rockers. Are you all right? Don't look so worried, you're safe now. Come on, I'll take you in and Oriole will look after you."

Copper was trembling as Oriole and Questrid settled her into a chair by the stove.

"It was the way they pointed at me," said Copper. "The way they glared so fiercely at me."

Copper picked up her needles and started:
click, clack, click.

"Just like old times," whispered Ralick.

"Those Rockers! What a
nerve,"
said Oriole. "They're getting more and more daring. It's Granite, playing at king up there, making them do this."

"She's right about them being after her," said Questrid, sitting down by the fire. "They yelled, 'It's her!' and ran for her like she was important or something."

Copper went on knitting.

"But why me?" she said. Knit one, pearl one, knit one, pearl one: her knitting needles skipped along. "Why me?"

Robin didn't make any comment. Copper had noticed that when she'd finished telling them what had happened, he had quickly scribbled something on a scrap of paper, picked up a blackbird and went outside with it.

He was sending a message, but to whom?

"Yes, why do the Rockers want Copper?" said Questrid.

"I'd never have let you go sledding if I'd thought they'd attack you like that," said Oriole. "I thought you'd be safe with us around, but you're not. No more than you were with your aunt Ruby. But you're all right now."

"Oh, yes," said Copper. "I feel very safe here. They'd never try to get me in here, would they? And I've been thinking about all the things that Uncle Greenwood told me yesterday, about my mother, because I'm sure she's still there, up at the Rock. I'm sure she's not dead."

"Oh, Copper," said Oriole. "Don't get your hopes up, please don't."

"You need to see the place to understand," said Robin,
coming back in at that moment. "It's impossible to get in. Solid rock. They tried, I know they did."

"So you don't think she's in there?"

"No," said Oriole, putting her arm round her. "I'm sorry to say that I don't. I think if she were still there, Granite wouldn't still be fighting us. He'd have given up and settled down with his precious treasure because he would have gotten what he wanted, which was
her.
No, dear, I'm afraid she must be dead or have run away."

"But you don't
know?"

"No, not absolutely for certain."

Copper went back to her knitting.

They don't know for certain. Well, I shall find out for certain, and if she is alive in there ... I shall find her.

13. Looking For The Room At The Top Of The House

Silver was missing.

"It's not like her at all," Oriole fretted the next morning. "She had her dinner last night as usual and she went out to the stables as usual, but now there's no sign of her. What if she's gone and had her pups somewhere? Or she's hurt?"

"We'll go and search for her later," said Robin. "We've got to go to the station to pick up some provisions this morning," he told Copper. "You and Questrid mustn't leave the house," he added. "It isn't safe after what the Rockers tried yesterday."

"Silver should be on guard," said Oriole worriedly. "Uncle Greenwood's in the Root Room, but he's working on something intricate and I don't think he'd notice if the place exploded."

"We won't be long," said Robin. "Don't worry."

When they had gone, Copper sat at the big kitchen table and wrote to Aunt Ruby again.

Dear Aunt Ruby,

Did you send me away because of the Rockers trying to get me? Well, they tried to catch me here too, but don't worry, I am too fast. Of course I forgive you for everything, but I haven't found anything to forgive you for yet. I wish I knew how you found me. Did you rescue me from Granite? Did you know my parents? Are you really one of those people, those Stone people? I still love you even if you are, because Uncle Greenwood told me that my mother was one so they must be all right. Robin is sending this with one of his birds. Do write back. I miss you and think about you often.

Lots of love, Copper

P.S. I have not met anyone called Linden.

Then, because she hadn't much else to do, she began thinking about the mysterious person she was sure lived at the top of the house, and by the time Questrid came in to get something to eat, she had hatched a plan.

"Questrid, I want you to help me. I think there's someone else living here, secretly."

Questrid looked
puzzled.

"Oh,
Questrid, haven't you
ever
thought there might be? Think! Who lives up in that tiny room at the top of the tree? Who does Oriole send food up to in the dumbwaiter?"

"I don't know."

"You're very nice but you have no imagination, Questrid. Yesterday, after the Rockers attacked, I'm sure Robin told someone about it. But who?"

"I don't know," said Questrid, helping himself to a slice of cake and sitting down by the fire. "But if Oriole and Robin wanted us to know, they'd tell us."

"Really, Questrid, aren't you interested? Here's a mystery and we need to solve it."

"Do we?"

"Yes. I want us to go up there. Now."

Questrid choked and spat out some crumbs.

"But. .."

"Come on."

The house was strangely quiet. Even the floorboards were not squeaking and creaking in their normal friendly way today. Copper fancied it was because they were cross with her for spying.

"But I have to," she told them.

"Have to what?" said Questrid. "Or are you talking to Ralick again?"

Copper laughed. "To the stairs, actually."

They crept up the spiral staircase very slowly and onto the circular landing where three long windows, set between the three corridors, let in the sunlight. There was a big chest, a chair and a cupboard.

"Now where?" asked Questrid. "I never come upstairs."

"It can only be up," said Copper, "so we need to find another staircase."

They tiptoed along the first narrow corridor.

"But this is just one of the branches," said Questrid. "It can't go anywhere."

He was right. It got smaller and smaller toward the end, until it was nothing at all. There were two doors on one side, but when they opened them cautiously, there were only empty rooms. They went back to the landing.

"That way is my bedroom," said Copper, "and there's a tiny bathroom, that's all. Let's try the third corridor."

"There can't be stairs there either," said Questrid.

Again he was right. There were just three tiny bedrooms and another bathroom along the third corridor.