Fleeced Read Online Free PDF Page B

heat wrapped around her. Two hot air blowers were working in the corner. Carefully Amy hung the damp envelope across one of the racks. The sheet was still stuck inside. After dinner, it should be dry enough to read!
    In the Rec Hut , Amy poured herself a juice. On the wall , a local map had a cross with black lettering YOU ARE HER An E was missing.
    â€˜You are here,’ muttered Amy. Fumbling in her pocket, she matched the folded, creased map she’d found in the backpack pocket. She stared at the crosses. There was one on the bridge just out the front of this hut. Or was it the river?
    â€˜What are you doing?’
    At first, she hadn’t noticed Stan curled up on the sofa, looking at a bird book. Books and puzzles were piled on the shelf. The last book was about New Zealand birds. Someone must have been looking at it. The page was open to keas.
    â€˜Going to do some bird watching .’ Stan touched the binoculars slung around his neck.
    â€˜Oh yeah,’ Amy drank her juice. ‘Why would someone put crosses on a map?’
    â€˜To mark something, of course. Like on that wall. Swing bridges. Places of interest.’
    Amy wondered if No 108 had been a bird watcher. Could the crosses have been where special birds were seen? Or something else was found? Like gold nuggets?

    Dinner was a noisy affair. You could sit anywhere at the tables.
    â€˜Please, sit with us, if you wish.’
    The Japanese leader’s moustache was so spiky thin, you could see individual bristles, like a broom. He stood and bowed and Amy felt herself bowing back.
    So Amy sat with climbers from the Japanese chemical factory. They all belonged to the Mountaineering Club at their factory in Tokyo. They were very polite and wanted to practice their English. Each asked the same sort of questions.
    â€˜Where are you from?’
    â€˜Are you enjoying your holiday?’
    It was like answering a phrase book. Kyoto, a girl from Amy’s hut, was more interested in talking than eating. But Amy was hungry.
    Onion soup. Roast New Zealand lamb with pumpkin, cauliflower, potato and peas hiding under gravy. Thick apple pie with cream, ice-cream or both. Amy had a second helping. So did Stan.
    In-between courses, you dipped your plates and cutlery into a big basin of hot water, which steamed.
    â€˜Do you make special meals for people?’ Amy asked the cook whose white jacket covered black and white check pants. He was serving second helpings.
    â€˜Why, are you vegetarian?’
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜We serve the same meal every night. The staff have a different one of course. But if there are any vegetarians in the group, we make them non-meat meals.
    Their lunchtime sandwiches don’t have any meat. Usually the guide tells us, and we write the person’s name on their sandwich. Why, is there some food you don’t like?’
    â€˜No, the dinner was ace,’ said Amy. ‘Have you ever had a diabetic to cook for?’
    â€˜Yes. A few groups ago.’
    â€˜D’you remember the name?’
    The cook shook his head. ‘Never looked. Just a special plate. It’s all numbers for us.’
    â€˜Roast kea tomorrow night , ‘ joked Zoe pointing to a photograph on the wall.
    A browny bird with bluey green under feathers and a large beak peered back from the photo. The eyes seemed to follow Amy. Kyoto looked worried until Zoe assured her, ‘roast kea’ was a joke.
    â€˜Are keas that big?’ Christopher was surprised. ‘Mum had photos, but..’
    â€˜Almost. Clever thieves too. Wait until we get to Pompoloma Hut. Not safe to leave your boots outside.’
    â€˜They wear boots?’ Amy ‘d heard of the non flying kiwi but a bird in boots sounded fun.
    â€˜That was the bird on the kea watch,’ Christopher reminded her.’ Someone’s keen on collecting keas.’
    Later, in the Drying Room ,Amy couldn’t see the letter .It wasn’t on the drying rack. The