The Butterfly in Amber Read Online Free PDF

children.’
    Luka lifted up the lantern. Its frail light wavered over a filthy, narrow building, with tiny horn windows and a door with planks roughly nailed over a hole at the bottom, as if it had once been kicked in. Lying in the doorway was a bundle of noisome rags. Then the pile of rags stirred, and mumbled.
    The children inched closer, their breath tight in their chest.
    It was an old woman. She looked about two hundred. Her skin was scrunched and spotted like old parchment, and two massive hairy moles sprouted from her chin and cheek. She half woke as the light shone in her face, and cracked open an eye like a toad’s, dark and protuberant between brown, leathery lids. She winced away and muttered something, showing rotten, diseased gums where only a few broken teeth remained. She wore three vivid skirts of different colours, and so Luka and Emilia knew at once she was a romni.

    â€˜Sar’sharn, Baba?’ Luka whispered the traditional Romany greeting.
    At once the old woman cracked open her eyes. ‘Si’n Rom?’
    â€˜Aye, we’re Rom. We’re looking for one of our kin. Baba Mala Graylings.’
    She stared at them suspiciously. ‘What for?’
    Emilia squatted down on the cobblestones. ‘Greetings to you, Baba Mala,’ she said softly. ‘We’re your kin, the grand-weans of Maggie Finch.’
    â€˜So?’ The old woman hunched down again.
    Luka had an idea. ‘Look, Baba Mala, I have a present for you.’ He found the bottle of elderflower wine, yanked free the cork and offered it to the old woman. Her face lit up, she seized the bottle and gulped down a few mouthfuls. She wiped her mouth with satisfaction, and said, rather indistinctly because of her lack of teeth, ‘What you want?’
    â€˜We want to ask you about your amber charm, the one with the butterfly in it.’
    The old woman spat. ‘Fancy took it.’
    â€˜Fancy? Your daughter?’
    â€˜Little snake.’
    â€˜Your daughter took your charm?’ Emilia asked. ‘Where is she now?’
    The old woman glanced at her sideways, then took another swig of the bottle. ‘Fancy gone.’
    â€˜Where has Fancy gone?’
    The old woman rocked back and forth, muttering. Her grey hair hung in rats’ tails, so thin they could see the bluish colour of the skin beneath.
    â€˜Baba’s in gaol,’ Luka said. ‘We want to try and get her out. We were hoping you and your daughter could help us. The Smiths heard one of your family married a lawyer. Was that your daughter Fancy?’
    â€˜Fancy thinks she’s too good for her poor oldma,’ the old woman said. ‘Stole my charm and my tarot cards, and ran off to marry a gorgio. Haven’t seen her in years.’
    â€˜Do you know the name of the gorgio ?’ Luka asked. ‘Is he really a lawyer?’
    â€˜What you want her for?’ the old woman said. ‘She’s no good, I’ve told you that.’
    â€˜We need the charm,’ Emilia said, at exactly the same moment that Luka said, ‘We need a lawyer.’
    They made a face at each other, then Luka went on, ‘I don’t want to spend the rest of our lives afraid of being caught and dragged back to gaol. It’d be better if we could find some way to get them out legally – or at least, with the appearance of being legal . . .’
    â€˜If you would tell us about your daughter?’ Emilia begged. ‘Did she really steal your charm? Why? What did she do with it? And did she really marry a lawyer?’
    Mala snorted. ‘Much good it did her. As muchgood as it’ll do you. He’s as blue-nosed as they come.’
    â€˜What is his name?’ Luka asked desperately.
    â€˜Pure something or other. Pure by name and pure by reputation, I’ve heard,’ Mala said. ‘Not that I’ve ever met him. Too good for the likes of me.’
    â€˜Not Henry Purefoyle,’ Hallelujah