Starcross (39 page)
Authors: Philip Reeve
28
Like a blunderbuss but much, much LOUDER.
29
It seems that she had found a way to keep Starcross
hovering
in the Fourth Dimension, so that while less than a day had passed in the world outside, more than a week had gone by in Starcross, giving her plenty of time to tinker.
30
Oh, the cheek of it! Naturally, I reprint this ugly slur against our island race only so that you can see what a very nasty piece of work Delphine was.
31
Poor Myrtle could do nothing else for fear that Delphine would harm Jack, and she had spent so long with the Moob upon her head that she looked quite pale when she arrived at Starcross. As for the Moob, it had grown somewhat Prim, and had taken to flinching whenever the Threls used colourful language.
32
I discovered later that Messrs Gargany and Stringg also publish a wall chart called
101 Terms of Abuse Which May Properly Be Hurled at Young Ladies
. How I wish that I had had a copy about me!
33
You would imagine that Myrtle would think it unladylike to be forever kicking, punching and boxing the ears of a mere innocent child, e.g. me. But she says that being beastly to one’s younger brother is a genteel sport in which ladies are quite able to participate, like grouse-shooting, or riding to hounds.
‘Remarkable … Out of this world.’
SUNDAY TIMES
‘I hope this series never ends.’
LITERARY REVIEW
‘The pleasure is in the detail – the breadth of invention is staggering – and the fluent writing.’
TELEGRAPH
‘Reeve’s mechanical fantasy world is every bit as enthralling as in his
Mortal Engines
, and Wyatt’s illustrations add to the fascination.’
INDEPENDENT
‘Satisfying, enjoyable and engaging. Mr Reeve has done it again.’
MR PHILIP ARDAGH,
GUARDIAN
‘
Larklight
is a glorious space adventure set in 1851. Forget what history tells you, and enjoy this laugh-out-loud, old-style page-turner which is coupled with David Wyatt’s fantastic illustrations.’
FUNDAY TIMES
‘It’s hard to pin down Philip Reeve’s prodigious imagination in just a few words. It’s Monty Python meets Dan Dare meets
Diary of a Nobody
, and it rattles along, cheekily tangling historical figures in Reeve’s brilliant fictional web.’
SUNDAY HERALD
‘It keeps you gripped all the way through.’
SUNDAY EXPRESS
‘Inspired space adventure.’
SUNDAY TIMES
‘Elegantly constructed, a frothy confection of fanciful imagery and fantastical footnotes.’
GUARDIAN
‘
Larklight
is completely engrossing, miss-your-tube-station excellent. The first in a new series by the writer of the popular
Mortal Engines
quartet, it is a brilliantly witty quest set in outer space that will get children turning pages at the speed of light.’
TELEGRAPH
‘Any fan of fantasy or science fiction will love it.’
MR CHARLIE HIGSON,
MAIL ON SUNDAY
‘Truly original.’
PUBLISHING NEWS
‘The rollicking, devil-may-care attitude of the book is an absolute delight. This book will provide enjoyment for all ages, and I long for more from Reeve’s pen.’
LITERARY REVIEW
Bloomsbury Publishing, London, Berlin, New York and Sydney
First published in Great Britain in October 2007 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
36 Soho Square, London, W1D 3QY
Electronic edition published in October 2011
First published in the USA in November 2007 by Bloomsbury Books for Young Readers
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
Text copyright © Philip Reeve 2007
Illustrations copyright © David Wyatt 2007
The moral rights of the author and illustrator have been asserted
All rights reserved. You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978 1 5999 0875 5 (ebook)
Table of Contents
Chapter One: In Which We Deplore the Din of Decorators and Receive a Most Intriguing Invitation.
Chapter Three: We Arrive at the Grand Hotel and Are Made Welcome by Its Mysterious Proprietor.
Chapter Four: In Which I Have a Curious Encounter, and a Light Breakfast.
Chapter Seven: In Which the Mystery Deepens Yet Further!
Chapter Eight: In Which the Narrative Is Continued by Another Hand.
Chapter Nine: In Which Various Horrors Beset Myrtle in the Depths of Time, and Who Can Blame Them?
Chapter Thirteen: In Which Mother Decides.
Chapter Fourteen: The Battle of the Boiler Room.
Chapter Seventeen: In Which We Learn the History of a Moob.
Chapter Nineteen: In Which Battle Is Joined and Daring Rescues Attempted!
Chapter Twenty-One: We Arrive in the Depths of Futurity and Find Them Chilly and a Trifle Dark.
