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I’ll
make sure you never get the journals. I’ll burn them myself if I have to.’
    ‘Jeez,’ said Verity, blowing out her cheeks. ‘You do drive a hard bargain, don’t you? All right then, get me the journals. I’ll take you to Angel Town and give you
ten per cent of my fee, but then you’re on your own, understood?’
    ‘Fifty per cent,’ said India, giving her a hard look.
    ‘Twenty, and that’s my final offer. Otherwise you can stay here and become Mrs Clench, for all I care.’
    India nodded and they shook hands solemnly.
    Back inside the house, Roshanne and Clench stood behind the kitchen table looking like frightened animals. India looked into Bella’s wide, unblinking eyes and tried to give her a
reassuring smile.
    ‘I’ll get the journals,’ said India. She moved towards the stairs but Clench grabbed her.
    ‘Now, wait just a minute,’ he said, looking at Verity. ‘Mrs Bentley is the proper owner of those journals and they’re staying here until I can negotiate a fair price for
them on behalf of the family. As for my fiancée –’ he took a tighter grip on India’s arm – ‘she will learn to do as she’s told.’
    India twisted frantically in Clench’s grip. ‘Get off me, you pig!’ she shouted. ‘I’m not staying here! You don’t own me and I am NOT your
fiancée!’
    ‘Damn it, India,’ he said. ‘If I’m going to be your husband you need to understand what obedience means.’
    He struck her hard across the face. The slap made a noise like a pistol shot and everyone froze in shock. Bella turned deathly pale and even Clench seemed taken aback by his own action. India
stared at Clench in disbelief and touched her red-hot cheek. Then a rage took hold of her. She flew at Clench and raked his face with her nails. He struggled to control the spitting, screaming girl
and raised his hand to strike her again. But she was too quick for him. In an instant the shock stick was in her hand and she jabbed him with it hard between his eyes.
    There was a sound like a piece of dry timber being snapped in half and the smell of electrical burning filled the room. Clench’s body flew backwards with a violent spasm. He crashed across
the table and lay spreadeagled on the floor, twitching and jerking, a string of snot running from his nose. There was silence, save for the crackling of the shock stick.
    ‘Stay here,’ said India to Verity. ‘Don’t you
dare
move.’
    Upstairs, she collected her father’s satchel and stuffed it with the things she thought she might need in Siberia. Clean clothes, bottled water, her father’s hunting knife. Then she
went to her father’s bookcase, which held twenty identical black journals, one for each year he had worked in Siberia. She pulled out the last two and put them into the bag before dashing
downstairs, pulling on her thick, waxy jacket as she went.
    Clench was still on the floor, groaning. India stepped over him and went to Bella, who sat hugging her knees in an armchair.
    ‘Are you leaving?’ said Bella in a small, frightened voice.
    India nodded. ‘I’m sorry, Bella, but I have to.’ She looked at Clench. ‘You understand why, don’t you?’ Bella nodded dumbly. ‘I’m going to find
Dad, Bella. I’m going to find him and bring him back – then we’ll be a family again. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?’
    ‘Can I come with you?’ said Bella in a whisper.
    ‘I’m sorry, it’s too dangerous,’ said India, trying desperately not to cry in front of her sister. A thought struck her and she pulled out her pendant from beneath her
shirt. ‘Here, do you have your pendant? The one Dad made you?’
    ‘In my room,’ said Bella.
    ‘I want you to do something for me. Every night when you look at the stars, I want you to hold your pendant and think of me and I’ll do the same. Every night until I get back with
Dad – can you do that?’
    Bella nodded miserably. India hugged her little sister and then turned away so that Bella