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HAVE ALL THE FUN IN THE WORLD! GOLD KINGY IS WAITING TO WELCOME YOU !
    Gold Kingy! thought Is. Aha! Then we are going to Blastburn! The north country must be Playland. But how are they a-going to get us there?
    Now her dazzled eyes, slowly adjusting to the brilliance of the light and the shifting, excited crowd of children round her, became aware of what lay alongside the crowd, and was the source of the deafening noise, topping the shrill voices of the expectant travellers.
    A train, like an immense red-and-gold snake, was drawn up along one side of the hall, stretching far away into the shadows at the distant end. Upon the train’s side were written in fiery letters the words PLAYLAND EXPRESS , over and over. Two gigantic engines, one at the front and one at the rear, emitted fierce whistles, jets of sizzling steam, and sulphurous smoke.
    Men in red jackets were already busy hushing the children, moving them forward, and marshalling them on board.
    ‘ Plen – ty of room for all – don’t shove – just move along this way – pass along the platform if you please. Don’t push, don’t shove, there’s plen – ty of seats for everybody. Easy does it! Gently does it!’
    Is hung back, watchfully. Loitering at the near end of the platform, she thought, once I’m aboard that train there won’t be no way of sending back a message about all this.
    She glanced behind her, but the entrance through which she had come was already closed. One of the red-coated men slammed a door, locked it, and put the key in his pocket.
    Is said to him urgently, ‘Mister! Listen! I was waiting for me brother. He ain’t come yet. Could you take back a message for him? To say I’ve gone on ahead?’
    He said, ‘Can’t be done, kid. It’d be as much as I’m worth. I won’t tell you a lie; I couldn’t do it. Your brother can come next month.’
    She stared at him, dismayed by the look on his face. He was pale and haggard, with black rings under his eyes. Like a picture of a monkey, Is thought. In his red jacket he looks jist like the toy monkeys Penny makes.
    ‘You’d best hop on the train now, missy,’ the man said hoarsely. ‘They’ll be ready to start in a minute.’
    Is made her way, not hurrying, towards the rear of the train, where the second great engine steamed and hissed and chuntered to itself. She was impressed by its size; she had never seen such a thing before. There were two drivers on it, she saw, standing by the footplate and talking; one of them was short, lame and one-eyed, the other tall and red-headed. They wore frock-jackets and black velveteen caps. One held something in his arms.
      

      
    There was a freight car next to the engine, just one. Wonder what they carry in it, Is thought. Men were dragging trolleys loaded with sacks across the platform, and hurling the sacks through the open doorway of the baggage van.
    As one of the trolleys rolled towards her, screeching and grinding over the stone-paved floor, Is was astonished to notice a small yellow cat come scampering in her direction, visibly panicked by all the noise and confusion. Narrowly avoiding the iron wheels of the trolley, it swerved towards her; instinctively, Is knelt and grabbed it, and it clung to her with all its claws, terror-stricken; she could feel its tiny heart pounding against her own. It was hardly more than a well-grown kitten, with soft, ginger-coloured fur, thick as lamb’s fleece.
    Thinking of Figgin, she hugged it reassuringly, then looked about her, wondering if it had an owner somewhere among the throng of children now piling on to the train. Their voices were all around her:
    ‘Mind your silly self, don’t shove so! – Coo-er, I can’t wait to get on board, can you? See what’s there! – D’you think they’ll give us dinner? Breakfast? I’m something hungry! – How long does it take to get there? – Mum, Mum, I don’t want to go, I want to go home, I want Mum! – Don’t be a stupid crybaby, you know Mum