25 Philip’s astonishing plan
　　The old couple looked panic-stricken when four of the statues apparently¹ talked and came alive.
　　But when the children took off their borrowed draperies and carefully gave them back to the rightstatues again, the old couple saw who they were.
　　Elsa came running to Lucy-Ann and hugged her. The old man stood trembling.
　　‘What did he say to you?’ demanded Jack².
　　‘He said he was going to make us prisoners here, and that he was bringing others back with himto remove all our treasure,’ said the old man. Tears suddenly poured down his cheeks. ‘He is a badman. Have I guarded these beautiful things all this time to let them fall into the hands of a man sobad?’
　　‘It’s sickening,’ said Jack. ‘We simply can’t do a thing! We shall just have to stand by andwatch those rogues³ take away everything, pack them into crates⁴ and fly off with them!’
　　‘Let’s go out to that sunny ledge⁶,’ said Dinah. ‘I can’t bear this gloom any more. I shall feelbetter when we are out there. Let’s ask the old man if his wife would bring a picnic meal out there,Jack. You and Philip can help her to bring it. I can’t think properly down here in the dark, with allthose statues trying to listen.’
　　‘All right,’ said Jack, seeing that Dinah was on the point of tears. ‘You go off with Lucy-Annand Kiki. We’ll soon come. You’ll feel better in the sunshine.’
　　‘Wasn’t Kiki clever to lead the man away from us?’ said Lucy-Ann. ‘He was scared when shesuddenly spoke⁷ to him. So should I have been! I should have thought it was one of the statuesspeaking.’
　　She and Dinah made their way to the sunny ledge. Dinah threw herself down there thankfully.
　　‘I don’t like this adventure any more, Dinah, do you?’ asked Lucy-Ann. ‘It’s not so bad ifthere’s something we can do – but we seem to be helpless here.’

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