These weren’t pets, or farm animals, or animals in a zoo, which always looked so dull and downcast and desperate. These were wild animals, and there was nothing between her and them—no fence, no glass, nothing. She could’ve reached out and touched them if she dared. It was almost like she was one of them.

As before, each animal held a single paper ticket in its mouth.

The cars were divided into old-fashioned train compartments, and one by one the animals settled into them. The foxes curled up neatly on the seats with their tails under their chins. The birds perched on the luggage racks and seat backs. The bigger animals had to sort of squash themselves in. Some of the very small, shy animals, like possums and rabbits, hid under the seats. Everybody kept well clear of a large, slow-moving porcupine.

A lot of cold air came in with them, and Kate shivered in her conductor’s blazer—should’ve gone back for the winter coat, but too late now. She waited till the train was moving again, then opened the door to the first compartment. It was occupied by a family of deer—a doe and a stag and a fawn—plus a somber, tattered-looking gray hawk. A crowd of mice huddled under the seat.

They all looked at her. Kate cleared her throat. She wished somebody had explained exactly what she was supposed to do and how to do it.

But what’s the worst that could happen? They had tickets. She was going to take them.

“Tickets, please,” Kate said.

The doe stretched her neck elegantly forward with all three of her family’s tickets in her mouth. They had deer tooth marks on them, and the words HOWLAND FOREST were printed on them. She fumbled with the hole-puncher before she figured out how to work it, then she punched the tickets and handed them back.

It was actually very satisfying. She guessed the train must be going to Howland Forest. Wherever that was. She hoped the Silver Arrow knew.

9

Porcupine vs. Bird: Fight!

THE NEXT COMPARTMENT HELD MORE BIRDS, TWO TURTLES and something long and slinky and furry that she supposed was probably a weasel or something. A gigantic black bear had the compartment after that all to itself. The next one held a fat black-striped badger—the one she’d met earlier—and a family of spotted skunks, which were small but looked like they were afraid of literally nothing in the universe. Also a whole row of sleepy bats.