Hope all is well and you’re having a great time, wherever you are right now. Dad says he thinks you’ll be on the train at the moment and probably have no reception, and I expect he’s right! Let us know you’re OK when you can – you’re probably having too much fun to be thinking about us!

I popped round to see Laura, and she’s recovering well but she’s a bit bored and obviously still so upset about missing the trip. She said she saw Greg, too. Still not sure what happened between you two – you seemed happy? I’m not trying to pry, just wondered what happened (your dad says I’ve to stop being so bloody nosey).

Rosie got a new job! Don’t know if she told you? So proud of you girls and the things you’re doing in your lives. Much more exciting than me and your dad, but we’re happy with our lot (although your dad is still trying to get me to go on a cruise for Christmas but I’ve told him I don’t want to leave you girls!)

Lots of love,

Mum and Dad xxx

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: news

Caz,

Dunno where you are. You’re just as shit at keeping in touch as always. ;)

Got a new job – basically same job, but another company. Better money, hopefully no knobheads. Mum probably told you already.

Rx

P.S. Can I borrow your green cocktail dress? Marcus has been invited to some swanky awards thing and I can’t find anything I like in Monsoon. Say yes, please. Mum will give me the key.

11

After another half an hour of the old truck battering across the lumpy ground, the nausea has miraculously passed. It has come to a point where we’ve got used to the vibrations, the jumping around, and it’s become normal. I suppose it’s like gaining your sea legs on a long voyage on a ship. I’m slightly concerned about how we’ll feel when the vehicle stops moving, but we’ll deal with that soon enough.

Thankfully, we’re brought back to normal terrain in stages, with the bumps lessening and then like a mirage in front of us, a dusty track and a couple of large yurts, at the foot of a sparsely grassed mountain.

‘Here we are!’ Sarnai claps her hands excitedly, then unclips her belt as Erden pulls into a low-walled area that seems to be a car park.

‘Where’s here?’ Rory asks. He yawns, stretches his arms above his head. ‘Is this the camp?’

‘No, no,’ Sarnai giggles. ‘We are in the Hustai National Park. This is the home of the takhi – the beautiful wild horses that were brought back from near extinction. We will stop for a short while here, and you can see the horses and you can learn about their history—’