They talked some more about the machines on the farm, and after she’d eaten, Craftsman Primrose gave her some notepaper to write to her parents as he settled to read the Medlock News. She wrote that she really was sorry for leaving without saying goodbye, but she had needed to see if she could take Francis’s place at the Guild, and Craftsman Primrose had agreed. She just couldn’t miss this opportunity, and she reassured them that she was quite safe. After she’d finished the note, she gave a quick glance to ensure he wasn’t watching, swiftly signed her note “Love from Prue”, then popped it in the envelope and sealed it. She sat back and watched the distant roving hills. Her eyes were heavy and with the smooth rush of the locomotive she was soon asleep.

She had no idea how long it had been when a gentle hand on her shoulder awoke her.

“Frances, look out of the window.”

She opened her bleary eyes and was amazed to see buildings merging together in the distance – a great thrum with smoke rising from chimneys, and piercing spires, domes and rooftops, one on top of another as far as the eye could see. She stared in wonder.

Soon, they were part of it. The chandelier clinked and the silver cutlery on the table clattered with the vibration as they swiftly decelerated and within moments came to a stop.

“Welcome to Medlock,” said Craftsman Primrose.

Chapter 4: Medlock

MEDLOCK

As Prue stepped from the Gigantrak into the enormous station, she looked in awe at the expansive glass vaulted ceilings. Hundreds of people busied along the platform, and as Craftsman Primrose stepped forwards, she hurried behind for fear of losing him. The marbled walls and floor led to grand steps and a wide, arched exit, above which hung a huge clock. It was late afternoon.

Tingles ran the length of Prue’s spine as they reached the top of the stairs and stepped into the heart of Medlock. Before them was a great square with buildings packing the perimeter: iron pipes trailed the walls like ivy, and amber lights pricked through the brickwork with figures busying behind. The peaks and points of the rooftops rose confidently into the sky, with great bridges crisscrossing between structures. Creation and invention were everywhere. She had never seen so many people in one place, but she suddenly realized there weren’t only people – there were many animals too: dogs, cats, several foxes, and two owls who seemed to be racing above the square.

She did a double take as her attention was drawn by a golden spaniel and a fluffy grey cat close by; their mouths were moving, almost in a human-like way – they were having a conversation! Could it be that they were personifates?

She looked at Craftsman Primrose. “Are they…?”

He nodded and smiled.