But what could she do, given that the door to the cold store was open
and the time-thieves could help themselves to fresh supplies of cigars whenever they wanted?
At that moment, Cassiopeia nudged her in the ribs. Momo looked down and saw a message on her shell.
SHUT THE DOOR, she read. ″I can't,″ she whispered back. ″I'd never move it.″
USE THE FLOWER, Cassiopeia replied. ″You mean I could move it if I touched it with the hour-lily?″ whispered Momo.
YES, AND YOU WILL, the tortoise spelled out. If Cassiopeia knew this in advance, it had to be true.
Momo carefully put the tortoise down. Then she took the hour-lily,
which was wilting by now and had lost most of its petals, and stowed it inside her jacket.
Going down on all fours, she sneaked unseen beneath the conference table and crawled to the far end.
By the time she was on a level with the time-thieves' six pairs of legs, her heart was pounding fit to burst.
Very, very gingerly, she took out the hour-lily and, gripping the stem between her teeth, crawled on.
Still unobserved by the men in gray, she reached the open door, touched it with the hour-lily and simultaneously gave it a push.
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