Of course the whole plan did rely somewhat on the agreement of Sharshua Dragonsong allowing her precious Life Whorl device to be used for something as seemingly trivial as a day trip.

Life Whorls were gadgets that enabled Tinkers to travel from place to place with some ease as they made pilgrimages to various shrines scattered across Winkel World, fixing things along the way, as was their calling. It also gave them a chance to catch up on all the latest juicy gossip.

The twins ensured there were no issues regarding their determined and secret plan to give Sunshine Allouette her sand-filled vacation as reward for bravery in the Drowning Games of happy memory, by implementing the Tickle Argument.

"Of course, this will be a worthy use of the Tinker's gift," Sharshua eventually gasped in agreement once she got her breath back, tears had been wiped from her eyes and cramped muscles subsided enough for her to regain normal bodily function. "I shall familiarise myself with a map of the land so we may arrive at the right place."

"The right place being," Divvy said.

"There!" Fizzy concluded, jabbing a finger at the tablet screen where a view of Greetiyah showed an excessive quantity of yellow colour.

"But that's-"

"Just our starting point," the twins interrupted the protest. "Lots of time to visit all the lesser places along the way afterwards."

The girls had agreed to pack light as for all its remoteness Sunshine assured everyone the main settlements of Mugdor and Palmistra did have shopping malls and eateries with such savoury names as Spice Entice and Rumble Belly, swimming pools with shallow ends and even shallower ends that sometimes evaporated completely and there was even an occasional stream that appeared certain times of the year if the wind was right.

"Kind of strange we're not hopping onto a flitter and braving the storm barriers," Bubbles said, begrudging the lost thrills of flying while surveying the expectant circle of girls upon the roof of Miss Plazenby's school. They had chosen this spot to embark from so that their hand luggage could be spread out and counted. Sharshua also talked about clearance and curvature and nodes being more readily aligned in a high open space so the underground boiler room was not an option. The twins had seemingly accrued extra luggage as they piled some bags on top of a box which they guarded with suspicious concern.

"Weinam," Sharshua said in the early morning silence, watched over by a small but growing flock of Wobbly Pigeons curious at the roof top gathering and whether the girls might have snacks to offer. "You know my wish. Convey friends and convey belongings, life animate and things inanimate, safely and well," she intoned.

"Coo," said a pigeon as the group and their luggage flashed into nothingness only to flash into somethingness two thousand miles away in hot and dusty Greetiyah.

Indeed it was very hot and incredibly dusty.

"By an amazing chance we appear to have ended up in Ragadoon," Divvy declared extravagantly as everyone looked around at a barren landscape rather than a busy mart full of Greetiyalah as expected.

"How do you know this is Ragadoon?" Sunshine said, squinting with suspicion. "You've never been here before."

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"Cloudless sky. Sand in every direction except over there," Fizzy explained quickly, noticing a rocky outcrop not far from where the odd assemblage of schoolgirls had suddenly appeared. "Is that not how you have described this land of mystery, remoteness and rodent worshipping?"

"Don't recall any of that."

A track of sorts seemed to lead to the rocks that shimmered in the heat haze. Bubbles volunteered to give it a quick look and returned after a brief delay.

"There's a painted sign wedged among the rocks," she said, "welcoming all visitors to Ragadoon, the land where it never rains. Please mind the bones."

"See?" the twins smirked.

"What bones?" Sharshua asked, alive with curiosity for relics.

The girls picked up their luggage and followed Bubbles to where a series of rocky towers jutted up out of the hot sand, providing welcome shade. The sign had been painted on a large white bone and beyond in a shallow depression there were literally hundreds of skeletal remains, both large and small.

"These are not fossils, but creatures recently dead," Sharshua said after a cursory examination.

"Anyone we know?" Fizzy asked, selecting a rib that she realised would make a great sword. Soon the twins were fighting in a dramatically staged way, leaping from boulder to boulder, stabbing and slashing and dying theatrically.

"I think," Sunshine pointed out in exasperation, "there was mention of minding the bones. That means respecting them."

"Quite right," Bubbles nodded. "Hey, look at this one," and she hauled up a large shoulder bone that obviously belonged to some great beast that had wandered into this graveyard years ago.

"A noble creature once," Princess Rapture opined.

Bubbles was not listening but had raced out to the nearest high dune and plonked the heavy blade upon its uppermost peak. Jumping on it, she leaned towards a steep slope and disappeared over the edge with a loud whoop of delight. In moments she was back again and skimming in a graceful arc down another slope.

"Dune surfing!" the twins cheered, dropping their rib swords and seeking other shoulder blades to join in.

The other three remained in the shade of the rocks, a little way away from the graveyard, watching the antics of the more crazy members of their dorm, while arranging their hand luggage.

"There are no human bones," Sharshua said as she replaced the discarded ribs the twins had been using earlier. "This seems a refuge for animals. Perhaps creatures lost their way in the desert and sought shelter here from the hot sun."

"No water." Sunshine continued the story. "So they died here. How sad."

"And now it is our turn," Princess Rapture pointed out cheerily.

"It does appear from the rock formations and erosion this may once have been a well that has since dried up. Species memory might have drawn creatures here over the centuries too late to partake of its bounty. I brought fizzy drinks," Sharshua said and handed some cherry flavoured Destiny Springs water, a favourite beverage among the girls.

"What is in that box over there?" and Sunshine, pausing in gulping down the refreshing drink, indicated a small dark case with holes in it. "I'm sure I heard a noise from it."

"The twins brought it," Sharshua explained. "They said it was very important," blushing at the remembrance of various discussions they had before travelling.

Covered in dusty sand and panting with the exertion of their surfing session the three other girls sought shelter and refreshment eagerly after a short while.

"The Greetiyah sun beats all for intensity," Bubbles admitted, glad of a drink. The twins went over to check on the luggage as she spoke and this prompted a query from Sunshine.

"Your case has been pining for attention I think," she said with an insinuating lilt to her voice.

In an instant the two girls were on their knees and fussing over the case. It was carefully opened and a small furry creature was gently lifted out. As one Fizzy and Divvy brought the animal forward and placed him upon a rock slab before the other girls, a saucer of water being provided also, which he proceeded to suck upon eagerly.

"Who is this?" Princess Rapture asked with a delighted smile, admiring the silky reddish fur and bright, interested eyes of the little creature.

"This is none other than the Sacred Hamster of Ragadoon," the twins declared, making obeisance to the oblivious rodent as he continued supping upon his repast.

"We call him Hamlit," Fizzy added as an afterthought.