Page 167 - Mobile Magic

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Saffron didn’t have time to ride that afternoon. After school, she and her brother were going to work on a poster design for Wednesday’s demo. Before I do that, I'll run down to Green Mountain and check whether every thing's O.K., she decided. Even though Magic's on a diet, I could still give her a couple of carrots.
As she jogged up the road, Saffron noticed a new structure near the front gate of the paddock. It looked like a huge billboard, but until she reached the entrance she could only see its back. She was panting hard after her run. As she took in the full horror of the sign, she sank to the ground in front of it.
Through eyes blurred by sweat and tears she read the lies and hype describing the "exciting new development" called Green-Vale Estate. There was an artist's impression of how the new estate would look, with paintings of flash looking houses on the foothills of Green Mountain. There in the picture, in pride of place on Rocky Knoll, was the most hideously kitsch, shopping mall anyone could imagine.
'It's happening,' said Saffron out loud to herself. 'All my worst nightmares have come true.' She tore her eyes away from the monstrosity and looked across into Magic's paddock.
Now she understood why she had seen so many tyre-tracks. A large party of surveyors was at work in the paddock. There were five separate vehicles loaded with equipment and a lot of people in fluoro-vests. Some had tapes and rods, others had more complex instruments.