Grunchgirdle’s World of Curiosities perched at the end of the rickety Little Pilchton pier, like a jackdaw on a branch. And that was where she had spent every waking moment of every long day for as long as she could remember. She would have read much more, but it was quite difficult to pop into the local library when you were covered in thick fur and worked as an exhibit in a seaside freak show. And by the age of five she had taught herself to read from scraps of newspaper and chalk billboards. She had learnt the mechanics of a range of locks, and was able to open almost anything with a couple of old hairpins she had scavenged on the pier. Her sense of smell was prodigious she could follow a trail like a bloodhound and read scents like the pages of a book. The hair and teeth were the first things people noticed, but they weren’t the most interesting. “Sheba the Wolfgirl” was what everyone called her then, and she hated it beyond all hatred.

But when she was frightened or angry or excited, her nose puckered into a snout, her eyes flashed, her skin bristled, and she had even been known to growl. Her hands were tipped with nails that looked more than a little like claws.

She had a pink, hairless nose - like a puppy - and small, sharp white teeth. Her eyes were a deep amber color in a certain light they even seemed to have an orange glow. She could even pass for normal in a crowd, if it wasn’t for her other peculiarities. Her face and body had a fine, fair coating that might be mistaken for tanned skin, from a distance. In fact, she was covered from head to foot. Everyone said she had a lovely head of hair. She always took great care of her locks, brushing and combing to keep them shining. Sheba gave a deep sigh and ran her ivory comb through her chestnut brown curls, taking out the tangles. She could almost feel the waves lapping around her toes and the sun on her face, almost taste the salt on her lips.īut such things were not meant for her, and dreaming about them only made it worse. Her mind drifted down to the sand and pebbles below. She could smell the tang of fresh seaweed. The sounds of the beach drifted in and she closed her eyes to hear them better.

Sheba gazed through her tiny window to the seaside view beyond. IN WHICH THE PECULIARS VISIT THE GREAT EXHIBITION. IN WHICH THE PECULIARS FIGHT FOR THEIR LIVES. IN WHICH SHEBA SAMPLES SOME UNPLEASANT HOSPITALITY. IN WHICH SHEBA SAMPLES THE SEEDIER SIDE OF LONDON. IN WHICH THE PECULIARS GET A FREE PUPPET SHOW. IN WHICH MONKEYBOY HAS A DISAGREEMENT WITH A GIANT OCTOPUS. IN WHICH ANOTHER MUDLARK IS ALMOST MUNCHED. IN WHICH WE DISCOVER GIGANTUS IS A SECRET PIGEON FANCIER. IN WHICH THE PECULIARS TRY SNIFFING BY THE RIVER (FOR CLUES, THAT IS). IN WHICH THE PECULIARS RECEIVE SOME PECULIAR VISITORS.

IN WHICH SHEBA SEES, HEARS, BUT MOST OF ALL SMELLS LONDON. IN WHICH WE MEET OUR HEROINE.AND A POLYCEPHALIC SHEEP.

Freaks by kieran larwood