Noughts & Crosses

The Noughts & Crosses sequence

NOUGHTS & CROSSES

KNIFE EDGE

CHECKMATE

DOUBLE CROSS

A.N.T.I.D.O.T.E.

DANGEROUS REALITY

DEAD GORGEOUS

HACKER

PIG-HEART BOY

THE DEADLY DARE MYSTERIES

THE STUFF OF NIGHTMARES

THIEF!

UNHEARD VOICES

(An anthology of short stories and poems,
collected by Malorie Blackman)

For junior readers, published by Corgi Yearling Books:

CLOUD BUSTING

OPERATION GADGETMAN!

WHIZZIWIG and WHIZZIWIG RETURNS

For beginner readers, published by Corgi Pups/Young Corgi Books:

JACK SWEETTOOTH

SNOW DOG

SPACE RACE

THE MONSTER CRISP-GUZZLER

Audio editions available on CDs

NOUGHTS & CROSSES

KNIFE EDGE

CHECKMATE

DOUBLE CROSS

Www.malorieblackman.co.uk

Praise for the Noughts & Crosses sequence:

Noughts & Crosses

‘Packs some powerful political punches to which readers will undoubtedly respond. But Blackman never compromises the story, which is dramatic, moving and brave’ Guardian

‘A book which will linger in the mind long after it has been read and which will challenge children to think again and again about the clichés and stereotypes with which they are presented’ Observer

Knife Edge

‘Devastatingly powerful’ Guardian

‘A powerful story of race and prejudice’ Sunday Times

Checkmate

‘Another emotional hard-hitter . . . bluntly told and ingeniously constructed’ Sunday Times

‘Blackman is a terrific thriller writer, driving her plots forward with skill and tenacity’ Evening Standard

Double Cross

‘The latest book in Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses series, and potentially the best one yet’ Independent

‘Blackman “gets” people . . . she “gets” humanity as a whole, too. Most of all, she writes a stonking good story’ Guardian

MALORIE BLACKMAN

Noughts & Crosses

Special new edition including An Eye for An Eye

This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

Version 1.0

Epub ISBN 9781407047966

www.randomhouse.co.uk

NOUGHTS & CROSSES including An Eye for An Eye
A CORGI BOOK 978 0 552 55570 8

First published in Great Britain by Corgi Books,
an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, 2006
A RANDOM HOUSE GROUP COMPANY

NOUGHTS & CROSSES
First publication in Great Britain by Doubleday, 2001
Corgi edition published 2002
Copyright © Oneta Malorie Blackman, 2001

AN EYE FOR AN EYE
First published in Great Britain by Corgi Books specially for World Book Day 2003
Copyright © Oneta Malorie Blackman, 2003

Copyright © Oneta Malorie Blackman, 2006

The right of Malorie Blackman to be identified as the Author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Addresses for companies within The Random House Group Limited can be found at: www.randomhouse.co.uk/offices.htm

THE RANDOM HOUSE GROUP Limited Reg. No. 954009
www.kidsatrandomhouse.co.uk

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Contents

Cover

About the Book

About the Author

By Malorie Blackman

Praise

Noughts & Crosses

Copyright

Dedication

Author’s Note

Prologue

Three Years Later . . .

one. Sephy

two. Callum

three. Sephy

four. Callum

five. Sephy

six. Callum

seven. Sephy

eight. Callum

nine. Sephy

ten. Callum

eleven. Sephy

twelve. Callum

thirteen. Sephy

fourteen. Callum

fifteen. Sephy

The Turning

sixteen. Callum

seventeen. Sephy

eighteen. Callum

nineteen. Sephy

twenty. Callum

The Picnic

twenty-one. Sephy

twenty-two. Callum

twenty-three. Sephy

twenty-four. Callum

Breakdown

twenty-five. Sephy

twenty-six. Callum

twenty-seven. Sephy

twenty-eight. Callum

twenty-nine. Sephy

thirty. Callum

thirty-one. Sephy

thirty-two. Callum

thirty-three. Sephy

thirty-four. Callum

thirty-five. Sephy

thirty-six. Callum

thirty-seven. Sephy

thirty-eight. Callum

thirty-nine. Sephy

forty. Callum

forty-one. Sephy

forty-two. Callum

The Split

forty-three. Sephy

forty-four. Callum

forty-five. Sephy

forty-six. Callum

forty-seven. Sephy

forty-eight. Callum

forty-nine. Sephy

fifty. Callum

fifty-one. Sephy

fifty-two. Callum

fifty-three. Sephy

fifty-four. Callum

fifty-five. Sephy

fifty-six. Callum

fifty-seven. Sephy

fifty-eight. Callum

fifty-nine. Sephy

sixty. Callum

sixty-one. Sephy

sixty-two. Callum

sixty-three. Sephy

sixty-four. Callum

The Trial . . .

sixty-five. Sephy

sixty-six. Callum

sixty-seven. Sephy

sixty-eight. Callum

sixty-nine. Sephy

seventy. Callum

seventy-one. Sephy

seventy-two. Callum

seventy-three. Sephy

seventy-four. Callum

The Way It Is . . .

seventy-five. Sephy

seventy-six. Callum

seventy-seven. Sephy

seventy-eight. Callum

seventy-nine. Sephy

eighty. Callum

eighty-one. Sephy

eighty-two. Callum

eighty-three. Sephy

eighty-four. Callum

eighty-five. Sephy

eighty-six. Callum

eighty-seven. Sephy

eighty-eight. Callum

The Hostage . . .

eighty-nine. Sephy

ninety. Callum

ninety-one. Sephy

ninety-two. Callum

ninety-three. Sephy

ninety-four. Callum

ninety-five. Sephy

ninety-six. Callum

ninety-seven. Sephy

ninety-eight. Callum

ninety-nine. Sephy

one hundred. Callum

one hundred and one. Sephy

one hundred and two. Callum

one hundred and three. Sephy

The Confession . . .

one hundred and four. Callum

one hundred and five. Sephy

one hundred and six. Callum

one hundred and seven. Sephy

one hundred and eight. Callum

one hundred and nine. Sephy

one hundred and ten. Callum

one hundred and eleven. Sephy

one hundred and twelve. Callum

one hundred and thirteen. Sephy

Decisions . . .

one hundred and fourteen. Callum

one hundred and fifteen. Sephy

Losing My Religion . . .

one hundred and sixteen. Callum

one hundred and seventeen. Sephy

This book is dedicated with love to my husband, Neil,
And to our daughter, Elizabeth

AUTHOR’S NOTE

The African-American scientists, inventors and pioneers mentioned in chapter 30 are all real people and their achievements are very real. When I was at school, we didn’t learn about any of them – except Robert Peary, the white European-American explorer. I wish we had done. But then, if we had, maybe I wouldn’t have written this book…

‘That’s just the way it is.
Some things will never change.
That’s just the way it is.
But don’t you believe them.’

Date: 2015-12-18; view: 743