by Angie Sage
“Any questions?”
“There is one big problem,” said Marcia. “We know that Oraton-Marr is at the Heart of the Ways, but we do not know how to get there. We could end up anywhere in the world at all.”
“Forgive me, Marcia, for leaving this until last,” Jenna said. “I wanted to make sure I had all the facts before I asked Mr. Grula-Grula to speak.” She turned to the little man with spectacles, who was gazing at her in admiration. “Fair Grula-Grula, I pray you tell us your wisdom.”
The Grula-Grula gave an apologetic cough and launched into a high, rapid monotone. “I, Benhira-Benhara Grula-Grula, greet you. I wish you nothing but well, my friends, for you have treated me most respectfully. I fled to your great Castle when our Heart of the Ways was overrun by Garmin. This was a day of despair for all Grulas, for many were hunted and killed by the Garmin as sport. We Grula understand the Ways. We know how to switch and change, how to twist and turn, duck and dive; we know the Ways of the World. And so I came to safety in your beautiful Castle. I found myself on a perilous ledge beside some water and I fell in. But just in time I ShapeShifted into a small duck. After swimming for a while my feathers became itchy, and I came onto the land and ShapeShifted into human form. In this guise I entered an establishment selling cloaks. Unfortunately I became trapped by some kind of ancient Magyk in one of the cloaks and was rendered helpless. I lay among these ancient cloaks becoming ever more desperate until Mr. O. Beetle”—here, the Grula-Grula bowed his head and Beetle returned the compliment—“tried to assist me in my sad predicament. But even his wisdom was not enough for the ancient Magyk in which I found myself ensnared. But when this most ExtraOrdinary of Wizards”—the Grula-Grula bowed to Septimus, who bowed in return—“attended me, the Magyk was vanquished and I was able to return to my desired state. I was treated with such hospitality and such politeness. It is my great pleasure to place myself at your disposal as a guide through the Ways in your time of trouble. I, Benhira-Benhara Grula-Grula, will take you to the Sorcerer Oraton-Marr.” The little man closed his mouth tightly shut in an oddly mechanical fashion and bowed his head.
“Benhira-Benhara Grula-Grula, we thank you and accept your most benevolent and generous offer.” Jenna turned to the rest of the table. “Thank you, everyone. Does anyone have anything they wish to add?”
Marcia spoke. “I suggest we all Go Through to my Keep at once. We need to make a detailed plan on how we are going to confront Oraton-Marr. And there are a few points of Magyk I would like to clarify before Mr. Grula-Grula kindly leads us through to the Heart of the Ways.”
“Thank you, Marcia,” Jenna said. She got to her feet. “This meeting is ended. There is not a moment to lose.”
Everyone stood up and began to file out of the room. Tod, Ferdie and Oskar stayed sitting at the table.
“But no one said anything about our village,” Ferdie said in a low voice.
“It was all about this Castle,” said Oskar. “It was all about them.”
“I don’t think they meant it to be,” said Tod.
“How do you know?” Oskar demanded.
“Well . . . I think it just sounded like that. They are really nice here.” Tod trailed off, realizing she was convincing neither Ferdie nor Oskar.
“The Queen wasn’t very nice to Lucy,” Ferdie said.
Tod felt sad, sensing that a gulf had opened up between them. “I’m sure they really care about our village too.”
“Are you?” asked Oskar. “Why?”
Tod didn’t have an answer.
ULLR
Nicko and Snorri were waiting for Tod in the Palace Entrance Hall. When at last, after everyone had come down, they saw her appear at the top of the stairs, there were two familiar figures beside her. “It is Ferdie!” Snorri gasped. “And Oskar!”
“It can’t be,” said Nicko. And then, “Great Neptune, it is! How did they get here?”
As the group from the Queen’s Council—minus Alther and the Queen herself—hurried back along Wizard Way, Tod, Ferdie and Oskar lagged behind with Nicko and Snorri. Ferdie and Oskar were gazing in amazement at the wide, paved street with its silver torch posts glinting in the early-morning sunlight. They had never seen so many different shops before. They were entranced by every single one, but each time they stopped, Tod hurried them on, much to their annoyance. As Tod caught up with Nicko and Snorri from yet another Ferdie and Oskar retrieval, Nicko inquired with a smile, “So you’re not wanting a berth home today?”
Tod smiled sheepishly. “Oh, Nicko. Snorri. Thank you. It was so wonderful to know that I could go home if I wanted to. But now that Ferdie and Oskar are here it feels so different. And besides, we have to go and rescue everyone from that horrible sorcerer.”
Snorri did not think Tod was taking the “horrible sorcerer” seriously enough. “Tod,” she said. “This is dangerous work. I am surprised that Septimus is allowing you to go.”
“But we have to go,” Tod said. “He has kidnapped our village.” She caught sight of Oskar staring into a shop window full of automata. “’S’cuse me,” she said, and she ran off to drag the unwilling Oskar back to the fold.
Snorri and Nicko exchanged anxious looks. “They are too young for this,” Snorri said. “It is very dangerous.”
“It is,” Nicko agreed. “But I don’t think you should worry. Tod didn’t actually say that Septimus was allowing them to go. Frankly, I can’t see him letting them walk into this kind of danger. Septimus has become surprisingly sensible now that he’s ExtraOrdinary Wizard.”
Snorri grinned. “Septimus always was sensible, Nicko. Unlike you.”
“Me? I am just about the most sensible person here,” Nicko said with a grin. He put his arm around Snorri. “Apart from you, of course.”
Tod was the last to Go Through Way VII. As she waited with Nicko and Snorri, Tod suddenly remembered Florence.
“Snorri, could you please take a message to that little rat? I asked Queen Jenna and she said that Florence’s father is safe at the Palace, but her brother was injured—he lost his arm. Or I suppose it’s a foreleg with a rat. Anyway, he’s being cared for in the Wizard Tower Sick Bay.”
Snorri picked up Ullr and scratched behind his ears. Ullr purred. “First I will take Ullr back to the boat and then I will go to the Rat Office,” she said. “That will save a lot of fuss, I think.”
The Way VII arch began to glow purple, and a moment later, Marcia came striding out to collect Tod. Tod felt sad to be leaving Snorri and Nicko. “Good-bye,” she said. “And thank you . . . for everything.”
Snorri gulped. The way Tod had spoken made it sound like a final farewell. Snorri had become very fond of Tod; there was something about her that reminded Snorri of herself at that age. As Tod turned to go, Snorri called out, “Tod! Wait a moment.” She hurried over to her and pushed the little orange cat into Tod’s arms. “Take Ullr. He will look after you. Tell him, ‘Komme, Ullr,’ and he will follow you. Anywhere.”
“Oh!” Tod gasped. “Oh . . . I . . . oh, thank you!” And then she turned and ran into Way VII.
“Tod!” Marcia yelled, hurrying after her. “Wait! Wait for me!”
As the purple glow faded and the arch of Way VII blended back into the white marble, Nicko looked at Snorri. “You gave her Ullr,” he murmured, a little stunned.
“I had to give her some help, Nicko,” Snorri said. “Because I think she will go to rescue her people, whatever Septimus says.”
“Yes. I think you may be right,” said Nicko. He linked his arm through Snorri’s and together they walked slowly over to the Rat Office.
BREAK AWAY
An hour later in Marcia’s Keep, Tod—with a small orange cat in her arms—was perched on a high stool in a small book-lined room set inside the thick walls that Marcia used as her study. Tod was amazed to have been asked to sit in on such a Magykal and serious conversation. Septimus and Marcia were having a last-minute strategy discussion. Fast and full of Magykal shorthand, their talk was breathtaking
to listen to. It was exhilarating, and any other time, Tod would have been thrilled to be there. But right then it was bittersweet, because Tod had seen Oskar’s expression as she had followed Marcia and Septimus up the tiny stairs that led to the study. And she knew exactly what the look had meant: You’ve gone over to the other side, Tod.
Marcia and Septimus were discussing Oraton-Marr’s possible weak points—of which there seemed to be very few. Marcia sighed. “We could do with Alther.” She looked at her timepiece. “He should be here soon. It’s only about half an hour at the rate he flies. I’ve never seen a ghost whiz along so fast.” She turned to Tod and asked, “Would you mind going down and waiting for Alther? And bring him up here as soon as he arrives?”
Tod tucked Ullr under her arm and slipped out of the room. She hurried down the stairs to the main hall, where Ferdie and Oskar were sitting by the fire, and gave them a smile. Ferdie responded but Oskar looked away. Suddenly, from the Fire Pit below, an argument erupted between Lucy and Simon.
“Of course I’m coming,” Lucy was yelling. “I’m his mother, for goodness’ sake!”
There were some low, soothing rumblings from both Milo and Simon followed by Lucy yelling, “No way!”
More calming noises followed and then Lucy yelled, “Just you try and stop me. Just you try!” There was the sound of boots pounding up the stairs and Lucy appeared in the doorway, her face streaked with tears, her eyes wild. Ferdie pushed past Tod and hurried over to Lucy.
“Won’t they let you go to find William?” Ferdie asked.
“They are being so stupid,” Lucy said furiously. “Milo and Simon are saying only the men are going. They’re planning some kind of battle. It’s ridiculous.”
“But Marcia’s going,” Tod said.
“Oh yes, they’ll allow Marcia to come,” Lucy said, “because of her Magyk. But this is ‘a serious expedition’ and she’s not going to be allowed to wear her shoes.”
“Well, that’s not going to happen,” said Tod.
“It’s like they’ve taken over everything,” said Lucy. “And they are spending so long talk-talk-talking about strategy and equipment, and every minute that goes by is another minute we won’t get back. And neither will William. And Marcia’s just as bad, she’s up there with Septimus doing the same thing, I’ll bet: talk, talk, talk.” Lucy threw herself down into one of the chairs beside the fire. “Oh,” she wailed, “I don’t know what to doooo.”
“I know what to do,” said Ferdie.
Lucy looked up in surprise. Ferdie sounded so sure. So calm.
“We’ll go anyway,” said Ferdie. “We’ll go right now. We’ll go and we will find your William, and Mum and Dad and Torr and all our friends.”
Oskar grinned. “And I’ll bet we’ll bring them back before anyone has even a chance to notice we’ve gone.”
“Oh, Ferdie, Oskar,” Lucy said sadly. “It’s not that simple. Nothing ever is, believe me.”
Tod stepped in. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s simple or not. Sometimes you have to do what you feel is right.” She looked at Ferdie and Oskar. “Even if no one else understands.”
Oskar looked surprised.
Lucy frowned at the fire, thinking hard. “But there’s one big problem,” she said. “How do we get to the right place?”
“With the Grula-Grula,” said Oskar. “He knows the way. All you have to do is ask him nicely.”
“But he’s downstairs with Simon and Milo,” Lucy said glumly. “And he thinks they are wonderful.”
Tod remembered how the PathFinder always tapped inside its lapis box when she went through Way VII. She remembered what Dan had said at the Circle. And suddenly she understood. “I can find the Way,” she said.
“How?” asked Lucy and Ferdie together.
Tod took the lapis box from her pocket. She opened it and brought out the PathFinder. “With this,” she said.
Lucy frowned. The arrow looked more like a piece of jewelry than a compass. “Are you sure?” she asked.
“Yes,” said Tod. “I am. I’m sure.”
There was something about Tod’s steady gaze, about the way she considered her reply, that made Lucy say, “Okay. Let’s go.”
On the way down, Lucy stopped off at the kitchen, where the Grula-Grula was contentedly eating his way through a pile of little iced cakes. She grabbed a fur jacket. William was not going to be cold a moment longer than she could help it.
“Hey, Lu!” Simon protested.
Lucy blew him a kiss. “Sorry!” she said with a gulp, then she turned and raced down the steps to the Hub.
Simon and Milo looked at each other, puzzled. Simon shrugged. “It’s this thing with William. It’s getting to her. Poor Lu.” He looked at the pile of baggage arranged along the wall, bristling with swords, knives, bows and arrows and not a few cooking pots. “Milo, do you think we’ll be able to carry all that?” he asked.
“We’ll put it all on the Princess’s horse,” said Milo. “It’s about time that animal did something to earn its keep.”
The Princess’s horse was not the kind of horse anyone put baggage on. Pure white, with wicked blue eyes, the horse had attitude. It was a Royal Horse and expected to be treated as such. Horses of such status did not get left in a smelly underground chamber for days on end with a servant who had the cheek to complain about cleaning up after them. It was an honor to wield the Royal Horse shovel. There was no doubt in the Royal Horse’s mind that it was slumming. Its owner, who was grooming the Royal Horse, felt much the same. Princess Driffa had expected to be welcomed at the Palace with great ceremony, but all she had got was a buffet breakfast with a group of common people, a boring meeting and some snide remarks from the Queen. Even the handsome ExtraOrdinary Wizard was turning out to be a bit of a disappointment, she thought as she vigorously brushed the Royal Horse’s mane. She had expected to be included in the high-powered discussion going on in the study and instead she had been dismissed as if she were an annoying child. Her angry brush caught a snarl in the Royal Horse’s pure white mane and the Royal Horse threw its head back. Driffa was sent flying into the straw, which the servant of the Royal Horse had neglected to renew that morning.
Lucy arrived in the Hub just in time to help Driffa to her feet. She brushed the straw off Driffa’s now-somewhat-grubby white pantaloons. “There,” Lucy said soothingly. “That’s the worst of it off. You’ll be wanting a bath, though.”
The Princess looked shocked. No one spoke to her like that. No one. She was about to tell Lucy to keep to her place when she realized no one was listening. They had gathered around Tod and were looking at something. Driffa was not someone who liked secrets being kept from her, and this looked suspiciously like one. She pushed Oskar aside and saw Tod holding the PathFinder arrow, which was gently turning on its sphere.
“A PathFinder compass!” she cried. “Where did you steal that from?”
Tod’s eyes blazed with anger. “This belongs to me. This is my inheritance. My father gave it to me. It was his father’s before him.” She remembered Dan’s words in the Circle and decided that she would have to tell a little bit of the secret. But not the big, important part about the gills—that she would never tell. “My people have great skills navigating what were called the Ancient Ways,” she said. “For this we are revered and called PathFinders.”
Princess Driffa stepped back, astonished. “You are from the mythical PathFinder tribe?”
“I am a PathFinder,” Tod said coldly. “And we are not mythical.” She turned away from Driffa. “Ready?” she asked Lucy, Ferdie and Oskar.
Ferdie and Oskar looked dumbstruck—how did Tod know this stuff?
“Ready, Tod,” they said meekly.
But Lucy shook her head. “Tod, how do you know where to go?”
“This will show me,” said Tod.
“Okay, I get that. But what I mean is, does the PathFinder thingy know you want to go to the Eastern SnowPlains?”
The confidence drained from Tod. Sh
e hadn’t thought of that. She was about to admit defeat, when Driffa stepped in.
“That,” Princess Driffa told Lucy snappily, “is a very stupid question. It doesn’t know. You have to show it where you want to go.”
“How?” Lucy retorted. With some difficulty, she resisted adding Miss Princess Fancy-Pants Know-It-All.
It seemed to Tod that Driffa knew something useful about the PathFinder. “Princess Driffa,” Tod said quickly—before Lucy could annoy Driffa any more—“please, do you know how to show the PathFinder where to go?”
Driffa turned her back on Lucy and addressed Tod. “I do. I know this because we have a PathFinder in the Ancient Artifact room in my palace. It is so precious that it lives beneath a glass dome and we are not allowed to touch it. We learn about these ancient Magykal Charms when we are children. We were told that you must touch the PathFinder to something from the earth of the place you wish to go.”
Tod looked at her in despair. “But I don’t have anything.”
Princess Driffa smiled. “But I do.” She held out her hand to show her big blue stone ring. “This is lapis from our Enchanted Blue Pinnacle. It will guide you to the Heart of the Ways.”
Tod looked at the beautiful lapis streaked with gold and she knew that Driffa spoke the truth. “Thank you,” she said.
The Princess put her hands behind her back. “If you let me come with you,” she said.
Tod knew she had no choice. “All right,” she said.
“And my horse,” said Driffa.
Tod sighed. “Okay. And your horse.”
Princess Driffa took off her lapis ring and handed it to Tod. Tod touched the tip of the PathFinder arrow to it and the arrow swung around and pointed to the arch with XI inscribed into the keystone.
“It’s right so far,” said Tod, remembering the broken Seal hanging down from Way XI after Driffa had smashed through it. She turned to Ferdie, Oskar and Lucy. “We should hold on to each other,” she said. “So we stay together.” They formed a chain of hands and Driffa took hold of the Royal Horse’s bridle. Tod knew that she was going to have to trust what Snorri had told her—that Ullr would follow her anywhere. She placed the little cat onto the floor and said, “Komme, Ullr.” Then, holding the PathFinder in her right hand and Oskar’s hand in her left, Tod took a deep breath and stepped into Way XI.