by Kit Downes
“The only sad thing is that this is the last year you’ll be racing, Paradim,” said the Empress. She sighed. “The last time anyone born in Shirazar will be racing.”
“Well, yes. But we always knew I wouldn’t last for ever, Your Majesty,” said Paradim. “And who knows? I found Celeste. Maybe someday, some other Shirazan will find a new means of flight…”
“Actually,” said Zal. “They won’t need to.”
Paradim and the Empress looked at him.
“We won’t?”
“You’ve already got one,” said Zal. “Mr Aura…”
“Yes, yes! I have it right here,” said Arna. He stepped out of the crowd, carrying the ancient wooden chest that Zal had found inside the genie bottle. “What is this? It’s really heavy.”
“Zal?” said Paradim.
Arna set the box down on the floor and Zal knelt down to open it. Paradim gasped as he saw the seven large white ovals inside.
“I thought you’d recognize them,” said Zal. “I’ve heard the story enough times that I did.”
“I don’t believe it!” said Paradim. He knelt down, wide-eyed and ran his hands over the ovals. “The eggs!”
“Eggs?” said the Empress.
“Yes, Your Majesty. The same kind that Celeste hatched from!”
All the Shirazans in the throne room gasped. The Empress stood up from her throne. Excited talking ran through the crowd. Professor Maltho dashed forward to examine them.
“They’re old, but they’ve been preserved by magic,” said Zal. “They should be able to hatch. And if they do, you’ll have seven new storks for the next Champions’ Race. And if they breed…”
“By the Stork’s wings!” said Paradim. “This is wonderful! This isn’t the end of Shirazans flying! It’s the beginning!”
“You’re right,” said Professor Maltho, holding one up. “Though why haven’t they hatched already? The spell on them has been broken. It should be more than warm enough.”
“Perhaps they are in the wrong place,” said Mistress Shen. “The Sparrow Gods have created many kinds of birds that fly all over the world, but return to their own homelands to lay their eggs. Perhaps they need to be—”
“Back at Stork Lake,” said Paradim. “Very well. It seems I’m going on one more journey to get a means of flight for Shirazar.”
“Wait, Dad! No. Forget it,” said Miles, running forward. “You said an hour ago you were getting too old for the race. You’re definitely too old to be going all the way to Frostbite again.”
“I agree,” said Zal. “It’s a long, hard, difficult and dangerous journey. It has to be someone young, brave and unafraid of danger. Miles, you’ll have to go.”
“What… Me?” said Miles. Then he noticed Zal and Zara’s expressions. “Oh. Yes. Definitely. I’ll go.”
“But Miles! You hate cold weather,” said Paradim.
“Yes, but I … nearly failed to stop the Shadows ruining the race,” said Miles. “Someone has to go. You’re right, Zal. It should be me. You have to stay here, Dad.”
“Someone’s going to have to teach the riders for the new storks,” said Zal.
“I suppose you’re right,” said Paradim. He placed his arm around his son’s shoulders. “Very well, Miles. You’ve ridden on Celeste enough times and she knows the way to the lake. Take her and the eggs with my blessing.”
“And mine too,” said the Empress. She turned to Zal. “This is splendid news. How can we ever repay you?”
“You can start with the prize money, Your Majesty,” said Arna. “We’ve lost a considerable investment in rainbow carpets thanks to the Shadows and that accursed Knife Demon.”
“Of course,” said the Empress, smiling. “Bring it in, Minister.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” said the Second Minister, going out through the throne room’s double doors.
“You needn’t worry about the Knife Demon, by the way,” said Professor Maltho. “I examined the pieces. The enchantment is broken completely. There’s no way it’s coming back.”
“A pity,” said Mistress Shen. “It would have been a worthy foe to test my swords against.”
The throne room doors were suddenly thrown open and banged against the wall as the Second Minister skidded back in, looking shocked.
“Your Majesty!” he said. “It’s gone!”
“What?” said the Empress.
“The chest with the prize money!” said the Second Minister. “It’s been stolen!”
“WHAT?!” said Arna.
“Someone used a feather to pick the lock on the window!” said the Second Minister, as Captain Curta ran out to investigate. “The room’s empty. They took everything: the chest, Miles Nocturne’s flying carpet and everything that was stolen in the crime wave. The only things left in the room are some orange fur and a few tiger footprints!”
“Sari!” cried Zal and Zara together.
“Who?” said Professor Maltho.
“We’ll explain later,” said Zal. “Miles?”
“Yes. I’m coming,” said Miles, checking his sword.
“Good. This is your fault, after all,” whispered Zara, under her breath.
“You’re the ones who teamed up with her,” Miles whispered back.
“Who is Sari?” said the Empress, as Zal, Zara and Miles ran out of the throne room, with Rip and Fluffy leading the way, to fetch the Rainbow Carpet.
* * *
Out over the Great Desert, the last few butterflies fell behind Miles’ carpet as it flew away from Shirazar.
Sari counted the last of the twenty thousand gold pieces prize money and closed the lid of the chest. She leant back against it and scratched Jeweltail’s head. Zal and Zara would get over it. They were going to be famous all over again, and they would soon be rich from selling their rainbow carpets. Mr Leader and his idiots would soon be in prison and when the Shirazans found where she had hidden all the stuff she had stolen for Miles Nocturne – in his bedroom – her score with him would be settled as well. He might have turned out to be good-hearted in the end, but she was the greatest thief in the Great Desert. She had her reputation to consider.
Sari turned the carpet towards the sunset and flew forwards towards her next job and her next adventure.
ZAL AND ZARA AND THE CHAMPIONS’ RACE
Kit Downes was nineteen when he wrote his first book, Zal and Zara and the Great Race of Azamed. The idea of writing a story about the greatest magic carpet race in the world came to him in a café in Hay-on-Wye. He began the book the same day and finished it in his first term of university. He has now graduated and works as a teacher, spending his spare time travelling and searching for “good” stories as inspiration for his own writing. Zal and Zara and the Champions’ Race is his second book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or, if real, used fictitiously. All statements, activities, stunts, descriptions, information and material of any other kind contained herein are included for entertainment purposes only and should not be relied on for accuracy or replicated as they may result in injury.
First published 2012 by Walker Books Ltd
87 Vauxhall Walk, London SE11 5HJ
Text © 2012 Kit Downes
Cover illustration © 2012 David Wyatt
Chapter head illustrations © 2012 Sarah Coleman
The right of Kit Downes to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted or stored in an information retrieval system in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, taping and recording, without prior written permission from the publisher.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data: a catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-1-4063-4631-2 (ePub)
www.walker.
co.uk