‘It’s the window of the secret room,’ William said, thinking aloud. ‘Those metal mirrors behind the candles sconces. That’s what they’re for. To reflect the moon and to reflect the sun. And look!’
In between the house and the steep side of the valley tiny lights were flashing.
‘What is it?’ Alice asked.
‘It’s the weather vane. Dan helped me put it up. You remember how there were four little discs on that metal cross that went below the sun and the moon? I think what happens is, the wind blows them round and they reflect the light.’
‘But, what are they for?’ Mary asked, puzzled.
‘Fun,’ a voice behind them replied and turning they saw Stephen Tyler come into the room. ‘Why must everything be for something? They are a beacon. They are a light to guide us. But most of all . . . they are fun. Oh, see how the valley sparkles! And listen . . .’
The owls were hunting in the night and somewhere a fox barked.
‘Breathe,’ the old man said.
The air was heavy with the perfume of pine and honeysuckle, of rich damp earth and of the fresh dew.
‘This is the world of nature,’ the old man whispered. ‘The moon is reflecting the sun. The balance is perfect. Out there is life and death, the badger and the fox are going about their business. All’s well.’
‘D’you remember,’ Alice said, ‘how we found the door in the tree? I’ve always thought there’d be a door in a tree. It seemed right somehow. But . . . I never really believed I’d find one. Did you, Mare?’
But Mary didn’t answer. She didn’t want to lose the sounds of the night. And William . . . he was trying to work out how it had all happened.
Alice sighed contentedly to herself. The badgers were safe, Spot hadn’t died on the Dark and Dreadful Path and most of all, the magician had forgiven her.
‘Next time we come we’ll have ages here,’ she thought.
Also by William Corlett
Kitty
Dark Side of the Moon
The Magician’s House Quartet
The Steps up the Chimney
The Door in the Tree
The Tunnel behind the Waterfall
The Bridge in the Clouds
The Tunnel Behind the Waterfall
Book III of The Magician’s House
‘ . . . William felt a huge surge of energy. It was as though he’d reached out and taken hold of a swiftly moving vehicle and now, having been whipped off his feet, he was being dragged along at an alarming speed.
“Here we go!” the otter-voice in his head whispered and then with a piercing “Aaaahhhh!” of desperate sound, which William suspected was more of his making than the otter’s, they both, as one, hurtled towards the narrow opening.
“We’ll never make it!” William screamed, mentally ducking his head and trying to avoid the hard, jagged rocks that sped towards them.
The sound of the water roared in his ears. The rocks closed in tighter and tighter all around his otter-body. They turned and dodged and flicked and spiralled down and through the solid earth.
“Blackwater Sluice!” a voice screamed in his head . . .’
It is the long summer holiday and William, Mary and Alice are immediately plunged into another desperate adventure as they fight to save the Golden Valley from the greedy schemes of the developers who are doing the work of the Magician’s evil assistant, Matthew Morden. It is a crusade that will take the children deep below Golden Valley and into The Place of Dreams; the battle over Goldenwater has to be fought and the terrible Crow to be conquered, as, little by little, they draw closer to time travelling.
THE TUNNEL BEHIND THE WATERFALL is available in Red Fox paperback.
1 THE MAGICIAN’S HOUSE
The Steps up the Chimney
WILLIAM CORLETT
This is where the magic of Golden House begins. William, Mary and Alice Constant have come to spend Christmas with their uncle. But little by little, they discover that things in this remote old house are not quite what they seem. There are powerful forces at work, calling to the children from across the centuries; forces that pull them up the hidden steps in the chimney to the secret room where the magician lives.
‘A remarkable magical fantasy’
Sunday Times
0 099 48217 7
4 THE MAGICIAN’S HOUSE
The Bridge in the Clouds
WILLIAM CORLETT
It is deep autumn and William, Mary and Alice Constant have returned to the Golden House for half-term. At once they are thrown into the most crucial and desperate adventure of all. Matthew Morden is about to discover for himself the art of time travel, and his evil influence is permeating the whole valley. Now the future of Golden Valley depends on the children reaching the Magician in his own world. The time has come for a final confrontation; the last great battle is about to be fought.
‘A remarkable magical fantasy’ Sunday Times
0 099 48219 3
Kitty
WILLIAM CORLETT
Growing up in Southern Spain, Kitty is a stray puppy with a love of life and a thirst for adventure. But unable to cross the busy motorway, it looks as though her travels will never get started. And then she meets Bailey, a streetwise stray with big ambitions. Soon the two dogs are beloved companions and trusted friends. Together they embark on a dangerous journey through Spain until they find the peace and sanctity of the magic garden.
A haunting story of enduring love and longing that will move you to tears, from the award winning author of The Magician’s House series.
‘A writer of rare imagination, insight and compassion . . . Kitty is an absolute delight’ Siân Phillips
0 552 55078 7
THE DOOR IN THE TREE
AN RHCB DIGITAL EBOOK 978 1 448 10064 4
Published in Great Britain by RHCB Digital,
an imprint of Random House Children’s Books
A Random House Group Company
This ebook edition published 2011
Copyright © William Corlett, 1991
First Published in Great Britain
Bodley Head 1991
The right of William Corlett to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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 unauthorized 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.
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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
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