Abbot Dagger's Academy and the Quest for the Holy Grail
Page 14
‘Eh, Dr Cosm?’
‘Yes, of course, certainly,’ said Dr Cosm meekly. He had a feeling that the white paint was peeling off his forehead, and he was terrified that someone would see what he was thinking.
‘Er, Miss Davies?’
‘Jolly good show,’ said Miss Davies. Wrekin Sartorius nodded sulkily. He had just asked her to marry him, and she had refused.
‘Hooray!’ roared the Skool.
‘Hooray!’ piped Slee and Damage Duggan. Trym had rescued them from Time, but they had strange memories of being eaten by a Tyrannosaurus maximperator, and for some reason they were no good at Footer any more, and wanted to change their names to Tree and River and concentrate on quiet thoughts.
‘So the hard part of Founder’s Day is over!’ cried the Head. ‘Now is the time for sports, feasting and fireworks! And forward we go into the future, where anything may happen and certainly will! The first thing being my New Contract. Barry Duggan, pass it over!’
Barry Duggan passed it over. The Head signed with a flourish. ‘I now declare a Whole Holiday!’ he cried.
‘HOORAAAH!’ roared the pupils and teachers of Abbot Dagger’s Academy for the Errant Children of the Absent.
∗
Later, the Skolars sat in their Study, watching the firelight glow in the warm metal of the mystic Cup.
‘Well,’ said Miss Davies, ‘we made it, and very proud of you I am too.’
‘Miss Davies,’ said Rosetti, ‘we shall always be at your disposal to help save the Skool.’
‘Or the Head’s job.’
‘Or the Universe,’ said Owen.
‘Oh, obviously,’ said Miss Davies. ‘But I don’t think we’ll do Time Travel again.’
‘Ooooh,’ groaned the Skolars. ‘Why not?’
‘Because this Cup is a force for Good. I think it chose the moments when it wanted to be found and hidden, so its absence was cancelled out by fires and wars and meteors, and it did not matter that sometimes it was present in two places at once. Feast your eyes on it while you can.’
The Skolars gazed deeply into its pure golden glow. And as they watched it faded, and was gone.
‘Wha,’ said Owen, his eyes crossing.
‘It will have thought it best to return to the Sealed Room,’ said Miss Davies. ‘To await next Founder’s Day, and perhaps someone else who wishes to take over the Skool and the Universe, whom it will defeat by sheer goodness. Now, then. We have done Time Travel. Anyone interested in Outer Space?’
Three hands shot up.
‘Excellent,’ said Miss Davies. ‘Let us now turn our minds on how to get there.’