Fair Wind to Widdershins

by Allan Jones

  And then from deep inside the tower came the clanging and clonging and dinging and donging of bells and gongs, rattling Trundle’s brains until he thought his head would surely explode!

  And as if that wasn’t terrifying enough, he suddenly found himself in the middle of a great swarming mass of flapping black wings as entire flocks of ravens came pouring out of every hole in the top of the tower, croaking and screaming and battering him as they fled the noise.

  He ducked and dodged the birds as they hurtled past him, but above the horrible din of the chiming clock, he could have sworn he heard a spiteful croak close to his ear.

  “You’ll be sorry!” it rasped. “You’ll get yours, matey! Just you see!”

  And then, while Trundle was still recovering from all the shocks that had hit him so far, the clock began to strike.

  Gloiiiing!

  Gloiiiiing!

  GLOOOOIIIINNNGG!

  And at that moment, he saw the ivy being pushed outward as hidden doors opened on either side of the clockface and a procession of huge, rusty old iron statues began to emerge. Trundle gave a yelp as the figures approached him. That explained the iron rail! It was for these huge statues to run along.

  The statues were of badgers dressed in full armor. As they rumbled toward him, their bodies began to move mechanically, twisting and turning, swinging swords and axes, beating at one another as though in some slow-motion battle.

  Their joints screeched and crunched as they came closer to where Trundle was standing. He had no time to climb out of the way. Taking a deep breath, he flung himself at the first of the badger knights and threw both arms around the great rusty leg.

  But even as he hung there, something caught his eye.

  The leading figure had a crown around its helmet.

  An iron crown.

  It wasn’t a knight at all—it was a king!

  “Oh, good heavens!” he gasped. “I’ve found the Iron Crown!”

  A new sense of excitement took over, and he clambered up the badger king’s body until he was perched on the high shoulders. He reached for the crown, noticing that it was the only part of the massive figure that was not coated in rust.

  He wrestled it free of the king’s head.

  “Look!” he shouted down, waving the crown. “I have it! I have it!”

  But then the badger king rotated on his axis, his upper body clanking forward as if bowing, and suddenly Trundle found himself hanging upside down, his feet clinging around the king’s neck and the crown dangling from his fingers.

  A horrible vision flashed in front of Trundle’s eyes as he swung upside down from the badger king’s neck. He saw himself being carried into the dark and noisy workings of the clock. He saw himself caught up in the cogwheels and levers and hammers. He saw himself being mashed to a pulp and spat out as hedgehog meatballs!

  But a moment later, the whole promenade of iron knights came to a juddering, screeching halt. The mechanism had jammed. The badger king jerked and shuddered, almost shaking Trundle loose.

  Esmeralda’s frantic voice came up to him. “Throw down the crown!” she hollered. “Free your hands!”

  He twisted his head and saw the three of them down there, waving and yelling. “A-a-all ri-i-ight. Ma-a-ake sure you ca-a-a-atch it!” he called down, his voice shaken to pieces by the jarring vibrations of the iron king.

  “I will!” hollered Esmeralda.

  Trundle let go of the crown. Esmeralda stood beneath it, her arms stretched up. But at the last second she dived to one side. The crown struck the paving stones with a mighty cloiiiing and went bouncing across the courtyard.

  Trundle was appalled! He was convinced that he saw something break off the crown as it bowled through the tall grass and weeds with Jack in close pursuit. What was Esmeralda thinking? Why hadn’t she caught it?

  He was so annoyed with her that he swung down from the iron king’s neck, clambered down his body, and made a swift descent of the ivy-clad tower without once thinking of how dangerous it was.

  “You loon!” he shouted at Esmeralda. “Why did you jump out of the way?”

  “The sun got in my eyes!” retorted Esmeralda. “I couldn’t see properly! You should have waited till I was ready!”

  Trundle stared at her. “I should have hung there by my toes till you were ready?” he exclaimed. “Are you out of your mind?”

  “Not too much harm done,” called Jack, running toward them with the slightly dented crown in one hand and something circular in the other.

  Trundle looked at the round object. It was the orb, broken off the top of the crown.

  “May I see it?” asked Percy. Jack handed him the crown and the orb. Percy held the metal ball up to the light and turned it slowly in his fingers.

  “Interesting,” he said. “Very interesting.” He showed it to the three friends. “Do you see? It has a line running around it. I think it’s made from two separate pieces.” He shook it gently. “I think I can hear something moving inside.”

  “Open it!” cried Esmeralda.

  “I’ll try,” said Percy. “But it might be wise to move away from the tower—if only for the sake of our ears!”

  He had a point. Even down here, the noise was earsplitting, and the grating of the trapped mechanism was so violent that Trundle half feared it would shake the entire tower to pieces.

  They moved away. Percy handed Esmeralda the crown and took the iron orb in both hands. He gave a sharp twist. There was a squeak of metal rubbing on metal, and the two halves of the orb fell apart.

  “Ooooh!” breathed Esmeralda, staring into the two hollow shells of the orb. “What’s that?”

  One of the hemispheres had something wound up inside it. Something red.

  Very carefully Esmeralda picked the thing out. It immediately uncoiled and revealed itself to be a very long, bright red feather.

  “Oh!” she gasped, bringing her other hand up to hold the stem of the feather. “It’s trying to get away!”

  Trundle could see what she meant. The tip of the long feather was straining away from her, as though it wanted to pull itself free.

  “Why is it doing that?” Trundle asked.

  Jack was hopping excitedly from foot to foot. “I know what it is!” he cried. “Oh my gosh and golly! I never thought I’d ever see the like! It’s as beautiful as it says in the songs!”

  “What songs?” asked Esmeralda, struggling with the maverick feather. “What is it?”

  “It’s a phoenix feather!” exclaimed Jack. “Haven’t you ever heard the songs?” And so saying, he began to sing.

  O glorious and majestic bird

  In a golden nest at the end of the world!

  Most beautiful and wise and kind—

  Blessed is he who can the phoenix find.

  A feather red he left at rest

  When away he flew to build his nest.

  If secrets you seek, take the feather to the bird.

  Ask the phoenix wise and hear his word.

  You must sail away for a year and a day

  Into lonely lands where no beast does stray—

  Before he bursts into splendid fire,

  The lovely phoenix will grant your desire.

  “It’s a very old song indeed,” Jack explained. “Hundreds of years old! But I never thought it was a true story.”

  “Does that mean the phoenix bird knows a secret he’ll tell you if you give him his feather back?” asked Esmeralda.

  “That’s what the old song says,” agreed Jack.

  “What do you think, sir?” Trundle asked the Herald Pursuivant.

  “I think the old song may well tell the truth,” said Percy. “I have certainly read ancient scripts concerning the mystical and magnificent phoenix bird. If I remember correctly, the phoenix is said to live inside a fiery mountain on a bleak and lonely island far from the sun.” He shook his head. “But as for how you are to get there—I’m afraid I have no idea at all.”

  “We don’t need to know,”
said Esmeralda. “The feather knows. Look!” She walked up and down, turning this way and that. “Do you see?” she said. “Whichever way I turn, the feather always wants to go the same way.”

  She was right. No matter which way she moved, the fluffy tip of the feather twisted and strained as though desperate to fly off in one particular direction.

  “The feather will lead us to the phoenix nest!” said Jack. “Oh, how wonderful!”

  “And I bet the phoenix knows the location of the third crown,” added Esmeralda. “The Crown of Fire!”

  “How very exciting!” exclaimed Percy. “I think you should go back to your skyboat and prepare to set sail immediately.”

  “Yes! We will,” said Esmeralda.

  Trundle felt a stab of guilt. He stepped up to the Herald Pursuivant. “Excuse me, sir, you’ve been so kind and helpful that I think we ought to make a confession.”

  “And what might that be, my lad?” asked Percy.

  “We knocked the door guard out,” explained Trundle. “He’s locked up in the guardhouse, tied up with his own trousers. Sorry about that.”

  “We gagged him with a sock,” added Esmeralda.

  “He was trying to cut us all into chunks with his ax,” said Jack. “So it was self-defense, really.”

  “I see,” said Percy gravely. “That’s probably quite a serious offense.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Well, well, I can’t stand those guards, and I believe you to be good and honest beasts, so let’s say no more about it. But under the circumstances, I think it’s even more important that you get out of here as quickly as possible. I know a quiet little side gate you can slip out of.”

  “Thank you,” said Esmeralda. “Listen, I know you’ve already helped us a lot, but I was wondering if you could do one more thing for us? It’s these crowns, you see. They’re not exactly easy to hide, and I’m worried that someone might come along and steal them from us. So I was wondering whether you’d be prepared to look after them for us?”

  “I’m most flattered that you should trust me with something so important,” said Percy, “but I really can’t.”

  “Oh, please do,” said Trundle. “Otherwise we’re going to have to carry them around with us wherever we go. And they’re not exactly light, you know.”

  “And we have four more to find,” added Jack.

  “Please?” asked Esmeralda.

  “Well, if you insist, then I shall,” said Percy. “There is a chest in my office that is always kept locked. The only key is kept on a chain around my neck. I’ll put the crowns there for you till you return.”

  “Thank you,” they all chorused. “Thank you so much!”

  “One last thing,” said Esmeralda. “If a nice, kindly looking old Roamany lady comes by asking after us … don’t tell her a thing!”

  “I shall deny all knowledge of you,” said the Herald Pursuivant. “And now, away you go, my fine young friends. Your quest awaits!”

  He led them to a small gate and waved farewell as they made their way down the narrow, sloping streets of Widdershins.

  Trundle waved back, glad to know that the two crowns would be kept safe.

  The sun was just setting as they climbed on board the Thief in the Night. Jack unfurled the sail and Esmeralda took the tiller, and in no time at all they went darting up into the evening sky.

  Trundle stood in the bows, the long red feather held between his paws. As Esmeralda turned the tiller, the feather writhed in Trundle’s grip and strained off away from the setting sun.

  “To the world’s end!” cried Esmeralda as she turned the skyboat to follow the feather. “To the nest of the glorious phoenix bird, and to the hiding place of the Crown of Fire!”

  And even as she spoke, the sails filled with the wind, and the Thief in the Night went skimming off to new adventures.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR

  ALLAN JONES is the author of numerous fantasy books for both children and teens. He lives in London, England. www.allanfrewinjones.com

  GARY CHALK is an illustrator and model maker. He lives in France.

  www.thesixcrowns.com

  Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors and artists.

  CREDITS

  Jacket design by Sylvie Le Floc’h

  COPYRIGHT

  This book is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity, and are used to advance the fictional narrative. All other characters, and all incidents and dialogue, are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.

  The Six Crowns: Fair Wind to Widdershins: Text and illustrations copyright © 2010 by Allan Frewin Jones and Gary Chalk

  First published in 2010 in Great Britain by Hodder Children’s Books, an imprint of Hachette Children’s Books. First published in 2011 in the United States by Greenwillow Books.

  The right of Allan Jones to be identified as the author and Gary Chalk as the illustrator of this work has been asserted by them.

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Jones, Allan Frewin, (date).

  Fair wind to widdershins / by Allan Jones ; illustrated by Gary Chalk.

  p. cm.—(The six crowns)

  “Greenwillow Books.”

  Summary: Hedgehogs Trundle and Esmeralda, along with their new friend Jack Nimble, sail out into the Sundered Lands to find Esmeralda’s aunt, who they hope will help them unravel the clues to find the next of the six crowns.

  ISBN 978-0-06-200626-4 (trade bdg.)

  [1. Adventure and adventurers—Fiction. 2. Aunts—Fiction. 3. Prophecies—Fiction. 4. Badgers—Fiction. 5. Hedgehogs—Fiction. 6. Animals—Fiction.]

  I. Chalk, Gary, ill. II. Title.

  PZ7.J67795Fai 2011 [Fic]—dc22 2010049000

  EPub Edition © SEPTEMBER 2011 ISBN: 9780062098405

  11 12 13 14 15 CG/RRDB 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  FIRST EDITION

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