The Key to Rondo

by Emily Rodda

  ‘I’m not waiting any longer,’ Mimi whispered. ‘I’m going to get Mutt. I’ll bring him back here. Then tomorrow morning, when the queen’s gone, we can all sneak out.’

  Leo could feel his plan to capture Spoiler unravelling. Desperately, he tried to pull the threads together. Could they somehow trick the queen into unlocking the door before morning?

  ‘I knew this job would take all night,’ grumbled the hidey-hole. ‘Oh, well. Off you go, then.’

  ‘I’ll come with you,’ Leo whispered, but Mimi shook her head.

  ‘Mutt might bark at you if you take him by surprise,’ she hissed.

  Bark at me and bite me, too, for all I know, Leo thought, remembering Mutt’s rather snappy nature, and he nodded reluctantly.

  Mimi moved forward again. Bertha sighed, smacked her lips, and slept peacefully on.

  ‘Softly, softly,’ murmured the hidey-hole. Mimi moved in front of Leo, blocking his view. The darkness at his back gave a tiny shudder, and the next minute he was seeing Mimi through blue-tinted glass. She was outside the mirror.

  His heart in his mouth, he watched her creep past the sleeping queen, down to the foot of the bed. She bent, and he heard the tiny rattle of the cage door opening. Mutt gave a frantic whine of joy.

  No, Mutt! Leo thought in terror. He glanced at the Blue Queen, but she hadn’t stirred and there was no change in her slow, even breathing.

  He looked back to the foot of the bed and held his breath, waiting for Mimi to straighten up and hurry back to the mirror with Mutt in her arms.

  But long moments passed and nothing happened. Straining his ears, wondering what had gone wrong, Leo heard another muffled whine and a small jingling noise. He frowned, trying to work out what the jingling noise was. It was a metallic sound, like nails being shaken up in a plastic packet. Like a length of chain …

  Chain! Leo went cold all over. Suddenly he knew what had happened. Mutt wasn’t just locked in the cage. He was chained to it, too. Mimi was trying to free him and she couldn’t.

  But she’d never give up. Leo knew that. She’d keep trying to break that chain all night if she had to.

  At that moment he saw movement in the shadows at the end of the bed. He saw the small, tousled figure of Mutt straining fruitlessly against the chain that stretched taut between his gold collar and the cage.

  Then Mimi moved into view. She’d given up trying to free the chain from the cage. She crawled to Mutt and started fumbling with his collar, looking for a way to get it off. The little dog whimpered, rubbing his head against her and frantically licking her hands.

  Leo couldn’t bear to watch any more. Whatever Mimi said, he had to help – to try to help. Maybe he’d be strong enough to break the chain, or prise open one of the links. Gold was a soft metal, he’d been told – much softer than steel or silver, anyway.

  ‘I’m going out there,’ he whispered, edging forward.

  ‘I wish you people would make up your minds,’ the hidey-hole grumbled. ‘Fourth rule of successful hiding: Make a plan and stick to it.’

  Leo leaned towards the surface of the mirror. He took a deep breath …

  And suddenly, shockingly, the room was filled with cackling laughter.

  Leo jerked back, his eyes bulging in horror. The Blue Queen was sitting up, swinging her feet to the ground and standing. Her eyes were sparkling triumphantly as she looked down at Mimi crouched, frozen, at the foot of the bed.

  She wasn’t asleep, Leo thought numbly. She was never asleep. She was just pretending. She knew …

  ‘So, you fell into my trap, girl,’ the Blue Queen sneered. ‘You followed the light and the music. You crept past the guards I had put to sleep. You saw me in the ballroom, presiding over a gathering created to make you think I was well occupied and unsuspecting. You took the chance I gave you. You found my room and hid inside it – thinking yourself very clever, no doubt.’

  Her lips curved in a malicious smile. ‘I felt your presence the moment I entered. Where were you hiding? Out on the balcony, perhaps? Or simply under the bed? It did not matter. I knew you would reveal yourself soon enough. Now you are my prisoner, just as I had planned. My only regret is that I went to so much trouble to deceive you. That was because I thought your cautious cousin would be with you.’

  ‘He stayed behind at the bridge,’ Mimi said sullenly. ‘He wouldn’t come to the castle. He said we’d be caught. He said Mutt wasn’t worth it.’

  She looked and sounded so utterly convincing that Leo felt a stab of confused anger. It only lasted an instant before he realised that she was acting – acting superbly – to prevent the Blue Queen from realising that he was close by.

  The Blue Queen shrugged. ‘As it happens, he was quite correct,’ she drawled, her lip curling. ‘But his restraint surprises me, I confess. I had thought he would not be able to resist playing the hero. His type usually cannot. I was looking forward to meeting him again.’

  Her words sounded venomous. Leo shivered, despite the warmth of the room. Why did the queen hate him so much – him in particular? Certainly he’d defied her, the first time they met in his bedroom. But Mimi had defied her, too.

  ‘I’m glad my cousin isn’t here,’ Mimi said, every word dripping with scorn. ‘He’d probably try to fight you, and I know that won’t work. You’re a sorceress, and this castle is your territory, controlled by your magic. No one can save me, or Mutt, by fighting.’

  She was looking at the Blue Queen, but her words, disguised by their scornful tone, were a message for Leo, and he knew it.

  Stay where you are, Mimi was telling him. You can’t fight her. Bertha can’t fight her. We have to try to trick her somehow. If we bide our time, there’s still a chance.

  ‘I am glad you understand your position,’ the Blue Queen said softly.

  ‘It’s getting a bit interesting, now,’ the hidey-hole muttered in Leo’s ear. ‘Do you want out? Should we wake the pig?’

  Leo gritted his teeth and shook his head.

  He knew Mimi was right. He knew he had to stay where he was, for now at least, and on no account should he wake Bertha. If Bertha saw the Blue Queen menacing Mimi, she wouldn’t be able to restrain herself. She’d burst out of the mirror and attack. And, without question, the results of that would be disastrous.

  ‘So – what am I to do with you now, Mimi Langlander?’ the Blue Queen purred.

  Mimi lifted her chin. ‘You can give my dog back and let us go home.’

  The Blue Queen smiled and shook her head. ‘Oh, but I cannot do that,’ she said, in a gentle, reasonable tone. ‘I gave you the ring you wear on your finger, and I took your dog in return. It was a fair bargain.’

  ‘It wasn’t a bargain!’ Mimi burst out, looking in horror at the black and gold ring winking on her hand. ‘I didn’t agree to it. You took Mutt without asking. And I only found the ring afterwards, lying on the rug where you’d dropped it!’

  ‘But you picked up the ring, did you not?’ the queen said, her voice hardening. ‘You put it on. You used it to come to Rondo. You accepted my bargain, in other words, and now you cannot break it.’

  Mimi stared at her, speechless.

  The Blue Queen held her gaze for a long moment. Then, abruptly, she shrugged and turned away. ‘Ah, I am tired of this game,’ she said carelessly. ‘Take your dog back then, if you care so much. He no longer amuses me.’

  Leo’s heart gave a great leap.

  Mimi’s eyes widened incredulously.

  ‘I – I can have him?’ she breathed, clutching Mutt to her chest. ‘You’ll release him – just like that – and let us go?’

  ‘Oh yes,’ the queen said absent-mindedly, moving to the mirror and stroking her smooth cheek with long, white fingers. ‘Our bargain will be dissolved the moment you return the ring to me. To tell the truth, I will be glad to have it back. I miss it more than I had thought I would. It is a pretty thing.’

  ‘The – the ring?’ Mimi stammered. ‘But – the ring is our way home!’

>   Sensing her dismay, Mutt whined and rubbed his head against her neck. Her arms tightened around him.

  ‘Ah, yes,’ the Blue Queen said lazily, gazing at her reflection in the mirror. ‘Well, that is a pity, in some ways. I dare say you have parents who will miss you, for a time. But surely this world with Mutt is better than the other world without him? He is your dearest friend. Your only friend, in fact, if I am not mistaken.’

  Behind the mirror, Leo sat frozen, watching her beautiful lips curve in a malicious smile.

  Mimi, don’t do it! he wanted to shout. Mimi, don’t give her the ring. We must go home. We need to go home. Our parents are there. Our friends! All the people who love us!

  But who loves Mimi, really? a cold voice said in his mind. Who loves the ugly duckling?

  And he looked past the preening figure of the queen and saw Mimi crouched on the floor with Mutt in her arms.

  Mimi’s face was tear-stained and pale in the sickly blue light. Her hair was tousled. Her eyes were huge and dark with fear.

  But she didn’t look like an ugly duckling any more. Not at all. In fact, she looked just like a frightened heroine in a picture book. She looked beautiful.

  When did that happen? Leo thought, confused. But in his heart he knew. It had happened so gradually that he hadn’t noticed.

  He remembered the first time he’d seen Mimi in the clothes that had chosen her in the tavern. He remembered her flying with the Flitters. He remembered her glowing face as she played the violin in Jim and Polly’s cottage. He remembered her laughing with Bertha, and bravely facing the troll.

  Mimi isn’t an ugly duckling here, Leo thought. Here, she’s no more a misfit than anyone else.

  As he watched, Mimi looked down at the ring gleaming on her finger. He knew what she must be thinking.

  In this world, no one thinks I’m a nuisance, or a weirdo, or too young to do things that matter. In this world, people accept me, just as I am. In this world there’s magic. In this world I’m beautiful. In this world, I can fly. And if I stay, I’ll have Mutt…

  But what about me, Mimi? Leo thought, in an agony of fear. I want to go home! I want to go back to Mum and Dad, and Einstein, and my friends. I want to go to school, play soccer, sit in my own room, sleep in my own bed, work on my computer. I want to live in my own world. You can’t give away our only chance to get back! You can’t!

  Chapter 31

  Witch’s Tricks

  ‘Well, Mimi Langlander?’ drawled the Blue Queen, without turning from the mirror. ‘What is your decision?’

  Mimi raised her head. Mutt whimpered as she put him down and slowly got to her feet.

  Leo held his breath.

  ‘I can’t give the ring back,’ Mimi said in a dead-sounding voice. ‘I have to use it to take my cousin home.’

  Leo sank back. The relief was so tremendous that he felt weak.

  ‘But surely you owe your precious cousin nothing!’ the queen said, raising her perfect eyebrows. ‘He forced you to face me alone, did he not?’

  ‘He came to Rondo because of me,’ Mimi muttered. ‘He didn’t want to do it. I can’t make him stay here.’

  The queen’s lips curved in a tiny, satisfied smile.

  She knew Mimi would say that, Leo thought suddenly. She was just tempting her – torturing her!

  A wave of helpless anger rushed through him. His whole body tingled with the urge to leap from the mirror, wipe that smug smile off the queen’s haughty, beautiful face.

  ‘Easy!’ the hidey-hole breathed in his ear. ‘Fifth rule of successful hiding: Don’t lose your temper.’

  Leo took a deep breath, and remained still.

  ‘Please,’ Mimi whispered, clasping her hands. ‘Let me take Mutt. You have so much … but I only have him. Please!’

  The queen paused. She put her head on one side, then on the other, as if admiring the effect. Then she sighed, and turned away from the mirror at last.

  ‘Oh, very well,’ she said carelessly. ‘Since you beg. Keep the ring, then, and give me something else in exchange for your wretched dog. I cannot let you have him and receive nothing in return – even I am bound by some rules. But surely you have some other trinket that will do?’

  The expression of wild hope that had flamed on Mimi’s face slowly died.

  ‘Well?’ the queen snapped, tapping her foot impatiently.

  ‘I don’t have anything to give you,’ Mimi said helplessly. ‘Unless – would my clothes do?’ Her fingers flew to the high collar of her jacket, and she began rapidly undoing the first of the tiny buttons.

  The queen’s lip curled. ‘Do you insult me by offering me old clothes?’ she sneered. ‘Ah, this is hopeless! If your hair was fine and long, you could offer me that, I suppose. But as it is …’

  Mimi’s fingers froze on the buttons of her jacket.

  ‘Hair!’ she burst out, her face lighting up. ‘Oh, I forgot! I do have something. Here!’

  She plunged her hand inside the neck of the jacket, and pulled out Aunt Bethany’s silver chain with the ugly pendant swinging from it, dull as a pebble in the soft blue light.

  ‘I don’t see how anyone could forget that,’ the hidey-hole rasped in Leo’s ear.

  But Leo was speechless with relief, and couldn’t answer. He’d forgotten about the pendant too. For a long time it had been hidden under Mimi’s new jacket. Even before that, he remembered, she’d been wearing that awful pink thing zipped right up to the neck.

  And all the time the pendant was there, Leo thought. Mimi’s lucky charm, just waiting till it was needed.

  Instantly he felt embarrassed at the thought. This world has really got to you, he told himself severely. That’s exactly the sort of soft thing that Mimi might say. It’s just a lucky coincidence she was wearing the pendant, and that’s all there is to it.

  ‘That will do,’ the queen said. Lazily she stretched out her hand.

  Eagerly, Mimi began to pull the chain over her head. The catch snagged in her hair at the back, and she struggled to free it.

  ‘Make haste!’ the queen snapped. Mimi glanced up quickly, her hands behind her head, her fingers still working to free the chain. Her forehead creased in a puzzled frown.

  ‘What –?’ the Blue Queen began. She broke off and looked sharply around at the door.

  ‘What’s happened?’ Leo whispered.

  ‘Use your ears!’ hissed the hidey-hole. ‘My word, this is getting quite exciting!’

  And then Leo heard it – the distant sound of shouting and the much louder pounding of running feet. He jumped violently as the bedroom door flew open with a crash.

  Spoiler burst into the room, panting and wild-eyed, with his hair standing on end. He was wearing faded pyjamas printed with pale pink crowns.

  Mutt began yapping ferociously. The butterflies fluttered, panic-stricken, against the bars of their cage.

  ‘What is the meaning of this!’ shrieked the Blue Queen. ‘How dare you –’

  ‘We’re invaded!’ Spoiler yelled. ‘They’re fighting the guards! Your precious butterfly spies didn’t warn you about that, did they? I told you they were no use at night! What –’

  His voice broke off in a strangled gasp. His eyes bulged. His mouth fell open. He pointed with a shaking finger at Mimi, standing motionless with her hands behind her head and the pendant, suspended on its chain, dangling just below her chin.

  Mutt snarled, showing all his tiny teeth.

  ‘Leave us, George,’ the Blue Queen ordered, swiftly moving to stand between Mimi and the gaping man. ‘We are discussing business that is no concern of yours.’

  Spoiler’s weak, heavy face flushed scarlet. ‘No concern of mine?.’ he spluttered. ‘You cheat – you filthy cheat! She’s here! It’s here! You were going to take it for yourself and shut me out, weren’t you? Weren’t you?’

  It? Leo thought, confused. What does he mean, it? Is he talking about the ring?

  ‘Be quiet, you fool,’ barked the Blue Queen, glancing quickly at Mi
mi. ‘Be quiet or I will –’

  ‘You’ll what?’ bellowed Spoiler, flecks of white foam gathering at the corners of his mouth. ‘Tie up my tongue? Bring me out in boils? Try your best, witch! I’m immune to your spells, and don’t you forget it! Oh, how often I’ve thanked my lucky stars that I made that part of the bargain.’

  ‘And how often have I regretted agreeing to it!’ spat the Blue Queen. ‘You have the brains of a newt, bursting in here, breaking through my shutting spell with invaders at our gates! Go and see to them. Trust me to handle this.’

  ‘Trust you?’ panted Spoiler. ‘I’d rather trust a snake! You’re not getting your hands on it, I tell you! It’s mine! It was stolen from me! Now that it’s back here, after all this time, do you think I’m going to stand by while you take control of it? What kind of fool do you think I am?’

  ‘Every kind of fool!’ shrieked the queen. ‘Stay, then! The invaders are on the stairs. There is no time to waste!’ She raised her hand and the door of the bedroom slammed with a crash that shook the room. She whirled around to face Mimi again.

  ‘Oh-ho!’ chuckled the hidey-hole. ‘Listen to them! Going at it hammer and tongs! Oh, I love a good brawl. This is turning out to be a good night. Started out slowly, but …’

  It rambled on, but Leo wasn’t listening. He wasn’t even aware of the sound of hurrying feet outside the room, or the rattling of the doorknob. He was gazing, transfixed, at the pendant swinging slowly on its chain just under Mimi’s chin. He had suddenly understood that the pendant was the focus of Spoiler’s rage.

  But why does Spoiler want the pendant? Leo thought in confusion. How does Spoiler even know about it? It came out of one of Aunt Bethany’s jewel boxes. It’s got nothing to do with –

  And at that moment, as fists began to pound thunderously on the bedroom door, a bizarre idea occurred to him. He looked at the pendant with new eyes, noting its size, its shape …

  His heart began to beat very fast. His hands began to sweat. He looked out of the mirror at Mimi, and saw that she had also guessed the truth.

  She had managed to free the pendant’s chain from her hair, but she wasn’t lifting the chain the rest of the way over her head. Instead, she was letting it slide slowly back to hang around her neck again.