PathFinder (30 page)

“Benhira-Benhara Grula-Grula, we thank you and accept your most benevolent and generous offer.” Jenna turned to the rest of the table. “Thank you, everyone. Does anyone have anything they wish to add?”

Marcia spoke. “I suggest we all
Go Through
to my Keep at once. We need to make a detailed plan on how we are going to confront Oraton-Marr. And there are a few points of
Magyk
I would like to clarify before Mr Grula-Grula kindly leads us through to the Heart of the Ways.”

“Thank you, Marcia,” Jenna said. She got to her feet. “This meeting is ended. There is not a moment to lose.”

Everyone stood up and began to file out of the room. Tod, Ferdie and Oskar stayed sitting at the table.

“But no one said
anything
about our village,” Ferdie said in a low voice.

“It was all about this Castle,” said Oskar. “It was all about
them
.”

“I don't think they meant it to be,” said Tod.

“How do you know?” Oskar demanded.

“Well … I think it just sounded like that. They are really nice here.” Tod trailed off, realising she was convincing neither Ferdie nor Oskar.

“The Queen wasn't very nice to Lucy,” Ferdie said.

Tod felt sad, sensing that a gulf had opened up between them. “I'm sure they really care about our village too.”

“Are you?” asked Oskar. “Why?”

Tod didn't have an answer.

Ullr

Nicko and Snorri were waiting
for Tod in the Palace Entrance Hall. When at last, after everyone had come down, they saw her appear at the top of the stairs, there were two familiar figures beside her. “It is Ferdie!” Snorri gasped. “And Oskar!”

“It can’t be,” said Nicko. And then, “Great Neptune, it is! How did
they
get here?”

As the group from the Queen’s Council – minus Alther and the Queen herself – hurried back along Wizard Way, Tod, Ferdie and Oskar lagged behind with Nicko and Snorri. Ferdie and Oskar were gazing in amazement at the wide, paved street with its silver torch posts glinting in the early morning sunlight. They had never seen so many different shops before. They were entranced by every single one, but each time they stopped, Tod chivvied them on, much to their annoyance. As Tod caught up with Nicko and Snorri from yet another Ferdie and Oskar retrieval, Nicko inquired with a smile, “So you’re not wanting a berth home today?”

Tod smiled sheepishly. “Oh, Nicko. Snorri. Thank you. It was so wonderful to know that I could go home if I wanted to. But now that Ferdie and Oskar are here it feels so different. And besides, we have to go and rescue everyone from that horrible sorcerer.”

Snorri did not think Tod was taking the “horrible sorcerer” seriously enough. “Tod,” she said. “This is dangerous work. I am surprised that Septimus is allowing you to go.”

“But we
have
to go,” Tod said. “He has kidnapped our village.” She caught sight of Oskar staring into a shop window full of automata. “’Scuse me,” she said, and she ran off to drag the unwilling Oskar back to the fold.

Snorri and Nicko exchanged anxious looks. “They are too young for this,” Snorri said. “It is very dangerous.”

“It is,” Nicko agreed. “But I don’t think you should worry. Tod didn’t actually say that Septimus
was
allowing them to go. Frankly, I can’t see him letting them walk into this kind of danger. Septimus has become surprisingly sensible now that he’s ExtraOrdinary Wizard.”

Snorri grinned. “Septimus always
was
sensible, Nicko. Unlike you.”

“Me? I am just about the most sensible person here,” Nicko said with a grin. He put his arm around Snorri. “Apart from you, of course.”

Tod was the last to
Go Through
Way VII. As she waited with Nicko and Snorri, Tod suddenly remembered Florence.

“Snorri, could you please take a message to that little rat? I asked Queen Jenna and she said that Florence’s father is safe at the Palace, but her brother was injured – he lost his arm. Or I suppose it’s a foreleg with a rat. Anyway, he’s being cared for in the Wizard Tower Sick Bay.”

Snorri picked up Ullr and scratched behind his ears. Ullr purred. “First I will take Ullr back to the boat and
then
I will go to the Rat Office,” she said. “That will save a lot of fuss, I think.”

The Way VII arch began to glow purple, and a moment later, Marcia came striding out to collect Tod. Tod felt sad to be leaving Snorri and Nicko. “Goodbye,” she said. “And thank you … for
everything
.”

Snorri gulped. The way Tod had spoken made it sound like a final farewell. Snorri had become very fond of Tod; there was something about her that reminded Snorri of herself at that age. As Tod turned to go, Snorri called out, “Tod! Wait a moment.” She hurried over to her and pushed the little orange cat into Tod’s arms. “Take Ullr. He will look after you. Tell him, ‘
Komme
, Ullr,’ and he will follow you. Anywhere.”

“Oh!” Tod gasped. “Oh … I … oh, thank you!” And then she turned and ran into Way VII.

“Tod!” Marcia yelled, hurrying after her. “Wait! Wait for me!”

As the purple glow faded and the arch of Way VII blended back into the white marble, Nicko looked at Snorri. “You gave her Ullr,” he murmured, a little stunned.

“I had to give her some help, Nicko,” Snorri said. “Because I think she will go and rescue her people, whatever Septimus says.”

“Yes. I think you may be right,” said Nicko. He linked his arm through Snorri’s and together they walked slowly over to the Rat Office.

Break Away

An hour later in Marcia’s Keep
, Tod – with a small, orange cat in her arms – was perched on a high stool in a book-lined room set inside the thick walls. Tod was amazed to have been asked to sit in on such a
Magykal
and serious conversation. Septimus and Marcia were having a last-minute strategy discussion. Fast and full of
Magykal
shorthand, their talk was breathtaking to listen to. It was exhilarating, and any other time, Tod would have been thrilled to be there. But right then it was bittersweet, because Tod had seen Oskar’s expression as she had followed Marcia and Septimus up the tiny stairs that led to the study. And she knew exactly what the look had meant:
You’ve gone over to the other side, Tod.

Marcia and Septimus were discussing Oraton-Marr’s possible weak points – of which there seemed to be very few. Marcia sighed. “We could do with Alther.” She looked at her timepiece. “He should be here soon. It’s only about half an hour at the rate he flies. I’ve never seen a ghost whizz along so fast.” She turned to Tod and asked, “Would you mind going down and waiting for Alther? And bring him up here as soon as he arrives?”

Tod tucked Ullr under her arm and slipped out of the room. She hurried down the stairs to the main hall, where Ferdie and Oskar were sitting by the fire, and gave them a smile. Ferdie responded but Oskar looked away. Suddenly, from the Fire Pit below, an argument erupted between Lucy and Simon.

“Of
course
I’m coming,” Lucy was yelling. “I’m his mother, for goodness’ sake!”

There were some low, soothing rumblings from both Milo and Simon followed by Lucy yelling, “No
way
!”

More calming noises followed and then Lucy yelled, “Just you try and stop me. Just you try!” There was the sound of boots pounding up the stairs and Lucy appeared in the doorway, her face streaked with tears, her eyes wild. Ferdie pushed past Tod and hurried over to Lucy.

“Won’t they let you go to find William?” Ferdie asked.

“They are being so
stupid
,” Lucy said furiously. “Milo and Simon are saying only the men are going. They’re planning some kind of battle. It’s
ridiculous
.”

“But Marcia’s going,” Tod said.

“Oh yes, they’ll
allow
Marcia to come,” Lucy said, “because of her
Magyk
. But this is ‘a
serious
expedition’ and she’s not going to be allowed to wear her shoes.”

“Well,
that’s
not going to happen,” said Tod.

“It’s like they’ve taken over everything,” said Lucy. “And they are spending so long
talk-talk-talking
about strategy and equipment, and every minute that goes by is another minute we won’t get back. And neither will William. And Marcia’s just as bad; she’s up there with Septimus doing the same thing, I’ll bet:
talk
,
talk
,
talk
.” Lucy threw herself down into one of the chairs beside the fire. “Oh,” she wailed, “I don’t know what to
doooo
.”

“I know what to do,” said Ferdie.

Lucy looked up in surprise. Ferdie sounded so sure. So calm.

“We’ll go anyway,” said Ferdie. “We’ll go right now. We’ll go and we will find your William, and Mum and Dad and Torr and all our friends.”

Oskar grinned. “And I’ll bet we’ll bring them back before anyone has even a chance to notice we’ve gone.”

“Oh, Ferdie, Oskar,” Lucy said sadly. “It’s not that simple. Nothing ever is, believe me.”

Tod stepped in. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s simple or not. Sometimes you have to do what you feel is right.” She looked at Ferdie and Oskar. “Even if no one else understands.”

Oskar looked surprised.

Lucy frowned at the fire, thinking hard. “But there’s one big problem,” she said. “How do we get to the right place?”

“With the Grula-Grula,” said Oskar. “He knows the way. All you have to do is ask him nicely.”

“But he’s downstairs with Simon and Milo,” Lucy said glumly. “And he thinks they are
wonderful
.”

Tod remembered how the
PathFinder
always tapped inside its lapis box when she went through Way VII. She remembered what Dan had said at the Circle. And suddenly she understood. “I can find the Way,” she said.

“How?” asked Lucy and Ferdie together.

Tod took the lapis box from her pocket. She opened it and brought out the
PathFinder
. “With this,” she said.

Lucy frowned. The arrow looked more like a piece of jewellery than a compass. “Are you sure?” she asked.

“Yes,” said Tod. “I am. I’m sure.”

There was something about Tod’s steady gaze, about the way she considered her reply, that made Lucy say, “OK. Let’s go.”

On the way down, Lucy stopped off at the kitchen, where the Grula-Grula was contentedly eating his way through a pile of little iced cakes. She grabbed a fur jacket. William was not going to be cold a moment longer than she could help it.

“Hey, Lu!” Simon protested.

Lucy blew him a kiss. “Sorry!” she said with a gulp, then she turned and raced down the steps to the Hub.

Simon and Milo looked at each other, puzzled. Simon shrugged. “It’s this thing with William. It’s getting to her. Poor Lu.” He looked at the pile of baggage arranged along the wall, bristling with swords, knives, bows and arrows and not a few cooking pots. “Milo, do you think we’ll be able to carry all that?” he asked.

“We’ll put it all on the Princess’s horse,” said Milo. “It’s about time that animal did something to earn its keep.”

The Princess’s horse was not the kind of horse
anyone
put baggage on. Pure white, with wicked blue eyes, the horse had attitude. It was a Royal Horse and expected to be treated as such. Horses of such status did not get left in a smelly underground chamber for days on end with a servant who had the cheek to complain about cleaning up after them. It was an honour to wield the Royal Horse shovel. There was no doubt in the Royal Horse’s mind that it was slumming it. Its owner, who was grooming the Royal Horse, felt much the same. Princess Driffa had expected to be welcomed at the Palace with great ceremony, but all she had got was a buffet breakfast with a group of common people, a boring meeting and some snide remarks from the Queen. Even the handsome ExtraOrdinary Wizard was turning out to be a bit of a disappointment, she thought as she vigorously brushed the Royal Horse’s mane. She had expected to be included in the high-powered discussion going on in the study and instead she had been dismissed as if she were an annoying child. Her angry brush caught a snarl in the Royal Horse’s pure white mane and the Royal Horse threw its head back. Driffa was sent flying into the straw, which the servant of the Royal Horse had neglected to renew that morning.

Lucy arrived in the Hub just in time to help Driffa to her feet. She brushed the straw off Driffa’s now somewhat grubby white pantaloons. “There,” Lucy said soothingly. “That’s the worst of it off. You’ll be wanting a bath, though.”

The Princess looked shocked. No one spoke to her like that.
No one
. She was about to tell Lucy to keep to her place when she realised no one was listening. They had gathered around Tod and were looking at something. Driffa was not someone who liked secrets being kept from her, and this looked suspiciously like one. She pushed Oskar aside and saw Tod holding the PathFinder arrow, which was gently turning on its sphere.