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The Big Thaw

The day after the Message Rat left, the Big Thaw set in It happened first in the Marram Marshes, which were always a little warmer than anywhere else, and then it spread up the river, through the Forest and into the Castle It was a great relief to everyone in the Castle, as they had been running out of food supplies due to the Custodian Ar looted many of the winter storerooredients for his frequent banquets

The Big Thaw also calumly in a rat trap underneath the floor of the Ladies&039; Washroom Stanley had been left there on account of his refusal to divulge the whereabouts of Aunt Zelda&039;s cottage He was not to know that the Hunter had already successfully worked it out from what Simon Heap had told the Supreme Custodian, neither was he to know that no one had any intention of setting hiuess asas best he could: he ate what he could catch, mainly spiders and cockroaches; he licked the drips fro aliven up on hione to live with her sister

The Marra snow Soon the green of the grass began to show through, and the ground became heavy and wet The ice in the Mott and the ditches was the last to thaw, but as the Marsh Python began to feel the te his tail i his hundreds of stiffened ribs Everyone at the cottage aiting with bated breath for the giant snake to break free They were not sure how hungry he ht be, or how cross To make sure that Maxie stayed inside, Nicko had tied the wolfhound to the table leg with a thick piece of rope He was pretty sure that fresh wolfhound would be top of the menu for the Marsh Python once he was released from his icy prison

It happened the third afternoon of the Big Thaw Suddenly there was a loud crack! and the ice above the Marsh Python&039;s powerful head shattered and sprayed up into the air The snake reared up, and Jenna, as the only one around, took refuge behind the chicken boat The Marsh Python cast a glance in her direction but did not fancy chewing its way through her heavy boots, so it set off rather painfully and slowly around the Mott until it found the way out It was then that it ran into a spot of bother: the giant snake had seized up It was stuck in a circle When it tried to bend in the other direction nothing seemed to work All it could do im around and around the Mott Every time it tried to turn off into the ditch that would lead it out into the marsh, its muscles refused to work

For days the snake was forced to lie in the Mott, snapping at fish and glaring angrily at anyone who ca forked tongue out at Boy 412 and sent hi sun cah for its stiffened ate, it swaoats, and slowly over the next few days it alhtened out But not completely To the end of its days, the Marsh Python had a tendency to swi Thaw reached the Castle, Dos upriver to Bleak Creek where, in the dead of night, the three beings crossed a narrow eance There they waited soet his ship out of the creek floated the Thaw, the Supre of the Council of the Custodians, unaware that the day before he had forgotten to lock the door to the Ladies&039; Washrooer chained to a pipe, for the Supreun to see hie, and Si visit froossip about DomDaniel&039;s unreasonable demands and temper tantrums and felt disappointed when the Supreme Custodian did not return at the normal time He was not to know that the Supreme Custodian, who recently had become somewhat bored with Si what DomDaniel called "Operation Compost Heap," which included the disposal of not only Jenna but the entire Heap fa Simon

After a while, more out of boredom than a desire to escape, Simon tried the door To his a into an empty corridor Simon leaped back inside the washroom and slammed the door shut in a panic What should he do? Should he escape? Did he want to escape?

He leaned against the door and thought things over The only reason for staying was the Supre DomDaniel&039;s Apprentice But it had not been repeated And Simon Heap had learned a lot from the Supreme Custodian in those six weeks he had spent in the Ladies&039; Washroo the Supreme Custodian said Next on the list was to look after Number One And, from now on, Number One in Simon Heap&039;s life was definitely Siain The corridor was still deserted He made his decision and strode out of the washroo Wizard Way, gazing up into the grubby s above the shops and offices that lined the Way, wondering if Siht be held prisoner somewhere in the dark recesses behind them A platoon of Guards marched briskly past, and Silas shrank back into a doorway, clutching Marcia&039;s KeepSafe, hoping it still worked

"Psst," hissed Alther

"What?" Silas jumped in surprise He hadn&039;t seeneon Number One "How&039;s Marcia today?" Silas whispered

"She&039;s been better," said Alther grimly

"I really think we should let Zelda know," said Silas

"Take o near that Rat Office It&039;s been taken over by Dos Don&039;t worry now, I&039;ll think of soet her out"

Silas looked dejected He missed Marcia more than he liked to adot so around the Courthouse on h the tunnel Better hurry up before he changes his ain He&039;s a tricky one, your Simon"

"Simon!" Silas broke into a broad sht?"

"Looks all right," said Alther tersely

Simon had spent nearly teeks back with his family when, on the day before the fullto so far away "Boys, boys, not now," she said to Nicko and Boy 412, ere having a duel with some spare broom handles "I need to concentrate"

Nicko and Boy 412 suspended their fight while Aunt Zelda became very still and her eyes took on a faraway look "So," she said after a while "I&039;art out"

"At last!" said Jenna "I wonder if it&039;s Dad or Marcia Maybe Simon&039;s with them? Or Mum? Maybe it&039;s everyone!"

Maxie ju madly Someti Except when it was so like &039;&039;Bath time, Maxie!" or "No more biscuits, Maxie!"

"Cal the wolfhound&039;s silky ears "The trouble is it doesn&039;t feel like anyone I know"

"Oh," said Jenna, "but who else knoe&039;re here?"

"I don&039;t know," replied Aunt Zelda "But whoever it is, they&039;re in the marshes now Just arrived I can feel it Go and lie down, Maxie Good boy Nohere&039;s that Boggart?"

Aunt Zelda gave a piercing whistle The squat brown figure clie

"Not so loud," he coh me that does" He nodded to Jenna "Evenin, art always art," said Aunt Zelda, "there&039;s soh the marshes More than one perhaps I&039;m not sure "Can you just nip off and find out who it is?"

"No trouble Could do with a swiart Jenna watched him waddle off down to the Mott and disappear into the water with a quiet splash

"While we&039;re waiting for Boggart we should get the Preserve Pots ready," said Aunt Zelda "Just in case"

"But Dad said you e Enchanted after the Brownie raid," said Jenna "Doesn&039;t that ainst Brownies," said Aunt Zelda, "and even that&039;s wearing off by now Anyhoever is coer than a Brownie toPreserves spell book

Jenna looked at the Preserve Pots, which were still lined up on the sills Inside the thick green gloop the Shield Bugs aiting Most were sleeping, but soht be needed For ondered Jenna Or what?

"Here we are," said Aunt Zelda as she appeared with the spell book and thue and took out a small silver haht, here&039;s the Activate," she said to her "If you could just go round and tap each Pot with this, then they&039;ll be Ready"

Jenna took the silver ha on every lid As she did so, each Pot&039;s inhabitant woke up and snapped to attention Before long there was an ar to be released Jenna reached the last Pot, which contained the ex-millipede She tapped the lid with the silver ha shot out in a shower of green goo It landed on Jenna&039;s arm

Jenna screa crouched, sword at the ready, on Jenna&039;s forear to turn and attack her, forgetting that the bug&039;s only mission was to defend its Releaser fro for

The Shield&039;s green ar up the roolinted in the candlelight and its short powerful legs e foot to the other while it sized up the potential enemies

But the potential enee patchwork tent with bright blue eyes staring at it

"Just put your hand over the bug," the tent whispered to the Releaser "It will curl up into a ball Then we&039;ll try and get it back into the Pot"

The Releaser looked at the sharp little sword the bug aving around, and she hesitated

"I&039;ll do it if you like," said the tent and ly, and the tent stopped in her tracks, wondering rong They had Is, hadn&039;t they? It should realize that none of the It crouched on Jenna&039;s ar its search

Now it sahat it was looking for Two young warriors carrying pikestaffs, poised to attack And one of the a red hat Fro re didn&039;t know exactly what the wrong was, but that hted the ene leaped off Jenna&039;s arh the air with a ht for Boy 412 like a tiny guidedloudly, its wide-open reen teeth

"Hit it!" yelled Aunt Zelda "Quick, bop it on the head!"

Boy 412 gave a wild sith his broo butswerved at the lastits sword at Boy 412 Boy 412 stared in disbelief at the bug, terribly aware of the bug&039;s pointy sword

"Keep still!" said Aunt Zelda in a hoarse whisper "Whatever you do, don&039;tlanded on his shoulder and advanced purposefully toward his neck, raising its sword like a dagger

Jenna sprang forward "No!" she yelled The bug turned toward its Releaser It didn&039;t understand what Jenna said, but as she cla sheathed its sword and curled itself obediently into a ball Boy 412 sat down on the floor with a bump

Aunt Zelda was ready with the e into it It wouldn&039;t go in First one arm stayed out, then another Jenna folded both arreen foot had kicked its way out of the jar Jenna pushed and squeezed, but the Shield Bug struggled and fought against going back into the Pot with all its ht suddenly turn nasty and use its sword, but desperate as the bug was to stay out of the Pot, it never unsheathed its sword The safety of its Releaser was its prime concern And how could the Releaser be safe if its protector was back in its Pot?

"You&039;ll have to let it stay out," sighed Aunt Zelda "I&039;ve never known anyone able to put one back I sometimes think they are more trouble than they&039;re worth Still, Marcia was very insistent As always"

"But what about Boy 412?" asked Jenna "If it stays out, won&039;t it just keep attacking him?"

"Not now that you&039;ve taken it off hiht"

Boy 412 looked unimpressed "Should" was not quite what he wanted to hear "Definitely" wassettled down on Jenna&039;s shoulder For a few minutes it eyed everyone suspiciously, but every time itquieted down

Until so scratched at the door

Everyone froze

Outside on the door so its clan the door Scritchscratchscritch

Maxie whined