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Jenna clung to the horse&039;s wiryall the lawn lizards that Billy Pot had only just rounded up

Jenna loved horses; she had her own horse, which she kept in the stables and rode every day She was a good horsewoman and a brave one, too So why did she feel so scared? Was it, she wondered, as Thunder hurtled through the Palace Gate at breakneck speed, because Sihly, too? Simon wore a pair of sharp spurs on his black boots and they were not just for show Jenna had already seen him touch the horse&039;s flanks with them twice, and she didn&039;t like the way he pulled so sharply on the reins either

Sialloped down the ht nor left and paid no attention to anyone whothe roadas Professor Weasal Van Kla just at that moment The Professor, unaware of the fact that Marcia was on her way to see hi that needed to be said well away fro of his housekeeper, Una Brakket

As Professor Van Kla in histo explain his suspicions that Una Brakket was up to so he expected was to be knocked down by a huge black horse thundering by But, unfortunately for the Professor, that is exactly what did happen And when he picked himself up, bruised and shaken but otherwise unharmed, Professor Van Klampff could not remember why he was there at all Did he perhaps need some more parchmenta new pena pound of carrotstwo pounds of carrots? The tubby little ray beard stood for a while in thefussed over by the concerned Beetle and other assistants fro to re at the back of his brain told hione Weasal Van Kla to buy three pounds of carrots on the way

Thunder,down Wizard Way, past the shops, printers and private libraries, where the proud owners were pottering about, setting out the special-offer ht of the black horse charging by they stopped and stared for awith the dark horseman What was the hurry?

In no time at all, Thunder reached the Great Arch Jenna expected Sio back to the Palace, but instead he yanked hard on the reins, and the horse veered abruptly off to the left and hurtled down Cutpurse Cut The narrow street was dark and chill after the bright sun of Wizard Way, and it smelled rank An open drain ran down theslowly along it

"Where are we going?" Jenna yelled, scarcely able to hear herself above the clattering of the horse&039;s hooves, which echoed off the ramshackle houses on either side of the alleyway and filled her head with noise Siain, louder this ti?"

Still Si Suddenly the horse took a left turn, narrowly avoiding an oncoe cart, and skidded on the slime that ran beneath its hooves

"Si?"

"Shut up!" Jenna thought she heard him say

"What?"

"You heard Shut up You&039;re going where I take you"

Jenna twisted around to look at Simon, shocked at the sudden sound of hatred in his voice She hoped she had misunderstood what he said, but, when she saw the coldness in his eyes, Jenna knew she had heard right A sharp chill of foreboding jued direction again It was alht be following the the horse violently to the right, and Thunder plunged into Squeeze Guts Slip, a dark passage that ran between two high walls Simon&039;s eyes were two slits of concentration as the horse tore down the narrow passageway, its hooves sending up sparks froe Jenna could see open daylight, and as they hurtled toward it, Jennato juht, Jenna took a deep breath, and suddenly, unbidden by Sireen Apprentice robes had stepped out in front of the stare Thunder was being Transfixed