Page 13 (1/2)

T erry Tarsal, shoemaker and reluctant keeper of a purple python, liked a quiet life Most of the tiot it - and the ti to do with purple python shoes

Terry was a sh and callused after years of working with leather He had a long, narrow shop down Footpad Passage just off Wizard Way, which smelled of dust, leather, waxed thread and, on that particular day, linseed oil Terry enjoyed his work What he did not enjoy was keeping a purple python in the backyard of the shop But Marcia Overstrand was one of his best customers and over the ten years that Marcia had been ExtraOrdinary Wizard, Terry had steeled hihed skins for when Marcia ordered her next pair of shoes

ThatTerry had just fed the python, which always upset hih the frosted glass of his shophe saw the purple blur of Marcia Overstrand&039;s robes The nextopen

Terry Tarsal was , Miss Overstrand," he said, not bothering to get up He took another sip of cider "Your new ones are not ready yet I&039;h"

"I haven&039;t coency" She bent down, pulled off her shoe and dropped it on the counter along with the broken heel "Snapped, just like that No warning I could have brokenshoe and held it at ar," he said accusingly

"Really? I was under the impression that hat shoes were for," said Marcia, "stepping on things"

"On, yes But not in Well, I suppose it will brush off Do you want to wait or co all the way back to the Wizard Tower, thank you, Mr Tarsal I&039;ll wait"

"Please yourself I aaloshes"

"I do not wear galoshes," said Marcia stonily "And I aloshes, thank you very much"

Terry Tarsal picked up the shoes and disappeared into the back of the shop Marcia sat down on the uncomfortable wooden bench beside the counter - Terry did not like his custoazed around the little shop

Marcia enjoyed her visits to Terry Tarsal She liked to sit in the quiet old shop in the dark alley where no one could find her And if so there, she enjoyed the look of shock on their face at seeing the ExtraOrdinary Wizard sitting on the rickety bench in the shoe for her shoes just like any other Castle inhabitant

And so, while Terry Tarsal scraped off the dragon dung and set abouta scrap of python skin to cover it with, Marcia contentedly sat and gazed at the shoes awaiting pick-up They were a motley bunch Most were run-of-the-mill boots of brown or black leather with thick laces and heavy leather soles There was a collection of red and green works, the kind that many of those orked in the craft roos wore to protect their feet There was a troupe of small pink dance shoes festooned with ribbons, two pairs of fisherman&039;s boots made from oiled leather - which Marcia realized were the source of the pungent smell of linseed oil that filled the shop - and a pair of the est, pointiest toes that Marcia had ever seen

Intrigued, Marcia got up and went over for a closer look at the strange shoes She could not resist picking them up The shoes were beautiful, made froold leaf Although the shoes weretoes stretched to at least two feet in length, and at the far end of each toe two long black ribbons were sewn onto the shoe Marcia held theht they were, and at what good quality leather Terry Tarsal had used She ran her finger along the lines of the gold tooling The ant swirls on each toe for the soft red shoes, Marcia retreated to the bench with a feeling of exciteirl on the eve of her birthday It was, in fact, Marcia&039;s birthday the folloeek and a suspicion had begun to forht into her present - rather than his usual hurried bunch of flowers picked fro the shoes that they had worn in the Tihastly Alchemist, Marcellus Pye She had commented that the shoes sounded like they were about the only decent thing there It would, thought Marcia, be just the kind of unusual present that Septimus would co a little guilty at seeing her present before her birthday, Marcia was hastily putting the shoes back on the shelf when Terry Tarsal reappeared "Strangest shoes I&039;ve ever h she had been caught doing so she shouldn&039;t Unable to resist, she asked, "Who ordered thehtly," said Terry Tarsal

"I thought asHoeet it was of Septiht He could be so considerate at tirumpy with him She decided that if Septimus settled down and worked hard with his Projection, she would take notice of what Alther had told her - that Septie where he needed more freedo out and not telling her exactly where he was going

Terry Tarsal&039;s voice interrupted Marcia&039;s good resolutions "Are you paying for them?" he asked

"Certainly not! And I don&039;t want him to know I have seen theed "Don&039;t knohat it is about these shoes," he said "That&039;s exactly what your Apprentice said to me - don&039;t let Marcia see them He was very definite about that"

"I expect he was," said Marcia approvingly

"Anyway, I&039;ve got to deliver theet theh Snake Slipway is miles away, is it?"

"Snake Slipway? What&039;s Snake Slipway got to do with it?" asked Marcia

"That&039;s where he lives," said Terry patiently as though Marcia was being deliberately slow "Now, about this heel - "

"That&039;s where who lives?"

"The odd felloho came in with your Apprentice - the one who the shoes are for Look, the glue on the heel needs at least an hour to dry and - "

"The one who the shoes are for?"

"So are you sure you want to - "

"Mr Tarsal, answer me Exactly who are these shoes for?"

"I really can&039;t answer that It&039;s confidential information"

"Balderdash!" exploded Marcia "They&039;re only a pair of shoes, for heaven&039;s sake It&039;s hardly top secret, is it?"

Terry Tarsal would not give in "Customer confidentiality," he replied

"Mr Tarsal If you don&039;t tell me who these shoes are for I will be forced toto" Marcia racked her brain for so "I shall be forced topick-up half a size smaller"