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F rom the shadows of a dank and smelly street, Wolf Boy saw Septimus and Spit Fyre rise above the rooftops and fly off into the sun He Watched until they were no more than a small black speck in the sky, or possibly just a piece of soot on the end of his eyelash - it was hard to tell And then he set off, following the last of Aunt Zelda&039;s maps Like Septimus, Wolf Boy felt elated by a new sense of freedom mixed with responsibility He was on his own but not alone, for he knew that Aunt Zelda was thinking about him and that the job he had to do was important to her - very important He did not knohy; he was just happy to be trusted to do it Wolf Boy had spent years living in the Forest and was unused to seeing so many people at once But as he made his way toward the Harbor and Dock Pie Shop - which he had been looking forward to for days - he felt excited by the streets and the strange ht, much like the Forest, only with houses instead of trees and people instead of Forest creatures - although he thought that the Port people were much weirder than any Forest creatures As the lanky boy with the straggly dreadlocks, grubby brown tunic and loping wolflike gait wound his way along the cobblestone streets that snaked between the dilapidated warehouses, he drew no attention frorel inhabitants and visitors to the Port And that was the way that Wolf Boy liked it

Aunt Zelda&039;s ed froht of the old fishing harbor Before hi in the choppy water, was a motley collection of boats tended by fisher carts and others were beingout into the wide blue expanse of sea that filled the horizon Wolf Boy shivered and pulled his brooolen cloak around hiht; the vast emptiness of the sea scared hi of the air, but even better he liked thearoht place His stole and he headed for the Harbor and Dock Pie Shop The pie shop was quiet It was just before the lunchti wo another batch of pies out of the oven Wolf Boy stood in front of the biggest variety of pies that he had ever seen in his life, trying to decide what to buy He wanted to try them all Unlike Septimus, Wolf Boy had not taken to Aunt Zelda&039;s distinctive style of cooking and ie in it - which only cut out three Finally he bought five different pies

As he turned to go, the door to the shop burst open and a young, fair-haired lanced up and Wolf Boy saw an anxious look cross her face "Si nized that voice From underneath his dreadlocks he stole a look at the new arrival Surely it wasn&039;tit couldn&039;t be But yes, there was a scar across the young ht eye exactly where the stone froht him It must be him It was - it was Sinized hilanced at him He was deep in a murmured conversation with the woman Wolf Boy hesitated Should he sidle out and risk Si interest in the pies? With the hot pies just begging to be eaten, Wolf Boy favored getting out fast before he was noticed, but so in Simon&039;s voice - a kind of desperation - stopped him

"I can&039;t find her anywhere, Maureen It&039;s like she&039;s vanished into thin air," Si

"She can&039;t have," was Maureen&039;s sensible reply

Sis than Maureen realized - was not so sure

"It&039;s one with her to the market"

Maureen tried to co yourself, Simon," she said "Lucy has a temper on her We both know that" She sone off in a huff You&039;ll see She did that for a whole week once when she was here"

Simon was not to be comforted He shook his head "But she wasn&039;t in a te about this, Maureen Oh, if only I had Sleuth"

"Had who? - oh!" Maureen rushed off to rescue the next batch of pies

Simon watched Maureen flap away the smoke with a dishcloth "I&039;ll try and Trace her steps once et Sleuth"