Page 25 (1/2)

Back at the Wizard Tower, Marcia was having a very late breakfast On her table, beside a scattering of toast crusts and a sulky coffeepot (which had fallen out with the toast rack over a question of precedence), lay a glass capsule - neatly snapped in half along its red dotted line - and a flimsy strip of rolled-up paper On the floor beside her feet, a pigeon pecked at a pile of grain

In the ExtraOrdinary Wizard&039;s kitchen the stresses of the previous ere showing A pile of dishes lay unWashed in the sink and a variety of cruht, were scattered on the floor Marcia was still a little distracted - while she had been Stirring her oatet aith nudging the toast rack off the table without her even noticing Marcia herself was not looking her best Her green eyes had dark shadows beneath them, her purple tunic was cruht have been And a late breakfast was almost unheard of - except possibly on MidWinter Feast Day But Marcia had not slept ht After Septiht deadline for his return had expired, she had spent the night staring out of the tiny lookouthigh in the roof of the Pyraon But she saw nothing until, at first light of dawn, she saw the dark shape of the Pigeon Post pigeon flapping purposefully toward the Wizard Tower The pigeon had arrived bearing a h of relief when she had opened it and seen Septimus&039;s name (oddly sticky) on the outside of the tiny scroll She had unwound the fli immensely relieved, immediately fallen asleep at her desk Marcia noed the last of her coffee and reread the e: DEAR MARCIA ARRIVED SAFELY EVERYONE HERE ALL WELL BUT

RETURN DELAYED SPIT FYRE VERY TIRED WE ARE ON MILO&039;S SHIP WE HAVE NOT LEFT YET BUT WILL ASAP LOVE FROM YOUR SENIOR

APPRENTICE, SEPTIMUS XXX PS PLEASE TELL MRS BEETLE THAT

BEETLE IS FINE

It was easy to read - each letter was placed neatly in a square on a grid Perhaps, thought Marcia with a wry set Septimus to write like that in the future She fished her pen out of her pocket to write the reply, and the edge of her sleeves brushed the re toast crusts off the table Irritably Marcia yelled for the dustpan and brush to come and Sweep As the dustpan and brush whooshed in, Marcia carefully filled out the reply grid on the back of the e:

SEPTIMUS: RECEIVED NOTE SAFE VOYAGE WILL MEET YOU AT PORT

ON RETURN OF CERYS MARCIA X

Marcia rolled up the piece of paper and replaced it in the capsule She twisted the two halves of glass together and held the the clatter around her feet as the brush swept a panicking toast rack into the dustpan and refused to let it out again, Marcia scooped up the pigeon and reattached the capsule to the tag on its leg Clutching the pigeon - which pecked happily at a few stray toast crumbs on the sleeve of her tunic - she walked over to the tiny kitchenand opened it

Marcia plunked the pigeon outside on theledge The bird shook itself to settle its ruffled feathers and then, with a clattering of its wings, it rose into the air and flapped off toward the higgledy-piggledy roofs of the Ra its contents down the kitchen rubbish chute and the victory dance of the coffeepot aeon as it headed over the bright patchwork of rooftop gardens and out across the river, until she finally lost sight of it over the trees on the opposite bank

There was, however, one e to be dealt with

The hands of the kitchen clock (a frying pan that Alther had converted and that Marcia did not have the heart to throw out) were just co up to a quarter to twelve, and Marcia knew she had to hurry She strode into the sitting room and from the wide, semicircular shelf above the fireplace she took the stiff Palace card that was propped up against a candle Marcia did not like enerally from Sarah Heap with soe, which had arrived very early that , was not fro It was fronore thick black ink, and it read:

Marcia,

I ency I shall come to the Wizard Tower at midday today

Zelda Heap

Keeper

Marcia glanced once e and felt the usual flicker of irritation that acco to do with Aunt Zelda She frowned She had an important appointment at the Manuscriptoriuainst all her principles to be early for an appointment with Jillie Djinn, but this tiet to the Manuscriptoriuht now she could do without a white witch burbling witchy nonsense at her - in fact, she could always do without a white witch burbling witchy nonsense at her

Marcia threw her new summer cloak of fine wool trimmed with silk over her shoulders and rushed out of her rooe purple door by surprise As she hurried across the landing to the silver spiral stairs, the door closed very carefully - Marcia did not like doors that banged The spiral stairs stopped dead and politely waited for her to step on Farther down the stairs, a series of Ordinary Wizards all had their journeys suddenly halted They tapped their feet impatiently while far above, on the twentieth floor, their ExtraOrdinary Wizard stepped onto the stairs

"Fast!" Marcia instructed the stairs, and then, at the thought of buency!" The stairs whizzed into action, spinning around at top speed, and the waiting Wizards beloere pitched forward Two of the Wizards who did not have tirab on to the central handrail were uncereo all the way up to the top of the Tower and cohted at the Great Hall Three coned and handed in to the duty Wizard, who added the to the ExtraOrdinary Wizard&039;s use of the stairs

Marcia hurried across the Wizard Tower courtyard, relieved that there was no sign of Aunt Zelda, as always easy to spot in her billowing patchwork tent As she strode into the shadows of the Great Arch, the tip-tap of her pointy purple python shoes echoing off the lapis-lazuli walls, she glanced down at her ti soft and suspiciously billowy and patchworky

"Oof!" gasped Aunt Zelda "Do try and look where you are going, Marcia"

Marcia groaned "You&039;re early," she said

The tinny chian to sound over the rooftops

"I think you&039;ll find that I&039;m exactly on time, Marcia," said Aunt Zelda as the clock chie, I hope?"

"Yes, Zelda, I did However, ith the disgraceful state of the Message Rat Service and the consequent length of ties across the Marshes, I was unfortunately unable to reply that I had a previous engage I bumped into you then," said Aunt Zelda

"Is it? Well, I&039;m terribly sorry, Zelda I would love to have a little chat, but I simply must rush" Marcia set off, but Zelda, who could be quick on her feet when she wanted to be, jumped in front of her and barred Marcia&039;s way out of the Arch

"Not so fast, Marcia," said Aunt Zelda "I think you ant to hear this It concerns Septihed What didn&039;t? But she stopped and waited to hear what Aunt Zelda had to say

Aunt Zelda pulled Marcia into the sunlight of Wizard Way She kne voices under the Great Arch carried across the Wizard Tower courtyard, and she did not want any nosy Wizard to hear - and all Wizards were nosy, in Aunt Zelda&039;s opinion