Page 2 (1/2)
His asthh Arthur was annoyed that it had coht it had been al the First Key
Then Dame Primus had used the Second Key to re both his botched atte and the Key’s beneficial effect on his asthma But Arthur had to ad and his faically twisted-up, inoperable leg and no asthht He shivered as he remembered the descent into Gri,’ said Emily ‘Are you cold? Or is it the pain?’
‘No, I’’s sore but it’s okay, really How’s Dad?’
E whether he was fit enough to be told the bad news It was bound to be bad news Arthur had defeated Gried to interfere with the Penhaligon fa e
‘Bob has been sorting things out all afternoon,’ E to do Right now it looks like we’ll keep the house, but we’ll have to rent it out and move soo back on tour with the band It’s just one of those things At least we didn’t have all our money in those two banks that failed yesterday A lot of people will be hurt by that’
‘What about those signs about the shopping one by the tih Bob said he saw thee When I asked Mrs Haskell in nu real estate agent had got thened a contract and everything But fortunately there was a loophole and they’ve et out of it They didn’t really want to sell So I guess there’ll be no shopping e their ht in theeither’
‘And Michaeli’s course? Has the university still got no money?’
‘That’s a bit more complicated It seems they had a lot of money with one of the failed banks, which has been lost But it’s possible the government will step in and ensure no courses are cancelled If Michaeli’s degree is discontinued, she’ll have to go somewhere else She was accepted by threeno, four other places She’ll be okay’
‘But she’ll have to leave home’
Arthur left another sentence unsaid
And it’s my fault I should have been quicker to deal with the Grotesques …
‘Well, I don’t think she’ll be too concerned about that Hoe’ll pay for it is a different matter But you don’t need to worry about all of this, Arthur You alant to take too etting better Your father and I willwill be --’ Eer she alore It jangled a few times, then a line of text ran around the rie
‘I have to go, Arthur’
‘It’s okay, Mu to deal with gigantic encies She was one of the most important medical researchers in the country The sudden attack and then abrupt cessation of the Sleepy Plague had given her a great deal of extra work
Eood luck rap of her knuckles on the foot of the bed Then she was gone
Arthur wondered if he’d ever be able to tell her that the Sleepy Plague had come frohtsweeper, a h he had brought back the cure, he still felt responsible for the plague in the first place
He looked at his watch It was still going backwards
A knock on the door ain He was as ready as he could be He had the Atlas in his pyjamas pocket, and he’d twisted nu the Captain’s oas on the chair next to the bed, along with his Iuised themselves as slippers He could only tell what they really were because they felt slightly electric and tingly when he picked them up
The knock was repeated Arthur didn’t answer He knew that Fetchers -- the creatures who had pursued him on Monday -- couldn’t cross a threshold without per to say a word -- just in case
He lay there silently, watching the door It slowly opened a crack Arthur reached across to the bedside table and picked up a paper packet of salt he’d kept from his lunch, ready to tear it open and throw it if a Fetcher peered around
But it wasn’t a dog-faced, bowler-hatted creature It was Leaf, his friend from school, who had helped save him from a Scoucher the day before, and who had been injured herself
‘Arthur?’
‘Leaf! Co her normal clothes: boots, jeans, and a T-shirt with an obscure band logo But her right ares
‘How’s your arure out what uy hit uess he wouldn’t believe the true story,’ said Arthur, thinking about the shape-changing Scoucher and its long, razor-tendrilled arms
‘What is the true story?’ asked Leaf She sat down on the visitor’s chair and looked intently at Arthur,him uncomfortable ‘I mean, all I know is that last week you were involved in soot even weirder this week, when you suddenly appeared in irl who hadwings You ran up the bedroo intoafter you, which could easily have killed otdestroyedby one of ain Then today I hear you’re in the next ith a broken leg What’s going on?’
Arthur opened his reat relief to tell Leaf everything At least she could see the Denizens of the House, when no one else could Perhaps, as she’d clairand Leaf everything er
‘Coed Leaf ‘What if one of those Scoucher things co else Like one of those dog-faces I’ve got a couple of Dad’s -faces?’
‘Fetchers,’ Arthur said slowly He held up the paper sachet ‘The dog-faces are called Fetchers Throw salt on theood start,’ said Leaf ‘Fetchers Where do they come from? What do they want?’
‘They’re servants,’ Arthur explained He started to talk faster and faster It was such a relief to tell so The ones you saere in the service of Mister Monday He iswas one of the seven Trustees of the House --’ ‘Hang on!’ Leaf interrupted ‘Slon Start at the beginning’
Arthur took a deep breath, as deep as his lungs allowed, and started at the beginning He told Leaf about his encounter with Mister Monday and Sneezer About Monday’s Noon pursuing hi sword He told her how he got into the House the first time, and how he met Suzy Turquoise Blue and the First Part of the Will, and the three of theether had ultihtsweeper to cure the Sleepy Plague, and how he’d thought he would be left alone till he grew up, only to have that hope dashed by Grim Tuesday’s Grotesques, whose appearance had led to his return to the House, his descent into the Pit, and his eventual triumph over Grim Tuesday
Leaf occasionally asked a question, butArthur had to say Finally, he showed her the cardboard invitation from Lady Wednesday She took it and read it several times