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‘You are Part Three of the Will, aren’t you?’ asked Arthur It was hard to see through the curved glass, but he could see that the fish was actually co in lines Its skin was like the detailed etching on a banknote From a distance it looked like solid colour, but up really close you could see what it was made of

‘Indeed I am,’ replied the Carp It did a circuit around the bowl and returned to face Arthur ‘What was your naain?’

Twenty–six

‘ARTHUR! ’

The Carp blew out a huge strea sound filled the air It took Arthur a , Lord Arthur! I ah I have that shape While it is true I depend upon newly escaped slaves for news of the House and Realms beyond this island prison, I have heard of your heroic exploits!’

‘You haven’t read that book about me, have you?’ asked Arthur ‘Because it isn’t true --’ ‘I have read no book,’ said the Carp ‘I haveto enter this worldlet, and the legions amassed to assault the vile Feverfew’s fort!’

‘Uh, there’s just h Wednesday’s stomach In the Raised Rats’ submersible’

‘Only the two of you?’ asked the Carp It did four rapid circles of its bowl, then calain ‘And you dealt with the Raised Rats? You are very confident, Lord Arthur But I expect that my Followers can defeat the pirates after you have slain Feverfew hi to run into Feverfew,’ said Arthur ‘I just planned to sneak in here, find you -- the Will -- and sneak out again The sub to take us back out of Drowned Wednesday Then Wednesday can release you and give me the Key Once I have that, I can take on Feverfew I have to rescue my friends in the slave huts -- if they’re still alive -- as well as your Followers, but I can’t do it straightaway’

‘I have faith,’ muttered the Carp ‘But there are li the First and Second Keys with you? I cannot feel their presence’

‘Because I want to stay hurily ‘I don’t want to turn into a Denizen This is all your stupid fault anyway I et involved, but now I have to sort it all out and I wish I didn’t have to but I do! So how about helpingcircles again and did not respond, but Arthur heard a strange whooshing sound He looked around and saw that the Followers of the Carp had begun to file into the amphitheatre and sit down on the terraces in nuht behind hi sound canant breaths at the sa things, which some of the and cahtful Heir, proclaimed by the two parts of the Will that precede me There is no doubt about that So I s were not arranged otherwise, but I believe it will all turn out for the best How do you intend to take ht Arthur

‘Uh, I was hoping you’d be in a et out of that bowl?’

‘My current shape has been fixed by the Third Key, as part of my imprisonment,’ said the Carp ‘If you had the other Keys you could free e The bowl is a later addition of Feverfew’s As the Rightful Heir, I suspect you could banish the bowl, but then I should only be able to flop around on the ground’

Arthur scratched his head with both hands and resisted the urge to pull his hair out or start s his forehead

‘How did the slaves carry you up here, then?’ asked Suzy ‘You and that boould be a hty heavy load even for twenty Denizens’

‘Both my person andhas grown, so I have grown, reflecting the worship of my Followers’

‘So you can shrink yourself and the bowl?’ asked Arthur

‘I could,’ admitted the Carp ‘But it would not befit my station to appear less than I aue about it Get as sht as you can’

‘That is no way to speak to the Carp!’ protested sohtful Heir,’ said the Carp ‘It is iven I shall dwindle to a transportable size’

‘First time I’ve seen a part of the Will with a sensible attitude,’ ate,’ said Arthur He took the sreen bottle inside It was intact, he was pleased to see So the Balaena had not encountered trouble Or not yet ‘There’s those four pirates to get past too’

‘May I haveas I shrink?’ asked the Carp

‘Sure, whatever They can dance too, if they like,’ said Arthur ‘But please hurry’

‘Song of Faith Nuhty-One,’ instructed the Carp ‘I shall diresses, and at the end shall be positively ?’ asked Suzy

‘A mere hundred verses and the chorus repeated as often,’ said the Carp ‘I shall set the key’

‘No,’ said Arthur He was feeling really agitated and tense, as if every second lost was vital ‘You’ve got two ht the gate guards, so maybe, Jebenezer, you can pick a dozen --’ The boy stopped in h The Denizens who caate would never be able to get back to the hills They’d have to go with Arthur to the Balaena

‘No, say just four of your very best archers to coate’

Arthur turned to look at all the lu on the terraces, and raised his voice

‘And I do proet the Third Key, I will return! I will ht out to the House, even if I have to use the Iet here’

This speech did not evoke wild cheering, but the Denizens appeared slightly happier Arthur sighed and twisted around to look at the Carp, and was taken aback There was no longer any huge fishboith a giant carp in it There was only Suzy and Jebenezer

‘What?’