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Authors: Eva Ibbotson
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there – there’s no one to check him.’
‘I suppose there can be no doubt who Raymond is?’ asked Cor.
Ernie shook his head. ‘I saw her steal the baby. I saw her come back a year later with the baby in her arms. What’s more, he had the same comforter in his mouth. I noticed it particularly with it being on a gold ring. He’ll be the Prince all right.’
‘And what about Ben?’ asked Gurkintrude.
‘Ah, he’s a different kettle of fish, Ben is. Been here as long as Raymond and you couldn’t find a better lad. He can see ghosts too and never a squawk out of him. The servants treat him like dirt – take their tone from Mrs Trottle. It’ll be a bad day for the boy when his Grandma dies.’
He then glided off to watch Albert Fisher eat bangers and mash in his old house and make himself miserable, but first he promised the help of all the ghosts in the city if it was needed. ‘And not just ghosts – there’s all sorts would like to see things come right on the Island,’ he said.
He had no sooner gone than Ben came hurrying out of the house towards them, and Odge – who had been exercising her present in the shrubbery – crawled out with her suitcase and said ‘hello’.
‘How was your grandmother?’ Gurkie asked.
A shadow crossed Ben’s face. ‘She says she’s all right but she doesn’t look very well to me.’ And then: ‘How did it go at lunch?’
‘Raymond was awful,’ said Odge. ‘I think he’s disgusting. I think we should have a republic on the Island and not bother with a prince once the King and Queen are dead.’
‘ Odge !’ said Gurkie in a warning voice.
Odge hung her head. She had not meant to betray the reason for their journey any more than she had meant to ill-wish the Knickerbocker Glory, but she was a girl with strong feelings.
But Cor had come to a decision.
‘I think, Ben,’ he said, ‘that you are a boy who can keep a secret?’
‘Yes, sir, I am,’ said Ben without hesitation.
‘You see, we shall need your help. You know Raymond’s movements and where he sleeps and so on. So we had better explain why we are here.’
He then told him about the Island, about the sorrow of the King and Queen, about their quest.
Ben listened in silence and when they had finished his eyes were bright with wonder. ‘I always knew there had to be a place like that. I knew it!’ But he was amazed that Raymond had been stolen. ‘Mrs Trottle’s got his birth certificate framed in her room.’
‘Well, that just shows she’s a cheat, doesn’t it?’ said Odge. ‘Who’d want to frame a crummy birth certificate unless they had something to hide?’
‘Now, listen, Ben,’ the wizard went on, ‘we want you to take us to see Raymond when he’s alone. Do you know when that might be?’
‘Tonight would be good. The Trottles are going out and Mrs Flint’s meant to listen for him – that’s the cook – but all she does is switch the telly on full blast and stay in her sitting room.’
‘That will do then. And now we must think how to win Raymond’s trust and make him come with us. What sort of things does he like?’
This was difficult. Ben could think of a lot of things Raymond didn’t like. After a pause he said: ‘Presents. He likes getting things.’
‘Ah, in that case—’
‘ No !’ Odge broke in most rudely. S he was clutching the suitcase and her green eye gave off beams of fury. ‘I won’t give this present to that pig of a boy.’
Cornelius rose. ‘How dare you speak like that to your superiors?’
But Odge stood her ground. ‘This present is special. I brought it up from when it was tiny and it’s still a baby and I’m not going to give it to Raymond because he’s horrible. I’m going to give it to Ben.’
Gurkintrude now knelt down beside the hag. ‘Look, Odge, I know how you feel. But it’s our duty to bring back the Prince. The Queen trusted you as much as she trusted us and it was because you thought of such a lovely present for her
‘I suppose there can be no doubt who Raymond is?’ asked Cor.
Ernie shook his head. ‘I saw her steal the baby. I saw her come back a year later with the baby in her arms. What’s more, he had the same comforter in his mouth. I noticed it particularly with it being on a gold ring. He’ll be the Prince all right.’
‘And what about Ben?’ asked Gurkintrude.
‘Ah, he’s a different kettle of fish, Ben is. Been here as long as Raymond and you couldn’t find a better lad. He can see ghosts too and never a squawk out of him. The servants treat him like dirt – take their tone from Mrs Trottle. It’ll be a bad day for the boy when his Grandma dies.’
He then glided off to watch Albert Fisher eat bangers and mash in his old house and make himself miserable, but first he promised the help of all the ghosts in the city if it was needed. ‘And not just ghosts – there’s all sorts would like to see things come right on the Island,’ he said.
He had no sooner gone than Ben came hurrying out of the house towards them, and Odge – who had been exercising her present in the shrubbery – crawled out with her suitcase and said ‘hello’.
‘How was your grandmother?’ Gurkie asked.
A shadow crossed Ben’s face. ‘She says she’s all right but she doesn’t look very well to me.’ And then: ‘How did it go at lunch?’
‘Raymond was awful,’ said Odge. ‘I think he’s disgusting. I think we should have a republic on the Island and not bother with a prince once the King and Queen are dead.’
‘ Odge !’ said Gurkie in a warning voice.
Odge hung her head. She had not meant to betray the reason for their journey any more than she had meant to ill-wish the Knickerbocker Glory, but she was a girl with strong feelings.
But Cor had come to a decision.
‘I think, Ben,’ he said, ‘that you are a boy who can keep a secret?’
‘Yes, sir, I am,’ said Ben without hesitation.
‘You see, we shall need your help. You know Raymond’s movements and where he sleeps and so on. So we had better explain why we are here.’
He then told him about the Island, about the sorrow of the King and Queen, about their quest.
Ben listened in silence and when they had finished his eyes were bright with wonder. ‘I always knew there had to be a place like that. I knew it!’ But he was amazed that Raymond had been stolen. ‘Mrs Trottle’s got his birth certificate framed in her room.’
‘Well, that just shows she’s a cheat, doesn’t it?’ said Odge. ‘Who’d want to frame a crummy birth certificate unless they had something to hide?’
‘Now, listen, Ben,’ the wizard went on, ‘we want you to take us to see Raymond when he’s alone. Do you know when that might be?’
‘Tonight would be good. The Trottles are going out and Mrs Flint’s meant to listen for him – that’s the cook – but all she does is switch the telly on full blast and stay in her sitting room.’
‘That will do then. And now we must think how to win Raymond’s trust and make him come with us. What sort of things does he like?’
This was difficult. Ben could think of a lot of things Raymond didn’t like. After a pause he said: ‘Presents. He likes getting things.’
‘Ah, in that case—’
‘ No !’ Odge broke in most rudely. S he was clutching the suitcase and her green eye gave off beams of fury. ‘I won’t give this present to that pig of a boy.’
Cornelius rose. ‘How dare you speak like that to your superiors?’
But Odge stood her ground. ‘This present is special. I brought it up from when it was tiny and it’s still a baby and I’m not going to give it to Raymond because he’s horrible. I’m going to give it to Ben.’
Gurkintrude now knelt down beside the hag. ‘Look, Odge, I know how you feel. But it’s our duty to bring back the Prince. The Queen trusted you as much as she trusted us and it was because you thought of such a lovely present for her
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