left of them.”
“Was it …
magicked?
” Lewis asked curiously.
“You could call it that,” Casimir said, looking old, tired and decidedly worried. “There’s only one way to find out. We’ll getthe carpet to fly around and see if we can spot any goblins. There might be some left lurking around to tell us what went on!”
The carpet took off again and this time flew high among the snowy peaks. Lewis hugged himself as the biting cold chilled him to the bone.
“There,” Casimir said. “That’s a goblin’s cave if ever I saw one!”
The carpet hovered outside the cave and Lewis retched at the foul, disgusting smell that came from it. He’d never met a goblin before and wasn’t particularly anxious to meet one now. But, since Casimir was inside him, he had no choice but to go into the cave holding the mirror in front of him. The place stank to the heavens and Lewis would have given anything to be able to turn round and leave. From the mirror, Casimir spoke magic words in a strange voice and, from the back of the cave there was a rustling and heaving as a ghastly creature rose from its dark depths and moved into the dim light that filtered in from outside. Lewis felt sick. The goblin was green and totally revolting, with gleaming red eyes, sharp teeth and claws. It smelt foul and was covered in sagging folds of knobbly, papery skin that rustled as it moved.
“Tell me!” Casimir demanded from the mirror. “Tell me what happened at Ardray!”
The goblin stared in blank amazement at Casimir’s face in the mirror. “Prince Casimir!” it slavered, gnashing sharp teeth. “You have returned!”
“As you see,” snapped the prince.
The goblin bowed and grovelled in front of him. “Ardray is no more, Master,” it said sorrowfully.
“Tell me about it!” demanded Casimir. “At once!”
The goblin fawned at his feet in a stinking rustle of flesh. “Your son, Prince Kalman, found the Sultan’s Crown and kept it in the room of mirrors but Lord Rothlan and the Turkish Sultan came and took it from him.”
“You were there?”
“Yes, master. I saw the Sultan take the crown from the Prince. Rothlan’s eagle, Amgarad, attacked him and he tried to escape through one of the mirrors.”
“And?”
“It was locked on the other side, Master. They trapped him between mirrors and Ardray shook with the violence of it. I was lucky to get away before it disintegrated altogether.”
Casimir’s face suddenly grew strained and old. He looked at the goblin. “You don’t happen to know where the mirror was set for, do you?”
“Oh, yes, Master. There was never any secret about it,” the goblin looked surprised. “We all knew that the mirrors were set for Edinburgh!”
9. Shades of the Past
A howling blizzard had blown throughout the night and as Neil and Clara sailed up the High Street on their magic carpets , skimming between the white roofs of the picturesque old houses, they looked around in wonder. It was like fairyland. The whole of Edinburgh lay deep in drifts of snow that glinted crisp and white in the thin rays of a wintry sun.
Kitor shivered on Clara’s shoulder and shifted on his claws as she fastened the top button of her coat and stuck her gloved hands in her pockets. Although she couldn’t see him, she knew her magic carpet was following Neil’s and as it soared above a double-decker bus she crossed her fingers and hoped that their plan would work and they’d be able to get into the Close unseen.
When they reached the City Chambers, her carpet hovered uncertainly and then headed for the broad, arched passageway that led to the entrance. Despite the weather, Mary King’s Close seemed quite busy, with one or two huge, tourists buses parked outside. Clara watched as the swing-door suddenly swung open and then closed again. Good, she thought. That means Neil’s inside. Now it’s my turn. Choosing a time when the doorway was empty of people, Clara’s carpet sailed down so that she, too,
“Was it …
magicked?
” Lewis asked curiously.
“You could call it that,” Casimir said, looking old, tired and decidedly worried. “There’s only one way to find out. We’ll getthe carpet to fly around and see if we can spot any goblins. There might be some left lurking around to tell us what went on!”
The carpet took off again and this time flew high among the snowy peaks. Lewis hugged himself as the biting cold chilled him to the bone.
“There,” Casimir said. “That’s a goblin’s cave if ever I saw one!”
The carpet hovered outside the cave and Lewis retched at the foul, disgusting smell that came from it. He’d never met a goblin before and wasn’t particularly anxious to meet one now. But, since Casimir was inside him, he had no choice but to go into the cave holding the mirror in front of him. The place stank to the heavens and Lewis would have given anything to be able to turn round and leave. From the mirror, Casimir spoke magic words in a strange voice and, from the back of the cave there was a rustling and heaving as a ghastly creature rose from its dark depths and moved into the dim light that filtered in from outside. Lewis felt sick. The goblin was green and totally revolting, with gleaming red eyes, sharp teeth and claws. It smelt foul and was covered in sagging folds of knobbly, papery skin that rustled as it moved.
“Tell me!” Casimir demanded from the mirror. “Tell me what happened at Ardray!”
The goblin stared in blank amazement at Casimir’s face in the mirror. “Prince Casimir!” it slavered, gnashing sharp teeth. “You have returned!”
“As you see,” snapped the prince.
The goblin bowed and grovelled in front of him. “Ardray is no more, Master,” it said sorrowfully.
“Tell me about it!” demanded Casimir. “At once!”
The goblin fawned at his feet in a stinking rustle of flesh. “Your son, Prince Kalman, found the Sultan’s Crown and kept it in the room of mirrors but Lord Rothlan and the Turkish Sultan came and took it from him.”
“You were there?”
“Yes, master. I saw the Sultan take the crown from the Prince. Rothlan’s eagle, Amgarad, attacked him and he tried to escape through one of the mirrors.”
“And?”
“It was locked on the other side, Master. They trapped him between mirrors and Ardray shook with the violence of it. I was lucky to get away before it disintegrated altogether.”
Casimir’s face suddenly grew strained and old. He looked at the goblin. “You don’t happen to know where the mirror was set for, do you?”
“Oh, yes, Master. There was never any secret about it,” the goblin looked surprised. “We all knew that the mirrors were set for Edinburgh!”
9. Shades of the Past
A howling blizzard had blown throughout the night and as Neil and Clara sailed up the High Street on their magic carpets , skimming between the white roofs of the picturesque old houses, they looked around in wonder. It was like fairyland. The whole of Edinburgh lay deep in drifts of snow that glinted crisp and white in the thin rays of a wintry sun.
Kitor shivered on Clara’s shoulder and shifted on his claws as she fastened the top button of her coat and stuck her gloved hands in her pockets. Although she couldn’t see him, she knew her magic carpet was following Neil’s and as it soared above a double-decker bus she crossed her fingers and hoped that their plan would work and they’d be able to get into the Close unseen.
When they reached the City Chambers, her carpet hovered uncertainly and then headed for the broad, arched passageway that led to the entrance. Despite the weather, Mary King’s Close seemed quite busy, with one or two huge, tourists buses parked outside. Clara watched as the swing-door suddenly swung open and then closed again. Good, she thought. That means Neil’s inside. Now it’s my turn. Choosing a time when the doorway was empty of people, Clara’s carpet sailed down so that she, too,
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