Read Online The Underground City by Anne Forbes - Free Book Online Page A

could slip inside. It wasn’t quite plain sailing, however, and she had to hang on to her carpet as it suddenly tipped sideways to avoid a couple of teenagers. Kitor squawked in alarm as he dug his claws into her coat to keep his balance and some heads turned at the sudden noise but, as Kitor was invisible, they could see nothing. Clara sighed with relief. At least they were inside! Her carpet sailed roundthe entrance hall where people were clustered either waiting for the next tour to start or just wandering round looking at the displays and items for sale in the shop.
    “Hang on, Kitor,” she whispered to the crow as one of the tour guides, dressed in old-fashioned clothes, got his tour group together and opened the door. “We’re heading for the stairs!” As the carpet tilted forward steeply, she leant back, grabbing at its sides to help her keep her balance as it sailed down into the depths of the earth.
    Once in the network of old rooms and cellars, she looked around interestedly and then gulped in horror for, just as Neil had done, she saw the ghosts at once. She felt Kitor’s claws dig into her shoulders and knew that he was probably just as scared of them as she was.
    Her carpet floated through a window into the Close itself and as they drifted here and there, following Neil’s carpet, Clara realized that he was probably looking for Mary King. Time passed and still they circled over the heads of tourists and ghosts alike. Then she heard Neil’s voice close to her. “Clara, I can’t see her anywhere! I’m going to ask one of the ghosts to fetch her. I’ll get off the carpet so that they can see me!”
    “Be careful, Neil!” she warned. “It won’t only be the ghosts that’ll be able to see you!”
    Neil slipped off his carpet and stood right in front of an elderly ghost wearing a wig, knee breeches and a brocaded coat. He looked right into the ghost’s empty eyes and said briefly. “My name’s Neil. I was here before. I’ve come to speak to Mary King.”
    Clara giggled and then clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle the noise. Usually ghosts scare people but Neil had obviously given this ghost the fright of its life! It stepped hastily into a brick wall and then stuck its head back through to see if Neil was still there.
    “Go on, then! Fetch her!” Neil said to the astounded ghost. “Ican’t stand here all day!” And to the ghost’s amazement he got back on his carpet and disappeared.
    Mary King arrived a few minutes later and looked around suspiciously. Again Neil clambered off his carpet and she jerked backwards at his sudden appearance. “We can’t talk here,” he said quickly. “I’ll see you down at the end of the Close.”
    Word had obviously spread among the ghosts that something quite out of the ordinary was happening and Clara watched in horror as they started to drift from windows, walls and houses in their hundreds. She soared above them, quite invisible on her carpet, for they had agreed beforehand that only Neil would show himself to the ghosts. Peering over its edge, she looked in awe at the fearsome, ghastly crowd that followed Mary King to the end of the Close.
    Neil got off his carpet and promptly wished he hadn’t, for the sea of faces that confronted him wasn’t the least bit friendly.
    “Are you one of the magic people?” Mary King asked abruptly, her face set and angry.
    Neil dug his nails into the palms of his hands to stop himself from trembling and shook his head. “No, I’m not,” he said.
    “How come you have a magic carpet then?” queried another ghost, pushing its way to the front of the crowd. “In this city it’s only the MacArthurs that have carpets! Are you one of them?”
    “No, but I know them. That’s how I have a carpet.”
    The crowd gave an angry growl.
    “Look,” Neil said, cross with himself at feeling so scared and suddenly fed up with the lot of them, “
you
asked me to come here.
You
said you needed my help. Well, here I am!