moment we found they were in town you see, and when they found they couldn’t get near us,
I
think they tried to catch whoever they could.”
Archie nodded. “You’re probably right,” he agreed. “Although he doesn’t realize it, MacGregor still has a lot of magic in him. If he hadn’t, he’d never have been able to see the sign in the first place, far less get into the restaurant.”
“But he couldn’t find it afterwards, when he went looking for it,” objected the Ranger.
“They probably just made it invisible to him,” Archie shrugged. “By then, they’d have realized that he was of no use to them. They couldn’t have known, though, that he’d tell
you
about the restaurant.” He nodded sagely. “They struck lucky there, actually, for you proved a different kettle of fish entirely.
You
, after all, were wearing firestones! Aye, their gamble paid off in the end,” he said smiling wryly.
“We were lucky, too,” muttered Sir James, his eyes turning to the tunnel that led to the room where the talks were being held. “If Rothlan hadn’t been watching the Turks through his crystal — well, at this moment in time we would probably still be stuck in Turkey with the Sultan.”
Lady Ellan’s eyes followed his glance as she approached thedais. “Are they still talking?” she queried. “I was hoping some news might have leaked out.”
Jaikie shook his head. “Not a thing so far,” he answered, “but by my reckoning, they ought to be out pretty soon.”
“How on earth do you work that out?” asked Ellan.
Jaikie grinned. “Your father must be onto his third pipe by now and after the fourth, I doubt if there’ll be any air left to breathe in there!”
“Let’s hope they won’t be much longer, then,” she said, smiling appreciatively, for her father’s addiction to a foul- smelling pipe had long been a source of argument between them. “Actually, we’re just going to the back of the hall to choose a carpet for Mrs MacLean. Call me when there’s any news, won’t you!”
Neil and Clara clapped their hands twice when they reached the side of the cave where hundreds of magic carpets were stacked in neat rolls against the wall. Immediately, two carpets unrolled themselves swiftly and sailed gracefully towards them. Clara patted hers gently and felt the carpet ripple with pleasure . Lady Ellan, too, stroked it fondly. Patterned in an intricate design of red and blue, it had been her carpet as a child and she had chosen it specially for Clara when she had first come into the hill. Now she looked for another and, in the end, selected one with a pattern of birds and flowers for Mrs MacLean.
“There, Janet,” she said kindly, “this will be your carpet from now on. Remember, though, you have to be wearing your firestone to call it.
“Can I call it now?”
“Yes, of course,” Ellan smiled. “Clap your hands together twice, say ‘carpet’ and it will come to you.”
Mrs MacLean clapped her hands briskly, said “carpet” and watched excitedly as her carpet rose to hover in front of her.
“Why don’t you fly round the hall for a while,” suggested Lady Ellan. “Until the meeting finishes, we’ve really nothing else to do.”
“Good idea,” Neil said delightedly, grinning at Clara as his mother climbed onto her carpet and set off round the vast hall. “It’s been ages since we last flew on the carpets! I’d forgotten how totally fab it is. Mind out, Arthur! Here I come!”
Clara nodded in agreement as she scrambled onto hers and prepared to follow her mother round the hall. “I wish we could have another adventure like the last one,” she called to Neil. “Life at the moment seems … I don’t know … just plain dull!”
Neil grinned at her and felt the same old feeling of excitement thrill through him as his carpet zoomed through the air. Clara was right. Life
had
been dull of late; nothing but school, school and more school. Now he sat, tense and alert, on the
I
think they tried to catch whoever they could.”
Archie nodded. “You’re probably right,” he agreed. “Although he doesn’t realize it, MacGregor still has a lot of magic in him. If he hadn’t, he’d never have been able to see the sign in the first place, far less get into the restaurant.”
“But he couldn’t find it afterwards, when he went looking for it,” objected the Ranger.
“They probably just made it invisible to him,” Archie shrugged. “By then, they’d have realized that he was of no use to them. They couldn’t have known, though, that he’d tell
you
about the restaurant.” He nodded sagely. “They struck lucky there, actually, for you proved a different kettle of fish entirely.
You
, after all, were wearing firestones! Aye, their gamble paid off in the end,” he said smiling wryly.
“We were lucky, too,” muttered Sir James, his eyes turning to the tunnel that led to the room where the talks were being held. “If Rothlan hadn’t been watching the Turks through his crystal — well, at this moment in time we would probably still be stuck in Turkey with the Sultan.”
Lady Ellan’s eyes followed his glance as she approached thedais. “Are they still talking?” she queried. “I was hoping some news might have leaked out.”
Jaikie shook his head. “Not a thing so far,” he answered, “but by my reckoning, they ought to be out pretty soon.”
“How on earth do you work that out?” asked Ellan.
Jaikie grinned. “Your father must be onto his third pipe by now and after the fourth, I doubt if there’ll be any air left to breathe in there!”
“Let’s hope they won’t be much longer, then,” she said, smiling appreciatively, for her father’s addiction to a foul- smelling pipe had long been a source of argument between them. “Actually, we’re just going to the back of the hall to choose a carpet for Mrs MacLean. Call me when there’s any news, won’t you!”
Neil and Clara clapped their hands twice when they reached the side of the cave where hundreds of magic carpets were stacked in neat rolls against the wall. Immediately, two carpets unrolled themselves swiftly and sailed gracefully towards them. Clara patted hers gently and felt the carpet ripple with pleasure . Lady Ellan, too, stroked it fondly. Patterned in an intricate design of red and blue, it had been her carpet as a child and she had chosen it specially for Clara when she had first come into the hill. Now she looked for another and, in the end, selected one with a pattern of birds and flowers for Mrs MacLean.
“There, Janet,” she said kindly, “this will be your carpet from now on. Remember, though, you have to be wearing your firestone to call it.
“Can I call it now?”
“Yes, of course,” Ellan smiled. “Clap your hands together twice, say ‘carpet’ and it will come to you.”
Mrs MacLean clapped her hands briskly, said “carpet” and watched excitedly as her carpet rose to hover in front of her.
“Why don’t you fly round the hall for a while,” suggested Lady Ellan. “Until the meeting finishes, we’ve really nothing else to do.”
“Good idea,” Neil said delightedly, grinning at Clara as his mother climbed onto her carpet and set off round the vast hall. “It’s been ages since we last flew on the carpets! I’d forgotten how totally fab it is. Mind out, Arthur! Here I come!”
Clara nodded in agreement as she scrambled onto hers and prepared to follow her mother round the hall. “I wish we could have another adventure like the last one,” she called to Neil. “Life at the moment seems … I don’t know … just plain dull!”
Neil grinned at her and felt the same old feeling of excitement thrill through him as his carpet zoomed through the air. Clara was right. Life
had
been dull of late; nothing but school, school and more school. Now he sat, tense and alert, on the
Similar Books
