“You said that you had lots to tell us when you came in. Did something happen at school?”
Neil told them with Clara chipping in occasionally.
“You saw a witch — on a broomstick?” her mother said in disbelief.
“I was wearing my firestone,” Clara nodded. “That’s why I could see her. She’d be invisible to everyone else, of course.”
“What worries me most about the whole affair is that Herr von Grozny
knew
we were in the library,” interrupted Neil, “we were wearing our rings and only magic people would sense that we were there, you know.”
Clara nodded. “I had German yesterday,” she said with a sudden shiver, “and I was scared to look him in the face.”
Neil nodded. “We’re all dead quiet in his class,” he admitted. “But he’s a superb teacher. I can speak quite a lot of German already, you know. It’s …”
“It’s what, Neil?” his father queried, looking at him in surprise, for Neil had stopped abruptly.
“I was going to say,” Neil swallowed, “that it was … almost magical how easily I was picking it up.”
Clara looked at him, gathering his meaning. “Yeah,” she said thoughtfully, “I’ve been finding it dead easy as well. Do you think he is? I mean, using magic to get us to learn?”
Neil nodded.
“Maybe we should go up to Edinburgh tomorrow,” Mrs MacLean said uneasily as she looked across the room at her husband. “I’d be a lot happier if the MacArthur knew what was going on.”
Her husband nodded. “You’re right,” he agreed, “but it’ll have to be next weekend. You’re forgetting that the builder’s dropping by tomorrow with some tile samples.”
“Next week will be okay,” Neil nodded, “and you don’t need to drive down to collect us,” he added. “We can get the school bus to drop us at Berwick Station and catch the train up to Edinburgh.”
“Great,” Clara said, her eyes shining at the thought of an unexpected train journey, “and you never know, maybe the MacArthur will be able to solve Auntie Muriel’s riddle as well,” she added.
The MacArthur raised his eyebrows when he read Clara’s riddle and, handing it to Hamish, Jaikie and Archie, looked at her thoughtfully. The talisman, as he had told her, was a powerful object of magic and what the Lords of the North would say at such a turn of events, he wasn’t quite sure. Arthur, the great dragon, curled contentedly beside the MacArthur’s chair, listened with the others as Neil and Clara recounted what had happened at school the week before and, when they’d finished, said in his hissing, dragon voice. “Lady Merial has given you a dangerous task, Clara.”
Everyone nodded and looked questioningly at the MacArthur.
“We were hoping that you might be able to work out the riddle ,” John MacLean said hopefully.
The MacArthur shook his head as did Hamish, Jaikie and Archie. “I wish I could, but I’m as baffled as you are,” he admitted .
“I was hoping that Kitor might be here,” Clara said, looking round for the crow that had shared many of their adventures. “I thought it might be a good idea if he and Cassia could come to school and stay with us for a while. The grounds are huge and there are lots of trees around for them to hide in. They’d be able to keep a look out for the witch and tell us where she goes and everything.”
“That’s not a problem,” the MacArthur smiled. “They’ll be back soon and you can sort it out then. I’m sure they’d love to stay with you.”
“That’s a great idea, Clara,” Neil said, sitting up straight on his cushion. “They could take messages between us, as well,” he added, looking at the MacArthur. “We hardly see one another at school,” he explained, “and we need to keep in touch.”
“It’s a pity that we’re too far away from Edinburgh to call our magic carpets all the time,” Clara said. “They’d be ideal for exploring the countryside.”
Hamish and Jaikie looked at one another and
Neil told them with Clara chipping in occasionally.
“You saw a witch — on a broomstick?” her mother said in disbelief.
“I was wearing my firestone,” Clara nodded. “That’s why I could see her. She’d be invisible to everyone else, of course.”
“What worries me most about the whole affair is that Herr von Grozny
knew
we were in the library,” interrupted Neil, “we were wearing our rings and only magic people would sense that we were there, you know.”
Clara nodded. “I had German yesterday,” she said with a sudden shiver, “and I was scared to look him in the face.”
Neil nodded. “We’re all dead quiet in his class,” he admitted. “But he’s a superb teacher. I can speak quite a lot of German already, you know. It’s …”
“It’s what, Neil?” his father queried, looking at him in surprise, for Neil had stopped abruptly.
“I was going to say,” Neil swallowed, “that it was … almost magical how easily I was picking it up.”
Clara looked at him, gathering his meaning. “Yeah,” she said thoughtfully, “I’ve been finding it dead easy as well. Do you think he is? I mean, using magic to get us to learn?”
Neil nodded.
“Maybe we should go up to Edinburgh tomorrow,” Mrs MacLean said uneasily as she looked across the room at her husband. “I’d be a lot happier if the MacArthur knew what was going on.”
Her husband nodded. “You’re right,” he agreed, “but it’ll have to be next weekend. You’re forgetting that the builder’s dropping by tomorrow with some tile samples.”
“Next week will be okay,” Neil nodded, “and you don’t need to drive down to collect us,” he added. “We can get the school bus to drop us at Berwick Station and catch the train up to Edinburgh.”
“Great,” Clara said, her eyes shining at the thought of an unexpected train journey, “and you never know, maybe the MacArthur will be able to solve Auntie Muriel’s riddle as well,” she added.
The MacArthur raised his eyebrows when he read Clara’s riddle and, handing it to Hamish, Jaikie and Archie, looked at her thoughtfully. The talisman, as he had told her, was a powerful object of magic and what the Lords of the North would say at such a turn of events, he wasn’t quite sure. Arthur, the great dragon, curled contentedly beside the MacArthur’s chair, listened with the others as Neil and Clara recounted what had happened at school the week before and, when they’d finished, said in his hissing, dragon voice. “Lady Merial has given you a dangerous task, Clara.”
Everyone nodded and looked questioningly at the MacArthur.
“We were hoping that you might be able to work out the riddle ,” John MacLean said hopefully.
The MacArthur shook his head as did Hamish, Jaikie and Archie. “I wish I could, but I’m as baffled as you are,” he admitted .
“I was hoping that Kitor might be here,” Clara said, looking round for the crow that had shared many of their adventures. “I thought it might be a good idea if he and Cassia could come to school and stay with us for a while. The grounds are huge and there are lots of trees around for them to hide in. They’d be able to keep a look out for the witch and tell us where she goes and everything.”
“That’s not a problem,” the MacArthur smiled. “They’ll be back soon and you can sort it out then. I’m sure they’d love to stay with you.”
“That’s a great idea, Clara,” Neil said, sitting up straight on his cushion. “They could take messages between us, as well,” he added, looking at the MacArthur. “We hardly see one another at school,” he explained, “and we need to keep in touch.”
“It’s a pity that we’re too far away from Edinburgh to call our magic carpets all the time,” Clara said. “They’d be ideal for exploring the countryside.”
Hamish and Jaikie looked at one another and
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