then at the MacArthur. “Er … there are always the broomsticks,” Jaikie offered tentatively.
“Broomsticks?” Neil and Clara repeated together, looking at him in amazement. “What broomsticks?”
“The Snow Witches’ broomsticks that we used when we were trying to get the Sultan’s Crown from Prince Kalman. We brought them back from Ardray, remember?”
“Yes,” nodded Clara, “that’s right, we did … I remember now.”
“Well, they’re here,” Jaikie said. “Hamish and I saw them just the other day. They’re in one of the store rooms.”
“Brilliant,” Clara said, looking eagerly at the MacArthur. “That would mean that Neil and I could meet up at night and nobody would know.”
“Hmmm,” said the MacArthur, looking doubtful.
“We have our magic rings as well,” Neil reminded him, “no one would see us.”
“It’s not that,” Archie broke in, suddenly concerned. “The witches are a vicious lot and they have some really nasty hexes up their sleeves. You’ve got to be careful.”
Seeing the look of apprehension that crossed Mrs MacLean’s face, the MacArthur beckoned Neil and Clara forward.
“Come here a minute,” he said, “and give me your firestones.”
Lifting their hands to their necks, Neil and Clara unfastened the chains that held their glowing firestones. The MacArthur rose to his feet and putting them on a small side table, hexed them. The flash of light that streaked from his fingers made them jump, even though they were expecting it, and they watched with fascinated eyes as, for a second, the firestonesglowed with a luminous brilliance. It wasn’t often that they saw the MacArthur use his magic and they were impressed.
It was only when the light faded that the MacArthur handed them back and as Clara fastened her firestone round her neck, she felt its magic spark against her.
“You said that the teacher in the library sensed that you were there, even though he couldn’t see you and had no way of knowing that you were there?” the MacArthur said.
They both nodded.
“That for me was the most interesting part of your story,” he said, sitting back in his chair and adjusting some cushions as he fished for his pipe.
“I thought …” Neil ventured. “I thought that he could smell us. I know it sounds stupid,” he added quickly, “but he sort of raised his head and sniffed the air.”
There was a deathly silence as Hamish, Jaikie and Arthur stiffened and looked at the MacArthur.
“Does your German teacher have striking blue eyes?” Archie asked in a curious voice.
Neil nodded.
“Pale blue eyes?”
Again Neil nodded and Archie’s face turned as white as a sheet.
“The Onegin!” Jaikie whispered, looking at the MacArthur in awe.
“On – yeg – in?” repeated Neil curiously. “Who or what are they?”
“The Wolf People,” Hamish breathed, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck rise.
Neil and Clara eyed one another sideways as Arthur sent a streaming curl of fire over the paved floor round the dais. Wolf People?
“I guessed as much,” the MacArthur said. “That’s why I put a powerful spell on your firestones.” He glanced at Neil and Clara. “No one will be able to sense your presence now,” he assured them, “neither the witches, nor the wolves. As long as you’re wearing your firestones, they won’t know you are among them.”
“But I don’t
want
Neil and Clara to be among them,” Mrs MacLean said jumping to her feet. “The witches were bad enough but wolves as well …” She turned to her husband, almost in tears. “John, say something!” she implored. “This is dangerous!”
“It does sound dangerous,” admitted the Ranger, looking at the MacArthur in some concern. “Who and what are these Wolf People? They sound quite frightening!”
“They
are
frightening,” Archie muttered under his breath.
The Wolf People come from the Erevin Mountains in Central Europe, mainly from a little state called Ashgar —
“Broomsticks?” Neil and Clara repeated together, looking at him in amazement. “What broomsticks?”
“The Snow Witches’ broomsticks that we used when we were trying to get the Sultan’s Crown from Prince Kalman. We brought them back from Ardray, remember?”
“Yes,” nodded Clara, “that’s right, we did … I remember now.”
“Well, they’re here,” Jaikie said. “Hamish and I saw them just the other day. They’re in one of the store rooms.”
“Brilliant,” Clara said, looking eagerly at the MacArthur. “That would mean that Neil and I could meet up at night and nobody would know.”
“Hmmm,” said the MacArthur, looking doubtful.
“We have our magic rings as well,” Neil reminded him, “no one would see us.”
“It’s not that,” Archie broke in, suddenly concerned. “The witches are a vicious lot and they have some really nasty hexes up their sleeves. You’ve got to be careful.”
Seeing the look of apprehension that crossed Mrs MacLean’s face, the MacArthur beckoned Neil and Clara forward.
“Come here a minute,” he said, “and give me your firestones.”
Lifting their hands to their necks, Neil and Clara unfastened the chains that held their glowing firestones. The MacArthur rose to his feet and putting them on a small side table, hexed them. The flash of light that streaked from his fingers made them jump, even though they were expecting it, and they watched with fascinated eyes as, for a second, the firestonesglowed with a luminous brilliance. It wasn’t often that they saw the MacArthur use his magic and they were impressed.
It was only when the light faded that the MacArthur handed them back and as Clara fastened her firestone round her neck, she felt its magic spark against her.
“You said that the teacher in the library sensed that you were there, even though he couldn’t see you and had no way of knowing that you were there?” the MacArthur said.
They both nodded.
“That for me was the most interesting part of your story,” he said, sitting back in his chair and adjusting some cushions as he fished for his pipe.
“I thought …” Neil ventured. “I thought that he could smell us. I know it sounds stupid,” he added quickly, “but he sort of raised his head and sniffed the air.”
There was a deathly silence as Hamish, Jaikie and Arthur stiffened and looked at the MacArthur.
“Does your German teacher have striking blue eyes?” Archie asked in a curious voice.
Neil nodded.
“Pale blue eyes?”
Again Neil nodded and Archie’s face turned as white as a sheet.
“The Onegin!” Jaikie whispered, looking at the MacArthur in awe.
“On – yeg – in?” repeated Neil curiously. “Who or what are they?”
“The Wolf People,” Hamish breathed, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck rise.
Neil and Clara eyed one another sideways as Arthur sent a streaming curl of fire over the paved floor round the dais. Wolf People?
“I guessed as much,” the MacArthur said. “That’s why I put a powerful spell on your firestones.” He glanced at Neil and Clara. “No one will be able to sense your presence now,” he assured them, “neither the witches, nor the wolves. As long as you’re wearing your firestones, they won’t know you are among them.”
“But I don’t
want
Neil and Clara to be among them,” Mrs MacLean said jumping to her feet. “The witches were bad enough but wolves as well …” She turned to her husband, almost in tears. “John, say something!” she implored. “This is dangerous!”
“It does sound dangerous,” admitted the Ranger, looking at the MacArthur in some concern. “Who and what are these Wolf People? They sound quite frightening!”
“They
are
frightening,” Archie muttered under his breath.
The Wolf People come from the Erevin Mountains in Central Europe, mainly from a little state called Ashgar —
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