He looked, thought Marcia, very small to be a soldier.

"How old are you?" she said accusingly.

The sentry blushed. No one like Marcia had ever looked at him before, let alone spoken to him.

"T-ten, Madam."

"Then why aren't you in school?" demanded Marcia.

The sentry looked proud. "I have no need of school, Madam. I am in the Young Army. We are the Pride of Today, the Warriors of Tomorrow."

"Aren't you cold?" Marcia asked unexpectedly.

"N-no Madam. We are trained not to feel the cold." But the sentry's lips had a bluish tinge to them, and he shivered as he spoke.

"Humph." Marcia stomped off through the snow, leaving the boy to another four hours on guard.

Marcia walked briskly across the courtyard, which led away from the Wizard Tower, and slipped out of a side gate that took her onto a quiet, snow-covered footpath.

Marcia had been ExtraOrdinary Wizard for ten years to the day, and as she set off on her journey her thoughts turned to the past. She remembered the time she had spent as a poor Hopeful, reading anything she could about Magyk Magyk, hoping for that rare thing, an Apprenticeship with the ExtraOrdinary Wizard, Alther Mella. They were happy years spent living in a small room in The Ramblings among so many other Hopefuls, most of whom soon settled for Apprenticeships with Ordinary Wizards. But not Marcia. She knew what she wanted, and she wanted the best. But Marcia still could hardly believe her luck when she got her chance to be Alther Mella's Apprentice. Although being his Apprentice did not necessarily mean she would get to be the ExtraOrdinary Wizard, it was another step closer to her dream. And so Marcia had spent the next seven years and a day living at the Wizard Tower as Alther's Apprentice.

Marcia smiled to herself as she remembered what a wonderful Wizard Alther Mella had been. His tutorials were fun, he was patient when spells went wrong and he always had a new joke to tell her. He was also an extremely powerful Wizard. Until Marcia had become the ExtraOrdinary Wizard herself she hadn't realized just how good Alther had been. But most of all, Alther was just a lovely person. Her smile faded as she remembered how she came to take his place, and she thought about the last day of Alther Mella's life, the day the Custodians now called Day One.

Lost in her thoughts, Marcia climbed the narrow steps leading up to the broad, sheltered ledge that ran just below the Castle wall. It was a fast way of getting across to the East Side, which was what The Ramblings were now called, and which was where she was headed today. The ledge was reserved for the use of the Custodian Armed Patrol, but Marcia knew that, even now, no one stopped the ExtraOrdinary Wizard from going anywhere. So, instead of creeping through endless tiny and sometimes crowded pa.s.sageways as she used to many years ago, she moved speedily along the ledge until, about half an hour later, she saw a door that she recognized.

Marcia took a deep breath. This is it, she said to herself.

Marcia followed a flight of steps down from the ledge and came face-to-face with the door. She was about to lean against it and give it a shove when the door took fright at the sight of her and flew open. Marcia shot through it and bounced off a rather slimy wall opposite. The door slammed shut, and Marcia caught her breath. The pa.s.sageway was dark; it was damp and smelled of boiled cabbage, cats' pee and dry rot. This was not how Marcia remembered things. When she had lived in The Ramblings the pa.s.sageways had been warm and clean, lit by reed torches burning at intervals along the wall and swept clean every day by the proud inhabitants.

Marcia hoped she could remember the way to Silas and Sarah Heap's room. In her Apprentice days she had often rushed past their door, hoping that Silas Heap would not see her and ask her in. It was the noise that she remembered most, the noise of so many little boys yelling, jumping, fighting and doing whatever little boys do, although Marcia wasn't quite sure what little boys did-as she preferred to avoid children if at all possible.

Marcia was feeling rather nervous as she walked along the dark and gloomy pa.s.sageways. She was beginning to wonder just how things were going to go for her first visit to Silas in more than ten years. She dreaded what she was going to have to tell the Heaps, and she even wondered if Silas would believe her. He was a stubborn Wizard, and she knew he didn't like her much. And so, with these thoughts going around in her head, Marcia walked purposefully along the pa.s.sageways and paid no attention to anything else.

If she had bothered to pay attention, she would have been amazed at people's reactions to her. It was eight o'clock in the morning, what Silas Heap called rush hour. Hundreds of pale-faced people were making their way to work, their sleepy eyes blinking in the gloom and their thin, cheap clothes pulled around them against the deep chill of the damp stone walls. Rush hour in the East Side pa.s.sageways was a time to avoid. The crush would carry you along, often way past your turning until you managed to somehow wriggle through the crowd and join the stream in the opposite direction. The rush hour air was always full of plaintive cries: "Let me off here, please please!"

"Stop pushing pushing me!" me!"

"My turning, my turning turning!"

But Marcia had made the rush hour disappear. No Magyk Magyk was necessary for this-just the sight of Marcia was enough to stop everyone in their tracks. Most people on the East Side had never seen the ExtraOrdinary Wizard before. If they had seen her at all, it would have been on a day trip to the Wizard Tower Visitor Center, where they might have hung around the courtyard all day, hoping to catch a glimpse if they were lucky. For the ExtraOrdinary Wizard to be walking among them in the dank corridors of the East Side was unbelievable. was necessary for this-just the sight of Marcia was enough to stop everyone in their tracks. Most people on the East Side had never seen the ExtraOrdinary Wizard before. If they had seen her at all, it would have been on a day trip to the Wizard Tower Visitor Center, where they might have hung around the courtyard all day, hoping to catch a glimpse if they were lucky. For the ExtraOrdinary Wizard to be walking among them in the dank corridors of the East Side was unbelievable.

People gasped and shrank away. They melted into the shadows of the doorways and slipped away down side alleys. They muttered their own small spells to themselves. Some froze and stood stock-still like rabbits caught in the glare of a brilliant light. They gazed at Marcia as though she were a being from another planet, which she may well have been for all the similarities between her life and theirs.

But Marcia did not really notice this. Ten years as the ExtraOrdinary Wizard had insulated her from real life, and however much of a shock it had been when it first happened, she was now used to all giving way before her, to the bowing and the respectful murmuring that surrounded her.

Marcia swept off the main thoroughfare and headed down the narrow pa.s.sage that led to the Heap household. On her travels Marcia had noticed that all the pa.s.sages now had numbers that replaced the rather whimsical names they had had before, such as Windy Corner and Upside-Down Lane.

The Heaps' address had previously been: Big Red Door, There and Back Again Row, The Ramblings.

Now it appeared to be: Room 16, Corridor 223, East Side. Marcia knew which one she preferred.

Marcia arrived at the Heaps' door, which had been painted regulation-black by the Paint Patrol a few days ago. She could hear the noisy hubbub of a Heap breakfast going on behind the door. Marcia took some deep breaths.

She could put off the moment no longer.

5.

AT THE H HEAPS.

Open," Marcia told the black Heap door. But, being a door belonging to Silas Heap, it did nothing of the sort; in fact, Marcia thought she saw it tighten up its hinges and stiffen its lock. So she, Madam Marcia Overstrand, ExtraOrdinary Wizard, was reduced to banging on the door as hard as she could. No one answered. She tried again, harder and with both fists, but there was still no reply. Just as she was considering giving the door a good kick (and serve it right too) the door was pulled open, and Marcia came face-to-face with Silas Heap. door. But, being a door belonging to Silas Heap, it did nothing of the sort; in fact, Marcia thought she saw it tighten up its hinges and stiffen its lock. So she, Madam Marcia Overstrand, ExtraOrdinary Wizard, was reduced to banging on the door as hard as she could. No one answered. She tried again, harder and with both fists, but there was still no reply. Just as she was considering giving the door a good kick (and serve it right too) the door was pulled open, and Marcia came face-to-face with Silas Heap.

"Yes?" he said abruptly as if she were no more than an irritating salesperson.

For a brief moment Marcia was lost for words. She looked past Silas to see a room that appeared to have been recently hit by an explosion and was now, for some reason, packed full of boys. The boys were swarming around a small, dark-haired girl who was sitting at a table covered in a surprisingly clean white cloth. The girl was holding on to a small present wrapped in brightly colored paper and tied with red ribbon, laughing and pushing away some of the boys who were pretending to grab it. But one by one the girl and all the boys looked up, and a strange silence fell upon the Heap household.

"Good morning, Silas Heap," said Marcia a little too graciously. "And good morning, Sarah Heap. And, er, all the little Heaps of course."

The little Heaps, most of whom were no longer anything like little, said nothing. But six pairs of bright green eyes and one pair of deep violet eyes took in every detail of Marcia Overstrand. Marcia began to feel self-conscious. Did she have a smudge on her nose? Was some of her hair sticking up in a ridiculous fashion? Perhaps she had some spinach stuck in her teeth?

Marcia reminded herself that she had not had spinach for breakfast. Get on with it, Marcia, she told herself. You're in charge here. So she turned to Silas, who was looking at her as if he hoped she would soon go away.

"I said good morning good morning, Silas Heap," said Marcia irritably.

"Indeed you did, Marcia, indeed you did," said Silas. "And what brings you here after all these years?"

Marcia got straight to the point.

"I've come for the Princess," she said.

"Who?" asked Silas.

"You know perfectly well who who," snapped Marcia, who didn't like being questioned by anyone, least of all by Silas Heap.

"We don't have any princesses here, Marcia," said Silas. "I should have thought that was pretty obvious."

Marcia looked around her. It was true, it was not somewhere you would ever expect to find a princess. In fact, Marcia had never seen such a mess before in her entire life.

In the middle of the chaos, by the newly lit fire, stood Sarah Heap. Sarah had been cooking porridge for the birthday breakfast when Marcia had pushed her way into her home, and into her life. Now she stood transfixed, holding the porridge pan in midair and staring at Marcia. Something in her gaze told Marcia that Sarah knew what was coming. This, thought Marcia, is not going to be easy. She decided to dump the tough act and start over again.

"May I sit down, please, Silas...Sarah?" she asked.

Sarah nodded. Silas scowled. Neither spoke.

Silas glanced at Sarah. She was sitting down, white-faced and trembling, and gathering the birthday girl up onto her lap, holding her closely. Silas wished more than anything that Marcia would go away and leave them all alone, but he knew they had to hear what she had come to say. He sighed heavily and said, "Nicko, give Marcia a chair."

"Thank you, Nicko," said Marcia as she sat down gingerly on one of Silas's homemade chairs. The tousle-haired Nicko gave Marcia a crooked grin and retreated into the bunch of his brothers, who were hovering protectively around Sarah.

Marcia gazed at the Heaps and was amazed how alike they all were. All of them, even Sarah and Silas, shared the same curly straw-colored hair, and of course they all had the piercing green Wizard eyes. And in the middle of the Heaps sat the Princess, with her straight black hair and deep violet eyes. Marcia groaned to herself. All babies looked the same to Marcia, and it had never occurred to her how very different the Princess would look from the Heaps when she grew older. No wonder the spy had discovered her.

Silas Heap sat himself down on an upturned crate. "Well, Marcia, what's going on?" he said.

Marcia's mouth felt very dry. "Have you got a gla.s.s of water?" she asked.

Jenna scrambled down from Sarah's lap and came over to Marcia, holding a battered wooden cup with teeth marks all around the top.

"Here, have my water. I don't mind." She gazed at Marcia admiringly. Jenna had never seen anyone like Marcia before, no one as purple, as shiny, as clean and expensive-looking, and certainly no one with such pointy shoes.

Marcia looked at the cup dubiously, but then, remembering who had given it to her, she said, "Thank you, Princess. Er, may I call you Jenna?"

Jenna did not reply. She was too busy staring at Marcia's purple shoes.

"Answer Madam Marcia, poppet," said Sarah Heap.

"Oh, yes, you may, Madam Marcia," Jenna said, puzzled but polite.

"Thank you, Jenna. It's nice to meet you after all this time. And please, just call me Marcia," said Marcia, who could not help thinking how much Jenna looked like her mother.

Jenna slipped back to Sarah's side, and Marcia forced herself to take a sip of water from the chewed cup.

"Out with it, then, Marcia," said Silas from his upturned box. "What's going on? As usual we seem to be the last to know over here."

"Silas, do you and Sarah know who, er...Jenna...is?" asked Marcia.

"Yes. We do. Jenna is our daughter, that's who she is," said Silas stubbornly.

"But you guessed, didn't you?" said Marcia, directing her gaze at Sarah.

"Yes," said Sarah quietly.

"So you will understand when I say that she is not safe here anymore. I need to take her. Now," Marcia said urgently.

"No!" yelled Jenna. "No!" She scrambled back onto Sarah's lap. Sarah held her tightly.

Silas was angry. "Just because you're the ExtraOrdinary Wizard, Marcia, you think you can just walk in here and mess up our lives like it doesn't matter. You most certainly are not not taking Jenna away. She is ours. Our only daughter. She is perfectly safe here, and she stays with us." taking Jenna away. She is ours. Our only daughter. She is perfectly safe here, and she stays with us."

"Silas," sighed Marcia, "she is not not safe with you. Not anymore. She has been safe with you. Not anymore. She has been discovered. discovered. You have a spy living right next door to you. Linda Lane." You have a spy living right next door to you. Linda Lane."

"Linda!" gasped Sarah. "A spy spy? I don't believe it."

"You mean that awful old gasbag who is always around here prattling on about pills and potions and drawing endless pictures of the kids?" asked Silas.

"Silas!" remonstrated Sarah. "Don't be so rude."

"I'll be more than rude to her if she is is a spy," declared Silas. a spy," declared Silas.

"There's no 'if' about it, Silas," said Marcia. "Linda Lane most definitely is is a spy. And I'm sure the pictures she has been drawing are proving very useful to the Supreme Custodian." a spy. And I'm sure the pictures she has been drawing are proving very useful to the Supreme Custodian."

Silas groaned. Marcia pressed home her advantage.

"Look, Silas, I only want the best for Jenna. You have to trust me."

Silas snorted. "Why on earth should we trust you, Marcia?"

"Because I have trusted you you with the Princess, Silas," said Marcia. "Now you must trust me. What happened ten years ago must not happen again." with the Princess, Silas," said Marcia. "Now you must trust me. What happened ten years ago must not happen again."

"You forget, Marcia," said Silas scathingly, "that we don't know know what happened ten years ago. No one ever bothered to tell us." what happened ten years ago. No one ever bothered to tell us."

Marcia sighed. "How could could I tell you, Silas? It was best for the Princess's, I mean Jenna's, sake that you did not know." I tell you, Silas? It was best for the Princess's, I mean Jenna's, sake that you did not know."

At the mention of Princess yet again, Jenna looked up at Sarah.

"Madam Marcia called me that before," she whispered. "Is that really really me?" me?"

"Yes, poppet," Sarah whispered back, then she looked Marcia in the eye and said, "I think we all all need to know what happened ten years ago, Madam Marcia." need to know what happened ten years ago, Madam Marcia."

Marcia looked at her timepiece. This had to be quick. She took a deep breath and started.

"Ten years ago," she said, "I had just pa.s.sed my final exams and I'd gone over to see Alther to thank him. Well, soon after I arrived a messenger rushed in to tell him that the Queen had given birth to a baby girl. We were so pleased-it meant that the heir to the Castle had at last arrived.

"The messenger summoned Alther to the Palace to conduct the Welcome Ceremony for the baby Princess. I went with him to help him carry all the heavy books, potions and charms that he needed. And to remind him in what order to do things as dear old Alther was becoming a little forgetful at times.

"When we arrived at the Palace we were taken to the Throne Room to see the Queen, who looked so happy-so wonderfully happy. She was sitting on the throne holding her newborn daughter, and she greeted us with the words, 'Isn't she beautiful?' And those were the last words that our Queen spoke."

"No," muttered Sarah quietly.

"At that very moment a man in a strange black and red uniform burst into the room. Of course I know now that he was wearing the uniform of an a.s.sa.s.sin, but at the time I knew nothing of the kind. I thought he was some kind of messenger, but I could see from the Queen's face that she was not expecting him. Then I saw that he was carrying a long silver pistol, and I felt very afraid. I glanced at Alther, but he was fussing with his books and hadn't noticed. Then...it was all so unreal somehow...I just watched the soldier very slowly and deliberately raise the pistol, take aim and fire it straight at the Queen. Everything was so horribly silent as the silver bullet pa.s.sed straight through the Queen's heart and embedded itself in the wall behind her. The baby Princess screamed and tumbled from her dead mother's arms. I leaped forward and caught her."

Jenna was pale, trying to understand what she was hearing. "Was that me me?" she asked Sarah in a low voice. "Was I I the baby Princess?" the baby Princess?"

Sarah nodded slowly.

Marcia's voice trembled slightly as she carried on. "It was terrible! Alther was starting on the SafeShield Spell SafeShield Spell when there was another shot, and a bullet spun him around and threw him to the floor. I finished Alther's spell for him, and for a few moments all three of us were safe. The a.s.sa.s.sin fired his next bullet-it was one for the Princess and me this time-but it skittered off the invisible shield and shot straight back at him, catching him in the leg. He fell to the floor, but he still kept hold of his pistol. He just lay there and stared at us, waiting for the spell to end, as all spells must. when there was another shot, and a bullet spun him around and threw him to the floor. I finished Alther's spell for him, and for a few moments all three of us were safe. The a.s.sa.s.sin fired his next bullet-it was one for the Princess and me this time-but it skittered off the invisible shield and shot straight back at him, catching him in the leg. He fell to the floor, but he still kept hold of his pistol. He just lay there and stared at us, waiting for the spell to end, as all spells must.

"Alther was dying. He took off the Amulet and gave it to me. I refused. I was sure that I could save him, but Alther knew better. He just very calmly told me that it was time for him to go now. He smiled and then-and then he died."

The room was silent. No one moved. Even Silas stared deliberately at the floor. Marcia continued in a low voice.

"I-I couldn't believe it. I tied the Amulet around my neck and gathered up the baby Princess. She was crying now, well, we both were. Then I ran ran. I ran so fast that the a.s.sa.s.sin had no time to fire his pistol.