Chapter 42 The Lock-Up
Inside the lock-up Simon Heap opened his eyes and groaned. For a moment he thought he must be in Dungeon Number One, but then he realized that there was a small chink of light coming through a tiny barred window and he relaxed. Dungeon Number One was Sealed in darkness, and although wherever he was now smelled pretty bad, it smelled nowhere near as bad as the dungeon. Simon had once been shown Dungeon Number One by the Supreme Custodian, and he had never forgotten it.
Very slowly, Simon sat up. His head hurt and his stomach felt horribly bruised, but as far as he could tell there were no bones broken. He was a little confused by the huge holes in his tunic until, in a flash, it all came back to him. The dragon . . . the brat . . . and the Flyte Charmgone. Simon groaned again. He was a failure. A terrible failure. Not only had Marcia never asked him to be her Apprentice, but it now turned out that DomDaniel had never wanted him eitherand after all Simon had done for him too. Picking up those horrible slimy bones of his, taking endless trips to the Manuscriptorium with them, having to deal with that snooty Hugh Fox who had always looked down his long pointy nose at him, and worst of all, making those bleak trips along the Ice Tunnels to deliver the bones to that ghastly woman, Una Brakket, and making sure that old Weasal never saw him. Sometimes he had even ended up helping her put the wretched bones into the Amalgam so that she could get off to her country dancing in time. What a fool he had been. And then, to top it all, his imposter brother turns up on a dragon. The boy was whatonly elevenand there he was, not only the ExtraOrdinary Apprentice, he now had his own blasted dragon. How did he do it?
Simon sat on the floor of the lock-up in a cloud of self-pity. No one wanted him. Nothing ever went right for him. Life stunk and it just wasn't fair.
After a while a familiar feeling of anger stole over Simon. He stood and began to look around his prison. He'd show them they couldn't tame Simon Heaphe'd be out of here in no time.
Angrily, Simon pushed the door, but to no effect, except he heard some frightened whispering.
"He's trying to get out. . . "
"What shall we do?"
"Is he very dangerous?"
"Oh, don't be such a baby, Brian. "
"Stop bickering you two. The ExtraOrdinary will be here soon. "
Simon smiled broadly. Well, let her come, but he would not be there to meet her. For Simon Heap had just realized where he was.
Many years ago, Jannit had expanded her boatyard to take in the derelict old Castle Customs Quay. The brick lock-up, which had been used for drunken sailors and suspicious characters landing at the Castle, was the only part of the old Customs House left standing, and Jannit had kept it to store her more valuable tools in. It still had its heavy iron door with three massive bolts on the outside and the huge brass key in the lock. Simon was willing to bet it also still had its trapdoor leading into the Ice Tunnels.
Simon knelt and quickly set to work shifting the hundreds of years of accumulated dirt from the floor. Luckily, Jannit had thoughtfully provided him with a rather good shovel, and it did not take Simon long before the shovel hit metal about a foot beneath the surface.
The Sealed trapdoor easily swung open in Simon's practiced hands. A cold gust of air blew up to meet him, and Simon slipped through the trapdoor, down into the familiar chill of the Ice Tunnels.
The full complement of thirteen Wizardsfor Jannit had speedily retrieved the other ten from the fishing jetty outside the boatyardwere dutifully encircling the lock-up when Marcia marched into the boatyard, accompanied by Sarah and Silas Heap.
Sarah and Silas had insisted on seeing their eldest son. Unable to believe what Marcia had told them, they had decided to confront him. "At least," Sarah had said, "he will have to sit and listen to us this time. He won't be able to run off like he usually does. "
Jannit escorted the party to the lock-up, her small wiry figure somewhat dwarfed by Marcia in her purple silk robes, which billowed out around her in the summer evening breeze.
"Here we are, Madam Marcia," said Jannit as they stopped outside the circle of Wizards. "He's in there. We put him in a couple of hours ago and he should have come around by now. Had a nasty bump on the head from that dragon he attacked. "
"Oh, dear," said Sarah anxiously, "I do wish he wouldn't do these silly things. "
"I'm sure we all wish that, Sarah," said Marcia sternly. "But unfortunately he has progressed rather further than the silly stage now. Evil-minded-scheming stage is more what I would call it. "
"Oh, Silas," wailed Sarah. "What are we to do?"
"We'll have a talk with him, Sarah," said Silas soothingly, "and see what he has to say. Now stop worrying; there's nothing we can do. Simon is grown-up now. "
The two Wizards standing by the door stood back respectfully for the ExtraOrdinary Wizard to walk through. Jannit shot the bolts, turned her heavy brass key in the lock and pulled open the thick iron door.
"Simon!" said Sarah, rushing into the lock-up before anyone could stop her. "Simon . . . Simon?"
"Did you know about this?" Marcia demanded as Jannit Maarten stared uncomprehendingly at the shiny metal trapdoor in the middle of the dirt floor of the lock-up.
"No," said Jannit curtly. She didn't like the way Marcia was talking to her, and she certainly did not like having yet another thing in her boatyard that she knew nothing about.
"Whatwhat is it?" asked Sarah, clinging to Silas for support, distraught that once again Simon had run away.
"It's nothing," said Marcia briskly. "Nothing that you need to know about anyway. I want this trapdoor Sealednow. Where's Alther?"
Alther Mella wafted over to Marcia.
"Alther, are there any Ancients left who have walked the tunnels? I want each and every trapdoor guarded until all Seals are checked. "
"The only suitable Ancient who is not completely gaga is on the Wizard Tower trap, Marcia," said Alther. "I never went down to the tunnels myself. No one ever did in those days. "
"No one should in these days either, Alther. Except for the Inspection Clerk. That Hugh Fox has a lot of questions to answer. " Marcia thought for a moment. "Alther, please would you take a Wizard down to the Manuscriptorium and bring some SealingWax back? At least we can get this trapdoor Sealed. "
"Excuse me," interrupted Jannit, "the Port barge has arrived. I'm expecting a delivery. " With that Jannit was off to the pontoon to meet a long narrow boat piled high with boxes and baskets.
Jennawho had no wish to go anywhere near Simon Heapwas back with the Dragon Boat, gently stroking her head and murmuring words of encouragement in her ear, looking desperately for a sign of life, while Nicko and Rupert struggled to place two huge canvas slings underneath the damaged hull. As the Port barge drew up to the pontoon, Jenna glanced up and saw Jannit catch the rope and secure the barge to a couple of large bollards. Then, to her horror, she saw something else or, rather, someone elsethe dark stranger from the Port.
The tall man stood poised on the deck, watchful and waiting to jump ashore. His long dark hair was held in a silver headband and his red silk tunic looked crumpled and travel stained. Jenna froze. She ducked down behind the Dragon Boat's head and heard the stranger's low, slightly accented voice ask Jannit, "Excuse me, ma'am, but I understand that the Princess is to be found hereabouts. Would this be so?"
"And who might you be?" Jannit asked suspiciously.
The stranger was evasive. "Just someone seeking the Princess," he replied. Suddenly his eye caught the activity over at the lock-up. "Would that be the ExtraOrdinary Wizard over there, ma'am?" he asked.
"It might be," said Jannit, busying herself with a knot.
"Excuse me, I must go and see him. "
"Her," corrected Jannit, unheard as the stranger strode off.
"Excuse me," the stranger raised his voice as he approached the group by the lock-up. "I wonder if I might speak to the ExtraOrdinary Wizard?"
Marcia turned around and the stranger looked
confused. He stopped for a moment and fumbled in his tunic pocket, looking for something. "Alther?" he said. "Alther, is that you?"
Marcia did not answer. She looked white.
"Aha, found them. " With an air of triumph, the stranger drew out a small pair of gold spectacles from his pocket and carefully put them on. His expression changed to one of amazement.
"Marcia Overstrand," he said. "ExtraOrdinary Wizard! Well, well, well. "
"Milo?" asked Marcia faintly. "Milo Banda? It is you, isn't it?"
The stranger appeared a little overcome. He nodded wordlessly and to Jenna's horror, Marcia enveloped him in a huge hug. "Where have you been all this time?" she asked. "We thought you must be dead. "
As Marcia let go of the stranger, a loud yell came from the CutNicko had just dropped one of the canvas slings in the water.
For the first time Marcia saw the terrible state of the Dragon Boat. "Jannit!" she yelled. "Jannitwhat has happened?"
Jannit was in no mood to reply. She was determined to raise the Dragon Boat before nightfall, and she had had enough Wizards messing about in her boatyard to last her a lifetime. Wearily she said, "Go get another sling, will you Nicko? Then we'll try again. "
Jenna had been watching Marcia greet the dark stranger with mounting disbelief. Now, as Marcia set off across the boatyard toward the Dragon Boat, bringing the stranger with her, Jenna leapt to her feet. Before anyone could stop her, she headed for the tunnel that led out of the boatyard.