Lady Friday(63)

‘The rest of you?’ Arthur looked around as if there might be some errant tail or other missing bit.

‘Rest of the Will!’

‘Oh, Dame Primus,’ said Arthur. ‘Fine, I think. Only since Part Four joined up, she’s been a bit … vindictive.’

‘Hmm, interesting,’ said the Will. ‘Well, I’m bound to be unbalanced without me, if you know what I mean.’

‘No, I don’t,’ Arthur admitted.

‘Moderating influence,’ said the Will. ‘Calming temperament, that sort of thing. Known for it, you know. Got any other Keys with you, by the way? I mean left them upstairs or whatever? I can only sense the Fourth at your side.’

‘That’s it,’ said Arthur. ‘Dame Primus wields the others as my deputy. She’s got my Compleat Atlas too.’

‘Hmm,’ said the Will. ‘Still, it’s unlikely I would do anything really unbalanced without the rest of me … but perhaps we should hurry. Don’t bother with the ladder. Use those wings. Mind if I hold on to your ear? Hup! Hup!’





Twenty-two


WITH THE WILL’S encouragement, Arthur flew back up very swiftly. His emergence from the manhole was met by some incredulity, since he’d only been gone for twenty minutes. The small beast on his shoulder was also an object of curiosity for Fred and Suzy, who Arthur quickly introduced. The absence of the Servant guide was as quickly explained, and the Will immediately set flapping off down the corridor, urging the others to follow without delay.

Their passage out of the Eyrie was unlike their silent entry. Even more Servants thronged the passage, and as the Will flew past, they kneeled down and uttered a strange keening noise in homage, with many also flapping their wings.

One Who Survived the Darkness was waiting near the exit to the outer air. She knelt before the Will, who flew over and sat on her head. The two spoke quietly – too quietly for Arthur to hear – and then the Will flew back to the boy’s shoulder.

‘Thank you,’ said Arthur, his words soon echoed by Suzy and Fred.

The Servant made a simple sign, bowed deeply, and retreated back up the passage.

‘I know that sign,’ said Suzy. ‘That was goodbye.’

‘It was farewell,’ said Fred. ‘Which is not quite the same.’

‘It was ‘fly far,’ actually,’ said the Will. ‘With a dash of ‘fly fast’ – which we had best do. Perhaps I shall grow a little and shield my eyes against the sunlight.’

The Will jumped off Arthur’s shoulder and before it had landed, it was about the same size as the boy. It had also grown tinted inner eyelids, which it flicked up and down in a disturbing fashion.

‘I’ll go first,’ said Arthur. ‘Just in case. I need to warn them too, that Fred’s wing might fail.’

‘No it won’t,’ said the Will. ‘He’d have to lose a lot more feathers for that.’

‘I’ll still go first,’ said Arthur. ‘To … um … smooth the way.’

‘The Gilded Youths will recognise me for what I am,’ said the Will, correctly interpreting Arthur’s caution.

‘But Ugham might not, and he’s quick with a spear,’ said Arthur. ‘Wait a moment before you come out.’

Ugham and the Gilded Youths were still circling outside. Arthur stood on the edge of the crevasse and called out to them, warning them of the Will’s appearance. Then he dove out, spreading his wings as he fell, to swoop back up and join the aerial company.

Suzy came next, then the Will, then Fred, all launching safely. The Will immediately began to climb up towards the Scriptorium on the peak. Arthur followed it, with Suzy and Fred flapping strongly to catch up – and to stay away from Ugham, who swooped over to them and cast reproachful looks without openly berating them for running out on him. The Newnith had a strong practical streak, thought Arthur. He would try to fulfill his duty but didn’t obsess over past infractions. Or so Arthur hoped.

A few hundred feet short of the peak, the Will slowed down and twisted around.

‘Preparation is the first part of practice!’ it called back.

‘What?’ asked Suzy.

‘Ready weapons,’ ordered Fifteen, taking out a short, deeply curved bow from the case at her side and a stubby arrow from the sheath on her leg. ‘Notch arrows.’

Forty Gilded Youths followed her example in smooth motion.

‘Ten high, ten left, ten right, ten with,’ commanded Fifteen. The Gilded Youths split into groups as ordered, ten of them staying with Arthur and their leader.

The Scriptorium didn’t look like much, Arthur thought as they reached the mountaintop and climbed up still higher before swooping down. There was a flat place the size of a tennis court on the very crest, and on that small area was a round, onion-domed building. The dome was gilded, which was somewhat impressive, but the foil had flaked off in many places to reveal the wooden tiles underneath. The walls were yellow plaster and they too needed repair. The building had no obvious windows.