My Unfair Godmother(90)

Hudson shook his head. “It’s not something he can do long distance. We’ve got to be near to his wand for the magic to work.” I looked up at the moon and wondered what time it was. One o’clock in the morning? Two? “Do you think he’ll be willing to come with us tonight?” I asked.

I could see the exhaustion in Hudson’s eyes, but he said, “The sooner we leave, the better chance we’ll have of avoiding King John’s men. Hopefully Bartimaeus will understand that.” I ran my hand along the bottom of the sling. “We’ll have to travel to the meeting place another way so we don’t run into Rumpelstiltskin.”





“Right.” We were both too tired to say more.

A woman in a white nightdress and a cap answered the door. She gave me the impression of a snowman come to life, bulky and pale.

She lifted up her brass candleholder to examine us, and sniffed when 271/356

she noticed Hudson’s uniform. “My master has no dealings with King John or his men,” she said, “and we’ve already answered all of your questions.”

She went to shut the door, but Hudson put his hand out to stop her. “I’m not one of King John’s men. My name is Hudson and your master knows me. I’ve come on urgent business. Tell him I can give him the Gilead if he’ll travel with us to it.” Hudson actually had the Gilead in his pouch, but he’d given me strict instructions on the ride up not to reveal this fact. His reasoning was that if Bartimaeus knew we had the Gilead with us, it would be harder to get him to agree to travel all the way to my family to send them back. But if Bartimaeus went to the camp to get the Gilead and was already there with my family, we’d have a better bargaining position. It wouldn’t be much extra trouble to send us back together.

The woman eyed us and humphed, clearly not happy about waking the wizard. “Very well,” she said, then shut the door, leaving us outside.

I stared at the door for a moment, not sure if this ended our interview. “Is she going to wake him?”

“She’ll get him.” Hudson rubbed the back of his neck wearily.

“How’s the baby doing?”

In the darkness, it was hard to see him, but I could feel the rise and fall of his little chest. “All right, I guess.” We waited. The door opened, and the woman appeared again, this time holding blankets under her arm. “The master says he’ll speak with you in the morning.”

Hudson squared his shoulders. “Did you tell him who we were?”

“I know who you are well enough.” She wagged a finger in my direction. “She’s that trollop from the castle who ran away. Don’t bother denying it. No other woman would wear such finery. King John’s men 272/356

came through this morning pestering the entire village and searching our homes for you.” Her gaze fell on the sling around my shoulder.

“Though I can see why you wouldn’t marry King John, what with a babe of your own already. Still, you shouldn’t have brought danger to our door. What if someone saw you come here?” Hudson lowered his voice to a harsh whisper. “No one saw us. But you’re right, King John’s men are looking, and if they find us, your master won’t get his Gilead.”

She brushed off his words, unconcerned. “They’re not out looking at this hour. They’re sleeping like God-fearing people ought.”

“Then this is the best time to travel.”

“Only if you want to break your horse’s leg or your neck. My master has no intention of gallivanting about in the night like a common ruffian.” She thrust the blankets at Hudson. “You can sleep safe enough in the barn. It has a spell upon it so that none of King John’s men may see it. A few days past, they came through and demanded half of everyone’s straw. Next they’ll be wanting the straw, and my master has horses to feed.” She looked at Hudson suspiciously. “You see the barn plainly, don’t you?”

“I saw it when we walked up,” Hudson said.

She humphed. “No matter. If you’re not in the barn in the morning we’ll know you’re not what you claim.” She narrowed her eyes at Hudson. “My master may not be the court wizard anymore, but he still has things that work against those who would do him harm.” Then she slammed the door shut again.

Hudson groaned, then tucked the blankets under his arm and went to retrieve the horses. “Come on,” he said. “I guess we’re resting for the night after all.”



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I followed him, casting nervous glances at the street. “Do you think the spell on the barn will work to keep Rumpelstiltskin away too?”