The prince held his arm out. “Come, Kitor!” he commanded.
Everyone watched as Kitor flew to the prince. The poor bird was trembling as he flapped across the cave but one glance into the prince’s eyes, reassured him.
“This, Kitor, is your present from me,” Casimir said, gesturing towards the magic mirror.
Nothing happened for a few seconds and then the mirror rippled as a crow flew through it. Kitor’s heart missed a beat. It couldn’t be! Surely it couldn’t be Cassia?
“Come, Cassia,” the prince said, and she flew to him and perched beside Kitor.
Had everyone not started to clap, Kitor would most certainly have burst into tears. As it was, he fluttered his wings happily and the two birds sailed into the air and swooped round the cavern in delight at being together again.
There were tears in Clara’s eyes, however, as she ran up to Casimir. “You couldn’t have given Kitor a more wonderful present, Prince Casimir!” she said, wiping her eyes. “He’s so happy!”
Kabad’s name was called next and as the little water goblin moved shyly forward, Prince Casimir smiled gently and presented him with a small, slim spear. Kabad’s eyes shone as he stammered his thanks. Everyone clapped as he hefted it in his hand; the balance was perfect and the steel tip shone, gleaming and sharp. Tears shone in his eyes as he bowed low to the prince. It was all that he needed to make life ideal for there were fish in his loch and now he could go hunting.
As Neil and Clara fussed round the little water goblin, admiring his spear, Lewis drew Prince Casimir to one side. “I’m glad that I went to Al Antara that night,” he said, quietly. “I can’t believe it only happened a few months ago — Jack, Colin and Peter seem like silly kids now and yet I was always so anxious to impress them! They must have thought me a real moron!”
“They’re still young, Lewis. But like you, they’ll be more sensible when they’re older. You’ll be fine now and you’ll enjoy your new school, I’m sure.”
Lewis suddenly burst out laughing. “You’ll never believe it, Casimir, but I came out top in their entrance exam and the Headmaster said he’d never known a boy of my age with such an excellent knowledge of Scottish history! Mum and Dad were over the moon!” He paused. “And so was I,” he said honestly. “I’d never have done it if I’d stuck to comics!”
“So all the reading we did in the Robinson’s library was of use after all, then?”
“Yes, but it was interesting, Casimir. You know, when I grow up, I think I’d like to have a library like the Robinsons.”
Casimir looked into the future and he smiled at Lewis. “You will, Lewis,” he said. “You will.”
34. Wheel of Fortune
As Murdo made his way up the High Street to Wullie’s wee flat, he didn’t appreciate the beauty of the scene around him. In fact he barely noticed it. It was snowing hard, the drifts were deep and the High Street, almost mediaeval in appearance, loomed vaguely through the driving flakes. His problems, however, were closer to home. His shoes were thin, he couldn’t afford boots and his feet were already wet and freezing cold. Tammy Souter, who plodded along at his side, was cold as well. He drew his thin coat tighter round him and coughed continuously as he walked up the steep snow-covered street to Wullie’s Close.
“Cheer up, Murdo,” he said, grabbing him as he slipped on the icy pavement, “just be glad that we’re here and not in a cell in Saughton Prison!”
Murdo nodded. There was always that. They were free men.
“I still can’t work it out,” Tammy said as they turned into Wullie’s Close and started to climb the stairs. “They caught us fair and square!”
“Aye, but I did help Sir Archie, you know,” Murdo said, thinking back to his interview with the Chief Constable. “I gave him the map of the Underground City, didn’t I? And I was thinking, too, you know, that if he’d made a case against us then all the business of the ghosts would have had to come out into the open and I’m pretty sure he didn’t want that to happen. I’m just glad that they didn’t nick Wullie! He’s not tough like us.”
“Have you heard that he’s given up smoking?” Tammy asked, grinning.
“Given up smoking? You must be joking! Wullie’s a sixty a day man!”
“Auld Mrs Ramsay at the sweetie shop told me. Said her takings had gone down since he stopped!”
“I heard she was going to close down altogether,” Murdo said, knocking on Wullie’s door.
“Aye! Her man’s ill and she can’t run the wee shop all on her own.”