eagerly.
Freddie sat down next to Rose with a loose-jointed thump. ‘You were sitting on it…’ he wailed. ‘All that time I spent climbing the shelves!’
Mr Fountain did at least have the grace to look rather embarrassed. He patted Freddie on the shoulder, and handed him a shining gold sovereign, which he’d apparently produced from behindFreddie’s ear. He gave Rose one too, although he simply took that one out of his waistcoat pocket, as though he thought she might not appreciate the conjuring trick. Bella looked at him hopefully, and then sighed.
‘Ah…’ Gus mewed. ‘This page, look.’
Mr Fountain took the book and sat down in the armchair, which did wobble in a most irritating fashion. Rose could quite see why he had stuck a book under it. She and Freddie and Bella leaned over to look, and he read out loud:
‘ Masks and magic are the marks of the city. Many Venetians wear masks all the time. Indeed, this humble historian has sometimes wondered if the citizens have faces underneath, but this is only a careless fantasy. Certainly though, the mask reflects the wearer, and the strange spells worked into the delicate things can change the painted face. Grief, anger and love can all appear on a mask, as well as they can on skin. ’
Rose felt Bella’s hand creep into hers, and she squeezed it gratefully. She could hardly imagine anything more horrid than people whose faces were only painted on. Even though Mr Fiori seemed to think he was being silly, it sounded dreadfully real.
‘On the first Sunday of each new year, a masked ball is held at the Doge’s Palace. Even those Venetians who do not usually wear masks will wear a mask for this event, for the sake of tradition. At some point during the evening, a secret ceremony takes place, and renews the strength of the masks for another year. Without the ceremony, the masks would wither away into dust, and with them, the souls of the people, and the power of the city of water. Or so the old story goes. ’
‘The city of water?’ Rose demanded sharply. ‘Does that mean Venice?’
Freddie gave her one of the looks he reserved for her stupidest questions. ‘Of course. Really, Rose…’
‘But that’s what she said!’ Rose pulled the doll out of her pocket, and tried to see some answering spark in the painted black eyes. ‘She said he was hidden away in the water! And you saw him surrounded by water, sir, you said! The mask’s made Gossamer take it home. He’s gone to the city of water, hasn’t he? He’s in Venice.’
FIVE
‘What better way to find out how it works than to take it home?’ Mr Fountain ran his fingers through his hair, groaning angrily. ‘I should have guessed. As soon as I scryed them with all that water, I should have known it. I shall have to go and send a message to the king. A sea crossing, in December…’ He left the room, muttering to himself.
Rose frowned. Surrounded by water . Was Venice an island? She tried to remember the schoolroom map at the orphanage. They had learned the principal exports of all the major countries, but it hardly seemed useful now.
‘If we’re to go to Europe, it could be months of no lessons,’ Freddie said blissfully, as soon as Mr Fountain had disappeared.
Rose gaped at him. ‘You mean, he might take us too?’
‘I should bally well hope so!’ Freddie opened his dark eyes very wide. ‘We’re his apprentices, he has to. He’d be neglecting us otherwise. Think of all the lessons we’d miss.’
‘But you just said—’
‘Be quiet, Rose,’ Freddie sighed.
Mr Fountain’s message had an unexpected result. Later that evening, a very plain black carriage – so plain that it seemed particularly unusual, which was not the desired result – drew up outside the house, and an individual swathed in a heavy black cloak, with an opera hat drawn over his face, knocked loudly upon the door.
Rose, dashing up the stairs and through the green baize door, cursed visitors who came at
Freddie sat down next to Rose with a loose-jointed thump. ‘You were sitting on it…’ he wailed. ‘All that time I spent climbing the shelves!’
Mr Fountain did at least have the grace to look rather embarrassed. He patted Freddie on the shoulder, and handed him a shining gold sovereign, which he’d apparently produced from behindFreddie’s ear. He gave Rose one too, although he simply took that one out of his waistcoat pocket, as though he thought she might not appreciate the conjuring trick. Bella looked at him hopefully, and then sighed.
‘Ah…’ Gus mewed. ‘This page, look.’
Mr Fountain took the book and sat down in the armchair, which did wobble in a most irritating fashion. Rose could quite see why he had stuck a book under it. She and Freddie and Bella leaned over to look, and he read out loud:
‘ Masks and magic are the marks of the city. Many Venetians wear masks all the time. Indeed, this humble historian has sometimes wondered if the citizens have faces underneath, but this is only a careless fantasy. Certainly though, the mask reflects the wearer, and the strange spells worked into the delicate things can change the painted face. Grief, anger and love can all appear on a mask, as well as they can on skin. ’
Rose felt Bella’s hand creep into hers, and she squeezed it gratefully. She could hardly imagine anything more horrid than people whose faces were only painted on. Even though Mr Fiori seemed to think he was being silly, it sounded dreadfully real.
‘On the first Sunday of each new year, a masked ball is held at the Doge’s Palace. Even those Venetians who do not usually wear masks will wear a mask for this event, for the sake of tradition. At some point during the evening, a secret ceremony takes place, and renews the strength of the masks for another year. Without the ceremony, the masks would wither away into dust, and with them, the souls of the people, and the power of the city of water. Or so the old story goes. ’
‘The city of water?’ Rose demanded sharply. ‘Does that mean Venice?’
Freddie gave her one of the looks he reserved for her stupidest questions. ‘Of course. Really, Rose…’
‘But that’s what she said!’ Rose pulled the doll out of her pocket, and tried to see some answering spark in the painted black eyes. ‘She said he was hidden away in the water! And you saw him surrounded by water, sir, you said! The mask’s made Gossamer take it home. He’s gone to the city of water, hasn’t he? He’s in Venice.’
FIVE
‘What better way to find out how it works than to take it home?’ Mr Fountain ran his fingers through his hair, groaning angrily. ‘I should have guessed. As soon as I scryed them with all that water, I should have known it. I shall have to go and send a message to the king. A sea crossing, in December…’ He left the room, muttering to himself.
Rose frowned. Surrounded by water . Was Venice an island? She tried to remember the schoolroom map at the orphanage. They had learned the principal exports of all the major countries, but it hardly seemed useful now.
‘If we’re to go to Europe, it could be months of no lessons,’ Freddie said blissfully, as soon as Mr Fountain had disappeared.
Rose gaped at him. ‘You mean, he might take us too?’
‘I should bally well hope so!’ Freddie opened his dark eyes very wide. ‘We’re his apprentices, he has to. He’d be neglecting us otherwise. Think of all the lessons we’d miss.’
‘But you just said—’
‘Be quiet, Rose,’ Freddie sighed.
Mr Fountain’s message had an unexpected result. Later that evening, a very plain black carriage – so plain that it seemed particularly unusual, which was not the desired result – drew up outside the house, and an individual swathed in a heavy black cloak, with an opera hat drawn over his face, knocked loudly upon the door.
Rose, dashing up the stairs and through the green baize door, cursed visitors who came at
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