not known for their respect for royalty…’
‘Quite.’ The king stood up, and so of course everyone else stood too, apart from Gus, who stared insolently into the fire.
‘Then I will let it be known that you are to journey to extend my compliments to the duke, dear Aloysius, as a fellow magician. I would rather not mention themask at court, as things are so – unsettled. We hardly want to spread any more disquiet about power-crazed magicians, do we?’
Mr Fountain bowed, and escorted the king from the room himself, shooting a glare back over his shoulder at Gus, who turned his back on him, hunching his shoulders furiously.
‘Is it really so dangerous?’ Rose asked, in a small voice.
Gus sighed, and relaxed his spine into its usual graceful curves, settling his tail delicately around his paws again. ‘We don’t know what Gossamer can do. Of course it’s dangerous.’
‘Papa is the best magician in the world.’ Bella rocked her doll in her arms, and glanced up at them all, scowling. ‘He is.’ She marched over to the window seat to play with the doll’s house, as though she couldn’t bear to hear any more of the argument.
Gus said nothing, and Rose felt a strange tightness around her heart. Did Gus think that Gossamer was stronger than Mr Fountain? Gossamer, who was holding Rose responsible for the failure of his plans?
The odd thing was, the tightness wasn’t only fear. There was excitement too, and it was easier to think about the excitement. Rose seized Freddie and dragged him to sit on the hearthrug in front of the fire.‘Tell me about Venice,’ she pleaded. ‘Do you think we shall really go there? Why did the doll say they were surrounded by water?’ She wasn’t surprised when a light thump indicated that Gus was coming to join them. He was such a show-off, he couldn’t resist imparting information.
‘Venice is a city of water,’ he told them grandly. ‘No roads, only pathways and canals. Everyone and everything travels by boat. There’s not a single horse in the city.’
Rose stared at him. ‘Are you having me on?’ she asked at last.
Gus rolled his eyes, and swished his tail into Freddie’s leg with a meaty thump. ‘You tell her.’
‘He’s right,’ Freddie promised. ‘It must be the strangest place. Hundreds of tiny little islands, all linked by bridges. Some of the houses have front doors that open straight onto the water – so you can only visit by boat!’
Rose eyed them sceptically. She wouldn’t put it past them to make something like this up, to see how much they could get her to swallow, and then fall about laughing when she believed them. But although he was smiling, Freddie didn’t have a hint of the irritating smirk he wore when he was teasing her.
‘No carriages, or carts?’ she asked doubtfully.
‘How could there be, when there are no roads for them to run on?’ Freddie pointed out.
‘It sounds like something out of a fairy tale,’ Rose muttered suspiciously.
Freddie nodded. ‘I know. But it’s true. And I think it is a fairy tale sort of place all round – the duke that Mr Fountain is supposed to be going to see, he’s a magician, all the great families are. I should think it’s only magic that holds the place together, the way it’s all built on those marshy little islands.’
‘And you really think he’ll take us there?’ Rose asked dreamily.
‘Just like a girl,’ Freddie said scornfully. ‘She’sdaydreaming, Gus, look at her. We aren’t going sightseeing, Rose! We’re chasing Gossamer – the evil magician with the dangerous enchanted mask, remember?’
Rose shook away the visions of dusky waterways, and nodded. ‘I know. But I’ve never been anywhere besides London, Freddie. I can’t help but be excited.’
Mr Fountain stalked back into the room. ‘Gus, are you trying to have me executed? He can still do it, you know. The act enabling traitors to be beheaded on Tower Hill is still very much in force.’
Gus yawned
‘Quite.’ The king stood up, and so of course everyone else stood too, apart from Gus, who stared insolently into the fire.
‘Then I will let it be known that you are to journey to extend my compliments to the duke, dear Aloysius, as a fellow magician. I would rather not mention themask at court, as things are so – unsettled. We hardly want to spread any more disquiet about power-crazed magicians, do we?’
Mr Fountain bowed, and escorted the king from the room himself, shooting a glare back over his shoulder at Gus, who turned his back on him, hunching his shoulders furiously.
‘Is it really so dangerous?’ Rose asked, in a small voice.
Gus sighed, and relaxed his spine into its usual graceful curves, settling his tail delicately around his paws again. ‘We don’t know what Gossamer can do. Of course it’s dangerous.’
‘Papa is the best magician in the world.’ Bella rocked her doll in her arms, and glanced up at them all, scowling. ‘He is.’ She marched over to the window seat to play with the doll’s house, as though she couldn’t bear to hear any more of the argument.
Gus said nothing, and Rose felt a strange tightness around her heart. Did Gus think that Gossamer was stronger than Mr Fountain? Gossamer, who was holding Rose responsible for the failure of his plans?
The odd thing was, the tightness wasn’t only fear. There was excitement too, and it was easier to think about the excitement. Rose seized Freddie and dragged him to sit on the hearthrug in front of the fire.‘Tell me about Venice,’ she pleaded. ‘Do you think we shall really go there? Why did the doll say they were surrounded by water?’ She wasn’t surprised when a light thump indicated that Gus was coming to join them. He was such a show-off, he couldn’t resist imparting information.
‘Venice is a city of water,’ he told them grandly. ‘No roads, only pathways and canals. Everyone and everything travels by boat. There’s not a single horse in the city.’
Rose stared at him. ‘Are you having me on?’ she asked at last.
Gus rolled his eyes, and swished his tail into Freddie’s leg with a meaty thump. ‘You tell her.’
‘He’s right,’ Freddie promised. ‘It must be the strangest place. Hundreds of tiny little islands, all linked by bridges. Some of the houses have front doors that open straight onto the water – so you can only visit by boat!’
Rose eyed them sceptically. She wouldn’t put it past them to make something like this up, to see how much they could get her to swallow, and then fall about laughing when she believed them. But although he was smiling, Freddie didn’t have a hint of the irritating smirk he wore when he was teasing her.
‘No carriages, or carts?’ she asked doubtfully.
‘How could there be, when there are no roads for them to run on?’ Freddie pointed out.
‘It sounds like something out of a fairy tale,’ Rose muttered suspiciously.
Freddie nodded. ‘I know. But it’s true. And I think it is a fairy tale sort of place all round – the duke that Mr Fountain is supposed to be going to see, he’s a magician, all the great families are. I should think it’s only magic that holds the place together, the way it’s all built on those marshy little islands.’
‘And you really think he’ll take us there?’ Rose asked dreamily.
‘Just like a girl,’ Freddie said scornfully. ‘She’sdaydreaming, Gus, look at her. We aren’t going sightseeing, Rose! We’re chasing Gossamer – the evil magician with the dangerous enchanted mask, remember?’
Rose shook away the visions of dusky waterways, and nodded. ‘I know. But I’ve never been anywhere besides London, Freddie. I can’t help but be excited.’
Mr Fountain stalked back into the room. ‘Gus, are you trying to have me executed? He can still do it, you know. The act enabling traitors to be beheaded on Tower Hill is still very much in force.’
Gus yawned
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