you, but …” She looked questioningly at Lord Rothlan, knowing that Mrs MacLean didn’t have a firestone.
“Janet got caught up with the Turks in the restaurant,” he explained. “She travelled through the mirrors with me.”
“We really should have given you a firestone ages ago,” LadyEllan said, apologetically. “We’ll all be busy tonight with the Sultan’s banquet but I promise you, it’s the first thing we’ll do tomorrow morning!”
The arrival of the Sultan of Turkey and his court was a glittering event that set the magic carpets in the hill rippling with delight for they had all been made in Turkey in days long past and the power of the Sultan and his crown was woven into their very fabric. His presence renewed their strength and Neil and Clara, thankful to be back in familiar surroundings, could feel the hill sparking with magic as the Sultan walked through its halls.
The feast that evening was an occasion that few would forget . Torches burned brightly in the sconces on the walls, their flickering flames reflected in the glowing gold dishes and bowls that decorated tables now laden with food.
During the course of the evening, Sir James met the MacArthur’s eyes and they exchanged smiles of relief at its obvious success. It was, thought Sir James, a scene of almost mediaeval splendour and one that he would always remember.
10. Carpet Capers
It wasn’t until after breakfast the following morning, however, that the MacArthur, Lord Rothlan and the Sultan got down to the serious business of the visit. Gathered round an old mahogany table in a panelled room, they started their discussions while everyone else waited, albeit somewhat anxiously, in the Great Hall, wondering what was being said and what plans were being laid.
With a flap of his wings, Amgarad perched happily on Clara’s shoulder as she followed Lady Ellan, Neil and her mother to Arthur’s cave where the dragon lay lazily on his glittering mound of fabulous treasure. He hissed a gentle welcome to Mrs MacLean as she and Clara scrambled up beside him. Clara urged her mother to rest against one of the dragon’s arms while she sat uncomfortably on the treasure itself. Amgarad hopped onto the open lid of a huge box, spilling with golden sovereigns.
“Now we’ll choose a firestone for you, Janet,” Lady Ellan said, looking round thoughtfully. She rummaged among the treasure and picked out a particularly beautiful firestone from amongst the glowing scatter of emeralds, diamonds and rubies. “I should have given you one earlier but, quite frankly, none of us thought you’d ever need it.”
“Thank you, thank you very much!” Mrs MacLean said, holding it up delightedly so that the torchlight made it gleam. “I’ll get John to put it on a chain for me like he did with the others. Otherwise, I might lose it.” She looked at it wonderingly and again smiled her thanks before placing it carefully in a zippered compartment in her handbag. “Will I …” she asked shyly, “will I be able to call a magic carpet with it, like the others do?”
“Yes, of course,” came the immediate reply. “When we go back to the Great Hall, I’ll choose one specially for you.”
“That’ll be fab!” said Clara. “Then I can see my carpet at the same time.”
Arthur scrambled off his pile of treasure to accompany them and by the time they reached the Great Hall, they found several MacArthurs already starting to set the tables for lunch, carrying wicker baskets full of cutlery, plates and glasses. Near the dais, where the MacArthur usually sat, Sir James and the Ranger lounged on cushions, chatting idly to Archie, Hamish and Jaikie.
“What I don’t understand,” Sir James was saying to Archie as they approached, “was how MacGregor managed to find the Turkish restaurant at all, far less have dinner there.”
“I’d say,” Jaikie chipped in, “that the Turks were fishing. We put a strong protective shield round Arthur’s Seat the
“Janet got caught up with the Turks in the restaurant,” he explained. “She travelled through the mirrors with me.”
“We really should have given you a firestone ages ago,” LadyEllan said, apologetically. “We’ll all be busy tonight with the Sultan’s banquet but I promise you, it’s the first thing we’ll do tomorrow morning!”
The arrival of the Sultan of Turkey and his court was a glittering event that set the magic carpets in the hill rippling with delight for they had all been made in Turkey in days long past and the power of the Sultan and his crown was woven into their very fabric. His presence renewed their strength and Neil and Clara, thankful to be back in familiar surroundings, could feel the hill sparking with magic as the Sultan walked through its halls.
The feast that evening was an occasion that few would forget . Torches burned brightly in the sconces on the walls, their flickering flames reflected in the glowing gold dishes and bowls that decorated tables now laden with food.
During the course of the evening, Sir James met the MacArthur’s eyes and they exchanged smiles of relief at its obvious success. It was, thought Sir James, a scene of almost mediaeval splendour and one that he would always remember.
10. Carpet Capers
It wasn’t until after breakfast the following morning, however, that the MacArthur, Lord Rothlan and the Sultan got down to the serious business of the visit. Gathered round an old mahogany table in a panelled room, they started their discussions while everyone else waited, albeit somewhat anxiously, in the Great Hall, wondering what was being said and what plans were being laid.
With a flap of his wings, Amgarad perched happily on Clara’s shoulder as she followed Lady Ellan, Neil and her mother to Arthur’s cave where the dragon lay lazily on his glittering mound of fabulous treasure. He hissed a gentle welcome to Mrs MacLean as she and Clara scrambled up beside him. Clara urged her mother to rest against one of the dragon’s arms while she sat uncomfortably on the treasure itself. Amgarad hopped onto the open lid of a huge box, spilling with golden sovereigns.
“Now we’ll choose a firestone for you, Janet,” Lady Ellan said, looking round thoughtfully. She rummaged among the treasure and picked out a particularly beautiful firestone from amongst the glowing scatter of emeralds, diamonds and rubies. “I should have given you one earlier but, quite frankly, none of us thought you’d ever need it.”
“Thank you, thank you very much!” Mrs MacLean said, holding it up delightedly so that the torchlight made it gleam. “I’ll get John to put it on a chain for me like he did with the others. Otherwise, I might lose it.” She looked at it wonderingly and again smiled her thanks before placing it carefully in a zippered compartment in her handbag. “Will I …” she asked shyly, “will I be able to call a magic carpet with it, like the others do?”
“Yes, of course,” came the immediate reply. “When we go back to the Great Hall, I’ll choose one specially for you.”
“That’ll be fab!” said Clara. “Then I can see my carpet at the same time.”
Arthur scrambled off his pile of treasure to accompany them and by the time they reached the Great Hall, they found several MacArthurs already starting to set the tables for lunch, carrying wicker baskets full of cutlery, plates and glasses. Near the dais, where the MacArthur usually sat, Sir James and the Ranger lounged on cushions, chatting idly to Archie, Hamish and Jaikie.
“What I don’t understand,” Sir James was saying to Archie as they approached, “was how MacGregor managed to find the Turkish restaurant at all, far less have dinner there.”
“I’d say,” Jaikie chipped in, “that the Turks were fishing. We put a strong protective shield round Arthur’s Seat the
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