Marigold set the contraption down in the dirt and unwrapped the blanket. When she pulled the coffee spoon out of her pocket, Torville tried mightily to wriggle away, but Marigold cupped her hand around him and waited until he was still. āIām going to put you in the biplane now,ā she told him. āItās attached to a string, and I should be able to fly it just like a kite. All youāve got to do is keep yourself from falling out until it lands on the roof. I donāt think it will be too difficult.ā
āHow wonderful.ā Torville sounded sour. āSoaring through the air toward my certain death in a childās contraption shouldnāt be tricky at all.ā
āItās an excellent contraption,ā Marigold corrected him. She tucked him carefully inside the little box sheād fashioned that nestled between the biplaneās wings. āIāll get you as close to the tower as I can. Once youāve landed, you can climb up to the workroom windows and find out what spells the wizards are making. Iāll pull you back in an hour or so, when the wolves start howling in the wildwood. Youāll have to be back in the matchbox by then. Does all of that make sense?ā
The blob of glop seethed.
Marigold thought for a moment. āIāll make you absolute vats of porridge once weāre finished,ā she promised, āwith as much honey on top as you like.ā
The seething died down to a burble.
āThank you.ā Marigold picked up the biplane. It really was an excellent contraption now. Its wide wings caught the breeze beautifully, the string unspooled smoothly in Marigoldās hands as she ran across the waste, and soon the biplane was soaring far above her head. When it came near the fortress, she started reeling in the line to give Torville a softer landing. She couldnāt control the plane as well as sheād wanted to then, and it scraped and bumped along the roof tiles, but soon enough it came to rest like a strange bird nestled at the base of the highest tower. Marigold was pretty sure that Torville had landed upright.
After that, she could do nothing but wait. She shivered and wished the cotton of her work dress werenāt so thin; the wind was getting colder. She held on to the spool of string, passing it from hand to hand to keep her fingers from numbing. No noise came from the fortress, and the nighttime sounds of the wasteland surrounded her: the rustle of dead grass, the soft slither of underbellies, a low warning from a distant owl. She squinted up at the tower. Was that a small shadow against the light of the workroom window? The owl hooted again after a while, closer. Marigoldās arms were starting to ache, but she couldnāt put the spool of string down; she didnāt want to risk losing the biplane. The chill had gone into her bones by now. What if the wolves in the wildwood never howled?
Then there was a bang, so loud and so close that Marigold almost dropped her string. No more than twenty feet in front of her, at the edge of the moat, a wizard was brushing traveling powder from his robes. Marigold didnāt dare to breathe. āDratted moat!ā Old Skellytoes said to himself. He dipped a toe in the water, then pulled it out again quickly as something nearby began to splash. āDratted Thing!ā He turned to make his way around to the drawbridge.
Even in the darkness, he saw Marigold almost at once. āWhoās there?ā Old Skellytoes demanded. āThat you, Petronella? Wandering off in the moonlight again?ā He stepped closer. Marigold couldnāt think of anything to do except clutch her spool of string more tightly. āNo, youāre not Petronella ā youāre that servant girl!ā
Marigold knew that she was in bad trouble. āHello, sir,ā she said, pressing the spool into the folds of her dress. There was still a chance he wouldnāt notice the biplane.
āTrying to run away, are you?ā Old Skellytoes grinned in the moonlight. āVivienās going to be mad as a mountain troll when I tell her.ā
A long, haunting call came out of the wildwood; the wolves were howling at last. Up on the rooftop, Torville would be inching his way back into the biplane, but Marigold certainly couldnāt pull him down now. āIām not running away,ā she told Old Skellytoes. āIām collecting ingredients. The wizards needed a handful of skyberries.ā Marigold didnāt know if skyberries were something a wicked curse might require; she was almost too cold and too worried to think. āThere were only dried berries in the storeroom, so they sent me out to pick some fresh ones.ā
āIn this weather?ā Old Skellytoes cackled and held up a hand against the icy wind. āYou wonāt have much luck.ā
āNo,ā Marigold agreed miserably. āI havenāt had any.ā
āBut you have something.ā Old Skellytoes leaned forward, frowning. āWhatās that in your hand? Not skyberries.ā His long and bony fingers darted out from his robes, and he snatched the spool of string right out of Marigoldās grasp. āOh, no, not skyberries at all!ā
āGive that back!ā said Marigold.
āI wonāt,ā Old Skellytoes said cheerfully. He was reeling in loose string now, bit by bit. āWhere does this line lead? I wonder. Were you fishing in the moat, child? Trying to catch yourself a Thing?ā
He strode forward, winding more and more string onto the spool. There wasnāt much slack left; if he kept on winding, the biplane would start to move along the roof tiles. āStop that!ā said Marigold, trying to keep up.
Old Skellytoes held the spool up, just out of Marigoldās reach. āAh! I see now. Youāve been flying a kite. Delightful!ā He took the string in both hands and yanked.
There was nothing at all delightful about the way the biplane plummeted to earth. It spun and tumbled, bouncing off the walls and landing with a crunch at the base of the fortress. Old Skellytoes kept reeling in the string, dragging the biplane through the dirt and hopping it across the moat with one swift twitch of his wrists. By the time it came to rest at his feet, it was bent out of shape and badly torn. The little box that Marigold had made for Torville lay upside down on the ground, half disconnected from the wings, so she couldnāt see whether he was safe inside.
āA strange contraption!ā remarked Old Skellytoes. He bent down to poke at the wings and pull at the wires. āIāve never seen a kite like it. And how about this?ā Before Marigold could stop him, heād yanked the little box free and held it over his head, trying to get a better look in the moonlight. āIs there anything inside?ā He gave it a good long shake.
The blob of glop that was Torville fell onto his face.
Old Skellytoes howled and swore. Torville, who seemed to have used up most of his strength, melted over Old Skellytoesā forehead and dripped down toward his nose, while Old Skellytoes worked frantically to wipe him away. Marigold tried to grab hold of Torville, but Old Skellytoes held her at armās length with one hand and peeled the glop off his face with the other. āDrippety fiend!ā he shouted. āYouāre Wizard Torville, arenāt you?ā
The glop gathered itself together just enough to nod.
āI thought so.ā Old Skellytoes looked from Torville to the ruined biplane, and then, incredulous, to Marigold. āI donāt know whatās been going on here,ā he admitted, ābut Iām guessing itās rotten.ā He stuck Torville in the pocket of his robes and tightened his grip on Marigoldās arm. āYouād better quit your wiggling and come with me.ā
Old Skellytoes hauled Marigold back inside the fortress and into the dining room, where half the evil wizards were still gathered. Elgin was pacing in front of the windows, the Twice-Times Witch and Gentleman Northwinds were deep in conversation by the fire, and everyone else looked as if they were dearly missing their bedrolls and blankets, but all of them straightened up when they saw Old Skellytoes dragging Marigold behind him.
āFinally!ā said Elgin. āIs that last inversion charm done?ā
āOf course itās done,ā Old Skellytoes snapped. āIf Iād tripped the anti-wizard spells, I wouldnāt be back here, would I?ā
āNot all in one piece, I suppose.ā Elgin frowned. āPut that child back where you found her, Skellytoes; we donāt need more coffee.ā
Old Skellytoes pushed Marigold in front of him. āI found her outside,ā he said, as proud as a schoolboy. āSheād gotten some kind of gadget rigged up on the fortress roof, and she wasnāt alone. Look who else Iāve got.ā He dug into his pocket and pulled out the blob of glop.
āIs that my brother?ā Elgin strode over and collected Torville from Old Skellytoesā hands. āYouāre in awfully bad shape!ā he said to the blob. āWeak and sopping, with bits of fuzz clinging to you ā but it suits you, Torville; it really does. Iāll be keeping you with me from now on.ā He dropped Torville into his own pocket, and Marigold drew in her breath. Whatever Torville might have learned up in the workroom, he certainly wouldnāt be able to tell her about it while he was stuck in Elginās moldering robes.
āAs for you,ā said Elgin, rounding on Marigold, āIād like to know what you thought you were doing out there, sneaking around with a wizard and a . . . what kind of gadget was it, Skellytoes?ā
āA kite?ā Old Skellytoes guessed.
āA biplane!ā Marigold shot back.
āWhatever it is, I hate it.ā Elgin towered over Marigold; she had to tilt her head back to look him in the eye. āThereās a certain crater I know on the shadowed side of the moon,ā he told her. āHow would you like to be sent there for good?ā
If Marigold had been any good at being wicked, she would have sent Elgin there first. She was certainly angry enough to try it. The contraption sheād labored over was lying crushed in the dirt, all her plans kept going fantastically wrong, and she couldnāt bear the satisfied little smile on Elginās face. But just as she was about to tell him so, the thought of Torville in his pocket ā and of Collin and Pettifog nearby ā made her bite her tongue. Her mistakes had gotten the others into enough trouble already.
The servantsā door swung open then, and Vivien swept in with a bundle of papers in one hand. āIncantations for all!ā she cried, handing out papers to each wizard in turn. āI had Millicent copy out the vanishing spell weāll be using on Imbervale Palace. All the component potions should be ready around midday tomorrow, so youāll have plenty of time to memorize the words. The rhythm is the same as the one we all use for temporary vanishing charms, but remember: big magic requires a grand scale. If we want Princess Rosalind and everyone else in that palace to disappear forever, weāll need a thunderous volume! A tremendous clamor! A terrible chorus of wicked voices, raised as one to say ā What is she doing here?ā Vivien had come face-to-face with Marigold.
āBy all means, Vivien, keep talking,ā Elgin said. āDid you have any more secrets youād like to share with Torvilleās servant girl?ā
Vivien glared at him. āShe shouldnāt be here! Itās not my fault youāre too much of a fool to realize that. Did your brain slip out through your ear while I was upstairs? Should we look for it under the table? I hope no oneās squashed it!ā
āCalm down, Viv,ā said Elgin. āI was just about to send the child to the moon.ā
This cheered Vivien up at once. She came over to Marigold and pinched her cheek like an unwanted aunt. āThe moon,ā she said, āis the perfect place for a child like you. Iāll get the spell ready now.ā
āNo oneās going to the moon,ā said Gentleman Northwinds. He spoke calmly, but his cool voice made Marigold shiver. āAt least not yet. We donāt have time to waste on other enchantments. Donāt you have to finish mixing the component potions?ā
Vivien looked annoyed. āWe do have more work to do,ā she admitted. āBut the girlās heard our plans!ā
āAnd sheās a troublemaker,ā said Elgin.
āThen put her in the dungeon.ā Gentleman Northwinds stood up from his chair by the fire. āThe moon can wait. But Iām afraid I canāt; I need a good nightās rest. Iāll meet you all outside Imbervale Palace at midday tomorrow ā except for you, of course, child.ā He nodded at Marigold. āMake sure these villains arenāt so busy bickering that they forget to fasten your locks.ā
The Miseries didnāt forget. They closed the padlock on the dungeon door with an echoing click, and Vivien tucked the iron key away in her robes. āAfter weāve vanished Imbervale Palace,ā she said to Marigold through the lattice of bars, āand once all the Cacophonous Kingdoms are in a glorious uproar, weāll think about setting you free.ā
āOn the moon,ā Elgin clarified.
āYou wonāt annoy us there.ā Vivien showed her teeth. Then she turned and disappeared up the stairs, with Elgin at her heels.