Xanda’s head hurt and her mouth felt dry.

She could hear something? What? A voice? Voices!

What were they saying?

‘Are they dead?’

‘No. Just sleeping.’

Xandra wanted to go back to sleep. But something was telling her that she shouldn’t – that she should listen.

‘It shall be a splendid menu,’ said the first voice. Female. Old.

Menu? wondered Xandra. Food? Is it time for breakfast? She wasn’t hungry.

‘If you say so,’ said the second voice. That one was familiar. ‘Just remember our bargain. There is no such thing as a free meal.’

‘I get a dinner party and you get a throne.’ It was the first voice again. ‘This whole arrangement amuses me. You shall have your rise to royalty, Lord High Chancellor. Or perhaps I should address you as Your Majesty?’

Chancellor? Royalty?

The voices faded.

Was it time for sleep?

Yes … Sleep …

Xanda’s head hurt and her mouth felt dry.

There was a strange rhythmic sound. Growling?

She opened her eyes. Light stabbed at her. It was sunshine through a window. Squinting, Xandra rubbed her aching head.

She was lying on a hard surface. Wood. It was the floor.

With great effort, she sat up and took in her surroundings.

Xandra was in a sitting room, though not the one they had been in at the RCS.

Lex and Archie were also lying on the floor and Archie was snoring. That was the sound.

Leaning over, she shook them awake.

‘Ow … my head.’ Lex sat up slowly.

‘What happened?’ asked Archie. His voice sounded groggy.

‘Looks like we’ve been kidnapped,’ explained Xandra.

‘Who would want to kidnap us?’ asked Lex.

‘Ah,’ said a voice from behind them. ‘That would be me.’

They all whirled around, clutching their aching heads as they did. Leaning by the open door was Lord Grimsby.

‘I knew we couldn’t trust him,’ said Xandra.

‘Yes, well … always best not to trust someone who is about to commit treason.’

‘Treason?’ Archie was aghast.

‘I wouldn’t worry about that if I were you,’ said the tiger. ‘You have other things on your plate.’ He chuckled to himself.

‘What are you talking about?’ said Archie, getting to his feet.

‘You’ll find out soon enough,’ assured Grimsby. ‘Your host is eager to meet you before tonight’s dinner.’

‘Dinner?’ Lex said.

Xandra glared at Grimsby, then placed her hands on the floorboards and pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, then into a shaky crouch. With great effort, she straightened up, bringing herself to her feet.

‘It seems that Lord Edwin was wrong,’ said Grimsby. ‘Congratulations are in order for Miss Tesla and her invention.’

‘Is this the dinner with the important and powerful animals you were talking about at the RCS?’ asked Xandra.

‘It is indeed,’ said Grimsby. ‘Although I was misleading that stupid bear when I said I was hosting it. I’m not even attending. I’m simply interested in what I will get in return for bringing you.’

‘Royalty,’ said Xandra, remembering the snippets of conversation she had overheard.

‘How did you know?’ Grimsby’s momentary shock was quickly brought under control. ‘It matters not. Now, if you will excuse me, I should go and inform her Ladyship that the highlights of her dinner party have awoken.’

He turned and left, locking the door.

‘What is going on?’ asked Archie. ‘I don’t understand. Why would the Lord High Chancellor, Queen Victoria’s highest advisor, kidnap us?’

‘We come to a new world,’ grumbled Lex, ‘and we spend all our time getting kidnapped and locked up.’

‘It makes no sense.’ Archie continued, turning to Xandra. ‘And what did you mean by royalty?’

‘I’m not sure,’ admitted Xandra. ‘I heard Grimsby talking to someone before I was completely awake. I thought I was dreaming. But they said something about a dinner party in exchange for royalty. And the other voice called Grimsby Your Majesty.’

‘Your Majesty,’ whispered Archie. ‘But that is a title reserved for the King and Queen.’ Archie ran a hoof over his unruly hair. ‘Which would mean that Grimsby is plotting to overthrow the monarchy.’ He lifted both hooves to his face as if to cover his expression of horror. ‘But that is … unthinkable.’

‘He did say he was about to commit treason,’ Lex pointed out.

‘I wouldn’t put anything past that tiger,’ said Xandra.

The door opened and in swarmed a multitude of armadillos.

‘I am really getting sick of these things,’ said Lex, as he and the others were ushered from the room.

They were taken along a grand corridor through to a dining room. Xandra gazed in wonder. This room made Lord Edwin’s dining room look tiny by comparison. At one end was a raised platform with a six-seater wooden table. Several other, longer tables filled the rest of the space.

Grimsby stood on the platform beside a tortoise seated at the centre of the table.

‘Approach,’ called Grimsby.

The armadillos prodded Xandra and the others, until they moved forward, stopping short of the platform.

‘May I introduce Lady Mimsy Olivia Delainey,’ said Grimsby, ‘Duchess of Shelltonne, Lady President of the Royal Bank of Londinium.’

Archie gasped, then bowed so low Xandra though he might fall over.

Lady Mimsy’s wrinkled and puckered face protruded from the folds of a deep red scarf, and her shell was wrapped in a similar coloured shawl. She had diamond bracelets on each of her forelegs and a large emerald-studded silver broach clipped to her scarf. She was quite big, about the size of the giant tortoise Xandra and Lex had seen on their last outing to the zoo. It reminded Xandra of the unreality of their situation in this weird world of talking animals … this beast world.

‘I do rather like to meet all those I have for dinner,’ said Lady Mimsy, her voice croaky and old but quite strong. ‘It is always such a pleasure.’

‘Your Ladyship,’ said Archie, rising from his bow. ‘The pleasure is all ours.’

A stern sidelong glance from Archie made Xandra curtsey and Lex bow too.

An armadillo with a domed silver tray entered the room. He placed it before Lady Mimsy and retreated. The tortoise’s foreleg disappeared into her shell, then reappeared with a small golden box. Placing it on the table, she opened it and took out a pair of false teeth. Spreading her wizened lips, she popped the teeth into her mouth.

Lady Mimsy smiled, revealing shiny metallic teeth, each one ending in a sharp point. She snapped them together a few times then ran her tongue along the points.

‘I trust you won’t mind if I eat breakfast while we chat,’ she said.

‘Of course not,’ babbled Archie, still obviously starstruck.

Grimsby leaned forward and lifted the dome, releasing a tantalising aroma.

Lex sniffed, his mouth watering. ‘Bacon and eggs.’

Xandra did a double take.

‘What’s bacon?’ asked Archie.

‘Bacon is …’ Xandra hesitated. ‘Well … bacon is …’

‘Pig!’ finished Lady Mimsy between mouthfuls.

‘What?’ Archie was aghast. ‘But you can’t. Pigs are above the Great Divide. It’s … it’s immoral. It’s illegal. It goes against the Species Declaration of 1215.’

‘Don’t care,’ said Lady Mimsy, shoving a forkful into her mouth. ‘Delicious!’

‘Lady Mimsy and her associates have a rather particular taste in food,’ said Grimsby. ‘And tonight’s dinner will be an even more extraordinary menu.’

‘What’s so special about it?’ asked Xandra, confused.

‘Oh, my dear, dear human being,’ said Lady Mimsy. ‘What makes this menu so special … is you and your brother.’

‘What?’ Lex was confused too.

‘Let me simplify this for you,’ said Lady Mimsy. ‘I intend to cook and eat you.’ She opened her mouth, revealing her shiny metal teeth, and snapped at the air in front of her.

Xandra’s throat constricted. Blood rushed in her ears. For a moment, she found the simple act of breathing almost impossible. Did that tortoise really say she wanted to cook and eat me? she thought. Surely she had misheard.

‘You can’t be serious,’ said Archie.

‘Who is he?’ Lady Mimsy asked Grimsby.

‘Archibald Baxter Caractacus Dunlevy,’ answered Grimsby. ‘A member of the Royal Cryptozoological Society. No one important.’

‘Don’t worry, Mr Dunlevy,’ said Lady Mimsy. ‘You will not be left out. I’m planning to serve you as the entree.’

Archie yelped.

‘You’re mad,’ said Lex.

‘I am not insane,’ assured Lady Mimsy. ‘I am just hungry.’

‘But tortoises are herbivores,’ insisted Xandra, trying to bring logic to a ridiculous situation. ‘They don’t eat meat. We learnt that at school.’

‘Why should carnivores have all the fun?’ Lady Mimsy finished her breakfast and wiped her mouth with a foreleg. ‘I administer a secret fine-dining society. We gather once a month and eat meat. We have eaten a great deal of the common species and are now seeking those that are more difficult to procure. The High Chancellor has been of great assistance. Due to his position, he has been able to provide us with a stunning array of menu items. We still have one more menu item in the works. But tonight will be quite special. We shall feast on the most inconceivable of mythical beasts. Humans. I can hardly wait.’ She picked up a napkin and wiped her mouth. ‘Goodness, I’m salivating already.’

‘I thought you were a vegetarian?’ Xandra glared at Grimsby.

‘I am,’ said the tiger. ‘Power is more to my taste than meat.’ He shuddered at the word. ‘I am merely helping them in order to further my own ambitions.’

‘Overthrowing the monarchy.’ The words were stilted, as if they were so dreadful that Archie had trouble even saying them.

‘Saving the monarchy,’ corrected Grimsby. ‘Victoria is weak. She is not fit to rule. Lions have reigned over the United Animal Kingdom for far too long. They have become complacent. It is time for another species to take charge.’

‘Let me guess,’ said Xandra. ‘Tigers.’

‘Of course.’ Grimsby smiled. ‘Tigers are the natural choice. We were there from the formation of the Monarchy. We are the highest ranked of all other animals.’

‘I get it,’ said Xandra. She was furious that this power-hungry tiger was willing to sacrifice her, Lex and Archie to further his own goals. ‘You’re sick of playing second fiddle.’

Grimsby bared his teeth, with a deep, guttural growl.

Lex put a hand on his sister’s arm, a warning for her to stop. She shook it off. She was powerless to escape this situation – but at least she could stand her ground with words. ‘You’re Lord High Chancellor, aren’t you?’ she said. ‘It’s a fancy title, isn’t it? But you’re still just a sidekick. Always bowing and scraping to the Queen.’

‘I will not remain in the shadows,’ roared Grimsby. A sharp glance from Lady Mimsy made him calm down. He continued in a low, menacing voice. ‘Tigers are the superior species. Lions have become weak and in effectual. Without us – without me – the monarchy would not function. And the time has come for me to take my rightful place as king, beginning a new dynasty. A strong dynasty. A dynasty of tigers.’

‘So where does the turtle fit in?’ asked Lex.

‘Tortoise,’ corrected Lady Mimsy.

‘Yes,’ added Xandra. ‘It looks to me like you’re just her glorified waiter. Bringing her animals to eat.’

Xandra could see the muscles in Grimsby’s neck and shoulder tense and bunch with barely constrained rage. She had really touched a nerve this time. And she was glad of that.

‘Money makes the world go round,’ said Lady Mimsy with a little chuckle. ‘And as President of the Royal Bank, I control the money. Overthrowing the monarchy does not come cheap.’

Xandra turned on the tortoise. ‘And you’re doing this just so that you can eat us?’

‘That’s merely the icing on the cake, so to speak’ said Lady Mimsy. ‘I’m afraid I want a whole lot more than that. When Grimsby is king, he is to supply me with whatever meat I desire, regardless of any silly historical declaration.’ She gnashed her metal teeth. ‘Beginning with his coronation feast, where I shall dine on the former Queen.’

‘You can’t!’ Archie’s legs wobbled. He looked as if he were about to faint.

‘Yes, I can,’ said Lady Mimsy.

‘I will not let you,’ shouted Archie, as he launched himself at the tortoise.

With lightning speed, Grimsby intercepted him, grasping the llama by the throat. Archie’s legs dangled helplessly as the tiger held him. ‘Do not test me,’ he growled, baring his teeth. ‘I may have no taste for meat, but I can still bite.’

He tossed Archie to the floor.

‘Staff!’ he called.

The armadillos were back, clustering around Archie and the others.

‘Take them away.’