Dark clouds were floating across the sky, but the waning moon was high and bright as Hal led the way through the orchard just before midnight.
When he reached the last line of trees, he stopped. Everyone gathered silently around him and looked ahead.
The castle on the hill gleamed pearly white beneath its veil of smoke. The drawbridge had been raised, the tall front doors were closed, and all the windows were dark. Smoke crawled sluggishly over the moat, but the rest of the hill was clear, and smooth as a silvery egg. The grassy plain was deserted as far as the eye could see. Nothing moved, and there was no sound at all.
‘Any news, Gravis?’ Hal murmured.
Something that Leo had taken for the stub of a broken branch turned its head, showing two round eyes that shone like tiny lanterns. ‘The fox left the castle again just before the drawbridge was raised,’ the owl hooted. ‘It nosed among the goat bones at the bottom of the hill, then returned carrying whatever fragment it had found to eat. That is all.’
‘Even old bones are too good for Sly,’ Bertha hissed in Leo’s ear. ‘I hope he starves!’
‘The smoke level has not changed since our last report,’ the owl went on. ‘The tower room has remained dark.’
‘Good.’ But still Hal took his time keenly scanning castle, hill and plain for himself. His eyes lingered on the willow trees to the east, and Leo knew he was thinking about the little house hidden there beside the river – wondering, perhaps, if he would ever see it again.
Hal’s hair was freshly combed and braided into a warrior’s tail. His clothes were as tidy as he could make them. Everyone else had made similar efforts on waking from a few hours’ sleep by the fire. Somehow it had seemed important to look good – to look confident, and ready for what was to come.
Looking around, Leo decided that only he and Bertha let the team down. Mimi, Tye and Freda looked poised and sleek. Conker and Hal looked tough and impressive. Little Wurzle, his hood thrown back and replaced by a pointed wizard’s hat, his white beard gleaming in the moonlight, at least looked interesting. But the brim of Bertha’s hat still flopped over her eyes despite all her efforts to straighten it, and Leo had been forced to wear Princess Pretty’s boots.
Leo looked down at his feet, and sighed. The boots were very comfortable, and amazingly they fitted perfectly, but they definitely did not look heroic.
He glanced at Mimi standing very upright beside him. She looked almost bored, but he knew that underneath she was tense as a violin string. That was why she had snapped at him for wincing as Spoiler’s yells echoed from the bedroom while he was being tied up.
‘Don’t be stupid, Leo!’ she’d hissed. ‘Hal has to do it! He can’t take any risks. This is too important.’
‘Plum’s here,’ Conker muttered.
Leo turned to look as a plump, bearded figure in a dark red cloak and hat moved towards them through the trees, breathing heavily.
‘Greetings, Plum,’ said Wurzle, bowing.
‘Greetings,’ the plump wizard puffed, bowing in return. ‘Oh, am I the first to arrive? I thought we were starting a bit early.’
‘Better to be safe than sorry,’ a small voice said crisply from his pocket.
‘My mouse is very bossy,’ Leo heard Plum tell Wurzle under his breath. ‘Quite annoying, really. How’s yours?’
‘Not bad,’ Wurzle said cautiously, glancing down at the mouse sitting astride his left shoe with the laces held in its paws like reins.
‘Tye, go back through the orchard and wait for the witnesses,’ Hal said. ‘Keep them back till they’re called. Complete silence.’
Tye nodded, murmured something to him, and slipped away.
‘Tye says Pandora is approaching,’ Hal said in a low voice, inclining his head towards the east.
Wurzle and Plum both hastily smoothed their beards and stood up a little straighter.
Leo thought of the witnesses assembling behind the orchard. Hal had said that Jim the woodcutter would be there. Six members of Jim’s family would be with him, but his wife Polly and Suki, his foster sister and the queen’s hated stepdaughter, would not be among them. Hal feared that the queen might sense Suki if she was near, and Polly was looking after the baby, Rose. Leo could imagine what Suki and Polly were going through, waiting in an agony of suspense, and again silently thanked Tye for persuading Hal to allow him and Mimi to come.
By the time Pandora reached the meeting place, two other witches had emerged from the shadows of the orchard from the other direction, taking everyone by surprise.
The first of the newcomers, who Wurzle greeted as ‘Zillah’, was stocky and middle-aged, with a round, merry face and short, untidy grey hair. Leo didn’t think she looked anything like a witch until he met her shrewd hazel eyes and felt a tiny shiver run down his back.
‘Excuse my hair, won’t you?’ Zillah said cheerfully. ‘I managed to get my old broom going, so I decided to fly.’
She turned her head and grinned maliciously at the sick-looking messenger mouse clinging grimly to her shoulder. ‘It turns out my assistant here has never flown before,’ she added. ‘I don’t think it enjoyed the trip.’
‘Did you fly, too, Thorn Witch?’ Plum politely asked Zillah’s companion, a little old woman with orange hair and a long, crooked nose.
The old woman sighed and shook her head. ‘I had to give up flying after my last smash,’ she said in a high, sweet voice that didn’t match her appearance at all. ‘I promised Officer Begood. I do miss it, though – except when it’s raining.’
‘Speaking of rain, what’s this I hear about you making rain in Flitter Wood, Wurzle?’ Zillah asked. ‘How in Rondo did you do it?’
‘I don’t exactly know, to be frank with you, Zillah,’ said Wurzle. ‘It all happened so fast. I used a version of the water-flow curse, as I remember. ‘
Wizard Plum rumbled disbelievingly. ‘I can’t see how that would –’ he began, then to Leo’s relief broke off to greet Pandora, who swept up at that moment looking stunning in a dark green cloak and hat. Leo recognised her with surprise as the tall, striking woman he’d seen on the music box, buying lilies at Posy’s flower stall.
‘No flies on Pandora,’ he heard Freda mutter to Conker out of the side of her beak. ‘All her witnesses are from the Crystal Palace, I hear. Nothing but the best!’
‘Our number is not complete,’ Pandora said, looking around with raised eyebrows.
‘I’m afraid not,’ Wurzle fluttered, looking worried. ‘No-Name and Bing are still to come.’
A nearby tree seemed to move as a gaunt wizard who had been closely pressed against the trunk leaned silently forward.
Wurzle jumped. ‘Oh, sorry, No-Name,’ he babbled. ‘Didn’t see you there. When did you arrive?’
The gaunt wizard stared at him with hollow, reproachful eyes and patted the pocket at the side of his ragged brown robe.
A startled-looking mouse popped its head out of the pocket. Its helmet was slightly askew. It saw the gathering and clapped its paw over its mouth.
‘Oh!’ it squeaked. ‘I do apologise! We’ve been here for hours. And you can see what he’s like – as much company as a tree stump. I must have nodded off.’
‘Typical!’ Conker muttered. The mouse glared at him.
The minutes ticked by. Wurzle began to pluck nervously at his beard. Zillah kept glancing up at the moon and the drifting clouds. Pandora stood like an ebony statue, staring at the castle. Hal’s face was grim.
‘Could we manage without Bing, do you think?’ the Thorn Witch whispered at last, clearly unable to stand the tension. ‘I know six isn’t the ideal number, but…’
Pandora, Zillah, Wurzle and No-Name shook their heads decisively.
There was a rustle from deep within the orchard. As everyone turned, a tall, thin figure in a tattered cloak and bent wizard’s hat loomed out of the shadows. Leo’s stomach turned over as he recognised Wizard Bing.
‘Sorry I’m late,’ Bing said breezily. ‘I had some trouble with my cooking pot. It wanted to come too. Broke every window in the house trying to follow me. But I fixed it in the end – locked it in the chicken yard.’
He looked around, smirking. No one smiled back.
‘And your witnesses, Wizard Bing?’ Hal asked in clipped tones.
Wizard Bing blinked. ‘Oh – ah – waiting beyond the orchard with the others, as ordered,’ he answered, clearly a little taken aback. It was the first time Leo had seen him even slightly discomforted.
Hal squared his shoulders. ‘We’re starting later than we planned. There’s now no time to lose. Wizards and witches, Rondo’s fate is in your hands. Take your positions!’
The Seven formed a circle and clasped hands in the centre. Then, without a word, they left the shelter of the trees and moved down to the border.
Wizard Wurzle stopped directly opposite the eastern side of the castle hill. Bing, Pandora, No-Name, the Thorn Witch, Zillah and Plum turned and paced in single file towards the west. A cloud sailed across the moon and Leo lost sight of them. By the time the cloud had passed, seven figures were standing perfectly still, evenly spaced along the border.
‘Ooh!’ Bertha breathed. ‘Lawks-a-daisy, they do look impressive, you have to admit!’
‘Quiet!’ Hal ordered, in a voice totally unlike his own. ‘Conker and Freda, fetch Tye and the witnesses.’
Conker and Freda vanished into the trees without a word. After a few minutes, they reappeared with Tye, serious-faced, beside them.
The orchard was suddenly full of faint sounds. Leo looked around and saw that it was crowded with dark shapes.
‘All present,’ Conker said. He looked rather disconcerted.
‘Brewer’s here,’ Freda muttered to Leo, Mimi and Bertha. ‘He didn’t say anything about the Hair-Gro stuff, though. Maybe he hasn’t missed it yet.’
‘He has,’ Conker hissed. ‘Didn’t you see how he wouldn’t look at us? Kept right away from us? He thinks we’re a bunch of thieves!’
‘If he did, he’d have said something,’ Freda said dismissively. ‘He looked guilty himself, if you ask me.’
‘Witnesses, take your positions!’ Hal said, and turned to face the castle.
The owl in the tree fluttered onto his shoulder and he stepped forward. As Tye, Conker, Freda, Bertha, Leo and Mimi moved after him, there was nothing but a faint rustling behind them.
Leo glanced over his shoulder. The crowd of witnesses had melted away, and dozens of shadows were slipping through the trees to the west.
In silence the friends moved down the gentle slope, walked across the grass and stopped behind Wizard Wurzle, who made no sign that he felt their presence.
Leo caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye and looked to the left. Further along the line, the other witnesses were gliding into place. Now that they were out in the open, he could see them more clearly.
Jolly, Officer Begood, Pop the balloon-seller, Posy the flower-seller, Master Whitebeard, Brewer and Monsieur Rouge-et-Noir from the art gallery were already forming a tight semi-circle behind Wizard Plum. Further along, Jim was leading his mother and father and Polly’s parents, grandmother and brother Walter towards Zillah. Further along still, Farmer Macdonald, Snoot the rooster, Rhoda the rat, Marmaduke the cat and three pretty maids were emerging from a clump of bushes beside the orchard, and heading towards the Thorn Witch.
Leo felt Mimi shiver all over. He glanced down at her and touched her hand. Her cold fingers gripped his convulsively, but immediately let go. She doesn’t want me to think she needs reassurance, he thought. She’s determined not to be a problem. He felt a rush of warm feeling for her.
By the time Leo looked left again, the farm witnesses had reached the Thorn Witch and seven very small men wearing hoods were standing behind No-Name. Further to the west, the Crystal Queen and two princesses were fluttering towards Pandora like large moths, with Sir Clankalot and two guards stalking after them, and Pretty’s husband, Claude, trailing behind.
And at last the Hobnob witnesses made their appearance, climbing out of a little hollow and walking steadily towards Wizard Bing, whose tall, thin figure stood motionless directly opposite the western slope of the castle hill. They were too far away for Leo to see their faces clearly, but their shapes were very familiar. Stitch the brave little tailor was in the lead, Mayor Clogg, Bun the baker and Candy Sweet were next, and Simon Humble, Tilly and the little brown hen, Moult, were following.
So many of the friends we’ve made in Rondo are here, Leo thought, and the terrible feeling of foreboding that had tormented him in the farmhouse swept through him again. It’s nerves, that’s all, he told himself. Pull yourself together. Soon you’ll have to concentrate really hard. You don’t want to be the one who spoils the spell.
A moment after Bing’s witnesses had formed their semicircle, a mouse appeared beside Hal’s foot. ‘All witnesses in place!’ it announced, and shot away again.
‘Tye?’ Hal snapped. ‘The web!’
Tye took the black silk bag from her belt and drew from it what looked like a ball of fluffy, pale green knitting wool. Carefully she unwound a little gossamer from the ball and put the loose end on the ground just in front of Wizard Wurzle’s right foot. She put the ball on the ground by his left foot. The mouse on Wurzle’s shoe jumped down and began rapidly rolling the ball towards Wizard Plum, the second wizard in line, leaving a thin green trail of gossamer behind. Reaching Plum, it passed the ball neatly to Plum’s mouse, who began rolling it towards Zillah.
Wurzle’s mouse raced back. ‘Web delivered to Wizard Plum,’ it reported breathlessly, and jumped back onto Wurzle’s shoe.
Plum’s mouse passed the green ball to Zillah’s mouse, who rolled it on towards the Thorn Witch. After that, Leo lost sight of it.
Plum’s mouse reported delivery of the web to Zillah. A moment later, Zillah’s mouse reported delivery to the Thorn Witch.
The reports went on. The tiny voices of the mice were the only sounds. The moon flooded the scene with cold, white light.
Leo was overtaken by a strange sense of unreality. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He gazed at the flat stretch of silvery grass directly ahead of him. There the Blue Queen had stood sneering at Hal while Conker struggled in mid air and the green dragon reared and roared. There the golden dragon had lain in chains. There the queen had been cheated of her last chance to make the Great Potion.
Now the space was just a piece of ground littered with goat skulls, Conker’s dot-swatters, and the jumble of objects that had fallen from Conker’s pockets.
Leo felt Mimi stir uneasily and again he glanced at her. Her face was pale in the moonlight. When she turned to look at him, her eyes were like dark pools. Her pale lips opened.
‘Something’s – not right,’ she breathed haltingly, as if the words were being wrung out of her. ‘I’ve felt it all night, and even more since we got down here. I can’t explain it…’
It was as if a cold hand had gripped Leo’s heart. He understood how much it had cost Mimi to speak. She expected him to react with impatience, even derision, because she couldn’t give a reason for her ‘feeling’.
But he didn’t doubt her instinct for a moment. He knew it was based on something real, some detail Mimi had unconsciously noticed, or a troubling idea still only half-formed at the back of her mind. He knew it because this had happened before. And he knew it because what Mimi had said struck a chord in his own mind – because he felt the same dread he could see in her eyes.
‘Web delivered to Wizard Bing,’ he heard a squeaky voice say, and looked down just in time to see a brown blob streak back the way it had come.
A wisp of cloud drifted over the moon. The light dimmed. The silence was absolute.
‘Hal –’ Leo began in a low voice.
‘Gravis!’ Hal said at the same moment. ‘Now!’
The owl on his shoulder took off. For a moment Leo could see it against the sky, then he lost sight of it. But from high above them, low but quite distinct, came three single hoots.
On the third hoot, the Seven raised their arms. Their lips began to move soundlessly. The green line at their feet quivered and seemed to expand as the edge of a fragile veil of gossamer peeled away from it. And slowly, steadily, the web began to rise.
Leo’s scalp prickled. His knees began to tremble. He couldn’t tear his eyes from the gauzy web rising from the green line like a live thing, and wavering upward.
The web was closely woven but so light that it seemed to drift in the air like green mist. Already it was as high as Wizard Wurzle’s shoulder.
And it was saturated with magic. The concentrated spells of the Seven were drenching it, spreading through its delicate fibres like water soaking into a sponge. Leo knew this just as surely as he knew that it was magic he could feel – magic that was thick in the very air he breathed, magic that was flooding his mind, tingling on his skin, freezing him where he stood.
He couldn’t resist it. He couldn’t lift a finger. It was as much as he could do to keep breathing. For a time he struggled to remember what it was he’d been thinking about before the magic overwhelmed him, then he ceased to care. His last conscious thought was that it had been pointless to fear that he, or any of the other witnesses, would lose concentration and spoil the spell. He could feel himself sinking deeper into a trance, forgetting everything but the web, the web rising higher, higher, higher…