“I’m sure Madam Perdita can wait a few moments,” snapped Madam Clairvoy. “Off with you now, Xar! I’ve had quite enough of YOU for one day!”

And she shooed Bodkin out of the room.

Madam Clairvoy carefully shut the door behind him.

Bodkin knelt down so that he could hear what was going on in the room. He put his eye to the keyhole of the door.

Madam Clairvoy glided to a cupboard in the corner of the room and opened it. There was something inside. And what she did next, Xar—and Bodkin, watching through the keyhole—could not really believe.

She took off her head, as if she was taking off a hat.

The now headless woman gave a quick, satisfied pat of Madam Clairvoy’s hair and placed the head of Madam Clairvoy on a stand inside the cupboard. And peering, goggle-eyed, into the cupboard, Xar realized there was ANOTHER head in there. The arms of Madam Clairvoy reached inside the cupboard, picked up this other head and put it on her shoulders, gently pushing it down as if to make it secure.

And then she turned around.

And it wasn’t Madam Clairvoy standing in front of Xar.

It was Queen Sychorax.