Leave it. Ill do it, said Derk. Why is it that no one but me has the slightest artistic sense when it comes to gardening?
Everyone went to bed exhausted.
izards began arriving from about eleven the next morning. When Querida and Barnabas reached the gates of Derkholm, they found themselves met by a silent pair of griffins. These were Don and Lydda. Kit, for some reason, had insisted on a matched pair. Don and Lydda were the same age thirteen and almost the same handsome golden-to-brown colours, and they were the same size, if you allowed for the fact that Lyddas shape was to put it politely chunky, while Dons was spare. Under the big gold-tinted brown feathers of his wings, his ribs always showed and always worried Mara.
The two of them preceded Querida and Barnabas up the straight drive (for, despite working until after midnight, Derk had not found room to make the drive wander as he wanted) and to the enormous terrace, where they politely bowed the two wizards up the steps. It was perhaps unfortunate that the moving around of the garden had resulted in the clump of man-eating orchids arriving at a bed just beside these steps. They made a dart at Querida as she passed, all several dozen yellow blooms at once. Querida turned and looked at them. The orchids drew back hastily.
On the terrace, the various tables had been converted into one long one, covered with a white cloth which had been two dozen tea towels
an hour before and the assorted chairs had become identical graceful gold seats. Mara felt rather proud of the effect as she came forward wearing a rich brocade dress Shona had stylishly sewn together two aprons and a tablecloth to make the basis of the dress to show the newcomers to their seats.
Derk was beside Mara in clothes Shona and Mara had worked on late into the night. They were indigo velvet Callettes idea with a cloak that swirled to reveal a starry night sky. It was real sky and real stars, as if seen small and distant. Querida naturally ignored this wondrous lining. Im glad to see youre being sensible about this, Wizard Derk, she said.
Not sensible, he said. Resigned. While he worked on the garden in the dark, it had come to Derk that the only way to go through with this was to promise himself that, as soon as it was over, he would start work at once on a completely new kind of animal.
Barnabas, like every other wizard to arrive, was captivated by the lining of that cloak. Is that real sky? he asked. How?
Derk annoyed Mara, as he had annoyed her when every single other wizard had asked about it, by lifting one arm to peer at the miraculous lining she had worked so hard to fix there, and saying, Oh, its just one of Maras clever little universes, you know. He saw Mara turn away in irritation and lead Querida to the chair reserved for her. She and Querida seemed to have a lot to say to one another. He cursed the Oracle. It was not just that he did not like Querida. This Dark Lord business was already putting differences between himself and Mara, and he had a feeling it could end by separating them entirely. He said glumly to Barnabas, Weve put you and Querida at the end where Mr Chesneys going to sit.
As Barnabas sat in a golden chair that was in fact Shonas piano stool, Callette tramped up the steps and thumped down another barrel of beer. Barnabas eyed it gladly. Ah! he said. Is that some of Derks own brew? Callette inspected him with one large grey and black eye and nodded briefly before she went away.
Why arent they talking? Blade wondered as he came on to the terrace carrying their biggest coffee pot. Elda was in front of him, pushing a trolley loaded with wine, glasses and mugs. She had been in the kitchen with him for half an hour and nothing would possess her to utter a word. He supposed it was something to do with Kits plan. Stupid. He felt tired and nervous. And he had been woken far too early this morning by groanings and creakings from the overstretched roof. No one had had time to put it right. And there was no time now. Blades job was to make sure that every one of the eighty or so wizards round the table had the drinks they preferred. They did look tired, he thought, as he went his rounds with coffee pot and trolley. The fact that they were all in formal robes, red or white or black, made their faces look really pale and tired. And the beards did not help. Wizards he had met without beards had suddenly got them now.
Oh, its the rules, one of the younger ones, a wizard called Finn, told him. Mr Chesney wont hear of a wizard guiding a Pilgrim Party without a beard. Coffee, please. How do you come by your coffee? I can only get it from the tours. I asked to be paid in coffee last year, I love it so much.
My father grows it, Blade said.
Really? Finn said eagerly. Will he sell me any?
I should think so, said Blade. Look does that mean Ill have to wear a beard? Im supposed to be a Wizard Guide.
Finn gave him a startled look. We-ell, he said. Youd look a bit odd see what Mr Chesney says.
I cant wait! thought Blade. Youd think Mr Chesney rules the universe.