In which Calcifer promises Sophie a hint

Howl must have come back while Sophie and Michaelwere out. He came out of the bathroom while Sophie was fryingbreakfast on Calcifer, and sat gracefully in the chair, groomed andglowing and smelling of honeysuckle.

?Dear Sophie,? he said. ?Always busy. You werehard at work yesterday, weren?t you, in spite of my advice? Whyhave you made a jigsaw puzzle of my best suit? Just a friendlyinquiry, you know.?

?You jellied it the other day,? said Sophie.?I?m making it over.?

?I can do that,? said Howl. ?I thought I showedyou. I can also make you a pair of seven-league boots of your own ifyou give me your size. Something practical in brown calf, perhaps.It?s amazing the way one can take a step ten and half mileslong and still always land in a cow pat.?

?It may have been a bull pat,? said Sophie. ?Idaresay you found mud from the marshes on them too. A person my ageneeds a lot of exercise.?

?You were even busier than I realized, then,? saidHowl. ?Because when I happened to tear my eyes fromLettie?s lovely face for an instant yesterday, I could havesworn I saw your long nose poking round the corner of thehouse.?

?Mrs. Fairfax is a family friend,? said Sophie.?How was I to know you would be there too??

?You have an instinct, Sophie, that?s how,? saidhowl. ??Nothing is safe from you. If I were to court agirl who lived on an iceberg in the middle of an ocean, sooner orlater?probably sooner?I?d look up to see you swooping overheadon a broomstick. In fact, by now I?d be disappointed in you ifI didn?t see you.?

?Are you off to the iceberg today?? Sophie retorted.?From the look on Lettie?s face yesterday, there?snothing that need keep you there!?

?You wrong me, Sophie,? Howl said. He sounded deeplyinjured. Sophie looked suspiciously sideways. Beyond the red jewelswinging in Howl?s ear, his profile looked sad and noble.?Long years will pass before I leave Lettie,? he said.?And in fact I?m off to see the King again today.Satisfied, Mrs. Nose??

Sophie was not sure she believed a word of this, though it wascertainly to Kingsbury, with the doorknob red-down, that Howldeparted after breakfast, waving Michael aside when Michael tried toconsult him about the perplexing spell. Michael, since he had nothingelse to do, left too. He said he might as well go toCesari?s.

Sophie was left alone. She still did not truly believe what Howlhad said about Lettie, but she had been wrong about him before, andshe had only Michael and Calcifer?s word for Howl?sbehavior, after all. She collected up all the little blue trianglesof cloth and began guiltily sewing them back into the silver fishingnet which was all that was left of the suit. When someone knocked atthe door, she started violently, thinking it was the scarecrowagain.

?Porthaven door,? Calcifer said, flickering a purplegrin at her.

That should be all right, then. Sophie hobbled over and opened it,blue-down. There was a cart horse outside. The young fellow of fiftywho was leading it wondered if Mrs. Witch had something which mightstop it casting shoes all the time.

?I?ll see,? said Sophie. She hobbled over to thegrate. ?What shall I do?? she whispered.

?Yellow powder, fourth jar along on the second shelf,?Calcifer whispered back. ?Those spells are mostly belief.Don?t look uncertain when you give it to him.?

So Sophie poured yellow powder into a square of paper as she hadseen Michael do, twisted it smartly, and hobbled to the door with it.?There you are, my boy,? she said. ?That?llstick the shoes on harder than any hundred nails. Do you hear me,horse? You won?t need a smith for the next year. That?llbe a penny, thank you.?

It was quite a busy day. Sophie had to put down her sewing andsell, with Calcifer?s help, a spell to unblock drains, anotherto fetch goats, and something to make good beer. The only one thatgave her any trouble was the customer who pounded on the door inKingsbury. Sophie opened it red-down to find a richly dressed boy notmuch older than Michael, white-faced and sweating, wringing his handson the doorstep.

?Madam Sorceress, for pity?s sake!? he said.?I have to fight a duel at dawn tomorrow. Give me something tomake sure I win. I?ll pay any sum you ask!?

Sophie looked over her shoulder at Calcifer, and Calcifer madefaces back, meaning that there was no such thing ready-made.?That wouldn?t be right at all,? Sophie told theboy severely. ?Besides, dueling is wrong.?

?Then just give me something that lets me have a fairchance!? the lad said desperately.

Sophie looked at him. He was very undersized and clearly in agreat state of fear. He had that hopeless look a person has who alwaysloses at everything. ?I?ll see what I can do,?Sophie said. She hobbled over to the shelves and scanned the jars.The red one labeled CAYENNE looked the most likely. Sophie poured agenerous heap of it on a square of paper. She stood the human skullbeside it. ?Because you must know more about this than Ido,? she muttered at it. The young man was leaning anxiouslyround the door to watch. Sophie took up a knife and made what shehoped would look like mystic passes over the heap of pepper.?You are to make a fair fight,? she mumbled. ?Afair fight! Understand?? She screwed the paper up and hobbledto the door with it. ?Throw this in the air when the duelstarts,? she told the undersized young man, ?and it willgive you the same chance as the other man. After that, whether youwin or not depends on you.?

The undersized young man was so grateful that he tried to give hera gold piece. Sophie refused to take it, so he gave her a two-pennybit instead and went away, whistling happily. ?I feel afraud,? Sophie said as she stowed the money under thehearthstone. ?But I would like to be there at thatfight!?

?So would I!? crackled Calcifer. ?When are yougoing to release me so that I can go and see things likethat??

?When I?ve got even a hint about this contract,?Sophie said.

?You may get one later today,? said Calcifer.

Michael breezed in toward the end of the afternoon. He took ananxious look round to make sure Howl had not come home first and wentto the bench, where he got things out to make it look as if he hadbeen busy, singing cheerfully while he did.

?I envy you being able to walk all that way soeasily,? Sophie said, sewing a blue triangle to silver braid.?How was Ma-my niece??

Michael gladly left the workbench and sat on the stool by thehearth to tell her all about his day. Then he asked aboutSophie?s. The result was that when Howl shouldered the dooropen with his arms full of parcels, Michael was not even lookingbusy. He was rolling around on the stool laughing at the duelspell.

Howl backed into the door to shut it and leaned there in a tragicattitude. ?Look at you all!? he said. ?Ruin staresme in the face. I slave all day for you all. And not one of you, evenCalcifer, can spare time to say hello!?

Michael sprang up guiltily and Calcifer said, ?I never do say hello.?

?Is something wrong?? asked Sophie.

?That?s better,? said Howl. ?Some of youare pretending to notice me at last. How kind of you to ask, Sophie.Yes, something is wrong. The King has asked me officially tofind his brother for him?with a strong hint that destroying the Witchof the Waste would come in handy too?and you all sit there andlaugh!?

By now it was clear that Howl was in a mood to produce green slimeany second. Sophie hurriedly put her sewing away. ?I?llmake some hot buttered toast,? she said.

?Is that all you can do in the face of tragedy?? Howlasked. ?Make toast? No, don?t get up. I?ve trudgedhere laden with stuff for you, so the least you can do is show politeinterest. Here.? He tipped a shower of parcels intoSophie?s lap and handed another to Michael.

Mystified, Sophie unwrapped things: several pairs of silkstockings; two parcels of the finest cambric petticoats, withflounces, lace, and satin insets; a pair of elastic-sided boots indove-gray suede; a lace shawl; and a dress of gray watered silktrimmed with lace that matched the shawl. Sophie took oneprofessional look at each and gasped. The lace alone was worth afortune. She stroked the silk of the dress, awed.

Michael unwrapped a handsome new velvet suit. ?You must havespent every bit that was in the silk purse!? he saidungratefully. ?I don?t need this. You?re the onewho needs a new suit.?

Howl hooked his boot into what remained of the blue-and-silversuit and held it up ruefully. Sophie had been working hard, but itwas still more hole than suit. ?How selfless I am,? hesaid. ?But I can?t send you and Sophie to blacken my nameto the King in rags. The King would think I didn?t look aftermy old mother properly. Well, Sophie? Are the boots the rightsize??

Sophie looked up from her awed stroking. ?Are you beingkind,? she said, ?or cowardly? Thank you very much and noI won?t.?

?What ingratitude!? Howl exclaimed, spreading out botharms. ?Let?s have green slime again! After which I shallbe forced to move the castle a thousand miles away and never see mylovely Lettie again!?

Michael looked at Sophie imploringly. Sophie glowered. She sawwell enough that the happiness of both her sisters depended on heragreeing to see the King. With green slime in reserve. ?Youhaven?t asked me to do anything yet,? she said.?You?ve just said I?m going to.?

Howl smiled. ?And you are going to, aren?tyou??

?All right. When do you want me to go?? Sophiesaid.

?Tomorrow afternoon,? said Howl. ?Michael can goas your footman. The King?s expecting you.? He sat on thestool and began explaining very clearly and soberly just what Sophiewas to say. There was no trace of the green-slime mood, now thingswere going Howl?s way, Sophie noticed. She wanted to slap him.?I want you to do a very delicate job,? Howl explained,?so that the King will go on giving me work like the transportspells, but not trust me with anything like finding his brother. Youmust tell him how I?ve angered the Witch of the Waste andexplain what a good son I am to you, but I want you to do it in sucha way that he?ll understand I?m really quiteuseless.?

Howl explained in great detail. Sophie clasped her hands round theparcels and tried to take it all in, though she could not helpthinking, If I was the King, I wouldn?t understand a word ofwhat the old woman was driving at!

Michael meanwhile was hovering at Howl?s elbow, trying toask him about the perplexing spell. Howl kept thinking of new,delicate details to tell the King and waving Michael away. ?Notnow, Michael. And it occurred to me, Sophie, that you might want somepractice in order not to find the Palace overwhelming. We don?twant you coming over queer in the middle of the interview. Not yet,Michael. So I arranged for you to pay a call to my old tutor, Mrs.Pentstemmon. She?s a grand old thing. In some ways she?sgrander than the King. So you?ll be quite used to that kind ofthing by the time you get to the Palace.?

By this time Sophie was wishing she had never agreed. She washeartily relieved when Howl at last turned to Michael.

?Right, Michael. Your turn now. What is it??

Michael waved the shiny gray paper and explained in an unhappyrush how impossible the spell seemed to do.

Howl seemed faintly astonished to hear this, but he took thepaper, saying, ?Now where was your problem?? and spreadit out. He stared at it. One of his eyebrows shot up.

?I tried it as a puzzle and I tried doing just what itsays,? Michael explained. ?But Sophie and Icouldn?t catch the falling star??

?Great gods above!? Howl exclaimed. He started tolaugh, and bit his lip to stop himself. ?But, Michael, thisisn?t the spell I left you. Where did you find it??

?On the bench, in that heap of things Sophie piled round theskull,? said Michael. ?It was the only new spell there, soI thought??

Howl leaped up and sorted among the things on the bench.?Sophie strikes again,? he said. Things skidded right andleft as he searched. ?I might have known! No, the properspell?s not here.? He tapped the skull thoughtfully onits brown, shiny dome. ?Your doing, friend? I have a notion youcome from there. I?m sure the guitar does. Er?Sophiedear??

?What?? said Sophie.

?Busy old fool, unruly Sophie,? said Howl. ?Am Iright in thinking that you turned my doorknob black-side-down andstuck your long nose out through it??

?Just my finger,? Sophie said with dignity.

?But you opened the door,? said Howl, ?and thething Michael thinks is a spell must have got through. Didn?tit occur to either of you that it doesn?t look like spellsusually do??

?Spells often look peculiar,? Michael said.?What is it really??

Howl gave a snort of laughter. ? ?Decide what this isabout. Write a second verse?! Oh, lord!? he said and ranfor the stairs. ?I?ll show you,? he called as hisfeet pounded up them.

?I think we wasted our time rushing around the marshes lastnight,? Sophie said. Michael nodded gloomily. Sophie could seehe was feeling a fool. ?It was my fault,? she said.?I opened the door.?

?What was outside?? Michael asked with greatinterest.

But Howl came charging downstairs just then. ?Ihaven?t got that book after all,? he said. He seemedupset now. ?Michael, did I hear you say you went out and triedto catch a shooting star??

?Yes, but it was scared stiff and fell in a pool anddrowned,? Michael said.

?Thank goodness for that!? said Howl.

?It was very sad,? Sophie said.

?Sad, was it?? said Howl, more upset than ever.?It was your idea, was it? It would be! I can just see youhopping about the marshes, encouraging him! Let me tell you, that wasthe most stupid thing he?s ever done in his life. He?dhave been more than sad if he?d chanced to catch the thing! Andyou??

Calcifer flickered sleepily up the chimney. ?What?sall this fuss about?? he demanded. ?You caught oneyourself, didn?t you??

?Yes, and I?!? Howl began, turning his glass-marbleglare on Calcifer. But he pulled himself together and turned toMichael instead. ?Michael, promise me you?ll never try tocatch one again.?

?I promise,? Michael said willingly. ?What isthat writing, if it?s not a spell??

Howl looked at the gray paper in his hand. ?It?scalled ?Song??and that?s what it is, I suppose. Butit?s not all here and I can?t remember the rest ofit.? He stood and thought, as if a new idea had struck himwhich obviously worried him. ?I think the next verse wasimportant,? he said. ?I?d better take it back andsee?? He went to the door and turned the knob black-down. Thenhe paused. He looked round at Michael and Sophie, who were naturallyenough both staring at the knob. ?All right,? he said.?I know Sophie will squirm through if I leave her behind, andthat?s not fair to Michael. Come along, both of you, soI?ve got you where I can keep my eye on you.?

He opened the door on the nothingness and walked into it. Michaelfell over the stool in his rush to follow. Sophie shed parcels rightand left into the hearth as she sprang up too. ?Don?t letany sparks get on those!? she said hurriedly to Calcifer.

?If you promise to tell me what?s out there,?Calcifer said. ?You?ve had your hint, by theway.?

?Did I?? said Sophie. She was in too much of a hurryto attend.

Date: 2016-06-12; view: 117