the MacArthur. “We came to warn you! He is here …” he gasped, “… with an army. How they entered the hill I don’t know, for we have guards posted everywhere. We’re trying to hold them back, Master, but I fear they are too many for us! Our power is weak and he’s using thunderbolts and strange spells against us.”
All eyes turned to the MacArthur who seemed totally dumbfounded at the news. Lady Ellan stood up and paced the floor anxiously. “He’s right, Father, our power is nearly gone; we can’t fight Rothlan as we are.” She looked round as if hoping to draw help from the air and gestured hopelessly. “Surely there must be some way that we can beat him! There must be!”
“We can’t beat Rothlan on our own,” growled the MacArthur. “The Lords of the North gave us the stones and they will have to help us get them back, but we mustn’t let ourselves be taken prisoner; Rothlan will bury us in the darkest reaches of the earth if he has his way!”
“You’re forgetting, MacArthur,” said Hamish, “that we still have the magic carpets!”
17. Magic Carpets
Neil and Clara looked at Hamish, their eyes wide. “Magic carpets!” They looked down in startled surprise at the one they were sitting on. “Do you mean,” breathed Neil, rubbing its smooth surface with his hand, “that all these Persian carpets are
magic
carpets?”
Lady Ellan nodded, “Yes, indeed,” she said, “but they’re not actually Persian carpets, Neil. They’re very old Turkish carpets and, after the firestones, our most treasured possessions. If we use them to fly out of the hill, however, we must find somewhere safe to go. And that, I’m afraid, will prove a problem; there are so many of us! Where could we hide until help arrives?”
It was then that Clara had her bright idea. “There’s always our school,” she said excitedly. “No one’s in it. It’s the summer holidays just now and the school is empty.”
“A school,” Lady Ellan frowned. “I don’t know. What do you think, Father?”
“I know their school,” interrupted Hamish, quickly assessing the pros and cons of the situation. “It’s just a short way up the High Street from the Palace. Certainly close enough for us to keep an eye on Lord Rothlan. It would do for a start!”
“It’s actually a very good idea,” said Sir James, who had also been thinking hard. “The city is full of tourists just now and the Festival will be starting next week. There are very few buildings in Edinburgh that are empty at the moment! The school would be ideal.”
“Very well,” said Lady Ellan, receiving a grim nod of approval from her father. “Let everyone take a carpet and make ready. Quickly! Sir James, you already have a firestone. Now I will give one to you, Clara, and to you, Neil.”
She held their hands. “What you must understand is that they are not just jewels. The firestones are magic stones that will allow you to do many things that humans can’t do.”
“Like merging?” said Neil.
“Like merging,” she agreed, “but they can be used for other things, too. When you travel on a magic carpet, for instance, the stones will ensure that you and the carpet are invisible to humans when you fly over the city. Can I trust you not to lose them? They are rare and very precious. We only have a few left; those that I am giving you are the tears that Arthur cried yesterday. You must guard them well.”
“We won’t lose the firestones, honestly!” Clara assured her.
“Here they are, then,” said Ellan, putting them in their hands and watching as they both stowed them carefully in their jacket pockets. “Now,” she said, “let’s find you a carpet!”
Clara thought it the most exciting moment of her life when she walked onto the smooth, intricate pattern of the magic carpet and sat down cross-legged. She grinned across at Neil and waved to Sir James, who was looking more than a bit uncomfortable.
“Don’t be afraid,” Lady Ellan
All eyes turned to the MacArthur who seemed totally dumbfounded at the news. Lady Ellan stood up and paced the floor anxiously. “He’s right, Father, our power is nearly gone; we can’t fight Rothlan as we are.” She looked round as if hoping to draw help from the air and gestured hopelessly. “Surely there must be some way that we can beat him! There must be!”
“We can’t beat Rothlan on our own,” growled the MacArthur. “The Lords of the North gave us the stones and they will have to help us get them back, but we mustn’t let ourselves be taken prisoner; Rothlan will bury us in the darkest reaches of the earth if he has his way!”
“You’re forgetting, MacArthur,” said Hamish, “that we still have the magic carpets!”
17. Magic Carpets
Neil and Clara looked at Hamish, their eyes wide. “Magic carpets!” They looked down in startled surprise at the one they were sitting on. “Do you mean,” breathed Neil, rubbing its smooth surface with his hand, “that all these Persian carpets are
magic
carpets?”
Lady Ellan nodded, “Yes, indeed,” she said, “but they’re not actually Persian carpets, Neil. They’re very old Turkish carpets and, after the firestones, our most treasured possessions. If we use them to fly out of the hill, however, we must find somewhere safe to go. And that, I’m afraid, will prove a problem; there are so many of us! Where could we hide until help arrives?”
It was then that Clara had her bright idea. “There’s always our school,” she said excitedly. “No one’s in it. It’s the summer holidays just now and the school is empty.”
“A school,” Lady Ellan frowned. “I don’t know. What do you think, Father?”
“I know their school,” interrupted Hamish, quickly assessing the pros and cons of the situation. “It’s just a short way up the High Street from the Palace. Certainly close enough for us to keep an eye on Lord Rothlan. It would do for a start!”
“It’s actually a very good idea,” said Sir James, who had also been thinking hard. “The city is full of tourists just now and the Festival will be starting next week. There are very few buildings in Edinburgh that are empty at the moment! The school would be ideal.”
“Very well,” said Lady Ellan, receiving a grim nod of approval from her father. “Let everyone take a carpet and make ready. Quickly! Sir James, you already have a firestone. Now I will give one to you, Clara, and to you, Neil.”
She held their hands. “What you must understand is that they are not just jewels. The firestones are magic stones that will allow you to do many things that humans can’t do.”
“Like merging?” said Neil.
“Like merging,” she agreed, “but they can be used for other things, too. When you travel on a magic carpet, for instance, the stones will ensure that you and the carpet are invisible to humans when you fly over the city. Can I trust you not to lose them? They are rare and very precious. We only have a few left; those that I am giving you are the tears that Arthur cried yesterday. You must guard them well.”
“We won’t lose the firestones, honestly!” Clara assured her.
“Here they are, then,” said Ellan, putting them in their hands and watching as they both stowed them carefully in their jacket pockets. “Now,” she said, “let’s find you a carpet!”
Clara thought it the most exciting moment of her life when she walked onto the smooth, intricate pattern of the magic carpet and sat down cross-legged. She grinned across at Neil and waved to Sir James, who was looking more than a bit uncomfortable.
“Don’t be afraid,” Lady Ellan
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