smiled. “The carpets are always very careful of those they carry. You’ll never be tipped off, I promise!”
Clara looked round in wonder. Hundreds of carpets were moving from the walls of the cavern, some were lifting themselves from the floor but all were making their way towards their owners. The MacArthurs, Clara noticed, greeted their carpets like old friends and clambered onto them happily, many piling them high with odds and ends that they were loath to leave behind. In a few minutes, the great cavern was awash with waves of bobbing, floating carpets that hovered expectantly, waiting for the signal to move. Neil watched as Hamish and Jaikie sailed to the front, followed by the MacArthur and Lady Ellan. Sir James’s carpet then moved forward and Clara grabbed at hers as she too started to movethrough the air. She twisted round to see what had happened to Neil and, to her relief, saw that he was behind her. Grinning broadly, he gave her the thumbs up sign as the leading carpets approached the entrance to a broad tunnel. The tunnel wasn’t lit and as her carpet followed the others in, she clenched her fists and, sitting hunched in fear, stared around to right and left but everything remained impenetrably black. The air blowing gently on her cheeks told her that she was moving upwards for, as the carpet tilted up at the front, she had to lean forward slightly to keep her balance. “I’m right behind you, Clara,” called Neil. “You’ll be okay, don’t worry! The carpets know the way!”
The carpets certainly did seem to know the way and as daylight filtered into the tunnel she felt better and her mood changed to one of excitement mixed with anxiety as they sailed into the open air. Clara saw the carpets and people in front of her disappear from view, and gulped as she realized that she couldn’t see herself or her carpet although she could still feel its comforting bulk.
Beneath her, she could see the slopes of the Park and the traffic on the roads. There still seemed to be lots of policemen on the hill but of Amgarad and his eagles there was no sign. The flight on the magic carpet was over far too quickly. Clara could quite happily have flown on it for days. Idly she wondered what it would be like if it were to rain and smiled at the thought of sitting on a magic carpet with an umbrella up!
The school, as Hamish had so rightly pointed out, was very close to the hill and already she could see its roofs beside those of the more modern Scottish Parliament building.
“Now what?” thought Clara, suddenly panic-stricken. “I can’t see anyone and I don’t know what to do!”
The carpet, however, seemed to have its own ideas and took her along a line of tall windows at one side of the school that were all firmly shut. It then climbed higher and Clara realized that her carpet must be following those in front, searching for a way into the building. She watched as a window opened fromthe bottom. Who was opening it, she didn’t know, but it came as no surprise when her carpet headed for the open space. She ducked her head as it floated gently through and came to rest on the floor of what she recognized as Neil’s classroom.
Even as she stood up, Clara realized that she had become visible once more. She turned to see Neil walking towards her. “You okay, Clara?” he asked. “We should have shared a carpet. I didn’t know we were going to have to go up a tunnel in the dark.”
“I’m fine now, honestly. I just can’t believe that this is happening.”
Magic carpets were landing all around them and, as their owners stepped off, the carpets flew to the side of the classroom and rolled themselves neatly against the wall. The room, however, was steadily filling up and it was when she suddenly thought of the janitor, Mr MacGregor, that Clara began to think that maybe her bright idea hadn’t been quite as bright as she had originally thought. Seen in the vast cavern, the MacArthurs hadn’t seemed all that
Clara looked round in wonder. Hundreds of carpets were moving from the walls of the cavern, some were lifting themselves from the floor but all were making their way towards their owners. The MacArthurs, Clara noticed, greeted their carpets like old friends and clambered onto them happily, many piling them high with odds and ends that they were loath to leave behind. In a few minutes, the great cavern was awash with waves of bobbing, floating carpets that hovered expectantly, waiting for the signal to move. Neil watched as Hamish and Jaikie sailed to the front, followed by the MacArthur and Lady Ellan. Sir James’s carpet then moved forward and Clara grabbed at hers as she too started to movethrough the air. She twisted round to see what had happened to Neil and, to her relief, saw that he was behind her. Grinning broadly, he gave her the thumbs up sign as the leading carpets approached the entrance to a broad tunnel. The tunnel wasn’t lit and as her carpet followed the others in, she clenched her fists and, sitting hunched in fear, stared around to right and left but everything remained impenetrably black. The air blowing gently on her cheeks told her that she was moving upwards for, as the carpet tilted up at the front, she had to lean forward slightly to keep her balance. “I’m right behind you, Clara,” called Neil. “You’ll be okay, don’t worry! The carpets know the way!”
The carpets certainly did seem to know the way and as daylight filtered into the tunnel she felt better and her mood changed to one of excitement mixed with anxiety as they sailed into the open air. Clara saw the carpets and people in front of her disappear from view, and gulped as she realized that she couldn’t see herself or her carpet although she could still feel its comforting bulk.
Beneath her, she could see the slopes of the Park and the traffic on the roads. There still seemed to be lots of policemen on the hill but of Amgarad and his eagles there was no sign. The flight on the magic carpet was over far too quickly. Clara could quite happily have flown on it for days. Idly she wondered what it would be like if it were to rain and smiled at the thought of sitting on a magic carpet with an umbrella up!
The school, as Hamish had so rightly pointed out, was very close to the hill and already she could see its roofs beside those of the more modern Scottish Parliament building.
“Now what?” thought Clara, suddenly panic-stricken. “I can’t see anyone and I don’t know what to do!”
The carpet, however, seemed to have its own ideas and took her along a line of tall windows at one side of the school that were all firmly shut. It then climbed higher and Clara realized that her carpet must be following those in front, searching for a way into the building. She watched as a window opened fromthe bottom. Who was opening it, she didn’t know, but it came as no surprise when her carpet headed for the open space. She ducked her head as it floated gently through and came to rest on the floor of what she recognized as Neil’s classroom.
Even as she stood up, Clara realized that she had become visible once more. She turned to see Neil walking towards her. “You okay, Clara?” he asked. “We should have shared a carpet. I didn’t know we were going to have to go up a tunnel in the dark.”
“I’m fine now, honestly. I just can’t believe that this is happening.”
Magic carpets were landing all around them and, as their owners stepped off, the carpets flew to the side of the classroom and rolled themselves neatly against the wall. The room, however, was steadily filling up and it was when she suddenly thought of the janitor, Mr MacGregor, that Clara began to think that maybe her bright idea hadn’t been quite as bright as she had originally thought. Seen in the vast cavern, the MacArthurs hadn’t seemed all that
Similar Books
