'Is it Rix?'
'I don't see how it can be Rix could never have caught up with them, not with the clumsy waggons. She narrowed her eyes and stared.
There was something out there. It lurched in the shadows. As the light it carried flared up she glimpsed a grotesque creature, lumpy, as if it had many heads. It clanked, as if its body was made of chains. A thread of dread touched her spine. 'What is that?'
Keiro was very still. 'Something I hoped never to run into.' His voice was drained of all bravado; glancing at him she saw only a flicker of his eyes.
It was making straight for them. Perhaps it could smell the horse, or sense the frozen water. The chinking became regular, as if the thing marched with military precision. As if its centipede legs were a legion.
Keiro said, 'Get on the horse. Leave everything.'
The fear in his voice made her move without question. But the horse sensed it too, and it whinnied, loud in the silence.
The creature stopped. It whispered. It had many voices, and its heads turned, hydra-like, to each other. Then it began to lope raggedly, awkwardly, parts of it falling, being dragged, staggering up. It yelled and swore at itself, bunched in a dark bristlin g mass. Sword blades and flames gleamed in its hands. Green aurora flickered over it. It was a Chain-gang.
Claudia stared at the boy. He straightened, saw her, and smiled, warmly. 'Claudia! You've grown up so much. You look wonderful!' He stepped towards her and before she could move or the guards could stop him he had taken her hand and kissed it, formally. Astonished, she said, 'Giles?'
Instantly there was uproar. The crowd buzzed with excitement, the soldiers looked to the Queen. Sia was standing absolutely still, as if thunderstruck; with an elegant movement she recovered, lifted her hand and waited for silence.
It came slowly. A guard banged his halberd on the floor. The crowd hushed, but there were still whispers. The Sapienti glanced at each other; Claudia saw Finn stride forward and stare at the newcomer angrily. 'What do you mean, "the real Giles"? I'm Giles.'
The stranger turned and looked at him as if he was dirt. 'You, sir, are an escaped Prisoner and an imposter. I don't know what malice lies behind your claims, but I can tell you they are certainly not true. I am the rightful Heir.' He turned to the crowd. 'And I've come to claim my inheritance.'
Before anyone else could speak the Queen said, 'Enough! Whoever you are, sir, you are certainly far too
bold. I will hear this matter in private. My lords, please join us.' Her pale eyes glanced at Finn. 'You, too, are entitled to hear.'
She turned, regally, and the Ambassadors and courtiers bowed low. Claudia grabbed Finn as he came past. He shook her off.
'It can't be him,' she hissed. 'Keep calm.'
'Then why did you say that name? Why did you say that, Claudia!' He sounded furious. She had no real answer.
'I was ... it was just the shock. He has to be a pretender.'
'Does he?' Finn's glare was hard. Then he had turned and was striding swiftly through the crowd, one hand on his sword.
The room was in uproar. Claudia felt Jared grab her sleeve. 'Come on,' he hissed.
They hurried to the door of the Privy Chamber, pushing through the perfumed and bewigged mass of bodies, Claudia gasping breathlessly, 'Who is he? Has the Queen set this up?'
'If so she's an excellent actress.'
'Caspar hasn't got the brains'
'Certain metal animals then?'
She stared at him for a second, wide-eyed. Then the spears of the door-guards clashed in front of her.
Astonished, she said, 'Let me through.'
A flustered footman murmured, 'I'm sorry, my lady. Sapienti and Privy Council only.' He glanced at Jared. 'You can enter, Master.'
Claudia drew herself up. For a moment Jared almost felt sorry for the man.
'I am the Warden of Incarceron's daughter: she said, in a voice that dripped ice. 'You will stand aside now, before I ensure your transfer to the most rat-ridden keep in this Realm.'
The footman was
'I don't see how it can be Rix could never have caught up with them, not with the clumsy waggons. She narrowed her eyes and stared.
There was something out there. It lurched in the shadows. As the light it carried flared up she glimpsed a grotesque creature, lumpy, as if it had many heads. It clanked, as if its body was made of chains. A thread of dread touched her spine. 'What is that?'
Keiro was very still. 'Something I hoped never to run into.' His voice was drained of all bravado; glancing at him she saw only a flicker of his eyes.
It was making straight for them. Perhaps it could smell the horse, or sense the frozen water. The chinking became regular, as if the thing marched with military precision. As if its centipede legs were a legion.
Keiro said, 'Get on the horse. Leave everything.'
The fear in his voice made her move without question. But the horse sensed it too, and it whinnied, loud in the silence.
The creature stopped. It whispered. It had many voices, and its heads turned, hydra-like, to each other. Then it began to lope raggedly, awkwardly, parts of it falling, being dragged, staggering up. It yelled and swore at itself, bunched in a dark bristlin g mass. Sword blades and flames gleamed in its hands. Green aurora flickered over it. It was a Chain-gang.
Claudia stared at the boy. He straightened, saw her, and smiled, warmly. 'Claudia! You've grown up so much. You look wonderful!' He stepped towards her and before she could move or the guards could stop him he had taken her hand and kissed it, formally. Astonished, she said, 'Giles?'
Instantly there was uproar. The crowd buzzed with excitement, the soldiers looked to the Queen. Sia was standing absolutely still, as if thunderstruck; with an elegant movement she recovered, lifted her hand and waited for silence.
It came slowly. A guard banged his halberd on the floor. The crowd hushed, but there were still whispers. The Sapienti glanced at each other; Claudia saw Finn stride forward and stare at the newcomer angrily. 'What do you mean, "the real Giles"? I'm Giles.'
The stranger turned and looked at him as if he was dirt. 'You, sir, are an escaped Prisoner and an imposter. I don't know what malice lies behind your claims, but I can tell you they are certainly not true. I am the rightful Heir.' He turned to the crowd. 'And I've come to claim my inheritance.'
Before anyone else could speak the Queen said, 'Enough! Whoever you are, sir, you are certainly far too
bold. I will hear this matter in private. My lords, please join us.' Her pale eyes glanced at Finn. 'You, too, are entitled to hear.'
She turned, regally, and the Ambassadors and courtiers bowed low. Claudia grabbed Finn as he came past. He shook her off.
'It can't be him,' she hissed. 'Keep calm.'
'Then why did you say that name? Why did you say that, Claudia!' He sounded furious. She had no real answer.
'I was ... it was just the shock. He has to be a pretender.'
'Does he?' Finn's glare was hard. Then he had turned and was striding swiftly through the crowd, one hand on his sword.
The room was in uproar. Claudia felt Jared grab her sleeve. 'Come on,' he hissed.
They hurried to the door of the Privy Chamber, pushing through the perfumed and bewigged mass of bodies, Claudia gasping breathlessly, 'Who is he? Has the Queen set this up?'
'If so she's an excellent actress.'
'Caspar hasn't got the brains'
'Certain metal animals then?'
She stared at him for a second, wide-eyed. Then the spears of the door-guards clashed in front of her.
Astonished, she said, 'Let me through.'
A flustered footman murmured, 'I'm sorry, my lady. Sapienti and Privy Council only.' He glanced at Jared. 'You can enter, Master.'
Claudia drew herself up. For a moment Jared almost felt sorry for the man.
'I am the Warden of Incarceron's daughter: she said, in a voice that dripped ice. 'You will stand aside now, before I ensure your transfer to the most rat-ridden keep in this Realm.'
The footman was
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