just can’t see it yet. Keep looking, Benedict.’
Tallitha moved the lantern higher and noticed a square stone jutting out at least a head height above her. ‘Lift me up, Benedict!’
As Tallitha touched the stone it moved and other stones began jumping out of the wall, making a series of sudden popping noises. The stones created a stepping-stone effect leading upwards and slanting to the left.
‘It’s a small staircase. Let me go first,’ said Tyaas excitedly.
‘I’m not sure we should go up there,’ said Benedict looking alarmed.
‘We have to find out where it leads,’ said Tallitha. ‘We can’t stop now.’
Tallitha and Tyaas climbed up the stones while Benedict waited at the bottom holding the flickering lantern. They scrambled over the last step and pulled themselves over the edge. There before them was a long wooden ladder.
‘Come on Benedict, it’s easy. Climb up and pass the lantern,’ said Tallitha.
‘But I can’t see,’ he complained pathetically. His face looked forlorn and miserable in the gloom. ‘It’s too hard,’ he said like a spoilt child.
‘Stop moaning. You wanted to come with us,’ said Tyaas, ‘this is only the beginning.’
Benedict eventually reached the top of the ladder but there before him was another narrow staircase.
‘Come on, hurry up Benedict,’ said Tyaas as he disappeared up the stairs.
Benedict’s legs ached and he was filthy. Yet up and up they clambered, way up into the leaden darkness that seemed to go on forever.
*
Tallitha had been right. There behind them, in the gloom, sat a sneaky shrove with his head cocked to one side, listening. Marlin lurked, watching and waiting, sniffing the air for their scents and smelling them in all the dark musty places. He grizzled, pleased with his artful deception. Marlin knew every nooky recess in Winderling Spires. There was no one who knew the house better than him. Over the years Marlin had explored every floor, mapping the mysterious twists and turns of the Spires in his devious mind. He was the cleverest of all the shroves. When the children climbed up to the balcony he had followed them, lying low on the staircase like a coiled snake. He hid noiselessly in the seeping darkness of the circular room. Tallitha had sensed something lurking behind them as his malevolence leached out. Marlin waited until they found the secret passageway but he didn’t need to follow them up the stone steps. He knew they would find Asenathe’s rooms. Silently he crept back to his shrove-lair to plan his next move.
Chapter Nine
The View from the High Gallery
Tyass was first to reach the top of the winding staircase. He stood on a tiny platform, took a few seconds to get his breath and called down to the others in the darkness.
‘Nearly there, come on, you two. Hurry up.’
He pushed open a small wooden door and stepped out onto a high gallery and into the dust-spangled light. Tallitha followed closely behind, shading her eyes, blinded by the brilliant sunlight streaming through the arched windows.
‘Wow! Look at this! We’re so high up,’ exclaimed Tyaas, holding onto the balustrade and peering down at the palatial room below.
‘It’s amazing. No wonder we were forbidden from coming up here. This has got to be it. These must be Asenathe’s rooms,’ said Tallitha, her face full of wonder.
They found themselves on a balcony that ran the whole length of the glass wall and projected out over the space below. It caught the sunlight from every angle and was the finest sun terrace they had ever seen.
‘Where are we?’ asked Benedict shading his eyes. Then he froze. ‘Get me out of here. I can’t stand heights!’ he yelled.
Tyaas grabbed his cousin and pulled him to the floor. ‘Stop it, toughen up can’t you? You’re being a real pain. Stay here, we’re going down.’
‘Don’t leave me alone,’ he wailed pathetically.
But Tyaas ignored him.
‘Oh do stop being a ninny. Who knows what we’ll find down there?’ replied
Tallitha moved the lantern higher and noticed a square stone jutting out at least a head height above her. ‘Lift me up, Benedict!’
As Tallitha touched the stone it moved and other stones began jumping out of the wall, making a series of sudden popping noises. The stones created a stepping-stone effect leading upwards and slanting to the left.
‘It’s a small staircase. Let me go first,’ said Tyaas excitedly.
‘I’m not sure we should go up there,’ said Benedict looking alarmed.
‘We have to find out where it leads,’ said Tallitha. ‘We can’t stop now.’
Tallitha and Tyaas climbed up the stones while Benedict waited at the bottom holding the flickering lantern. They scrambled over the last step and pulled themselves over the edge. There before them was a long wooden ladder.
‘Come on Benedict, it’s easy. Climb up and pass the lantern,’ said Tallitha.
‘But I can’t see,’ he complained pathetically. His face looked forlorn and miserable in the gloom. ‘It’s too hard,’ he said like a spoilt child.
‘Stop moaning. You wanted to come with us,’ said Tyaas, ‘this is only the beginning.’
Benedict eventually reached the top of the ladder but there before him was another narrow staircase.
‘Come on, hurry up Benedict,’ said Tyaas as he disappeared up the stairs.
Benedict’s legs ached and he was filthy. Yet up and up they clambered, way up into the leaden darkness that seemed to go on forever.
*
Tallitha had been right. There behind them, in the gloom, sat a sneaky shrove with his head cocked to one side, listening. Marlin lurked, watching and waiting, sniffing the air for their scents and smelling them in all the dark musty places. He grizzled, pleased with his artful deception. Marlin knew every nooky recess in Winderling Spires. There was no one who knew the house better than him. Over the years Marlin had explored every floor, mapping the mysterious twists and turns of the Spires in his devious mind. He was the cleverest of all the shroves. When the children climbed up to the balcony he had followed them, lying low on the staircase like a coiled snake. He hid noiselessly in the seeping darkness of the circular room. Tallitha had sensed something lurking behind them as his malevolence leached out. Marlin waited until they found the secret passageway but he didn’t need to follow them up the stone steps. He knew they would find Asenathe’s rooms. Silently he crept back to his shrove-lair to plan his next move.
Chapter Nine
The View from the High Gallery
Tyass was first to reach the top of the winding staircase. He stood on a tiny platform, took a few seconds to get his breath and called down to the others in the darkness.
‘Nearly there, come on, you two. Hurry up.’
He pushed open a small wooden door and stepped out onto a high gallery and into the dust-spangled light. Tallitha followed closely behind, shading her eyes, blinded by the brilliant sunlight streaming through the arched windows.
‘Wow! Look at this! We’re so high up,’ exclaimed Tyaas, holding onto the balustrade and peering down at the palatial room below.
‘It’s amazing. No wonder we were forbidden from coming up here. This has got to be it. These must be Asenathe’s rooms,’ said Tallitha, her face full of wonder.
They found themselves on a balcony that ran the whole length of the glass wall and projected out over the space below. It caught the sunlight from every angle and was the finest sun terrace they had ever seen.
‘Where are we?’ asked Benedict shading his eyes. Then he froze. ‘Get me out of here. I can’t stand heights!’ he yelled.
Tyaas grabbed his cousin and pulled him to the floor. ‘Stop it, toughen up can’t you? You’re being a real pain. Stay here, we’re going down.’
‘Don’t leave me alone,’ he wailed pathetically.
But Tyaas ignored him.
‘Oh do stop being a ninny. Who knows what we’ll find down there?’ replied
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