Marcia comes to her senses. "Sorry, Alther." She takes out the Universal Castle Key from her ExtraOrdinary Wizard belt. Only three of these keys were ever made, and Marcia has two of them: one of her own in her capacity as ExtraOrdinary Wizard, and one that she is keeping safe for Jenna Heap until the day she becomes Queen. The third is lost.
Making an effort to steady her hand, Marcia pushes the iron key into the lock and turns it. The door swings open with a creak that at once takes her back to a terrifying snowy night when a phalanx of guards threw her through the door and sent her tumbling into the darkness.
A foul smell of rotting meat and burned pumpkin tumbles out into the alleyway, and a trio of curious local cats screech and head for home. Marcia wishes she could do the same. Nervously she fingers the lapis lazuli amulet - the symbol and source of her power as ExtraOrdinary Wizard - that she wears around her neck and, to her relief, it is still there - unlike the last time she passed through the door.
Marcia's courage returns. "Right, Alther," she says. "Let's get him."
Alther grins, relieved to see Marcia back in form. "Follow me," he says.
Dungeon Number One is a deep, dark chimney with a long ladder attached to the inside of the top half. The bottom half is ladder-free, lined with a thick layer of bones and slime. Alther's purple floating form drifts down the ladder but Marcia steps carefully - very carefully - down each rung, chanting an UnHarm Spell under her breath, with a Begird and Preserve in readiness for both her and Alther - for even ghosts are not immune to the Darke Vortices that swirl around the base of Dungeon Number One.
Slowly, slowly, the figures descend into the thick gloom and stench of the dungeon. They are going much farther down than Marcia expected. Alther had assured her that their quarry was "only lurking around the top, Marcia. Nothing to worry about."
But Marcia is worried. She begins to fear a trap. "Where is he?" she hisses.
A deep, hollow laugh answers her question, and Marcia very nearly lets go of the ladder.
"There he is!" says Alther. "Look, down there." He points into the narrow depths and, far below, Marcia sees the goatlike face of Tertius Fume leering up at them, an eerie green glowing in the darkness. "You can see him, you can do the Banish from here," says Alther, lapsing into tutor mode with his ex-pupil. "The chimney will concentrate it."
"I know," says Marcia tetchily. "Please be quiet, Alther." She begins to chant the words that all ghosts dread - the words that will Banish them to the Darke Halls forever.
"I, Marcia Overstrand . . ."
The greenish figure of Tertius Fume begins to rise up the chimney toward them. "I am warning you, Marcia Overstrand - stop that Banish now." His harsh voice echoes around them.
Tertius Fume gives Marcia the creeps, but she is not deflected. She carries on with the chant, which must last for precisely one minute and be completed without hesitation, repetition or deviation. Marcia knows that the slightest falter means she must begin again.
Tertius Fume knows this too. He continues his approach, walking up the side of the wall like a spider, hurling insults, counter chants and bizarre fragments of songs at Marcia to try to put her off.
But Marcia will not be deflected. Doggedly she continues, blanking out the ghost. But as she embarks upon the closing lines of the Banish - "your time above this earth is done, you'll see no more the sky, the sun" - out of the corner of her eye, Marcia sees the ghost of Tertius Fume drawing ever closer. A stab of worry shoots through her - what is he doing? Marcia reaches the very last line. The ghost is inches away from her and Alther. He looks up, excited - almost exultant.
Marcia ends the chant with the dreaded words, "By the power of Magyk, to the Darke Halls, I you . . ."
As Marcia reaches the very last word, Tertius Fume stretches his hand up to Alther and Merges with his big toe. Alther recoils from the touch but is too late.
"Banish!"
Suddenly Marcia is alone in the chimney of Dungeon Number One. Her nightmare has come true. "Alther!" she screams. "Alther, where are you?"
There is no reply. Alther is Banished.
Chapter 1 The Visit
Lucy Gringe found the last space on the dawn Port barge. She squeezed in between a young man clutching an aggressive chicken and a thin, weary-looking woman wrapped in a woolen cloak. The woman - who had uncomfortably piercing blue eyes - quickly glanced at Lucy, then looked away. Lucy dumped her bag down by her feet to claim her space; there was no way she was going to be standing up for the entire journey to the Castle. The blue-eyed woman would have to get used to being squashed. Lucy swiveled around and looked back up at the quay. She saw the damp, lonely-looking figure of Simon Heap standing on the edge, and she gave him a brief smile.
It was a bleak, cold morning, with a threat of snow in the sky. Simon shivered and attempted a smile in return. He raised his voice against the bangs and thuds that accompanied the barge's sail being readied. "Take care, Lu!"
"And you!" Lucy replied, elbowing the chicken out of the way. "I'll be back the day after Longest Night. Promise!"
Simon nodded. "You got my letters?" he called out.
"'Course I have," returned Lucy. "How much?" This was addressed to the barge boy who was collecting the fares.
"Six pence, darlin'."
"Don't call me darlin'!" Lucy flared. She fished around in her purse and dumped a large collection of brass coins into the boy's outstretched hand. "Could buy my own boat for that," she said.
The boy shrugged. He handed her a ticket and moved along to a travel-stained woman next to her, who was, Lucy thought, a stranger who had just arrived at the Port. The woman gave the barge boy a large silver coin - a half crown - and waited patiently while the boy made a fuss with the change. When she politely thanked him, Lucy noticed that she had a strange accent, which reminded her of someone, although she couldn't think who. Lucy was too cold to think right then - and too anxious. She hadn't been back home for a long time, and now that she was sitting in the boat bound for the Castle, the thought scared her a little. She wasn't sure what kind of reception she would get. And she didn't like leaving Simon, either.