Hollowpox The Hunt for Morrigan Crow - Jessica Townsend Page 0,118

the curtains. Fenestra sat by the door, glowering. She was still as a statue but for the ominous flicking of her tail back and forth, batting the floor like a drumbeat.

There was an awful lot of noise coming from outside, so loud it penetrated the thick double doors, and what Morrigan could understand of it made her feel queasy.

‘COME OUT AND FACE US, WUNDERSMITH!’

‘GET OUT HERE! SHOW US WHAT YOU CAN DO!’

Morrigan paused halfway down the stairs, clutching the bannister tight, her pulse suddenly thumping in her neck.

Fenestra growled. ‘I’m telling you, Kedgeree, just let me at ’em. I’ll have the whole greedy lot sorted in less than a minute.’

‘For the millionth time, Fen, no,’ said Kedgeree. ‘None of us is to confront these vultures, especially not you. Captain North was very clear about that.’

Fen hissed at him. She seemed to be gathering a counterargument but was interrupted by a sudden SPLASH! from the forecourt, followed by a scream.

Martha laughed, then clapped a hand to her mouth a little guiltily. ‘Oh dear. Looks like he’s started filling them with … good lord, what’s that, Charlie – blood?’

‘Blackcurrant juice, I think.’

‘And whose brilliant idea was it to give Frank water balloons on a day like— Oh! Good morning, Morrigan, darling,’ said Dame Chanda, affecting an unconvincing breezy air as she spotted her. She smiled widely, but Morrigan thought she could see a vein pulsing in her forehead. ‘Did you sleep well, my sweet? Everything’s nice and normal down here, as you can see. Shall we go up to the Smoking Parlour? My, don’t you look pretty in your uniform, black really is your—’

‘I know about the reward,’ Morrigan said, taking pity on Dame Chanda, who instantly collapsed onto the nearest sofa, fanning herself.

‘Oh, thank goodness, darling, I couldn’t bear the charade a second longer.’ She lifted her head and gave Morrigan a searching, worried look. ‘You must be ever so frightened.’

‘No,’ she lied. Her stomach gave an unpleasant squeeze. ‘I’m fine.’

It had been one thing, hearing about it on the radio. Even the parachutist incident could almost have been amusing, if it had been just one lone oddball, out there. But this was different. This was her home, these people were right on her doorstep. Of course she was frightened.

‘That’s the spirit,’ said Dame Chanda, though it was clear she didn’t believe the act. ‘Chin up and tally ho.’

‘Where’s Jupiter?’

‘He was summoned by the High Council of Elders early this morning, lass,’ said Kedgeree. ‘Wasn’t sure when he’d be back.’

Morrigan sighed and ran a hand through her messy morning hair. She felt a prickling, staticky itch on her middle fingertip, but shook it out. ‘I can’t get into Station 919, which means I can’t get to Wunsoc. I was going to take the Brolly Rail, but …’

There was another loud SPLASH! from outside, then a squeal of disgust, and Kedgeree glanced uneasily towards the entrance. ‘Not advisable, I think. Perhaps a cheeky day off school is in order?’

‘THAT is a brilliant idea,’ said Charlie, pointing at him. ‘You know, you don’t skive off school anywhere near enough, Morrigan, I’m always saying— oof, what?’ Martha had whacked him in the side, and he laughed. ‘It’s true, she doesn’t.’

Dame Chanda clapped her hands. ‘Oh! I know. Let’s have a lovely girls’ day, shall we? Martha, come along, darling – you too, Fenestra!’

‘Pass.’

‘We’ll do each other’s hair and share our fondest ambitions and most scandalous secrets and—’ She cut herself off, noticing Morrigan’s look of dismay, and gave her shoulder a squeeze. ‘Don’t you worry, my dear. I’m sure Jove is sorting all of this out right now.’

Morrigan hoped so. Most of all, she hoped he managed it before Dame Chanda did anything permanent to her hair.

One cheeky day off school turned into two, then three.

Jupiter had returned home at lunchtime the first day, bursting through the service entrance in a flustered, irascible state and refusing to tell Morrigan or anyone else what the Elders had wanted. All he would say was that the station door locking itself had not been an accident.

‘Our esteemed High Council,’ he said through clenched teeth, ‘has decided it’s unsafe for you to be at Wunsoc until the ridiculous mess they so carelessly made has been sorted out.’

(Morrigan very much doubted they’d used those exact words.)

Every day, Jupiter was summoned by the Elders, and every day he returned more frustrated than the day before, refusing to say what they’d discussed. Every day, he brought back a pile of homework