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‘Hold on, then,’ said Arthur ‘We’ll give it a try’

He looked into the mirror and tried to remember what his quarters in Thursday’s Citadel had looked like He re four-poster bed with the carved battle scenes on the posts, and then there was the wardrobe, the chair he’d been shaved in, and, yes, there was a tall, bronze-fraht of that h it he would be able to see the bed, and the door, and the painting on the wall

Slowly, he began to see the rooh much of it was clouded and fuzzy It took him a few seconds to work out that the bronze mirror was partially covered with a cloth But he could see enough of the chamber, he was sure, for the Key to open a door there

‘Fifth Key, take meusto my rooo through the door of white light this time, nor was the transfer so immediate Arthur felt himself held back not just by his coattails but by a force that pushed against his entire body and tried to throw hiainst it, with ainst a very powerful wind Then all of a sudden it was gone He fell into his roos Both of theainst the carved battle scenes on the left-hand post of the huge bed

‘Ow!’ he exclaimed He felt his head, but there was no blood, and after ayour pardon, Lord Arthur,’ said Dr Scaot to his feet ‘Most clu – quite a different experience than a transfer plate I athe bedpost to haul hiht As he did so, the sleeves of his paper coat rode up He slid them back down, and for the first time noticed that they finished well short of his wrists His trousers were also now ridiculously short, real ankle-freezers

‘I’d better get changed,’ Arthur said He started toward the walk-in wardrobe, hesitated, and went back to the door, throwing it open to shout, ‘Sentry!’

A startled Denizen in the uniforeant hurtled into the roo tulwar crackling as he saluted with it Arthur heard the crash of at least a dozen boots out of sight down the corridor, evidence of round attention

‘Lord Arthur! Guard present, sir!’

Arthur was already in the wardrobe, taking off his paper clothes and quickly putting on the plainest uniform he could find, which happened to be the sand-coloured tunic andpale yellow leather breeches of a Borderer on desert duty, though this particular tunic had gold braid stitched across the shoulders and the leather breeches had gold stripes down each leg Both tunic and breeches were ular Borderer would ever be lucky enough to wear They fit perfectly after atheht and eant ‘We’ll go down to the operations room in a minute Is Dame Primus here? And Suzy Turquoise Blue?

‘Dame Prieant He appeared to be under the impression that Arthur was either deaf or much further away than he actually was ‘General Turquoise Blue is somewhere in the Citadel’

‘General Turquoise Blue?’ asked Arthur ‘I didn’tabout it, but I don’t remember actually’

‘She probably just put on the uniform,’ said Dr Scamandros ‘No one would question her’

Arthur frowned, but the frown quickly gave way to laughter

‘That sounds like Suzy,’ he said ‘I bet she did it to get a better grade of tea or so Or to annoy Dame Primus’

He picked up a pair of armoured sandals, looked at them for a moment, then dropped thelossy, black boots instead

‘It’s good to have you back, sir,’ said the Troop Sergeant as Arthur strode out of the wardrobe

‘Thank you again, Sergeant,’ said Arthur ‘Let’s get to the operations roo on’

There were at least twenty guards in the corridor, who formed up around Arthur as soon as he appeared As they all uard coer to find Suzy

The operations rooer in the few days of House time that had passed since Arthur had been there last It was still a large domed chamber, but the walls had been pushed back toas his school’s gymnasium, and in addition to all the soldiers in the various uniforion, the Moderately Honourable Artillery Company and the Borderers, there were also numerous Denizens in civilian attire, many of them with their coats off and the sleeves of their white shirts covered with green ink-protectors up to the elbow

Besides the central er and broader than it had been, there were nos and rows of narrow, student-style desks for the civilians, ere all busy talking on old-fashioned phones or scribbling down es Every few seconds one would push his or her chair back and race across the roo either to Marshals Dawn, Noon or Dusk, or to Da intently at various details while es around her, often at the saht and a half feet froolden scales that clattered as she moved The whole outfit looked decidedly uncoerous for others, as it was orna claws Even though the points of the claws gripped her shoulders, they also had spurs and flanges poking out in all directions

The gauntlets that coh Dame Primus’s broad leather belt, next to the buckle The clock-hand sword of the First Key hung scabbarded at her left hip The small trident that was the Third Key sat in its holster on her right hip, and she held the esturing with it

The cacophony of shouted , hobnailed or leather-soled Denizens suddenly ceased as Arthur’s presence was announced Then the noise redoubled as everyone in the room leaped from their chairs or pushed themselves off a wall, turned to the door, and came to attention

‘Carry on!’ called Arthur immediately There was just a moment’s more silence, and then the room erupted into motion once more The telephone earpieces rattled on their candlestick bodies as the old bells inside clattered ers ran across the roo all at once

But the et to deliver their hastily scrawled e forms to Da across the rooreet Arthur with Marshals Dawn, Noon and Dusk close behind her