The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart

Author:Mary Stewart [Stewart, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
Tags: Children's Fantasy Adventure, UK
ISBN: 9780340796580
Amazon: 0340796588
Publisher: Hodder Childrens
Published: 1971-01-01T13:00:00+00:00

There was a big cupboard just inside the door, and in this Madam Mumblechook was stacking the books.

'I suppose you want this as well,' began Mary. 'I was just looking–' Then she stopped dead, with a gasp. She had seen what else the strong-room contained.

To begin with, it was a far bigger room than she had thought. It was almost as big as the lab, and the soft light of the lamp near the door had only illumined the end of it, leaving the rest in shadow.

Mercifully in shadow. The whole of the long, dim room was lined from floor to ceiling with cages.

They were barred and meshed, and stacked on one another like the shelves in a huge library, and there were bays where other ranks of cages stuck out from the wall. Some of the cages–those nearest the door–were empty, but from those further back in the shadows peered eyes, the eyes of small creatures, silent and staring, caught by the lamplight. Here and there was a movement as a paw or a tiny foot reached through the bars, but mostly the little creatures, whatever they were, sat huddled and silent in the dark corners at the back of their prisons.

Madam Mumblechook turned at Mary's gasp.

'Interesting, is it not? I thought you would be impressed. Some of our students have reached quite advanced experiments in transformation. But of course we have our failures.' She laughed merrily as she pointed at the nearest cage where a forlorn-looking creature, its orange fur patched with scales like mange, lay unheeding, its back to the room. It had put two crooked paws over its eyes to shut out the light, and seemed to be sleeping. But Mary suspected that it was very wide awake. She had already recognised one of the drawings from Madam's desk.

'Marvellous,' she said.

Madam Mumblechook leaned over the cage, prodding irritably at the creature, which would not move. Without pausing to think why she did so, Mary slipped the red book of Master Spells back into her pocket. 'Here are your papers, Madam.'

'Ah, thank you.' Madam Mumblechook, abandoning the caged creature, thrust the papers and the glass frog into the cupboard and locked the door on them. She had not noticed the absence of the book. 'I will show you round in more detail tomorrow, my dear. But now you will want to be getting home.'

'Oh, yes, please!' Mary would never have thought she could be so thankful at the prospect of going back to Red Manor and Great-Aunt Charlotte. 'And I'd better hurry, Madam. They'll be missing me soon.'

'Then we shall hurry.' And the Headmistress moved quickly towards the strong-room door, her black robes rustling about her. Mary followed close on her heels, pulling Tib, who for some reason seemed reluctant to go with her. Then they were out in the lab, and behind them the strong-room door shut with a smooth clunk.

The lab was deserted now. The students had all gone. The burners were out. Only the furnace burned green and roaring.

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