The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle by T. L. Huchu

Author:T. L. Huchu [Huchu, T. L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Published: 2023-06-02T17:00:00+00:00

XIX

Me and Priya find a nook near the old well in the courtyard. I should toss a mini-penny in and make a wish. Nah. Too wasteful. I make my own luck like a leprechaun. Haven’t yet had the chance to give Priya the juicy gossip of what went down at dinner. Too many ears about. Also, she’s moaning about her tea. No cranachan for her. And tuna and cucumber sandwiches ain’t exactly gourmet. The chef’s not pandering to the plebs. No lie, it feels great to be on the other side of the fence with the chosen ones.

Gotta be careful, though. This is how they suck you in. It’s easy to forget which side you’re really on when they throw you a few crumbs.

Lord Samarasinghe’s carriage had dug tracks into the lawn. With everything going on, no one’s fixed it, especially since Murdo the gardener was beaten up. At least he’s finally out of that pit, which he should never have been in in the first place.

In the absence of TV and the internet, a crowd’s gathering to watch the rugby.

Not just in the courtyard either. More folks stand at the windows of the castle on two floors. A curtain’s open upstairs in the MacLeods’ private quarters, and I imagine that’s Fenella. The castle staff, too, are watching from the wings. I’m not sure how they’ll fit two teams on this tiny patch of grass. There’s neither markings nor posts here either. It’s no Murrayfield. You only have those square blocks lying on the lawn.

The Newton Barrier ominously reflects our artificial lighting, filling the air with an eerie bronze glow. Further off, I can’t help but see the ghostly woman in white wading into the sea. Adamina’s off to top herself for the zillionth time. She looks over her shoulder before plunging into the water. I swear she’s doing my head in.

Esfandiar joins us, pale as a sheet. I ask if he’s okay. He shakes his head and doesn’t seem able to speak. Instead, he watches the square blocks on the lawn of the courtyard levitate, forming a pyramid. Four blocks on each side, the lowest level raised a foot and a half from the ground. And each block is separated by a couple of feet. Three on either side of the intermediate level, one at the top, plus a couple of others in the middle. You’d need strong legs to jump from one to the other. I remember seeing something like this a while back when Priya and me got in trouble with some topiary hedges.

Dr Maige goes into the empty centre of the pyramid and places three leather balls of varying sizes onto the lawn, just below the apex. He has a whistle on a string round his neck. I know the librarians have a role as adjudicators in the affairs of magicians, but it’s a bit bonkers this role extends to sport. But what the fuck do I know?

Priya’s getting all excited. She points to two men wearing blazers and vintage school caps sat behind desks set up next to the South Wing.

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