The Secret of Zanzibar by Frances Watts

Author:Frances Watts
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2012-07-28T16:00:00+00:00

13

Queen Eugenia

Alistair woke to find himself lying on a hard wooden cot. He tried to lift his head, which felt heavy, but that caused a pounding to start up at the base of his skull – where he had been hit, he supposed. He closed his eyes again and waited for the pounding to ease. As he did, he moved his arms and legs experimentally. He wasn’t tied up or restrained in any way, he was pleased to note, though his wrists were sore from where the rope had rubbed them against them, and his arms felt bruised from the rough treatment of the Queen’s Guards.

When the pounding in his skull had subsided, he lifted his head once more, gingerly this time, and took in his surroundings. He was in a bare grey cell. There was a faint stream of light coming from a grille high up on the wall, but that was the only illumination. He had no idea where he was, or how long he had been there. He remembered nothing of the journey. But given what Keaters had said, he had to assume he was in Grouch, in the dungeon of Queen Eugenia’s palace.

The thing he couldn’t work out was why Keaters had been in Templeton in the first place. He’d seemed to be expecting Alistair to turn up there, but why? Was it Keaters Grandpa Nelson had seen through the window? Yet how could he have known about the old house on the hill – especially since he didn’t seem to know about Tibby Rose? Though clearly he suspected something …

Alistair lay back on the hard cot, staring at the ceiling, which he could barely see. His thoughts were dark. Then, like a ray of sunshine into the gloomy cell came the thought: if Keaters had written the note that sent Slippers Pink and Feast Thompson hurrying back to Shetlock, maybe it wasn’t true that Zanzibar had been recaptured. And if Zanzibar hadn’t been recaptured, then all their plans were still proceeding. Alistair’s own capture would make no difference; Tibby Rose and Granville could finish their mission without him. By the time Queen Eugenia arrived at the gates of Cornoliana, the mice of Gerander would be waiting for her …

At the thought of Queen Eugenia’s imminent departure from Grouch, Alistair felt a weight settle on his chest. Surely she would wish to dispose of him before she left the palace. How long did he have left? He tried to calculate how long it had been since he had left the gorge with Tibby, Slippers and Feast. Today must be Wednesday – no, Thursday … His mind felt fuzzy. He was interrupted by a sharp voice speaking through a small barred window set into the cell door.

‘Oi, you – get up. Her Majesty wants to see you.’

‘Huh?’ Alistair sat up with difficulty. His head began to pound again and the adrenalin coursing through his veins was making him tremble so much he could hardly move. Was this

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