The Boggart and The Monster by Susan Cooper

Author:Susan Cooper
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Children/Young Adult Trade
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 2001-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

EIGHT THEY SAT ON THE GRASS with their backs to one of the ruined walls of Castle Urquhart, eating ham sandwiches. The castle’s other visitors had all drifted away to examine the tower, the only part of the castle that remained at least partly intact.

“I remember when I was a girl hearing a vague old tale that a boggart used to live in this castle before it was blown up,” Miss Urquhart said. “A family trickster, an invisible creature. But that was so long ago that I never gave the story much thought — I mean, the castle’s been a ruin for more than three hundred years. It was only when I went to stay with Devon MacDevon that I learned about boggarts properly.”

She took a long thoughtful drag at the straw sticking out of her can of Pepsi-Cola, which looked almost as incongruous next to her snow-white hair as the red Wellington boots.

“You met our Boggatt,” said Jessup with pride.

“Not exactly. Your Boggart tried to get rid of me. Salt in my drinking water, sand in my soap dish, thistles in my bed. All his tricks said loud and clear, go home. My brother was staying at Castle Keep too, but nothing at all happened to him.”

“Oh dear,” Emily said. “Why didn’t the Boggart like you?”

“To tell the truth,” said Miss Urquhart, “I think he was afraid I was wanting to marry the MacDevon.”

“And were you?” Jessup said.

“Jess!” said Emily.

“Oh, that’s all right,” Miss Urquhart said. She smiled, rather wistfully, and Emily could suddenly see the echo of a pretty young face inside the old, lined one. “I did find him very attractive, I must say. But I was only in my early twenties, and he was forty-five at least, and already set in his ways. He never did marry anyone. I think perhaps he found it easier to live with a boggart than with a wife.”

“That was his loss,” said Mr. Maconochie gallantly, even though he had never wanted to live with a wife either.

“Have a chocolate biscuit,” Tommy said.

“Thank you,” said Miss Urquhart to both of them, and she took a biscuit. “Anyway, he spoke to me quite openly about the Boggart, and apologized for him. And when I came home I found myself coming quite often to this castle, here where we sit now, and listening for our own boggart.”

Mr. Maconochie said, “Listening?”

“That’s the only word I can think of for it,” Miss Urquhart said. She took a bite of her chocolate biscuit.

“Feeling what he’s feeling,” said Emily. She thought of the sad wail she had heard from the loch that morning, which nobody else had been able to hear.

“That’s right,” said Miss Urquhart.

“Hmm,” said Mr. Maconochie noncommittally.

Miss Urquhart ate the rest of her biscuit, got to her feet and held out a hand to him. “Come with me and I’ll show you,” she said.

“What?” said Mr. Maconochie. He peered up at her through his bristly grey eyebrows.

“Come!” Miss Urquhart stood there small and insistent, holding out her hand.

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