Clash of the Sky Galleons (45 page)
EPILOGUE
So, here we are,’ said Maris, looking up a t Quint, ‘ the gates of the Kn ights Acade my …’ Her v oice tra iled away and her grip on Quint’s hand tightened.
They were standing by the old East Gate of Sanctaphrax’s most venerated academy the sun setting over the high gables of the Upper Halls and the wooden Gantry Tower with its ancient tethered sky ship.
Quint smiled. What a voyage they’d had. Before the final battle, Quint had deposited the small fortune from the bloodoak timber with the Professors of Light and Darkness. With it, Maris had been able to move back into her old apartments in the School of Mist, together with her family’s old retainers: Tweezel the spindlebug and Welma the woodtroll matron.
Quint had also been able to look after the rest of the crew. Tem Barkwater, Spillins and the Stone Pilot had joined Duggin and his new fleet of sky ferries plying a lucrative trade over the teeming thoroughfares of Undertown - teeming even more than usual, because of the rebuilding of the burned taverns. There were rumours that Sister Horsefeather had plans for the biggest establishment yet, to be called the Bloodoak tavern. Hubble the banderbear, now recovered from his injuries, had joined Stope in the forge of the Hall of White Cloud here in the Knights Academy, where Quint saw him often. Raffix was in one of the thirteen towers awaiting the arrival of a great storm, while Phin - his burns fully healed - was back in the Academy Barracks.
Quint met them in the Eightways Refectory or up in the Gantry Tower, where they could watch the sky ships approaching Undertown from far destinations out in the Deepwoods. After the latest purge, it was business as usual for the sky pirates and leagues of Undertown.
But it was Maris that Quint saw more often than anyone else. Despite his arduous studies which one day would, he hoped, lead to a knighthood and a storm-chasing voyage, Quint always had time for her. Sometimes they would visit the deserted Great Library, or venture down in the sky cages from the West Landing, or climb to the top of the Loftus Observatory, reliving their past adventures.
But wherever they went, Quint and Maris always ended back at the gates of the Knights Academy as the sun began to set over their beloved floating city.
‘Yes,’ said Quint. ‘Here we are …’
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
PAUL STEWART
is a highly regarded author of books for young readers - everything from picture books to football stories, fantasy and horror. Together with Chris Riddell, he is co-creator of the
Far-Flung Adventures
series, which includes
Fergus Crane,
Gold Smarties Prize Winner, and
Corby Flood,
Silver Nestlé Prize Winner. They are of course also co-creators of the bestselling
Edge Chronicles
series, which has sold over two million books and is now available in over thirty languages.
CHRIS RIDDELL
is an accomplished graphic artist who has illustrated many acclaimed books for children, including
Pirate Diary
by Richard Platt, and
Gulliver,
which both won the Kate Greenaway Medal.
Something Else
by Kathryn Cave was shortlisted and
Castle Diary
by Richard Platt was Highly Commended for the Kate Greenaway Medal.
A DAVID FICKLING BOOK
Published by David Fickling Books
an imprint of Random House Children’s Books
a division of Random House, Inc.
New York
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the
product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to
actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Text and illustrations copyright © 2006 by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
All rights reserved.
Originally published in Great Britain by Doubleday, an imprint of Random
House Children’s Books, in 2006.
DAVID FICKLING BOOKS and colophon are trademarks of David Fickling.
Educators and librarians, for a variety of teaching tools, visit us at
www.randomhouse.com/teachers
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Stewart, Paul.
Clash of the sky galleons / Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell. — 1st ed.
p. cm. — (The edge chronicles; 9)
“Originally published in Great Britain by Doubleday,
an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, in 2005.”
SUMMARY: Quint leaves his studies at the Knights Academy in Sanctaphrax
to assist his father, Wind Jackall, in his obsessive and dangerous quest
to track down and bring to justice the evil Turbot Smeal.
eISBN: 978-0-307-49504-4
[1. Fantasy] I. Riddell, Chris. II. Title.
PZ7.S84975Cla 2007
[Fic]—dc22
2006036424
v3.0