The Magykal Papers (24 page)

THE
North Gate

HOW TO GET THERE:
From outside the Castle, head south from the One Way Bridge toward the Castle. From within the Castle, follow the streets North; it is well signposted.

WHO LIVES THERE:
The Gringe family lives in the gatehouse. The Bridge Boy works there from sunrise to sunset.

WHY YOU’D GO THERE:
To get into the Castle—and to get out again.

WHY YOU WOULDN’T:
You might not want to pay the toll—in which case, you would have to go in through the South Gate just past the rubbish dump.

THE ABSOLUTELY TOP-SECRET SEVEN-YEAR DIARY
OF
LUCY GRINGE

Year One

SPRING

MONDAY
. Boring dance class today. Mum says I have to go. But
WHY?

TUESDAY
. Class yesterday not so bad. Met this boy called Simon. He’s nice.

MONDAY
. Asked Simon his name. He said Simon. I said (ha ha) I know that I mean what is you r second name and he said Heap. I said you can’t mean that and he said yes I do mean that what is the problem and I said my dad thinks you Heaps are nuts. But what I really meant was that I want to keep seeing Simon and I know that Dad will go crazy. What will I do?

Year Two

SUMMER

SATURDAY
. Met Simon this afternoon at our secret place. It is across the One Way Bridge. No one knows. I love him.

Year Five

WINTER

THURSDAY
. The Heaps have left! Everyone is talking about it.
AND SI HAS GONE WITH THEM
. I can’t believe it! How could he go and not tell me?

SUNDAY
. Woke up this morning before dawn. Thought it was raining as I heard pattering on the windows. But the rain was Si! He was throwing little stones at my window. How romantic is that? So I went downstairs really quietly as I knew that Dad would be up any minute. Si had such a big smile when he saw me! He asked me to marry him and I said yes yes
YES!
So we went to the Chapel and we waited until it was open and it was my dream come true. Except it didn’t. It was horrible. There was a
CRASH
and the Custodian Guards rushed in. They took Si away even though he punched at least
THREE
of them and they brought me home. Mum and Dad went crazy. I have never heard such a racket. Now Dad has locked me in the attic because I told him I was going to rescue Simon and I didn’t care what happened to me
SO THERE
. Mum and Dad are horrible. The Custodian Guards are horrible.
EVERYONE
is horrible. Except for Si. Ooo oo oo oo oo oo oo h.

WHAT DAY IS IT?
I don’t know. I don’t care. I have a rat up here and it is my only friend. I am feeding it biscuits.

ANOTHER BORING DAY.
Mum came and tried to talk to me, but I ignored her. Was too busy embroidering my tunic to bother with
HER
. My only friend is my rat. He is called Stanley and he talks enough for anyone. Who needs stupid parents anyway?

SPRING

MONDAY
. Dad said I can come out of the attic. Told him I liked the attic and I didn’t want to
SO THERE
and he could just
GO AWAY
. So he left the door open and then as he was going he said something
AWFUL
. He said that Simon has disappeared in the Marshes and we won ’t ever see him again. I don ’t believe him. Dad is
SO
horrible. From now on I shall not call him Dad, I shall call him Father (which I know he hates).

Year Six

SUMMER

Had a huge fight with Mum on the drawbridge. And with Father too. Simon ’s little brother came and said that Si had kidnapped Princess Jenna. At first I was just so happy that Si is still alive! It has been so long since I heard anything. But why didn’t he come and kidnap me?
WHY?
I am
SO
unhappy.

AUTUMN

TUESDAY
. Princess Jenna came here today! She gave me a beautiful blue cloak and said that Simon had meant for me to have it. I didn’t know what to say. I know all the bad stuff they have been saying about Si kidnapping Jenna and trying to kill Marcia and all that, but I don ’t believe it. Jenna wouldn’t have come to see me if he had kidnapped her, would she? And she was really nice too.

My own

Lucy,

This cloak is for you. I will be back soon and we will be together at the top of the Tower. I shall make you proud of me.

Wait for me.
Your only,
Simon.

Found this in the cloak. I am
SO
happy!!!!!

AUTUMN

THURSDAY
. Where
IS
he? I have waited forever and he has still not come.
I AM SO MAD
. Have woven some ribbons.

FRIDAY
. Had another argument with Father who told me to “stop mooning around like a sick ferret and do something.” So I am

GOING
to do something. I am going to find Simon! I don’t know where he is, but I figure the Port is a good place to start. I shall take the Outside Path tonight and then there is no chance of meeting Dad Father on his way to see silly old Silas Heap. Goodbye, horrible Castle!!!

MONDAY
. Arrived at the Port in Nicko Heap’s boat. The Heaps are okay really. Even Septimus is not a bad kid although he did say some rotten stuff about Simon. And Nicko reminds me so much of Si—something about the way he laughs. Am working at the Harbor and Dock Pie Shop for Maureen and Kevin. They are both really nice.

FRIDAY
. Tons of rats here. Am sure one of them is that Message Rat I fed in the attic. I wonder if he knows where Si is?

SATURDAY
. It
IS
Stanley. I am
SURE
he knows where Simon is! He keeps going on about it being “top secret,” but I shall get him to tell me eventually. I have a motto now: “No One Says No to Lucy Gringe!"

THE
Message Rat Office

EAST GATE LOOKOUT TOWER

HOW TO GET THERE:
Located in the East Gate Lookout Tower. Take the steps by the Manuscriptorium up to the path along the Wall and, keeping the Moat on your right, the tower is about a ten minute walk. When you can smell garbage, you are there.

WHO WORKS THERE:
Stanley. No other rats are employed at present, but there are vacancies.

WHAT YOU’LL FIND THERE:
A sign on the door that reads:

RATS WANTED FOR MESSAGE RAT DUTIES NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY FULL TRAINING WILL BE GIVEN APPLY WITHIN

And another that reads:

BEST RATES OF PAY
WE PAY DOUBLE THE PORT RATE!
DON’T MISS OUT ON THIS WONDERFUL OPPURTUNITY
!!

And one more that reads:

FREE FOOD!!!!!!

WHY YOU’D GO THERE:
To send a message.

WHY YOU WOULDN’T:
With only one rat on duty, the office may be closed while the rat is out on a message. Also if the one rat
is
in the office you may not want to listen to the rat’s wide-ranging observations on Life, the Universe and Everything.