Free In the Palace of the Khans by Peter Dickinson

send for the car to take you home.”
    The medicine was bright yellow and pungent as garlic. It got up Nigel’s nose and made him sneeze till his head rang, but it must have had something effective in it, because he was almost asleep by the time he staggered up the embassy steps. His mother wasn’t happy about it but decided not to risk giving him paracetamol on top of it, so let him go straight to bed, where he slept through a series of vividly crazy dreams and woke, clear-headed and hungry, just in time for supper.
    Day 5 ,
    Two visits this time, one to Mr. G’s and one to Rick’s. He works at the embassy. Couldn’t have been differenter …
    There was a new guard on the courtyard entrance next morning, who went punctiliously through the security drill, never looking Nigel directly in the eye. After what had happened yesterday, Nigel felt very on edge until the lift stopped at the second floor, and there was Fohdrahko waiting for him, smiling as he murmured his formal greeting, making the whole extraordinary world of the palace seem safe and ordinary for him, as it was for Taeela.
    It stayed that way all morning, comfortable without being boring. They talked, then watched part of a Harry Potter movie. Taeela was very disappointed to learn that even without the magic Hogwarts wouldn’t have been anything like the school Nigel went to.
    â€œMaybe when my granddad was a kid,” he told her.
    It was slow going again, because she kept stopping the film to ask questions and explain stuff to Fohdrahko. She was fascinated by Hermione.
    â€œDo you think she is pretty, Nigel?”
    â€œI suppose so. She’s an actress. It’s her job to look hot.”
    â€œYou suppose so! Oh, Nigel! You … you … Do you suppose I am pretty? Hot?”
    â€œIt isn’t the most important thing, that’s all. I like you. That’s what matters. I wouldn’t mind if you were plain as a boot, which you aren’t. As a matter of fact I’m meeting a couple of girls this afternoon. I’ll make a special effort to notice if they’re pretty.”
    â€œTwo girls? English girls? What they do … are they doing in Dirzhan?”
    â€œThey were born here. Their mum’s Dirzhani, their dad’s English, except he’s taken Dirzhani citizenship. He loves it here. He’s the driver at the Embassy. He brought me down here first day I came, and he told me about his daughters.”
    He’d been leading her on, enjoying her pretence of outraged jealousy as much as she was, but now she didn’t take it like that. Instead she stared at him with genuine amazement.
    â€œYou … you are the son of the Ambassador of the Queen of England and you have tea with one of your servants!”
    â€œRick’s a good guy. He’s knows stuff about Dirzhan which I bet my dad doesn’t know. And I do want to meet ordinary Dirzhaki. I love coming here, and I think you’re terrific, and I really hope we can stay friends somehow. But you’re the daughter of the President Khan. There’s no way you can be ordinary. No way this can be an ordinary home.”
    Taeela pouted dramatically.
    â€œThey will be plain as … two boots,” she said, closing the subject. “Now we will play chess.”
    They did that for a bit, Nigel giving himself five seconds a move and Taeela taking as long as she liked. He was teaching her the Queen’s Indian opening—because she liked the name of course—when the President came in, followed by the drinks and nibbles. But he didn’t stay long or say very much, and when he left they put the chess set away and watched Harry Potter until it was time for Nigel to go home.
    â€œTomorrow we go to the hunting lodge,” said Taeela.
    â€œWe’re thrilled. Mum and Dad too. We’re really looking forward to seeing it.”
    â€œFofo says there will be thunderstorms. He is never wrong.”
    Later that