Free Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones

here as a boy.”
    “Nor I. There was just a power in him,” Tarquin said. “And yet I am sure there were things he must have done. Now why am I so sure?” Thinking seriously about this, forgetting the pain and forgetting that he had only one leg, Tarquin swung himself up off the sofa and started to pace up and down the room. “Always think better on my feet,” he said. “I—”
    He stopped talking and stood in the middle of the room, swaying a little. Below the folded-up right leg of his jeans, Andrew could clearly see the missing leg, transparent and sinewy, and the strong, strong muscles in its calf.
    “What have you done?” Tarquin asked quietly.
    Used Aidan’s method without thinking, Andrew thought guiltily. He flourished his glasses. “I’m not sure. It was so much still
there
that I could practically
see
it hurting you.”
    “It’s not hurting now,” Tarquin said, looking down at where his foot should be, “but I can’t see it. Can you?” Andrew nodded. “How long will it last?” Tarquin asked.
    Probably just until I put my glasses on again, Andrew thought. Very slowly and cautiously, he eased his glasses back on to his nose. The transparent leg vanished. But it was obviously still there. Tarquin did not sway or fall down. He stood steadily in the middle of the room, without his crutches, looking a little dazed. “Keep your crutches within reach,” Andrew said. “I really don’t know how permanent this is.”
    “Just half an hour will do me!” Tarquin said devoutly. “You’ve no idea the relief! But I shall look very odd, walking on one invisible leg, so I will. It feels funny, so it does, with one bare foot.”
    “You could let that trouser leg down,” Andrew suggested, “and wear a shoe.”
    “I could,” Tarquin agreed. “And who would know? But is it likely it’ll vanish away into a stump again if I go over into normal country?”
    “I really don’t know,” Andrew confessed. “But if itdoes, then come to me and I’ll put it back again.” He could see Tarquin was almost in tears, and that embarrassed him.

    Meanwhile, Aidan sped downstairs feeling cool, cool in some of his new clothes. Naturally he had forgotten to bring the plastic wrappings to put in the bin. He was simply thinking of that torch. Assuming that Tarquin had now taken Stashe away for lunch, he crashed merrily into Andrew’s study.
    “Hi there.” Stashe turned round from the computer with a beaming smile.
    Aidan stopped dead. The smile made him feel totally defeated. He would have preferred Stashe to tell him to get out.
    “I’m having dreadful trouble here,” Stashe continued. “I thought at first that he’d got faulty software — and I wish it was that simple. But goodness knows
what
he’s done! In the end I’ve had to strip it right down and start again from scratch. Do you know anything about computers?”
    Aidan felt very shy. He was not used to pretty ladies treating him like a friend. What he wanted to do was to go away and come back for the torch later. He could see it sitting on the windowsill beyond Stashe, as big as anold-fashioned lantern. “We did a bit in school,” he said. “They were always going wrong.”
    “Then you know how I feel,” said Stashe. “I’m going to be all day fixing this one.
Then
I have to set up this database he wants. I’d hoped to make a start on sorting old Mr Brandon’s papers, but that’s just not on. Would you like to help me go through those when I get round to them?”
    Her friendly manner made Aidan want to help her, even though he knew that going through papers was bound to be boring. “I might,” he said. Meanwhile, what about that torch? Stashe was not to know why he wanted it. He settled for walking boldly over to the window and simply picking up the torch.
    Stashe gave him another friendly smile as he walked past her. “New clothes?” she said. “Pretty cool.”
    “Thanks,” Aidan said. He gave her a flustered smile and scudded away.