Free The Little Secret by Kate Saunders Page A

partly like a stately home and partly like a cathedral. Though it was summer, there was a fire in the enormous fireplace, as big as a burning house. There was a thick purple carpet and chairs heaped with soft velvet cushions. The walls were covered with pictures — portraits of kings and queens, and various triangular people, mostly in uniform. Above the fireplace was a huge painting of a hairy spider, with the word “Tornado” carved into the gold frame — the queen’s beloved racing spider. Now that she was tiny, the thought of meeting a creature like the late Tornado made Jane shiver. She stayed close to Staffa.
    The queen handed her silver pickax to Captain Hooter. “We left a chocolate truffle near the border. Tell the general to fetch it before dinner. And tell the cook to melt it for gravy.”
    â€œYes, Your Majesty.”
    â€œThen go and find the king, and tell him I think he’s very naughty not to come and meet me.”
    â€œYes, Your Majesty.”
    Staffa gave Jane’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry, you’ll soon get used to everything. This is Twilly, who will be your personal servant while you’re staying here.”
    Twilly had a pink-and-white, triangular face and hair in fat curls like brown bedsprings. She looked about the same age as Jane and Staffa. She curtseyed. “How do you do, madam.”
    â€œBut I don’t need a servant,” Jane protested. “I wouldn’t know what to do with her!” She wanted to say that Twilly gave her the creeps.
    â€œOh, that’s another thing you’ll soon get used to,” Staffa said breezily. “Twilly will run your baths and brush your hair and take care of your clothes. That’s her job.”
    Jane took another look at Twilly. The funny little potbellied, spindly-legged creature gave her a beaming smile. She wore a black dress, with a long, full skirt, and a white apron thick with frills. Now that she was looking properly, Jane saw that there was something very sweet about Twilly’s face. She smiled back, feeling a little less freaked out.
    â€œJane, my dear child,” said the queen, “go to your room. Your maid will dress you for dinner — just the family, on your first evening. I must bustle off now, to sentence a couple of people to death.” She flounced away through a stone arch, followed by Captain Hooter and a crowd of servants.
    Jane shuddered. Had she really heard that? Since her shrinking, she had begun to notice a glint in Queen Matilda’s eye that was decidedly nasty. She could well believe she sentenced people to death.
    â€œCome on.” Staffa tugged Jane’s hand.
    They followed Twilly up a massive marble staircase and along endless corridors full of paintings and large gold ornaments. Servants bowed and curtseyed as they passed.
    Jane whispered, “I wish they wouldn’t do that!”
    â€œI told you, you’ll get used to it.” Staffa threw open a door. “This is your room.”
    â€œWOW!” Jane gasped. It was a bedroom from a fairytale. The latticed windows had elaborate curtains of pink silk. There was a white four-poster bed, a huge wardrobe and a bath in the shape of a flower. The taps were made of gold. “Is this really mine? Seriously?”
    â€œDo you like it?”
    Jane flopped down on the bed, sinking into the silk pillows. “It’s incredible! I love it!”
    â€œI’m so glad,” Staffa said. “It’s very important to me that you enjoy yourself here — I still feel bad because I didn’t warn you. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to tell someone they’ll be passing into another dimension. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
    The light of the setting sun poured through the window. It fell on Staffa’s bare arm, and Jane noticed how hard and how white her skin was.
    She heard herself blurting out, “You’re not human, are