Free The Witch's Revenge by D.A. Nelson Page A

query, I can calculate your birth chart and predict your coming week. Palms will not be read. Tea leaves and crystal balls are not accepted. I don’t commune with the dead or give horse racing tips. Please select an option.”
    â€œNo, no, it’s none of those things,” began Morag. Beyond the curtain the banging got louder and the yells more insistent. “Queen Flora sent us here,” she continued. “I’m not sure why when we needed an escape route to save Montgomery …”
    Bang, bang, BANG!
    â€œOnly the Queen and Montgomery can authorize the
Drop Function
,” the voice stated.
    â€œI don’t know what that means. Please help, we must get out of Marnoch Mor. Montgomery’s life is at stake.”
    The voice of the booth paused as if it were weighing up what she had just said. Then a final loud bang echoed across the railway station and was followed by the sound of many feet clattering through the entrance. The crowd was charging toward them.
    â€œEek!” cried Aldiss as Bertie slapped a wing over his whiskery face.
    â€œPlease!” squeaked Morag.
    â€œEngaging Drop Function. Please ensure you have all your hand luggage. Look directly into the camera. Smile. And enjoy your journey.”
    Four pairs of eyes looked into the lens. There was a whirr and then
SNAP!
The brightest blinding light any of themhad ever seen. Morag threw up her arms to shield her eyes. As she did, the sound of the angry mob disappeared and was replaced by silence. She slowly lowered her arms.
    â€œOh my!” she said as she looked around.
    â€œI think we’ve found our way out …,” said Henry.
    The walls of the photo booth had gone and they now stood in an earth tunnel dimly lit by flickering oil lamps. The air was warm and still and smelled musty, as if the tunnel had not been used for a long time. Morag looked round to see the startled faces of Shona, Bertie and Aldiss peering into the gloom.
    â€œWell,” said the dragon, regaining her balance, “that was certainly an odd way to travel.”
    â€œI liked it!” squeaked Aldiss enthusiastically. “When this is all over, I’m going back to do it all again.”
    Even Henry, who was not normally sensitive to the thoughts of others, knew that at that moment Bertie was rolling his eyes in disapproval at the rat’s words.
    â€œCome,” said the bird, ruffling his tail feathers and ignoring the rat’s high fives. “We have to find the nearest way out of here. You never know what could be hiding in a place like this.”
    â€œI think there’s something over there,” Morag said, pointing to a large shape under a dark sheet nearby.
    The dodo scrunched his eyes to try to make out what it was. “This is impossible,” he said, reaching into his bag. He pulled out four Moonstones and handed them round. “Here, these should help us see better.”
    Bertie pulled off the cover, sending up a choking cloud ofdust and revealing the dirty black engine of an old-fashioned steam train. “Speckled hens!” he squawked. “Do you know what this is? Oh my goodness! I can’t believe it! This is incredible!” He danced around the engine, examining it from every angle.
    â€œCalm down, feather face,” snapped the medallion from Morag’s neck. “Anyone would think you’ve just found a pot of gold.”
    â€œI have … I mean,
we
have!” replied the bird. His beady eyes shone. “Morag,” he said, whipping a chamois leather from his satchel, “be a dear and clean the nameplate for me. I can’t quite reach.”
    Morag did as he asked.
    â€œIt
is
her!” the dodo said, his voice wavering. He turned to his friends and dreamily said: “We’ve found her!”
    â€œWhat is he going on about?” Shona growled.
    â€œI think he’s finally lost his marbles,” added Aldiss. “It’s all