The leiruM was sailing fasttoward the wide mouth of the riverand had nearly reached the open sea at the port. They were, to the Hunter's amazment, reaching incredible speeds for a small sailing boat, and although the bullter boat wa still in sight with the boat they couldn't catch up to them. Just then Maxie licked Marica's hand breaking her concentration for a second, making the boat dispair.

"Turn around you fools." he was Jenna who saw the search light comiing around the bend. "They're coming back!" she yelled."We've got to hide the boat," said Nicko, and pushed the boat clear of the sand, and pulled it along the Deepen Ditch. The sopund of the Hunters screaming at the orsman drifted across the water.

"Dive!" Marica muttred. The Hunter got up and did a smersault in the air before landing into the frezzing water. With that the orasman moved back in helped him in before returning to the castle. "Serves him right," said Marica. "Horrible little man."

"Not entirely professional," a familiar voice boomed from the bottom of the ditch, "But in my days I would have done it to." "Alther!" gasped Marica, turning pink."Uncle Alther!" yelled Jenna happily. She scrambled down the bank and joined Alther, who was standing on the beach with a fishing rod.

Boy 412 followed her down. "Princess!" Alther beamed and gave her a ghostly hug, which always made hermfeel warm. "Are you coming with us, Unlce Alther?" sheasked. "Sorry, Princess. I can't. You know the rules of Ghosthood:

A Ghost may only tread once more

Where, living, he has gone before

And, unfortunaly, as a boy I never got father than this beach here. Now," said Alther changining the subject, "is that a picnic basket I see there." Under the some rope was the picnic basket that Sally Mullin had made for them. Silas heaved it out.

"Oh, my back," he groaned. "What has she put in it?" Sdilas lifted the lid. "Ah, that explains it." He sighed. "Stuffed full of barley cake. Still, it made good ballast, hey?" "Dad," remonstrated Jenna. "Don't be rude. Anyway, we like barley cake, don't we Nicko?"

Nicko pulled a face, but Boy 412 looked hopeful, he was hungry. Under the barley cake, was a tinder box and dry kindling, a can of water, some chocolqte, sugar and milk. Silas started making a fire and then hetting the can of water to boil.

Before adding the choclate and milk, and then mixed it the way he liked. When ut was about to boil over her added the sugar and stirred. They passed it around the fire, each taking a sip. Then they dug into the barley cake and ate almost a whole slab.

When Alther saw they were done eating, he walked over. "Something happened after you left," he said quietly. "DomDaniel has come back." "What?" gasped Marica. "He can't come back. I'm the ExtraOrdinary Wizard—I have the Amulet. And I've left the Tower stuffed full of Wizards-there's enough Magyk in that ower to keep the old has=been buired in the Badlands where he belongs."

"Are yoi sure." she asked. "I saw him myself. As soon as Muriel had rounded Raen's Rock, he Materialized in the Wizard Tower courtyard, The whole place crackled with Darke Magyk. Smelled terrible. Sent the Wizards into a blind panic, scurring here, and there." Alther told them.

"Tht's disgraceful. What were they thinking of? I don't know, the quantily of the average Ordinary Wizard is appalling nowdays," said Marica, casting a glance at Silas's direction. "And where was Endor? She's meant to be my deputy-don't tell me Endor panicked as well?" "No. No, she didn't. She came out and confronted him. She put a Bar across the doors to the Tower."

"Oh, thank goodness. The Tower is safe." she said. "No Marica, it's not. DomDaniel struck Endor down with a Thunderflash. She's dead. I'm sorry," he said. "Dead," Marica mumbled. "Then he removed the Wizards." he said. "All of them? Where to?" she asked.

"They all shot off toward the Badlands-there was nothing they could do. I expect he's got them in one of his Burrows down there." he told them. "Oh, Alther." "Rhen the Supreme Custodian-that horrible lettle man—arives with his retinus bowing, and scraping and practically drooling all over his Master. The next thing you know he's escoruted DomDaniel into the Wizard Tower and up to...er, well, up to your room, Marica."

"My room? DomDaniel is in my room?" she yelled. "Well, you'll be pleased to know he was in no fit to appreciate them by the time he got up there, as they had to walk all the way up. There wasn't enough Magyk left to keep the stairs working. Or anything else in the Tower for that matter." he said.

Maricqa skhool her head in disbelief. "I never thought DomDaniel could do this. Never." she said. "NO, neither did I," said Alther. "I thought," said Marica. "that as long as we Wizards could hang on until the Princess was old enough to wear the Crown, we would be alright. Then we could get rid of those Custodians, the Young Army and all the creeping Darkenesse that infested the Catle and makes people's lives so miserable."

"So did I," said Alther. "but I followed DomDaniel up the stairs. He was blatheering on to the Supreme Custodian about how he couldn't believe his luck—not only had you left the Castle, but you had taken the one abstacle to his return with you."

"Obstacle?" she asked. "Jenna." he said. Jenna gazed at Alther in dismay, "Me? An obstacle? Why?" Alther sated at the fire deep in thought. "It would seem, Princess, that you have somehow been stoping that awful old Necromancer from comeing back to the Catle. Just by being ther. And verly likely your mother did to. I always qondered why he sent the Assassin for the Queen and not for me."

'So if I can get back in the Castle I can stop him.' Septimus thought. Jenna shivered. She suddenlt felt very afraid. Boy 412 put his arm around her, puling her close to keep warm. "That's enough now, Alther. There's no need to frighten us all out of are wits. The Custodians are simply a load of thugs that any decednt ExtraOrdinary Wizard would have seen off years ago."

"I am not going to just si here and be insulted like this," Marica spluttered. "You have no idea the things we have tried to get rid of them. No idean at all. It's been all we can do to keep the Wizard Tower going sometimes. And with no help from you, Silas Heap."

"Well. I don't know what what the fuss is about, Marica. DomDaniel is dead." Silas replied. 'Hah, if he's dead then I was be taught by a ghost,' Septimus thought. "No, he's not." said Marica quietly. "Don't be silly, Marica," snapped Silas. "Alther threw him off the top of the Tower fortly years ago."

Jenna and Nicko gasped. "Did you really, Uncle Alther?" asked Jenna. "No!" exclaimed Alther crossly. "I didn't. He threw himself off." "Well, whatever," said Silas stubbonrly. "He's still dead." "Not necessarily..." said Alther in a low voice, starring into the fire.

"What did happen on top of the Wizard Tower with DomDaniel, Uncle Alther?" Jenna whispered. "Okay, Well I followe him outside the building. And when he was within my grasp, DomDaniel had reached the pinnalce of the Pyramid, s small square platform of hammered gold inlaid with the silver hieroglyphs that Enchant the Tower."