Septimus Heap, Book Six_ Darke - Angie Sage [111]
Nicko cut through the rat’s musings. “Who’s it for then?” he said.
“What?”
“The message. Who is it for?”
“Ahem.” Stanley cleared his throat and stood up on his back legs. “Please note that due to the current, er . . . situation . . . and circumstances pertaining thereto, this is not delivered in Standard Message Form. Therefore no responsibility can be accepted for the accuracy or otherwise of this message. A fee is not payable but a box for contributions toward the new drains at the East Gate Lookout Tower may be found at the Message Rat Office door. Please note that no money is kept in the box overnight.”
“Is that it?” asked Nicko. “You came to tell us about the drains?”
“What drains?” said Stanley, whose mouth so often ran ahead of his thoughts. And then, when his thoughts caught up, he said rather snappily, “No, of course I didn’t.”
“I know which rat you are,” said Nicko suddenly. “You’re Stanley, aren’t you?”
“Why do you say that?” asked Stanley suspiciously.
Nicko just grinned. “Thought so. So, Stanley, who is the message for?”
“Nicko Heap,” Stanley replied, feeling slightly offended, although he was not sure why.
“Me?” Nicko seemed surprised.
“If that is you, yes.”
“Of course it’s me. What’s the message?”
Stanley took a deep breath. “Find Nicko—Nicko Heap, at Jannit’s boatyard. Tell him what’s happening. Tell him where we are. Please.”
Nicko went pale. “Who sent it?”
Stanley sat down on a pile of papers. “Well, I wouldn’t go running messages like this for just anyone, you know—especially given the present, er . . . situation. However, I do consider that I am, to some extent at least, not a mere messenger but operating in the capacity of a personal representative of—oof!”
Nicko’s finger jabbed the rat’s ample stomach. “Ouch! That hurt,” protested Stanley. “There is no need for violence, you know. I only came here out of the goodness of my heart.”
Nicko leaned across the table and stared eyeball to eyeball with the rat. “Stanley,” he said, “if you don’t tell me who sent the message right now I shall personally throttle you. Got that?”
“Yep. Okey dokey. Got that.”
“So who sent it?”
“The Princess.”
“Jenna.”
“Yes. Princess Jenna.”
Nicko looked at his companions, the light from the single candle in the center of the table throwing glancing shadows across their worried faces. For a few minutes Stanley’s antics had distracted them from what was happening outside—but no longer. Now all their worries for their families and friends in the Castle came flooding back.
“Okay,” said Nicko slowly. “So . . . tell me. Where is Jenna? Who is ‘we’? Are they safe? When did she send the message? How did you—”
It was Stanley’s turn to interrupt. “Look,” he said wearily. “It’s been a long day. I’ve seen some nasty stuff. I’ll tell you about it, but a cup of tea and biscuit first would work wonders.”
Maggie went to get up but Rupert stopped her. “You’ve had a long day too,” he said. “I’ll do it.”
Silence fell, broken only by the gentle hiss of the little stove—and the sudden, terrifying roar of something outside, deep in the Darkenesse.
Chapter 37
Brothers
The night wore on in the room behind the Big Red Door, its occupants sleeping fitfully on the odd assortment of cushions and rugs. They were rudely awoken twice by Thunder—who was not named just for the stormy color of his coat—but after protests and much fanning