Modern Magick

The Striding Spire: 12

Archie returned us to the tall building inside which we had previously discovered Mabyn languishing alone, and with only one shoe. She was there again, though this time she had halted in the entrance hall. She had the headmistress with her, and the Mayor.

Doryty, Mayor of Dapplehaven, had acquired a socking great amulet from somewhere. It was huge, and very shiny, and it hung around her neck from a heavy gold chain. It looked vaguely like a chain of office, which I suppose is exactly what it was. She had decided to display her authority.

Mabyn was holding our pup in what was essentially a choke hold. The pup, mesmerised by the Mayor's gleaming jewellery, gave a heartrending whimper of protest, and writhed helplessly in that grip; apparently, the bigger the slab of precious materials on display, the greater the poor pup's lust to, er, acquire it.

Headmistress Jenifry stood, arms folded, lips tight with disdain, while the two spriggans bawled at one another.

'The Ministry has every right to demand access to any and all records belonging to any and all magickal establishments!' Mabyn was saying as we went in. At some volume. 'Dappledok Dell may not be precisely under its direct jurisdiction, but—'

'Exactly!' shouted the Mayor. 'Dappledok Dell, and by extension the Redclover School, answers only to those fae courts to which we have historically pledged fealty, and besides those to the Magickal Council of Dells and Dales, to the Commission for Fae Heritage and History, to—'

'I know all that,' hissed Mabyn. 'If you insist upon listing every single one we shall be here all day.'

'The Hidden Ministry would not be on that list!' persevered Mayor Doryty. 'It is an organisation by, and exclusively for, human members of the magickal communities, and Dappledok has always been a strictly spriggan or brownie haven—'

'Oh? And the fact that the current headmistress of your precious school is human is neither here nor there, I suppose?'

'It is irregular,' hissed the Mayor. 'But Ms. Redclover is not entirely without the prerequisite heritage, and—'

'Cousin,' said Jenifry Redclover, from between clenched teeth. 'Our associate from the Hidden Ministry has a point, and you know it. Can you not see, that all this obstinacy only encourages the notion that the school has something to hide?'

'What would it have to hide?' demanded the Mayor. 'We have obeyed every stricture placed upon our work, no matter how it has interfered with the school's mission, and since time immemorial!'

'We?' said Jenifry. 'The school is under my mastery, Doryty, not yours. Town business is your affair. School business is mine. We are finished here.' She bestowed a curt nod upon the fuming Mayor of Dapplehaven and turned to the door. 'Oh!' she said, upon seeing Jay and I. 'Excellent. We were most concerned.'

'I can see that,' I said drily.

Mabyn unceremoniously dumped my whimpering pup into my arms, whereupon I was too busy trying to keep hold of her to engage any further in conversation with Jenifry.

Mayor Doryty, meanwhile, was rendered still angrier by the reappearance of Jay and I. 'How did you get back in!' she fumed.

'Oh?' said Jay politely. 'Were we supposed to be thrown out?'

Doryty clenched her fists, as though she would like to express her displeasure by inappropriately physical means. In the end, she merely stalked past Jay into the street, roaring as she went, 'Archibaaaald!'

'My "cousin" always opposed my appointment to the headmastery,' observed Jenifry, watching this retreat with a tiny, mirthless smile.

'Who appoints the headmistress, then?' I inquired.