“That’s enough, Winks,” said Grandad. “You’ll have the horses comforting you next! You do that in the ring tomorrow when we open, and you’ll bring the house down. Sit down, and have your supper.”

“Mr Tapper,” said Julian. “There’s one member of your circus we didn’t see at the rehearsal — and that’s Mr Wooh, the Wonder Magician. Why wasn’t he there?”

“Oh, he never rehearses,” said Mr Tapper. “He keeps himself to himself, does Mr Wooh. He may come and join us for supper, and he may not. As we’re opening the circus tomorrow night, maybe he’ll turn up tonight. I’m a bit scared of him, to tell you the truth.”

“But he’s not a real wizard, is he?” asked Tinker.

“Well, when I talk to Mr Wooh I feel as if he is,” said Mr Tapper. “There isn’t a thing he doesn’t know about figures, there isn’t a thing he can’t do with them. Ask him to multiply any number by any other number, running into dozens of figures, and he’ll tell you in a second. He shouldn’t be in a circus. He should be an inventor of some sort — an inventor whose invention needs pages and pages of figures. He’d be happy then.”

“He sounds a bit like my father,” said Tinker. “He’s an inventor, you know, and sometimes when I creep into his study I see papers FULL of millions of tiny figures and plans and diagrams with tiny figures all over them too.”

“Very interesting,” said Grandad. “Your father and Mr Wooh ought to meet. They would probably talk figures all day long! My word — what’s that you’re handing round, young lady?”

“Some of the food we brought,” said Anne. “Have a sausage or two, Mr Tapper — and a roll — and a tomato.”

“Well, thanks,” said Mr Tapper, pleased. “Very kind of you. Nice to have met you all. You might be able to teach Jeremy a few manners!”

“Grandad — here’s Mr Wooh!” said Jeremy, suddenly, and got up. Everyone turned round. So this was Mr Wooh the Wonder Magician. Well, he certainly looked the part.

He stood there, with a half-smile on his face, tall, commanding and handsome. His hair was thick, and black as soot, his eyes gleamed in the fire-light, half hidden by great eye-brows, and he wore a thin, pointed beard. He had a curiously deep voice, and spoke like a foreigner.

“So we have visitors this night?” he said, and showed a row of gleaming white teeth in a quick smile. “May I join you?”

“Oh do, Mr Wooh,” said Anne, delighted to have the chance of talking to a Wonder Magician. “We’ve brought plenty of food. Do you like cold sausage — and tomato — and a roll?”

“Most deelicious!” said the magician, and sat down cross-legged to join the group.

“We were disappointed not to see you at the rehearsal,” said Dick. “I’d have liked to hear you doing all kinds of wizard sums in your head, as quick as lightning!”