There was only one thing to do. Effie stood up and once again summoned her Sword of Light. It again formed out of the brightest, most magical particles of light in the room. In an instant, Effie was standing and holding the golden sword aloft. Dr. Wiseacre raised an eyebrow. She turned the lever once, but didn’t take her hand from it. Effie could hear more faint screams from a nearby room. Was it really Clothilde? Or just a trick? It didn’t matter. So what if Effie was going to be expelled from the Otherworld forever? If there was any chance that Clothilde was being hurt, Effie had to save her. And she was never going to tell Dr. Wiseacre where Dragon’s Green was, or the Great Library, or anything she knew about it.

Dr. Wiseacre turned the lever again.

“Please stop doing that and let me go, or I really will have to use this,” said Effie.

“And then you will be removed anyway and forbidden from coming here ever again.”

“Yes, and you will never find out about Dragon’s Green,” said Effie. “Are you going to let me go or not?”

Dr. Wiseacre lifted her hand to turn the lever again. Effie couldn’t stand it. She couldn’t bear the idea of Clothilde being hurt, or—unthinkable—killed. She raised her sword and brought it hard across Dr. Wiseacre’s body, from right to left, as if she was playing a massive two-handed tennis forehand. Effie’s sword didn’t cut flesh or bone—it was a magical weapon and so worked differently from that. But Effie was surprised when Millicent Wiseacre completely disappeared. Her heart jumped into her throat. Had she just made a really terrible mistake? Maybe. But she had also saved Clothilde. If she was really here. If she wasn’t . . . Well, Effie couldn’t take that chance.

Still carrying her sword, Effie walked out into the dark corridor holding the candle-lamp from the table. She was breathing hard. What had she done? As the adrenaline subsided she wondered again if Clothilde was even here. The guard was waiting for her in the dingy corridor, but he quickly realized the power Effie had, and what she was prepared to do with it, and so he held up his hands to show surrender.

“Where is my cousin?” said Effie.

He shrugged.

Effie raised her sword higher. “Where is my cousin?” she repeated.

“No one else here but you,” he said.

Effie took her vial of deepwater from around his neck. There was no sign of Frank Greyday. Effie tried a few doors but there was no evidence of Clothilde anywhere. He must be telling the truth.