Though I suppose now they’ve become a navy.”

“I’l take up the matter when I have completed the mission of the hour. Good afternoon, Lady Glinda.”

“May you freeze in hel.”

He gave the briefest of bows, not so much from the waist as from the chin, and turned to leave.

And the Grimmerie proved as recalcitrant as ever.

They watched the first of the ships rol into view on the water. Glinda had to admit there was something terrific about the sight. The ships were painted red and gold, from this distance looking like wooden cousins of the dragons. Their sails puffed out; the wind was strong and apparently from the right quarter. Behind the stubby masts Glinda and Rain tracked the movement of those stubby masts against the hils, which helped them mark the acceleration of two, then three ships. The fourth would be coming along.

From this distance the dragons resembled immense overheated ducks.

There would be no stopping a fleet with six dragons. Haugaard’s Keep was lost. But Rain didn’t need to be lost. There was stil time.

“Quick,” said Glinda. “How is your head for heights?”

“I’m gooder than a bird in any tree, Mum.”

It was too late to insist on Auntie or anything like that. “Can you balance yourself here without faling?”

Rain looked out the window at the three-inch ledge. “If there’s no big wind to scrape me down.”

“Blessings on you. There, that’s a prayer, best I can do. I’l give you a leg up.” She helped Rain out the lower sash. Thank Ozma the windows were tal; Rain could almost stand up straight before she’d scrambled out. She fit her naked feet (stil dirty, Glinda saw) this way and that, a dancer’s pose, until she was erect and balanced.

“Anyone’s walking in the rose garden’l see up my frock.”

“Never mind about that. Do you think you can safely inch beyond the edge of this window? Not far—only a bit at a time to see how it feels.”

“Oh, I’m a spider on a wal. It’s easy florins, this one.”

“Now listen to me, Rain. I want you to inch—if you feel you can—until you’re about halfway between this window and the next one. No farther. Have you anything on which to cling?”

“My fingernails.”

“That’l have to do.”

“What does I do when I gets there?”

“Just wait for further instructions. I am going to scream a little bit, but I don’t want you to be startled. I am only acting.”

“Acting?”

“Like the puppets in that play. I’m not realy screaming. It’s like—it’s like singing.”

“I didn’t know you sung, Mum. Songs, like?”

“Oh, I have lots of little talents. Cooking is the least of them.”

“That’s what I heard.”

“Don’t be snarky. Are you ready? You won’t be startled and lose your grip?”

“Spiders don’t fal off the wal when they hear a singer.”

“I may have to double the octave to get some attention.”