“I’m a Duval,” Cora said, smiling patronizingly as if to say poor little country girl doesn’t know anything. “Generations of Duvals have lived in Medlock. My family has always worked within the elite of the Sovereign Chancellery.”

It didn’t mean much to Prue, who swerved out of the way as a toad jumped from a small outlet pipe in front of her.

“Mind out, lady!” the toad personifate said, glaring up at her and folding his arms grumpily.

“Sorry!” Prue said.

The toad was closely followed by an aqua green lizard with a crested head and back. “Is that all the pipe inspections completed for the day, Felix?”

“There’s one at the Sovereign Chancellery we’d better do,” the toad replied as he jumped away.

“Wow, they really do come in all shapes and sizes,” Prue said, but Cora was charging ahead.

At the end of Burlington West, they took a left into Pickwick, another grand street with many red-bricked houses. About halfway along was a small cobbled street called Smithy Door. They carried on past smaller, quaint-looking shops, Medlock Fudge & Co, Swifty Second-hand Books, Penelope Parker’s Portraits. After that was a double-fronted shop with a bronze swinging sign reflecting the afternoon sun:

Deakins Entire

Proud suppliers to the Imperial

Personifate Guild of Medlock

by appointment of the Governor

Cora pushed the door open. A bell clattered. Prue followed her inside and the door thumped closed. The floor was warm walnut, and the numerous shelves were filled with sumptuous midnight-blue, mustard-gold and deep ruby-red fabric. Ladders on wheels rested on each side. The dusty, warm smell of books and wood lingered in the air. A girl standing in front of the counter spun around to face them. She was about the same age as them and had short russet hair, a pointed chin and face that looked as though it had never seen the sun, and she wore a plain but smart brown dress.

“Hello,” Prue said brightly.

“The shopkeeper is just out the back,” the girl said. She looked at them with wide, amber eyes; Prue thought that the phrase her mother used, “rabbit caught in the mechanicart lights”, summed up her expression perfectly.

“Are you a new apprentice too?” Cora asked.

The girl nodded, then smiled in a kind but awkward way, as though her face wasn’t used to it.

“Great. I’m Cora and this is Frances.” She reduced her voice to something near a whisper and added, “She’s a farm girl.”

“Oh … I’m Agapantha.” The girl’s mouth warped as though embarrassed by her name, or was it that she was judging Prue too?

“Weird name, don’t your parents like you?” said Cora. Then she laughed to herself while Agapantha looked down at the floor. “No, really, I’m just kidding. But I don’t think I recognize you. What’s your family name?”

“Young.”