House of Many Ways (Howl's Moving Castle 3)

“Better still,” said the King, “I’ll make it a Royal Decree. Your mother will be impressed by that. You see, we need you, my dear.”

“Yes, but I want to help you with the books!” Charmain cried out.

Princess Hilda gave another of her gentle coughs. “I shall be rather busy,” she said, “redecorating and renovating this Mansion.” The gold ingot was lying on the carpet by her feet. She gave it a tender prod with one sensible shoe. “Now we are solvent again,” she said happily. “I suggest that you stand in for me in the library with my father twice a week, if Wizard Norland will spare you.”

“Oh, thank you!” Charmain said.

“And,” added the Princess, “as for Peter—”

“There’s no need to concern yourself with Peter,” the Witch interrupted. “I shall be staying with Peter and Charmain to look after the house at least until Wizard Norland is back on his feet. Maybe I shall live there permanently.”

Charmain, Peter, and Great-Uncle William exchanged looks of horror. I see why she got to be so efficient, being left all alone with Peter to protect, Charmain thought. But if she stays in that house, I’ll go back to live with Mother!

“Nonsense, Matilda,” said Princess Hilda. “Peter is very much our concern, now that it is clear that he is our Crown Prince. Peter will live here and commute to Wizard Norland for lessons in magic. You must go back to Montalbino, Matilda. They need you there.”

“And us kobolds will look after the house, the way we always used to,” Timminz piped.

Oh, good, Charmain thought. I don’t think I’m really house trained yet—and Peter certainly isn’t!

“Bless you, Timminz. Bless you, Hilda,” Great-Uncle William murmured. “The thought of all that efficiency in my house—”

“I shall be fine, Mum,” Peter said. “You don’t have to protect me anymore.”

“If you’re sure,” the Witch said. “It seems to me—”

“Now,” said Princess Hilda, at least as efficiently as the Witch, “it only remains for us to say goodbye to our kind, helpful, if somewhat eccentric guests, and wave them off in their castle. Come along, all of you.”

“Woops!” said Calcifer and shot away up the chimney.

Sophie stood up, dislodging Morgan’s thumb from his mouth. Morgan woke, looked round, saw that his father was there, and looked round some more. His face crumpled up. “Dinkle,” he said. “Where Dinkle?” He started to cry.

“Now look what you’ve started!” Sophie said to Howl.

“I can always turn into Twinkle again,” Howl suggested.

“Don’t you dare!” Sophie said, and marched away into the damp hallway after Sim.

Five minutes later, they were all gathered on the front steps of the Mansion to watch Sophie and Howl hauling the struggling, crying Morgan through the door of the castle. As the door shut on Morgan’s yells of “Dinkle, Dinkle, Dinkle!” Charmain bent and murmured to Waif in her arms, “You did protect the country, didn’t you? And I never even noticed!”

By this time, half the people in High Norland were gathered in Royal Square to stare at the castle. They all watched with disbelief as the castle rose slightly into the air and glided toward the road that led southward. It was hardly more than an alley, really. “It’ll never fit!” people said. But the castle somehow squeezed itself narrow enough to drift away along it and out of sight.

The citizens of High Norland gave it a cheer as it went.