'But people can see and hear me!'
The first thing you learn when you enroll at Unseen University, I'm afraid, is that people don't pay much attention to that sort of thing. It's what their minds tell them that's important.'
'You mean people don't see me because their minds tell them not to?'
' 'Fraid so. It's called predestination, or something.' Cutwell looked at her wretchedly. 'I'm a wizard. We know about these things.'
'Actually it's not the first thing you learn when you enroll,' he added, 'I mean, you learn where the lavatories are and all that sort of thing before that. But after all that, it's the first thing.'
'You can see me, though.'
'Ah. Well. Wizards are specially trained to see things that are there and not to see things that aren't. You get these special exercises —'
Keli drummed her fingers on the table, or tried to. It turned out to be difficult. She stared down in vague horror.
Cutwell hurried forward and wiped the table with his sleeve.
'Sorry,' he muttered, 'I had treacle sandwiches for supper last night.'
'What can I do?'
'Nothing.'
'Nothing?'
'Well, you could certainly become a very successful burglar . . . sorry. That was tasteless of me.'
mand to see the wizard,' she announced. 'Pray admit me this instant.'
'He's rather busy at present,' said the face. 'Were you after a love potion?'
'A what?'
'I've – we've got a special on Cutwell's Shield of Passion ointment,' said the face, and winked in a startling fashion. 'Provides your wild oats while guaranteeing a crop failure, if you know what I mean.'
Keli bridled. 'No,' she lied coldly, 'I do not.'
'Ramrub? Maidens' Longstop? Belladonna eyedrops?'
'I demand —'
'Sorry, we're closed,' said the face, and shut the door. Keli withdrew her foot just in time.
She muttered some words that would have amazed and shocked her tutors, and thumped on the woodwork.
The tattoo of her hammering suddenly slowed as realisation dawned.
He'd seen her! He'd heard her!
She beat on the door with renewed vigour, yelling with all the power in her lungs.
A voice by her ear said, 'It won't work. He 'eef very fstubborn.'
She looked around slowly and met the impertinent gaze of the doorknocker. It waggled its metal eyebrows at her and spoke indistinctly through its wrought-iron ring.
'I am Princess Keli, heir to the throne of Sto Lat,' she said haughtily, holding down the lid on her terror. 'And I don't talk to door furniture.'
'Fwell, I'm just a doorknocker and I can talk to fwhoever I please,' said the gargoyle pleasantly. 'And I can ftell you the fmaster iff having a trying day and duff fnot fwant to be disturbed. But you could ftry to use the magic word,' it added. 'Coming from an attractiff fwoman it works nine times out of eight.'