Castle Magic Read online

  “Shrjh!” Ali said quickly. She glanced at Henrietta. She had turned Genie upside down and was examining her curly-toed pink shoes. “We can't tell her the truth. It might scare her”

  “Scare her!” Genie repeated, hanging upside down with her ponytail swinging wildly. “She's a ghost!”

  “I know, but ghosts might get scared too,” Ali pointed out “Can't you use your magic to escape?”

  “It won't work on a ghost,” Genie replied.

  “Henrietta,” Ali called more loudly. “Please give Genie back to me.”

  “No!” Henrietta retorted triumphantly. “You can't have her back She's my doll now.”

  As she spoke, she flew off the chandelier and floated toward the stairs. Ali hurried after her Henrietta flew up the stairs and along the corridor Panting, Ali reached the landing just in time to see the ghost disappear into the Green Bedroom with Little Genie still clutched in her hand.

  Ali ran down the corridor and stopped in the doorway. Henrietta was sitting on top of a glass case pointing to the dolls inside.

  “This one in the blue satin dress is my favorite,” she was saying to Genie.

  “Genie?” Ali moved cautiously into the room. “Are you okay?”

  “I'm fine, I think,” Genie said, still looking a bit nervous. “Henrietta's telling me all about her dolls.”

  ‘-They're really beautiful,” Ali said loudly, walking farther into the room. She wondered if there was a chance she could grab Genie. Henrietta didn't seem to be taking much notice of her at the moment She was too busy looking at the dolls in the glass case.

  “If you've got all these lovely dolls,” Ali went on, “why do you want Genie?”

  Henrietta turned and glared at Ali. “I haven't got any dolls anymore,” she snapped. “That's why I need a new one.” She clutched Little Genie to her even more tightly. Genie gave a muffled squeak

  “I thought all these dolls were yours,” Ali said, pointing at the glass cases.

  “Yes, but I can't have them.” Henrietta looked sad. “They're locked away, I miss them.”

  Ali found herself feeling quite sorry for the forlorn little ghost “Why can't you just play with them at night when no one's here, and then put them back in the morning?” she suggested.

  Henrietta looked scornfully at her. “I'm a ghost silly,” she said. “I can't open the glass cases.”

  Ali frowned. “I thought ghosts could walkthrough walls and stuff like that,” she said. “Can't you just get through the glass?”

  Henrietta's ghostly cheeks turned a very pale shade of pink. “I'm not very good at walking through walls,” she confessed.”! missed a lot of classes at Spook School.”

  “Mmm” Ali said, glancing at Génie. “That reminds me of someone else!”

  “There must be a way we can help Henrietta play with her dolls again,” Genie whispered to Ali. “Thçn she'll let me go.”

  “Maybe I could get the dolls out of the glass case,” Ali said.

  “I don't think that's a good idea,” said Genie. “Look” She pointed to a sign on the wall that read THESE DISPLAY CASES ARE

  PROTECTED BY ALARMS.

  “Anyway, we can't just let Henrietta take the dolls,” Genie added. “People will notice they're gone and call the police.”

  “What Henrietta needs is some new dolls,” Ali said.

  “Well, you still have one wish left,” Genie reminded her in a low voice. “Wishing for Tiffany to see a ghost wasn't a real wish, remember?”

  “Oh yes!” Ali started to feel more hopeful. “Henrietta, if I give you some brand-new dolls, will you give Genie back tome?”

  Henrietta looked amazed. “New dolls?” she repeated. “For me?”

  “Lots of them,” Ali told her

  Henrietta nodded eagerly. “Oh yes,” she said. “I don't want this old doll if I can have lots of new ones.”

  “Thanks a lot!” Genie muttered.

  Ali took a deep breath. “I wish she began in a low voice, so that Henrietta couldn't hear hen “…I wish that Henrietta had lots and lots of brand-new dolls, all for herself!”

  Ali smiled encouragingly at the ghost while she waited for the familiar puff of pink smoke. She just hoped Genie was clever enough to make the dolls appear under the bed or in the wardrobe or something. Henrietta might get scared if she saw dolls appear out of thin air!

  But there wasn't even the usual puff of smoke. Genie had been very eleven Ali thought feeling impressed.

  Henrietta was frowning at Ali. “Where are they?” she demanded.

  “Yes, Genie.” Ali winked at Genie. “Where are they?”

  Genie shrugged. “I don't know,” she said.

  “What do you mean, you don't know?” Ali said worriedly.

  “Where are my dolls?” Henrietta demanded in a sharp voice. “If you don't give me my new dolls, you're not getting Genie back!”

  “Think, Genie!” Ali urged. “Where could they be?”

  Genie pulled thoughtfully at her ponytail. “Well …,” she began. “I suppose they could have appeared wherever Henrietta used to keep her dolls before.”

  Ali turned to Henrietta. “Where did you keep your dolls?”

  “In my bedroom,” Henrietta replied in a sulky voice. “I had a special cupboard where I put them all.”

  “Wasn't this your bedroom?”

  “No!” Henrietta said, looking offended. “My room is much nicer than this.”

  “Can you take us there?” Ali asked.

  Henrietta looked suspiciously at Ali for a moment. Then she nodded. Still clutching Genie, she flew off the glass case and over Ali's head toward the door

  Ali followed her. She hoped that the dolls were in Henrietta's old bedroom. If they weren't, they could be anywhere in the castle. Ali glanced at her watch. She didn't have much time to go on a hunt for dolls. Her class would be leaving soon.

  Henrietta led the way along the corridor while Ali jogged behind her. Luckily no one else was around. Halfway down the corridor they came to a narrow spiral staircase, which was roped off. A sign on the wall read CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC.

  DANGER! KEEP OUT

  Ali stopped. “Is it safe?” she asked nervously.

  Henrietta nodded. “They're just doing some redecorating,” she said. “They're always doing stuff like that But it never looks as nice as when I lived here. Come on.”

  She flew up the staircase. Ali ducked under the rope and followed hen checking first to make sure no one was watching. At the top of the stairs, she reached a beautiful bedroom. There was a four-poster bed with pink silk curtains, and lots of cupboards. Two big wooden toy boxes stood in the middle of the floor; and several old-fashioned toys lay beside them.

  “They left all my other toys here,” Henrietta said with a sigh. “But I miss my dolls.”

  “Where did you keep them?” Genie asked, sounding as if she was being squeezed rather uncomfortably under Henrietta's arm.

  “In that armoire over there.” Henrietta pointed across the room at a tall, wide wardrobe. A stepladder and some tins of paint stood beside it, where the castle workmen had been repainting the ceiling.

  “Let's have a look inside,” Ali said, wondering what they would do if there were no dolls in the armoire.

  Henrietta flew across the room. “I used to have so many dolls,” she said sadly. She looked at Ali. “You'll have to open the doors.”

  Ali took a deep breath and flung open the doors while Henrietta and Genie peered curiously over her shoulder

  Oh!” Henrietta gasped.

  The armoire was lined with shelves. And to Ali's relief, each shelf was crammed with dolls!

  “Wow!” Ali breathed. “There are tons of them!”

  Then she looked at them more closely, and her heart sank right down to her toes. These weren't expensive china dolls dressed in old-fashioned silk and satin clothes. They were all dressed like Genie! Or more precisely, they were dressed like All's gran, in the photos Ali had seen of her from the sixties. Some o
f the dolls were wearing bright green and pink miniskirts, while others wore silver coats and silver knee-high boots.

  “Groovy, aren't they?” Genie said proudly. “That's what all the cool chicks are wearing these days.”

  Ali groaned. What would Henrietta think?

  For a moment or two, Henrietta seemed too amazed to say anything.

  “Do you like them?” Ali asked.

  “I love them!” Henrietta replied. She clapped in delight, forgetting all about Genie, who fell to the floor with a yelp. Ali dashed forward and caught her just before she hit the carpet.

  “The clothes are lovely,” Henrietta cooed, picking up one of the dolls and smoothing down her silver miniskirt

  Genie gave Ali a thumbs-up.

  “I can remember when people who wore clothes just like this visited the castle,” Henrietta went on. “I can't wait to play with them!”

  “Well, have fun,” Ali said, glancing at her watch again. “I'm afraid we've got to go now. Goodbye, Henrietta.”

  Genie looked disappointed. “Can't we stay for a minute?” she asked. “I want to check out some of those outfits. Do you think that silver miniskirt would fit me?”

  “Never mind the clothes,” Ali whispered. “We'd better get out of here before Henrietta changes her mind and wants you back” She popped Little Genie into the backpack pocket “Enjoy your new dolls,” she said to the ghost.

  Henrietta didn't reply. She was taking more dolls out of the cupboard.

  “Phew!” Ali closed the bedroom door behind her. ‘That was close, Genie. I thought she was never going to let you go.

  “YOU and me both!” Genie replied as Ali hurried down the narrow staircase. “But you do know that all the dolls are going to disappear when the sand runs through the hourglass, don't you?”

  Ali's mouth fell open. ‘ She'd forgotten about that. “How much time is left?” she asked anxiously.

  Genie held up her wrist to Ali's dismay, there were only a few grains of sand left to trickle through.

  “Poor Henrietta,” Genie said. “She's going to be really sad when the dolls disappear”

  Ali felt very sorry for Henrietta too. And even more troubling was that if the dolls disappeared before Ali and her class left the castle, Henrietta might come after her and try to get Genie back! Maybe I can get her some more dolls from somewhere? Ali wondered as she ran down the main staircase. I knowl The gift shop might have some!

  “Ali!”

  Ali jumped. Mary was waving at her from the other end of the corridor

  “Where have you been?” she asked. “I've been looking for you everywhere. You missed seeing the dungeons and the Great Hall.”

  “I followed the ghost upstairs, and then I couldn't find you again,” Ali explained.

  “Oh, yes, the ghost!” Mary lowered her voice. “What happened? No one knows whether to believe Tiffany. And now Mrs. Ledbetter's saying she saw it too!”

  “I think it was a real ghost,” Ali said cautiously. “But I don't suppose we'll see her again.” At least, she hoped they wouldn't!

  “Wow!” Mary breathed. “A real ghost! Wait till I tell Daniel!” Daniel was Mary's thirteen-year-old brother

  “Has Mrs. Jasmine noticed I've been missing?” Ali asked.

  “She wondered where you were, but I told her you'd stopped to sketch some things,” Mary said.

  “Thanks,” Ali said. Suddenly she realized that there was no suit of armor standing nearby. “Where's Barry?”

  Mary grinned. “He finished off both our lunches and then said he wanted another nap, so I left him in the restaurant” She stared anxiously at Ali. “But I don't know what we're going to do if he doesn't get out of the armor before we ^ave to go home.”

  “He'll find a way out,” Ali said, sounding a lot more confident than she felt Although there were only a few grains of sand left to run through the hourglass, on genie time that might still take ages! They would just have to wait and see.

  “Mrs. Ledbetter!” A tall, cross-looking man with glasses and a bushy beard suddenly strode past Ali and Mary. Ali noticed he was wearing a badge that said

  MR. MARSH, CURATOR OF POPPLEHOFF CASTLE.

  “Mrs. Ledbetter,” he called again. “Can I have a word with you, please?”

  Ali and Mary stepped out of the way as Mrs. Ledbetter came into the corridor

  “Well, Mrs. Ledbetter;” said Mr Marsh severely, peering over the top of his glasses. “I have looked into your claim that you saw the ghost of Henrietta Popplehoff, and I have to say that I find it all very strange indeed.”

  “But—but I did see her,” Mrs. Ledbetter spluttered.

  “Yes, well, when I arrived at the spot where you told me you saw her; no one was there,” Mr. Marsh pointed out.

  “But I wasn't the only person who saw her,” Mrs. Ledbetter protested. “And what about that suit of armor that keeps on moving about?”

  “That's another thing.” Mr Marsh fixed Mrs. Ledbetter with a stern eye. “I haven't noticed any suits of armor moving around the castle. I think it's time you took a short holiday, Mrs. Ledbetter A rest might do you good.” He ushered her down the corridor

  “Poor Mrs. Ledbetter” Mary whispered to Ali. “Between Barry and the ghost, she's had a busy day!”

  “But we really .did see a ghost!”

  Ali glanced around to see Tiffany Andrews looking very red in the face, arguing with Mrs. Jasmine,

  “I think we've heard enough about ghosts for one day, Tiffany,” Mrs. Jasmine said firmly.

  “Mrs. Ledbetter saw it too,” Tiffany argued, but Mrs. Jasmine ignored her and turned to the rest of the class.

  “There's time for a visit to the gift shop before we get on the bus,” the teacher announced. “Is everyone here?” She spotted Ali. “Oh, there you are, Ali. Did you finish all your sketches?”

  Ali. nodded. “Yes, Mrs. Jasmine.”

  “Good.” Mrs. Jasmine smiled. “I'll look forward to seeing them in your project when we get back to school.”

  Ali gulped. She hadn't had time to take many notes or do many sketches at all. She'd have to do everything from memory!

  Just then Mrs. Ledbetter came back, looking quite sheepish. Mary nudged Ali. “Mr Marsh must have given her quite a talking-to!” she murmured.

  “This way to the gift shop,” Mrs. Led-better said, leading the class out of the room. Ali felt a bit sorry for her but really, it was probably best that Henrietta be left alone to play with her dolls. If everyone believed in the ghost, Henrietta would never have any peace and quiet

  The dolls! That reminded Ali that the dolls she had wished for were going to vanish, possibly quite soon. As the class filed into the gift shop, she looked around anxiously. There were all sorts of things on sale. Postcards, dish towels, toy swords, and lots of boxes of fudge, all with pictures of Popplehoff Castle on them.

  Then Ali spotted something much more useful. Piled up on a table at the other end of the room were boxes and boxes of dolls, all based on the painting of the knight and the dragon they'd seen in the Long Gallery. There were three dolls to collect—a knight in silver armor; a lady in a flowing white dress, and a scaly green dragon.

  Ali counted out her money. She had just enough to pay for one of each—and a plastic sword for Jake.

  “Look, Genie,” Ali whispered, showing her the dolls after she had paid for them. “Do you think Henrietta will like them?”

  “She'll love them!” Genie said enthusiastically. “You'd better hurry, though. All the sand has nearly run through the hourglass.”

  “Five more minutes, class,” Mrs. Jasmine called.

  Ali slipped out of the gift shop and headed upstairs. Gnce again she ducked under the rope that blocked off the staircase leading to Henrietta's room and dashed up the stairs. By the. time she got to the top, she was out of breath and very hot.

  Inside the bedroom, Henrietta had emptied the cupboard and was sitting on the floor surrounded by dolls.

  “More dolls!” she said del
ightedly as Ali sprinted in and presented her with the dolls from the gift shop. “They're just like the painting in the Long Gallery.”

  “That's right,” Ali puffed, running back to the door It was a shame Henrietta couldn't keep the other dolls, but at least she'd have something to play with when the sand ran out and they all disappeared. “Bye, Henrietta.”

  Ali hurried downstairs again. Now she had to decide what to do about Barry. They couldn't leave him here, trapped in the suit of armor She'd wait until the very last minute, and then, if he was still stuck and the wishes hadn't worn off, she'd just have to tell Mrs. Jasmine—

  “Oh!”

  Ali had rounded the corner at the bottom of the staircase and bumped straight into someone.

  She gasped. “Barry!”

  Barry blinked at hen There was no sign of the armor He was yawning and rubbing his eyes. “Where is everyone?” he asked”! had this realty weird dream that I was stuck inside a suit of armor When I woke up, I was lying on the floor in the restaurant.”

  Ali smiled. The sand must have run through the hourglass, the wishes were over. “Come on, we're going home now,” she said, grabbing Barry's arm.

  Mrs. Jasmine was gathering everyone together in the Great Hall. “Where have Ali and Barry gone to this time?” she exclaimed. “I've hardly seen them all day.”

  “Here we are,” Ali called.

  “You two must have worked very hard today,” said Mrs. Jasmine. “Even you, Barry. Every time I looked for you, Mary told me you were busy somewhere else with your sketches and notes.”

  Barry looked puzzled. “What sketches and notes? I haven't done any!”

  Ali nudged him in the ribs. “Shhh!” she whispered.

  Still looking puzzled, Barry ambled off to join his friends while Mary came over to AIL

  “How did he get out of the suit of armor?” Mary demanded in a low voice.

  Ali thought quickly. “I think he found some kind of catch in there to open it up,” she said.

  “Thank goodness for that,” said Mary. “I was beginning to think we'd have to take him back in the luggage compartment!”

  “It's not fain” Tiffany Andrews moaned as Mrs. Jasmine shepherded the class out of the castle and toward the bus. “We did see a ghost!”