“Howl’s not wicked,” Michael said.

“Yes I am,” Howl contradicted him. “You forgetjust how wicked I’m being at the moment, Michael.” Hejerked his chin at Sophie. “If you‘re so anxious to be ofuse, my good woman, find some knives and forks and clear thebench.”

There were tall stools under the workbench. Michael was pullingthem out to sit on and pushing aside all the things on top of it tomake room for some knives and forks he had taken from the drawer inthe side of it. Sophie went to help him. She had not expected Howl towelcome her, of course, but he had not even so far agreed to let herstay beyond breakfast. Since Michael did not seem to need help,Sophie shuffled over to her stick and put it slowly and showily inthe broom cupboard. When that did not seem to attract Howl’sattention, she said, “You can take me on for a month’strial, if you like.”

Wizard Howl said nothing but “Plates, please,Michael,” and stood up holding the smoking pan. Calcifer sprangup with a roar of relief and blazed high in the chimney.

Sophie made another attempt to pin the Wizard down. “IfI’m going to be cleaning here for the next month,” shesaid, “I’d like to know where the rest of the castle is.I can only find this one room and the bathroom.”

To her surprise, both Michael and the Wizard roared withlaughter.

It was not until they had almost finished breakfast that Sophiediscovered what made them laugh. Howl was not only hard to pin down.He seemed to dislike answering any questions at all. Sophie gave upasking him and asked Michael instead.

“Tell her,” said Howl. ‘It will stop herpestering.”

“There isn’t any more of the castle,” Michaelsaid, “except what you’ve seen and two bedroomsupstairs.”

“What?” Sophie exclaimed.

Howl and Michael laughed again. “Howl and Calcifer inventedthe castle,” Michael explained, “and Calcifer keeps itgoing. The inside of it is really just Howl’s old house inPorthaven, which is the only real part.”

“But Porthaven’s miles down near the sea!”Sophie said. “I call that too bad! What do you mean by havingthis great, ugly castle rushing about the hills and frighteningeveryone in Market Chipping to death?”

Howl shrugged. “What an outspoken old woman you are!I’ve reached that stage in my career when I need to impresseveryone with my power and wickedness. I can’t have the Kingthinking well of me. And last year I offended someone very powerfuland I need to keep out of their way.”

It seemed a funny way to avoid someone, but Sophie supposedwizards had different standards from ordinary people. And she shortlydiscovered that the castle had other peculiarities. They had finishedeating and Michael was piling the plates on the slimy sink beside thebench when there came a loud, hollow knocking at the door.

Calcifer blazed up. “Kingsbury door!”

Howl, who was on his way to the bathroom, went to the doorinstead. There was a square wooden knob above the door, set into thelintel, with a dab of paint on each of its four sides. At thatmoment, there was a green blob on the side that was the bottom, butHowl turned the knob around so that it had a red blob downward beforehe opened the door.

Outside stood a personage wearing a stiff white wig and a wide haton top of that. He was clothed in scarlet and purple and gold, and heheld up a little staff decorated with ribbons like an infant maypole.He bowed. Scents of cloves and orange blossom blew into the room.

“His Majesty the King presents his compliments and sendspayment for two thousand pair of seven-league boots,” thisperson said.

Behind him Sophie had glimpses of a coach waiting in a street fullof sumptuous houses covered with painted carvings, and towers andspires and domes beyond that, of a splendor she had barely beforeimagined. She was sorry it took so little time for the person at thedoor to hand over a long, silken, chinking purse, and for Howl totake the purse, bow back, and shut the door. Howl turned the squareknob back so that the green blob was downward again and stowed thelong purse in his pocket. Sophie saw Michael’s eyes follow thepurse in an urgent, worried way.

Howl went straight to the bathroom then, calling out, “Ineed hot water in here, Calcifer!” and was gone for a long,long time.

Sophie could not restrain her curiosity. “Whoever was thatat the door?” she asked Michael. “Or do I mean wherever?”

“That door gives on Kingsbury,” Michael said,“where the King lives. I think that man was theChancellor’s clerk. And,” he added worriedly to Calcifer,“I do wish he hadn’t given Howl all thatmoney.”

“Is Howl going to let me stay here?” Sophie asked.

“If he is, you’ll never pin him down,” Michaelanswered. “He hates being pinned down to anything.”

The only thing to do, Sophie decided, was to showHowl that she was an excellent cleaning lady, a real treasure. Shetied an old rag round her wispy white hair, she rolled the sleeves upher skinny old arms and wrapped an old tablecloth from the broomcupboard round her as an apron. It was rather a relief to think therewere only four rooms to clean instead of a whole castle. She grabbedup a bucket and besom and got to work.

“What are you doing?” cried Michael and Calcifer in ahorrified chorus.

“Cleaning up,” Sophie replied firmly. “The placeis a disgrace.”

Calcifer said, “It doesn’t need it,” and Michaelmuttered, “Howl will kick you out!” but Sophie ignoredthem both. Dust flew in clouds.

In the midst of it there came another set of thumps at the door.Calcifer blazed up, calling, “Porthaven door!” and gave agreat, sizzling sneeze which shot purple sparks through the dustclouds.

Michael left the workbench and went to the door. Sophie peeredthrough the dust she was raising and saw that this time Michaelturned the square knob over the door so that the side with a blueblob of paint on it was downward. Then he opened the door on thestreet you saw out of the window.

A small girl stood there. “Please, Mr. Fisher,” shesaid, “I’ve come for that spell for me mum.”

“Safety spell for your dad’s boat, wasn’tit?” Michael said. “Won’t be a moment.” Hewent back to the bench and measured powder from a jar from theshelves into a square of paper. While he was doing it, the littlegirl peered in at Sophie as curiously as Sophie peered out at her.Michael twisted the paper round the powder and came back saying,‘Tell her to sprinkle it right along the boat. It’ll lastout and back, even if there’s a storm.”

The girl took the paper and passed over a coin. “Has theSorcerer got a witch working for him too?” she asked.

“No,” said Michael.

“Meaning me?” Sophie called. “Oh, yes, my child.I’m the best and cleanest witch in Ingary.”

Michael shut the door, looking exasperated. “That will beall around Porthaven now. Howl may not like that.” He turnedthe door green-down again.

Sophie cackled to herself a little, quite unrepentant. Probablyshe had let the besom she was using put ideas into her head. But itmight persuade Howl to let her stay if everyone thought she wasworking for him. As a girl, Sophie would have shriveled withembarrassment at the way she was behaving. As an old woman, she didnot mind what she did or said. She found that a great relief.

She went nosily over as Michael lifted up a stone in the hearthand hid the little girl’s coin underneath it. “What areyou doing?”

“Calcifer and I try to keep a store of money,” Michaelsaid rather guiltily. “Howl spends every penny we’ve gotif we don’t.”

“Feckless spendthrift!” Calcifer crackled.“He’ll spend the King’s money faster than I burn alog. No sense.”

Sophie sprinkled water from the sink to lay the dust, which madeCalcifer shrink back against the chimney. Then she swept the floorall over again. She swept her way toward the door in order to have alook at the square knob above it. The fourth side, which she had notseen used yet, had a blob of black paint on it. Wondering where thatled to, Sophie began briskly sweeping the cobwebs off the beams.Michael moaned and Calcifer sneezed again.