The undersized young man was so grateful that he tried to give hera gold piece. Sophie refused to take it, so he gave her a two-pennybit instead and went away, whistling happily. “I feel afraud,” Sophie said as she stowed the money under thehearthstone. “But I would like to be there at thatfight!”

“So would I!” crackled Calcifer. “When are yougoing to release me so that I can go and see things likethat?”

“When I’ve got even a hint about this contract,”Sophie said.

“You may get one later today,” said Calcifer.

Michael breezed in toward the end of the afternoon. He took ananxious look round to make sure Howl had not come home first and wentto the bench, where he got things out to make it look as if he hadbeen busy, singing cheerfully while he did.

“I envy you being able to walk all that way soeasily,” Sophie said, sewing a blue triangle to silver braid.“How was Ma-my niece?”

Michael gladly left the workbench and sat on the stool by thehearth to tell her all about his day. Then he asked aboutSophie’s. The result was that when Howl shouldered the dooropen with his arms full of parcels, Michael was not even lookingbusy. He was rolling around on the stool laughing at the duelspell.

Howl backed into the door to shut it and leaned there in a tragicattitude. “Look at you all!” he said. “Ruin staresme in the face. I slave all day for you all. And not one of you, evenCalcifer, can spare time to say hello!”

Michael sprang up guiltily and Calcifer said, “I never do say hello.”

“Is something wrong?” asked Sophie.

“That’s better,” said Howl. “Some of youare pretending to notice me at last. How kind of you to ask, Sophie.Yes, something is wrong. The King has asked me officially tofind his brother for him—with a strong hint that destroying the Witchof the Waste would come in handy too—and you all sit there andlaugh!”

By now it was clear that Howl was in a mood to produce green slimeany second. Sophie hurriedly put her sewing away. “I’llmake some hot buttered toast,” she said.

“Is that all you can do in the face of tragedy?” Howlasked. “Make toast? No, don’t get up. I’ve trudgedhere laden with stuff for you, so the least you can do is show politeinterest. Here.” He tipped a shower of parcels intoSophie’s lap and handed another to Michael.

Mystified, Sophie unwrapped things: several pairs of silkstockings; two parcels of the finest cambric petticoats, withflounces, lace, and satin insets; a pair of elastic-sided boots indove-gray suede; a lace shawl; and a dress of gray watered silktrimmed with lace that matched the shawl. Sophie took oneprofessional look at each and gasped. The lace alone was worth afortune. She stroked the silk of the dress, awed.

Michael unwrapped a handsome new velvet suit. “You must havespent every bit that was in the silk purse!” he saidungratefully. “I don’t need this. You’re the onewho needs a new suit.”

Howl hooked his boot into what remained of the blue-and-silversuit and held it up ruefully. Sophie had been working hard, but itwas still more hole than suit. “How selfless I am,” hesaid. “But I can’t send you and Sophie to blacken my nameto the King in rags. The King would think I didn’t look aftermy old mother properly. Well, Sophie? Are the boots the rightsize?”

Sophie looked up from her awed stroking. “Are you beingkind,” she said, “or cowardly? Thank you very much and noI won’t.”

“What ingratitude!” Howl exclaimed, spreading out botharms. “Let’s have green slime again! After which I shallbe forced to move the castle a thousand miles away and never see mylovely Lettie again!”

Michael looked at Sophie imploringly. Sophie glowered. She sawwell enough that the happiness of both her sisters depended on heragreeing to see the King. With green slime in reserve. “Youhaven’t asked me to do anything yet,” she said.“You’ve just said I’m going to.”

Howl smiled. “And you are going to, aren’tyou?”

“All right. When do you want me to go?” Sophiesaid.

“Tomorrow afternoon,” said Howl. “Michael can goas your footman. The King’s expecting you.” He sat on thestool and began explaining very clearly and soberly just what Sophiewas to say. There was no trace of the green-slime mood, now thingswere going Howl’s way, Sophie noticed. She wanted to slap him.“I want you to do a very delicate job,” Howl explained,“so that the King will go on giving me work like the transportspells, but not trust me with anything like finding his brother. Youmust tell him how I’ve angered the Witch of the Waste andexplain what a good son I am to you, but I want you to do it in sucha way that he’ll understand I’m really quiteuseless.”

Howl explained in great detail. Sophie clasped her hands round theparcels and tried to take it all in, though she could not helpthinking, If I was the King, I wouldn’t understand a word ofwhat the old woman was driving at!

Michael meanwhile was hovering at Howl’s elbow, trying toask him about the perplexing spell. Howl kept thinking of new,delicate details to tell the King and waving Michael away. “Notnow, Michael. And it occurred to me, Sophie, that you might want somepractice in order not to find the Palace overwhelming. We don’twant you coming over queer in the middle of the interview. Not yet,Michael. So I arranged for you to pay a call to my old tutor, Mrs.Pentstemmon. She’s a grand old thing. In some ways she’sgrander than the King. So you’ll be quite used to that kind ofthing by the time you get to the Palace.”

By this time Sophie was wishing she had never agreed. She washeartily relieved when Howl at last turned to Michael.

“Right, Michael. Your turn now. What is it?”

Michael waved the shiny gray paper and explained in an unhappyrush how impossible the spell seemed to do.

Howl seemed faintly astonished to hear this, but he took thepaper, saying, “Now where was your problem?” and spreadit out. He stared at it. One of his eyebrows shot up.

“I tried it as a puzzle and I tried doing just what itsays,” Michael explained. “But Sophie and Icouldn’t catch the falling star—”

“Great gods above!” Howl exclaimed. He started tolaugh, and bit his lip to stop himself. “But, Michael, thisisn’t the spell I left you. Where did you find it?”

“On the bench, in that heap of things Sophie piled round theskull,” said Michael. “It was the only new spell there, soI thought—”

Howl leaped up and sorted among the things on the bench.“Sophie strikes again,” he said. Things skidded right andleft as he searched. “I might have known! No, the properspell’s not here.” He tapped the skull thoughtfully onits brown, shiny dome. “Your doing, friend? I have a notion youcome from there. I’m sure the guitar does. Er—Sophiedear—”

“What?” said Sophie.

“Busy old fool, unruly Sophie,” said Howl. “Am Iright in thinking that you turned my doorknob black-side-down andstuck your long nose out through it?”

“Just my finger,” Sophie said with dignity.

“But you opened the door,” said Howl, “and thething Michael thinks is a spell must have got through. Didn’tit occur to either of you that it doesn’t look like spellsusually do?”

“Spells often look peculiar,” Michael said.“What is it really?”

Howl gave a snort of laughter. “ ‘Decide what this isabout. Write a second verse’! Oh, lord!” he said and ranfor the stairs. “I’ll show you,” he called as hisfeet pounded up them.

“I think we wasted our time rushing around the marshes lastnight,” Sophie said. Michael nodded gloomily. Sophie could seehe was feeling a fool. “It was my fault,” she said.“I opened the door.”

“What was outside?” Michael asked with greatinterest.

But Howl came charging downstairs just then. “Ihaven’t got that book after all,” he said. He seemedupset now. “Michael, did I hear you say you went out and triedto catch a shooting star?”