“Look on the bright side,” said Howl. “It couldbe me it kills. Hold on tight. One, two, three.” He dug theshovel into the grate, very steadily and slowly, keeping it levelwith the bars. For a second he juggled it gently to get it underCalcifer. Then, even more steadily and gently, he raised it. Michaelwas quite obviously holding his breath. “Done it!” saidHowl. Logs toppled sideways. They did not seem to be burning. Howlstood up and turned round, carrying Calcifer on the shovel.

The room filled with smoke. The dog-man whined and shivered. Howlcoughed. He had a little trouble holding the shovel steady.Sophie’s eyes were watering and it was hard to see clearly,but, as far as she could tell, Calcifer—just as he has said toher—did not have feet, or legs either. He was a long, pointed blueface rooted in a faintly glowing black lump. The black lump had adent in the front of it, which suggested at first sight that Calciferwas kneeling on tiny, folded legs. But Sophie saw that was not sowhen the lump rocked slightly, showing it was rounded underneath.Calcifer obviously felt terribly unsafe. His orange eyes were roundwith fear, and he kept shooting feeble arm-shaped flames out oneither side, in a useless attempt to take hold of the sides of theshovel.

“Won’t be long!” Howl choked, trying to besoothing. But he had to shut his mouth hard and stand for a momenttrying not to cough. The shovel wobbled and Calcifer lookedterrified. Howl recovered. He took a long, careful step into thechalked circle, and then another into the center of the five-pointedstar. There, holding the shovel out level, he turned slowly round,one complete turn, and Calcifer turned with him, sky-blue and staringwith panic.

It felt as if the whole room turned with them. The dog-mancrouched close to Sophie. Michael staggered. Sophie felt as if theirpiece of the world had come loose and was swinging and jigging roundin a circle, sickeningly. She did not blame Calcifer for looking sofrightened. Everything was still swinging and swaying as Howl tookthe same careful steps out of the star and out of the circle. Heknelt down by the hearth and, with enormous care, slid Calcifer backinto the grate and packed the logs back round him. Calcifer floppedgreen flames uppermost. Howl leaned on the shovel and coughed.

The room rocked and settled. For a few instants, while the smokestill hung everywhere, Sophie saw to her amazement the well-knownoutlines of the parlor in the house where she had been born. She knewit even though its floor was bare boards and there were no pictureson the wall. The castle room seemed to wriggle itself into placeinside the parlor, pushing it out here, pulling it in there, bringingthe ceiling down to match its own beamed ceiling, until the twomelted together and became the castle room again, except perhaps now abit higher and squarer than it had been.

“Have you done it, Calcifer?” coughed Howl.

“I think so,” Calcifer said, rising up the chimney. Helooked none the worse for his ride on the shovel. “You’dbetter check me, though.”

Howl helped himself up on the shovel and opened the door with theyellow blob downward. Outside was the street in Market Chipping thatSophie had known all her life. People she knew were walking past inthe evening, taking a stroll before supper, the way a lot of peopledid on summer. Howl nodded at Calcifer, shut the door, turned theknob orange-down, and opened it again.

A wide, weedy drive wound away from the door now, among clumps oftrees most picturesquely lit sideways by the low sun. In the distancestood a grand stone gateway with statues on it. “Where is this?” said Howl.

“An empty mansion at the end of the valley,” Calcifersaid rather defensively. “It’s the nice house you told meto find. It’s quite fine.”

“I’m sure it is,” Howl said. “I simplyhope the real owners won’t object.” He shut the door andturned the knob round to purple-down. “Now for the movingcastle,” he said as he opened it again.

It was nearly dusk out there. A warm wind full of different scentsblew in. Sophie saw a bank of dark leaves drift by, loaded with bigpurple flowers among the leaves. It spun slowly away and its placewas taken by a stand of dim white lilies and a glimpse of sunset onwater beyond. The smell was so heavenly that Sophie was halfwayacross the room before she was aware.

“No, your long nose stays out of there untiltomorrow,” Howl said, and he shut the door with a snap.“That part’s right on the edge of the Waste. Well done,Calcifer. Perfect. A nice house and lots of flowers, asordered.” He flung the shovel down and went to bed. And he musthave been tired. There were no groans, no shouts, and almost nocoughing.

Sophie and Michael were tired too. Michael flopped into the chairand sat stroking the dog-man, staring. Sophie perched on the stool,feeling strange. They had moved. It felt the same, but different,quite confusingly. And why was the moving castle now on the edge ofthe Waste? Was it the curse pulling Howl toward the Witch? Or hadHowl slithered out so hard that he had come out right behind himselfand turned out what most people would call honest?

Sophie looked at Michael to see what he thought. Michael wasasleep, and so was the dog-man. Sophie looked at Calcifer instead,sleepily flickering among rosy logs with his orange eyes almost shut.She thought of Calcifer pulsing almost white, with white eyes, andthen of Calcifer staring anxiously as he wobbled on the shovel. Hereminded her of something. The whole shape of him did.

“Calcifer,” she said, “were you ever a fallingstar?”

Calcifer opened one orange eye at her. “Of course,” hesaid. “I can talk about that if you know. The contract allowsme to.”

“And Howl caught you?” said Sophie.

“Five years ago,” said Calcifer, “out onPorthaven Marshes, just after he set up as Jenkin the Sorcerer. Hechased me in seven-league boots. I was terrified of him. I wasterrified anyway, because when you fall you know you’re goingto die. I’d have done anything rather than die. When Howloffered to keep me alive the way humans stay alive, I suggested acontract on the spot. Neither of us knew what we were getting into. Iwas grateful, and Howl only offered because he was sorry forme.”

“Just like Michael,” said Sophie.

“What’s that?” Michael said, waking up.“Sophie, I wish we weren’t right on the edge of theWaste. I didn’t know we would be. I don’t feelsafe.”

“Nobody’s safe in a wizard’s house,”Calcifer said feelingly.

Next morning the door was set to black-knob down and, toSophie’s great annoyance, it would not open at any setting. Shewanted to see those flowers, Witch or no Witch. So she took out herimpatience by fetching a bucket of water and scrubbing the chalkedsigns off the floor.

Howl came in while she was doing it. “Work, work,work,” he said, stepping over Sophie as she scrubbed. He lookeda little strange. His suit was still dense black, but he had turnedhis hair fair again. It looked white against the black. Sophieglanced at him and thought of the curse. Howl may have been thinkingof it too. He picked the skull out of the sink and held it in onehand, mournfully. “Alas, poor Yorick!” he said.“She heard mermaids, so it follows that there is somethingrotten in the state of Denmark. I have caught an everlasting cold,but luckily I am terribly dishonest. I cling to that.” Hecoughed pathetically. But his cold was getting better and it did notsound very convincing.

Sophie exchanged looks with the dog-man, who was sitting watchingher, looking as doleful as Howl. “You should go back toLettie,” she murmured. “What’s the matter?”she said to Howl. “Miss Angorian not going well?”

“Dreadfully,” said Howl. “Lily Angorian has aheart like a boiled stone.” He put the skull back in the sinkand shouted for Michael. “Food! Work!” he yelled.