Herbie Brennan - Faerie Wars

'Get on with it!' Fogarty hissed, poking him in the back. He was dressed in something that seemed suspiciously like wizard's gear – a robe with embroidered stars and a pointed hat – but somehow managed to look quite comfortable. There was a sash across his chest emblazoned with the insignia of Gatekeeper.

Henry stumbled forward, caught his balance and began the long walk to the throne. To his profound embarrassment, each guard saluted him as he walked past and the courtiers began to applaud. He felt his face turn to flame, but there was nothing he could do about it. He fixed his eyes on a point on the floor six feet ahead and kept on walking.

It felt like several years, but eventually he found himself at the steps below the throne. Remembering an earlier instruction from Mr Fogarty, he bowed. As he straightened up again, he saw Pyrgus and Blue walking at a stately pace down the steps towards him. Henry closed his eyes, wondering how on earth he'd got himself into this. When he opened them again, Blue was smiling at him broadly. But it was Pyrgus who spoke.

'Kneel!' he commanded in a voice that carried through the hall.

Henry went down on one knee. 'Like King Arthur's knights,' Mr Fogarty had told him, but he didn't feel much like a knight. In fact he felt a twit. To hide his embarrassment, he bowed his head again.

The chamber fell to a deathly silence.

'Take notice all persons present,' Pyrgus intoned in that remarkable new official voice of his, 'that in token of his courageous and unstinting service to Faerie Realm and Purple Emperor, this citizen of the Analogue World, Henry Atherton, is hereby awarded the most noble and meritorious title of Knight Commander of the Grey Dagger, our realm's most ancient Order of Chivalry, and shall henceforth be known throughout the land by his Faerie name, Iron Prominent. A flunkey handed him a grey dagger on a purple cushion and he held it out to Henry. 'Of course we'll still just call you Henry in private,' Pyrgus whispered.

'Thanks,' Henry muttered.

'Arise, Iron Prominent!' Pyrgus commanded.

There was a trumpet fanfare and a swell of cheering as Henry struggled to his feet. 'Now,' Pyrgus whispered, 'there's somewhere you and I have to go.'

They were in a narrow street called Seething Lane and this time, thank heavens, Henry was not the centre of attention. Pyrgus was at his shoulder, dressed the way he was when Henry had first met him. Ranged around them was a company of the toughest soldiers Henry had encountered.

'That's it,' Pyrgus said, nodding. 'My father wouldn't close it down because of politics, but the Nighters are on the run now, so I reckon I can do what I damn well please.'

The glue works at the bottom of the lane looked miserable to Henry. They were covered in grime and belching smoke, as gloomy a set of buildings as he'd ever seen in his life. Pyrgus gave a signal and the soldiers wheeled up an enormous wood-and-twisted-rope machine that reminded Henry of Roman catapults. The captain of the guard began personally to wind back the throwing arm.

'Have all animals been evacuated?' Pyrgus asked.

'Yes, sire,' said the captain.

'And the people?'

'Yes, sire.'

Pyrgus turned to Henry. 'We have one of the owners – Chalkhill -in jail. He'll be there for a very long time. The other one, Brimstone, has gone into hiding, but we'll find him eventually, I promise you that,' he said grimly.

Henry licked his lips. He was fascinated by the enormous catapult. Four soldiers were rolling a gigantic rock on to the throwing cradle.

'Have the coatings been applied?' asked Pyrgus.

'Liberally, sire,' the captain assured him.

The rock was on the cradle now and the soldiers stood back, panting and sweating. The captain finished winding back the ropes and wedged the wheel to hold them. 'Ready, Emperor!' he snapped.

Pyrgus stared down Seething Lane towards the gloomy factory. 'Fire,' he ordered quietly.

The captain knocked out the wedge and stepped back in a single movement. Henry actually felt wind on his face as the catapult jerked violently. The huge arm whipped forward with unimaginable ferocity. He watched as the enormous rock arced higher than the rooftops, then fell like a meteor towards the factory.

It struck dead centre on the roof of the main building, to one side of a smoking chimney, and crashed through as if the structure was matchwood. For a heartbeat there was total silence, then the spell coatings triggered.

A sheet of flame erupted sideways through the factory buildings, shattering windows and walls, collapsing roofs, hurtling stonework and fiery beams high into the air. The noise was deafening and the explosive spells went on and on. Henry watched chimneys tumble, metal gates twist into slag, melting machinery suddenly exposed as their gloomy housing disappeared. In moments it was over. In place of the Chalkhill and Brimstone Miracle Glue factory, there was nothing but a smoking wasteland leading out to Wildmoor Broads.

'That's for the kittens,' Pyrgus whispered.

Mr Fogarty said it didn't matter where he used the cube – it would still open a portal – but it was usually better to trigger it outside. So they decided to say their farewells in the palace gardens.

'You might keep an eye on the house,' Fogarty said. He was dressed in an amazing ermine-trimmed robe, which he claimed was the official uniform of his new position. 'I'll be popping back from time to time, but I expect to be spending most of my time here.' He glanced briefly at the sky and added seriously, 'None of the surveillance agencies know how to get to this world yet, so I should be left in peace for a time.'

'Yes, I will,' Henry said about the house. There would be trouble with his parents, but he didn't care.

'You can rely on me.'

Pyrgus placed a hand on his shoulder. 'And so can I.' He looked Henry deep in the eyes. 'Henry,' he said, 'I want to thank you. I owe you my life.'

Henry flushed. 'Oh, it wasn't like that,' he said, embarrassed. 'I mean, I…' He trailed off, not knowing what to say. After a moment, what he did say was, 'Well, I suppose I'd better be going.'

'Henry?' Blue said.

Henry pulled the cube from his pocket as he turned towards her. It was the first time she'd spoken to him since he'd changed back into his old clothes and he'd been wondering if she thought he looked stupid. 'Yes?'

'You remember you said you were just unlucky to see me without my clothes on?'

Henry flushed a deeper crimson than he had when Pyrgus thanked him. He swallowed and nodded. 'Yes. Wh – wh-why?'

'Did you really mean it when you said I was beautiful?' Blue asked him, smiling shyly.

Even though he'd only been away a single night, Henry was expecting major hassles about where he'd been and had a cover story prepared. He'd gone to see Charlie and her parents invited him to stay the night. He'd tried to phone home, but there was a fault on the line. It sounded convincing enough – he'd stayed at the Severs's often enough before – unless they'd phoned Charlie's house last night. Which they might well have done. If they had, he was cooked. Cooked twice because they'd know he was lying to cover his tracks. Except what could he do? He couldn't think of a better story.

But though he got home in a state of nerves, he found them too wrapped up in their own thing to care.

'Hi,' Henry shouted as he opened the front door. He was desperately anxious to get it all over. 'Sorry about staying out. Phone wasn't working. Slept over at Charlie's.' He waited. If they'd rung the Severs's, this was where he'd find out.

His mother popped her head out of the kitchen, frowning vaguely. 'Oh, Henry.' She blinked. 'We assumed that's where you were. Could you come in here a minute?'