She would have gone home, except that she was halfway to Cesari’s by then. Or maybe he was trying to join in, in his own fashion. Wizard Howl seemed to be offended by May Day. Blue flames were shooting out of all four of the castle’s turrets, bringing balls of blue fire with them that exploded high in the sky, quite horrendously. She looked up and saw Wizard Howl’s castle right down on the hillside above the town, so near it seemed to be sitting on the chimneys. When there came a sudden volley of bangs from overhead somewhere, Sophie thought she was going to faint. She gathered her shawl round her and crept along close to the houses, trying to avoid being trodden on by people’s best shoes or being jabbed by elbows in trailing silk sleeves. Sophie felt as if the past months of sitting and sewing had turned her into an old woman or a semi-invalid. There were too many people rushing past, laughing and shouting, far too much noise and jostling. “I haven’t had one for ages.” She watched people crowding past the window in all kinds of bright clothes, people selling souvenirs, people walking on stilts, and felt really excited.īut when she at last put a gray shawl over her gray dress and went out into the street, Sophie did not feel excited. “I shall buy one of their cream cakes,” Sophie decided. Cesari’s was open till midnight on holidays. Fanny went out early, but Sophie had a couple of hats to finish first. Merrymaking filled the streets from dawn onward. Interesting things did seem to happen, but always to somebody else. The Count of Catterack had been sent by the King to look for the Prince, when he happened to meet Jane Farrier instead. Nobody quite knew the reason for the quarrel, but the Prince had actually come through Market Chipping in disguise a couple of months back, and nobody had known. The King had quarreled with his own brother, Prince Justin, it was said, and the Prince had gone into exile. Meanwhile a new piece of gossip came into the shop.