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Xandra opened her eyes. She looked at her legs. Slim metal rods ran the length of her shins and calves, up to her thighs and hips, with hinges at the knees and pistons in each section. Wires connected the rods and ran over her legs, attached to her skin with little suction cups.

  ‘Um … what do I do?’

  ‘Think about moving your legs,’ said Tesla. ‘In the same way you would think about moving any other part of your body.’

  Xandra’s leg twitched. She gasped. ‘It’s working!’

  ‘Yes,’ squealed Tesla. ‘But go slowly. It will take some getting used to.’

  Hardly daring to believe it was happening, Xandra moved her legs with shaky, jerking motions to the edge of the bed, and sat up. She swung one leg back and forth.

  A sob shook its way through her body.

  ‘Are you quite well?’ asked Tesla.

  Xandra nodded. Tears stung her eyes. ‘I just … I can’t believe …’ She couldn’t form coherent thoughts, let alone words. Emotion was threatening to overwhelm her. She choked back the tears. ‘I never thought this would be possible.’

  ‘Shall we try walking?’ suggested Tesla.

  ‘Absolutely!’

  Half an hour later, Xandra walked out into the sitting room. She felt very wobbly and unsure, but she was walking. As she came to a stop, she tried to control the slight tremor in her hands. Walking felt unreal. Xandra wasn’t sure how to process it.

  Tesla scampered after her.

  Lex’s mouth dropped open.

  He rushed forward and wrapped his arms around his sister in a hug. ‘This is amazing,’ he said. ‘So amazing.’

  At that moment, Xandra realised how much her brother really cared for her. She hugged him back.

  ‘Yeah,’ she agreed, trying to sound nonchalant. ‘Pretty cool, huh?’

  ‘It is truly remarkable,’ said Archie. ‘Congratulations, Miss Tesla.’

  Lex let go of his sister and stepped back, wiping his eyes. ‘But where’s this exoskeleton?’ he asked.

  ‘Concealed by her attire,’ explained Tesla.

  ‘So it’s good that we still have these clothes,’ said Xandra, lifting the front of her dress.

  ‘Dear me,’ said Archie, turning away.

  ‘It’s all right,’ said Xandra.

  Lex looked at the exoskeleton attached to his sister’s legs.

  ‘The belt and power pack are concealed under the bodice here,’ said Tesla, pointing.

  Xandra dropped the front of her dress and patted the bulging fabric on her left hip. Then she took another few shaky steps.

  ‘You will get the hang of it, Miss Volodin,’ said Tesla. ‘It will become easier with practice.’

  ‘Please call me Xandra.’

  ‘Certainly,’ said Tesla, ‘and you must call me Nikole.’

  ‘How does it work?’ asked Lex, staring at his sister in wonder. ‘How does Xandra control it? Get it to move her legs?’

  ‘Ah, now that is interesting,’ said Tesla, getting excited. ‘Although her leg muscles do not work well enough for her to walk, her brain is still sending them the correct signals. The mechanisms in the exoskeleton interpret the electrical impulses and move the metal supports.’ Tesla paused. ‘Its only drawback is that it must stay dry. So, no swimming, I’m afraid.’

  ‘Walking will do me just fine.’ Xandra strode across the room, getting steadier with every step. She pivoted and almost fell, just managing to brace herself against the wall.

  ‘Right,’ she announced, ‘let’s go show Lord Bully-Bear that he doesn’t know everything.’

  ‘I do not think that would be wise,’ said Archie. There was a slight tremor to his voice. ‘He will assume that the test has failed. It would perhaps be prudent to allow him to believe that, seeing as we will be instigating your relocation tonight.’

  ‘Relocation?’ Xandra and Lex blurted out in unison.

  ‘Escape!’ enthused Tesla.

  ‘Sssh.’ Archie lifted a hoof to his lips and looked from side to side as if expecting Lord Edwin to appear from behind a lampshade. ‘Given the circumstances, Grimsby suggested you might feel more at ease elsewhere.’

  ‘Really?’ said Xandra.

  ‘The tiger?’ asked Lex.

  ‘He seemed quite keen on the idea of you escaping so that you could go to his dinner tomorrow,’ said Archie. ‘He even offered to facilitate.’

  ‘Are you sure you can trust him?’ asked Xandra.

  ‘No,’ said Tesla.

  ‘Which is why we declined his offer,’ added Archie. ‘And organised things ourselves. My mother has made rooms available at her establishment.’

  ‘So, how are we going to do this?’ Lex asked with eagerness.

  Archie reached into a pocket and produced a key. ‘Skeleton key. Should open any door. At midnight tonight, go downstairs, around the back to the kitchens and out through the servants’ entrance.’

  ‘Without the noise of the ambulator,’ said Tesla, ‘you should be able to sneak out.’

  ‘And we shall meet you outside,’ said Archie.

  Scurrying footsteps could be heard from the corridor.

  ‘That will be your evening meal,’ said Archie. ‘You had better sit down before they come in.’

  Xandra quickly seated herself at the table as the door opened. The armadillos entered with the food.

  ‘We shall take our leave now,’ said Archie.

  As they all left, Tesla mouthed the word ‘midnight’.

  The great steam clock on the landing wall struck midnight. Xandra and Lex had been ready and waiting, listening for the chimes. On the final stroke of twelve, Lex turned the skeleton key in the lock and opened the door.

  With great care and as little sound as they could manage, the siblings crept out into the corridor and onto the stairs. Lex took the lead. Xandra grasped the banister and leant heavily on it as she climbed down. She had been practising her walking from the moment the armadillos had left them alone. But she was still aware of how new this process was to her. She wanted to make sure she didn’t fall down the stairs.

  In the entrance, they stopped and listened. Apart from the hiss of steam from the clock, all was silent.

  They made their way around the back of the stairs, along the hall and into the kitchens. The main room consisted of a long central bench, with ovens on one wall and cupboards on the other. There was an opening on either side, one leading to the walk-in pantry, the other to a washing-up room.

  Passing a bowl of fruit on the bench, Lex snatched up an apple. He bit down on it and held it in his mouth as he used the skeleton key on the back door.

  ‘You had a huge dinner,’ whispered Xandra, as Lex closed the door behind them.

  Lex shrugged as he chomped on a mouthful.

  Xandra gazed up at the smattering of clouds hiding the moon.

  ‘Now what do we do?’ asked Xandra.

  ‘Wait … I guess,’ said Lex, bits of chewed up apple falling from his mouth.

  Xandra’s thoughts wandered back to the Crystalline Palace. Perhaps she could get Archie to take them there.

  ‘Pssssst!’

  ‘What was that?’ asked Xandra.

  ‘Pssssssssssst!’

  ‘Did you hear that?’

  ‘It came from over there.’ Lex pointed into the darkness.

  They strained to see and then they spied a shape bobbing about in the gloom. As it came closer, they could see that it was the pale tawny fur of Archie’s head and face. The rest of him was dressed in black and difficult to see.

  ‘This way,’ he instructed.

  They followed him across the manicured lawn, past the clipped hedges and through the flowerbeds to the stone wall at the end.

  Xandra realised that the wall was much higher than it had appeared from her window. She wasn’t going to be able to climb up that.

  ‘Hello!’ came a voice from above, and then a rope ladder dropped down in front of her.

  ‘Courtesy of Miss Tesla,’ said Archie.

  ‘Cool,’
said Lex.

  Examining the ladder, Xandra shivered – a mix of nerves and the chill night air.

  ‘I’m not sure I’ll be able to climb all the way up,’ she said.

  ‘Not to worry,’ assured Archie. ‘Your brother and I shall ascend first, then all you have to do is get onto the first rung and hold on. We shall pull you up and then lower you down the other side.’

  Xandra watched Archie and Lex climb. Then she grabbed hold of the rope with both hands, and lifted first one leg and then the other, until she was on the ladder. She heard grunts and puffs from above as she was pulled up. Then a hand grasped her under one arm and a hoof under the other, and she was hauled onto the wall.

  The wall was quite wide, so Xandra was able to lie on it as the rope ladder was repositioned.

  ‘Well done,’ said Tesla.

  Blinking, Xandra realised that the coypu was standing right in front of her. She was dressed from head to toe in skin-tight black fabric and was almost invisible.

  ‘One should always dress for the occasion,’ Tesla said.

  When Archie and Lex were ready, Xandra lowered her legs over the wall and flailed about until her feet found the ladder. And then she was lowered. Reaching the ground, she stepped back to watch the others.

  Suddenly, an arm wrapped itself around her and a paw clamped over her mouth, pressing a cloth over her lips and nose. She was yanked backwards.

  She tried to call out, but couldn’t.

  She tried to struggle, but wasn’t strong enough.

  She watched helplessly as shadowy figures pounced on Lex and Archie.

  The cloth on her face was damp and smelled sickly sweet. Xandra felt dizzy and tried to keep her eyes focused.

  As the clouds rolled clear of the moon, Xandra saw the figure of Nikole Tesla standing atop the wall, silhouetted against the sky.

  And then her vision blurred and she lost consciousness.

  Xanda’s head hurt and her mouth felt dry.

  She could hear something? What? A voice? Voices!

  What were they saying?

  ‘Are they dead?’

  ‘No. Just sleeping.’

  Xandra wanted to go back to sleep. But something was telling her that she shouldn’t – that she should listen.

  ‘It shall be a splendid menu,’ said the first voice. Female. Old.

  Menu? wondered Xandra. Food? Is it time for breakfast? She wasn’t hungry.

  ‘If you say so,’ said the second voice. That one was familiar. ‘Just remember our bargain. There is no such thing as a free meal.’

  ‘I get a dinner party and you get a throne.’ It was the first voice again. ‘This whole arrangement amuses me. You shall have your rise to royalty, Lord High Chancellor. Or perhaps I should address you as Your Majesty?’

  Chancellor? Royalty?

  The voices faded.

  Was it time for sleep?

  Yes … Sleep …

  Xanda’s head hurt and her mouth felt dry.

  There was a strange rhythmic sound. Growling?

  She opened her eyes. Light stabbed at her. It was sunshine through a window. Squinting, Xandra rubbed her aching head.

  She was lying on a hard surface. Wood. It was the floor.

  With great effort, she sat up and took in her surroundings.

  Xandra was in a sitting room, though not the one they had been in at the RCS.

  Lex and Archie were also lying on the floor and Archie was snoring. That was the sound.

  Leaning over, she shook them awake.

  ‘Ow … my head.’ Lex sat up slowly.

  ‘What happened?’ asked Archie. His voice sounded groggy.

  ‘Looks like we’ve been kidnapped,’ explained Xandra.

  ‘Who would want to kidnap us?’ asked Lex.

  ‘Ah,’ said a voice from behind them. ‘That would be me.’

  They all whirled around, clutching their aching heads as they did. Leaning by the open door was Lord Grimsby.

  ‘I knew we couldn’t trust him,’ said Xandra.

  ‘Yes, well … always best not to trust someone who is about to commit treason.’

  ‘Treason?’ Archie was aghast.

  ‘I wouldn’t worry about that if I were you,’ said the tiger. ‘You have other things on your plate.’ He chuckled to himself.

  ‘What are you talking about?’ said Archie, getting to his feet.

  ‘You’ll find out soon enough,’ assured Grimsby. ‘Your host is eager to meet you before tonight’s dinner.’

  ‘Dinner?’ Lex said.

  Xandra glared at Grimsby, then placed her hands on the floorboards and pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, then into a shaky crouch. With great effort, she straightened up, bringing herself to her feet.

  ‘It seems that Lord Edwin was wrong,’ said Grimsby. ‘Congratulations are in order for Miss Tesla and her invention.’

  ‘Is this the dinner with the important and powerful animals you were talking about at the RCS?’ asked Xandra.

  ‘It is indeed,’ said Grimsby. ‘Although I was misleading that stupid bear when I said I was hosting it. I’m not even attending. I’m simply interested in what I will get in return for bringing you.’

  ‘Royalty,’ said Xandra, remembering the snippets of conversation she had overheard.

  ‘How did you know?’ Grimsby’s momentary shock was quickly brought under control. ‘It matters not. Now, if you will excuse me, I should go and inform her Ladyship that the highlights of her dinner party have awoken.’

  He turned and left, locking the door.

  ‘What is going on?’ asked Archie. ‘I don’t understand. Why would the Lord High Chancellor, Queen Victoria’s highest advisor, kidnap us?’

  ‘We come to a new world,’ grumbled Lex, ‘and we spend all our time getting kidnapped and locked up.’

  ‘It makes no sense.’ Archie continued, turning to Xandra. ‘And what did you mean by royalty?’

  ‘I’m not sure,’ admitted Xandra. ‘I heard Grimsby talking to someone before I was completely awake. I thought I was dreaming. But they said something about a dinner party in exchange for royalty. And the other voice called Grimsby Your Majesty.’

  ‘Your Majesty,’ whispered Archie. ‘But that is a title reserved for the King and Queen.’ Archie ran a hoof over his unruly hair. ‘Which would mean that Grimsby is plotting to overthrow the monarchy.’ He lifted both hooves to his face as if to cover his expression of horror. ‘But that is … unthinkable.’

  ‘He did say he was about to commit treason,’ Lex pointed out.

  ‘I wouldn’t put anything past that tiger,’ said Xandra.

  The door opened and in swarmed a multitude of armadillos.

  ‘I am really getting sick of these things,’ said Lex, as he and the others were ushered from the room.

  They were taken along a grand corridor through to a dining room. Xandra gazed in wonder. This room made Lord Edwin’s dining room look tiny by comparison. At one end was a raised platform with a six-seater wooden table. Several other, longer tables filled the rest of the space.

  Grimsby stood on the platform beside a tortoise seated at the centre of the table.

  ‘Approach,’ called Grimsby.

  The armadillos prodded Xandra and the others, until they moved forward, stopping short of the platform.

  ‘May I introduce Lady Mimsy Olivia Delainey,’ said Grimsby, ‘Duchess of Shelltonne, Lady President of the Royal Bank of Londinium.’

  Archie gasped, then bowed so low Xandra though he might fall over.

  Lady Mimsy’s wrinkled and puckered face protruded from the folds of a deep red scarf, and her shell was wrapped in a similar coloured shawl. She had diamond bracelets on each of her forelegs and a large emerald-studded silver broach clipped to her scarf. She was quite big, about the size of the giant tortoise Xandra and Lex had seen on their last outing to the zoo. It reminded Xandra of the unreality of their situation in this weird world of talking animals … this beast world.

  �
�I do rather like to meet all those I have for dinner,’ said Lady Mimsy, her voice croaky and old but quite strong. ‘It is always such a pleasure.’

  ‘Your Ladyship,’ said Archie, rising from his bow. ‘The pleasure is all ours.’

  A stern sidelong glance from Archie made Xandra curtsey and Lex bow too.

  An armadillo with a domed silver tray entered the room. He placed it before Lady Mimsy and retreated. The tortoise’s foreleg disappeared into her shell, then reappeared with a small golden box. Placing it on the table, she opened it and took out a pair of false teeth. Spreading her wizened lips, she popped the teeth into her mouth.

  Lady Mimsy smiled, revealing shiny metallic teeth, each one ending in a sharp point. She snapped them together a few times then ran her tongue along the points.

  ‘I trust you won’t mind if I eat breakfast while we chat,’ she said.

  ‘Of course not,’ babbled Archie, still obviously starstruck.

  Grimsby leaned forward and lifted the dome, releasing a tantalising aroma.

  Lex sniffed, his mouth watering. ‘Bacon and eggs.’

  Xandra did a double take.

  ‘What’s bacon?’ asked Archie.

  ‘Bacon is …’ Xandra hesitated. ‘Well … bacon is …’

  ‘Pig!’ finished Lady Mimsy between mouthfuls.

  ‘What?’ Archie was aghast. ‘But you can’t. Pigs are above the Great Divide. It’s … it’s immoral. It’s illegal. It goes against the Species Declaration of 1215.’

  ‘Don’t care,’ said Lady Mimsy, shoving a forkful into her mouth. ‘Delicious!’

  ‘Lady Mimsy and her associates have a rather particular taste in food,’ said Grimsby. ‘And tonight’s dinner will be an even more extraordinary menu.’

  ‘What’s so special about it?’ asked Xandra, confused.

  ‘Oh, my dear, dear human being,’ said Lady Mimsy. ‘What makes this menu so special … is you and your brother.’

  ‘What?’ Lex was confused too.

  ‘Let me simplify this for you,’ said Lady Mimsy. ‘I intend to cook and eat you.’ She opened her mouth, revealing her shiny metal teeth, and snapped at the air in front of her.

  Xandra’s throat constricted. Blood rushed in her ears. For a moment, she found the simple act of breathing almost impossible. Did that tortoise really say she wanted to cook and eat me? she thought. Surely she had misheard.