Garth Nix

"Oh, to be a minion," muttered Giac to himself dreamily. "I was a sub-minion."

"You mean he's dead too?" asked Suzy.

"Yes," said Dusk. "This morning, in his cell. The guards outside were also slain, and only Sir Thursday's boots remained."

"Sounds more like he escaped," Suzy said.

"His feet were still in the boots," said Dusk.

"General Turquoise Blue?" asked Arthur. "I didn't make Suzy a general, did I? I remember her talking about it, but I don't remember actually..."

"She probably just put on the uniform," said Dr Scamandros. "No one would question her."

"You're really, truly not going to kill everyone?" asked Marek.

"No!" shouted Arthur. "Why do you keep asking? Do I look like some kind of crazy murderer?"

"No..." Marek sounded as if he did still think that but didn't want to upset Arthur.

"Am I correct in assuming that I address Lord Arthur?"

"Yes, I'm Arthur."

Emelena mumbled something that Arthur correctly thought was about expecting him to be taller, more impressive, have lightning bolts coming out of his eyes, and so on.

"No!" shouted Arthur. "What's wrong with you? They're people! You can't just kill hundreds or thousands of Piper's children because the Piper might... just might... make some of them do something!"

"Can't we?" asked Dame Primus. She sounded genuinely puzzled.

"I don't... I don't care," he said softly to his reflection. "I have a job to do. It doesn't matter what I have become. It doesn't matter what I look like."

"They could have attacked us straight away. And Fred wanted to be one, so they can't be all bad."

"I wanted to be a Nithling with three heads once, so that's no guarantee," whispered Suzy as she lay down and raised her arms and feet.

"What's more, after a washing between the ears I thought it was possible."

"Come on, then, Giac," said Suzy. "Last one to the top is a rotten sorceror."

She started off at a run, but paused after a few steps when Giac didn't immediately follow. He was looking puzzled.

"Come on!"

"But I already am a rotten sorceror," he said.

"Thank you for splitting. I guess we'd all better get on with it."

"Indeed," said Dame Quarto.

"We had," added Dame Septum. She raised her hand and dramatically announced, "I shall attend to the Middle House!"

"And I to the mountains!" declared Dame Quarto, and both strode from the room.

"And I to... sorting our Superior Saturday," said Arthur. Somehow it didn't sound the same.

"Do you promise you won't hurt me?" asked Arthur.

"You will be safe from all harm for the space of a quarter hour, as measured by this clock," replied the Old One. "You are mortal enough that I would not slay you like a wandering cockroach, or a Denizen of the House."

"Thanks," said Arthur. "I think."

"Lord Arthur, may I present Lady Wednesday's Dawn?"

Arthur bowed. He had already half-guessed the identity of their surprise guest. She had the hauteur that all the chief servants of the Trustees possessed. A kind of look that said, I am superior and you had better admit it.