Ходячий замок

           Thenittoreintwowithanoiselikeanenormouscatfight.Onepartspedyowlingacrosstheroofsandouttosea,andthesecondwentscreamingafterit.

           Somepeopleretreatedindoorsthen.SophieandMichaeljoinedtherushofbraverpeopledowntheslopinglanestothedockside.Thereeveryoneseemedtothinkthebestviewwastobehadalongthecurveoftheharborwall.Sophiehobbledtogetoutalongittoo,buttherewasnoneedtogobeyondtheshelteroftheharbormaster’shut.Twocloudswerehangingintheair,somewayouttosea,ontheothersideoftheharborwall,theonlytwocloudsinthecalmbluesky.Itwasquiteeasytoseethem.Itwasequallyeasytoseethedarkpatchofstormragingontheseabetweentheclouds,flingingupgreat,white-toppedwaves.Therewasanunfortunateshipcaughtinthatstorm.Itsmastswerebeatingbackandforth.Theycouldseespoutsofwaterhittingitonallsides.Thecrewweredesperatelytryingtotakeinthesails,butoneatleasthadtorntoflyinggrayrags.

           “Can’ttheyhaveacareforthatship!”someonesaidindignantly.

           Thenthewindandthewavesfromthestormhittheharborwall.Whitewaterlashedoverandthebravepersonsoutonthewallcamecrowdinghurriedlybacktothequayside,wherethemooredshipswereheavingandgrindingintheirmoorings.Amongallthiswasagreatdealofscreaminginhigh,singingvoices.Sophieputherfaceoutintothewindbeyondthehut,wherethescreamingcamefrom,anddiscoveredthattheragingmagichaddisturbedmorethantheseaandthewretchedship.