Back in Ritzy City the party raged on and Tiga and Peggy danced up and down the streets cheering as Peggy leapt around doing her famous ‘dancing’.
Tiga smiled and looked around her. Fran was clapping above Peggy’s head and shooting glittery dust into the air. She couldn’t see Fluffanora anywhere – maybe she had got fed up of the dancing, that would be quite Fluffanora … She stared past the crowds, off down the road towards the edge of Ritzy City where the twinkling lights stopped and darkness took over. Somewhere out there, in the depths of Sinkville, was Gretal Green. Tiga was sure of it.
‘Tiga,’ Mrs Brew asked as she walked fast through the crowd towards her. ‘Could you come with me for a moment?’
‘CAN I COME TOO BECAUSE I LOVE YOU?’ Fran roared in Mrs Brew’s face.
Mrs Brew nodded and rubbed her ear.
She guided them towards Brew’s, slotted a little key in the door and ushered them quickly inside. Shop witches in puffy little Brew’s skirts were darting about the place restocking the shelves for the next day.
Mrs Brew whistled and the huge chandelier that hung above them glided down.
‘Hop on,’ she said.
Tiga stared at her in amazement. ‘Are we going to your studio?’
Mrs Brew nodded.
Fran clutched her heart and fell to the ground.
No one ever got to see inside Mrs Brew’s studio. Not even Fluffanora.
The three of them clambered on to the chandelier and Mrs Brew whistled again, sending the thing shooting up into the air. They soared fast past all the floors, up and up towards the shimmering black roof, which opened as they approached, and straight through they went.
‘Excuse the mess,’ Mrs Brew said as the chandelier came to a halt.
Tiga and Fran stared gobsmacked at the room. It was filled to bursting with beautiful fabrics. Pencils moved by magic, sketching gorgeous designs on floating bits of paper. Shoes marched by themselves across the room, changing patterns as they went. At the end of the long, narrow room sat a desk covered in paintbrushes and pencils and stacks of Toad magazines.
Mrs Brew jumped off the chandelier, over the line of shoes making their way around the room, and reached behind the desk.
‘You know, when Fluffanora told me about Gretal Green, I remembered something from a long time ago,’ Mrs Brew shouted from behind her desk. ‘It … must be somewhere … right … here.’
She held up a tiny black tape. ‘We used to record things on these. This is from my days as a student in Silver City. They did a documentary about the place and interviewed me for it. I was very proud to be on it.’
‘I hope they made the whole thing about you because you are amazing,’ Fran oozed.
Mrs Brew smiled. ‘Take a seat,’ she said to Tiga and Fran, as two comfy little armchairs appeared with a bang.
She placed the tape in a small black device on her desk and a grainy, old, grey image appeared on the wall.
‘That’s Silver City, you see. Most of the buildings are on those stilts. It’s very beautiful, really.’
Tiga stared at it as the image began to move.
SILVER CITY – A PLACE OF WONDER & WONDERFUL WITCHES appeared on the screen.
It did all seem quite familiar to Tiga …
A voice began to talk. ‘This is Silver City, the second largest city in Sinkville. Ritzy City, the capital of Sinkville, is of course the largest. But we feel we are the greatest.’
‘It looks really cool,’ said Tiga as she watched lots of witches march along silver platforms held in place by tall and spindly silver stilts. ‘Is Silver City definitely completely empty now?’
Mrs Brew frowned. ‘It is. Every witch in the place left during the Big Exit. I can’t believe every witch in the city was evil, it just can’t be right, but that’s what everyone believes.’
‘Here is our very successful design school, the Silver School of Art and Design,’ the presenter went on. ‘And here we have Georgia Brew, a very promising young designer.’
They showed a much younger Mrs Brew sketching some dresses. Her hair was short and spiky and she was wearing a floaty skirt with a huge holey jumper that was cinched in at the waist with a big sparkly belt.
‘You look so cool!’ Tiga said, as Mrs Brew blushed.
‘And here in the NAPA headquarters we have another promising young witch, Gretal Green, who is working on some very secret inventions.’
There was a large bang and the small young woman on the screen screeched and yelled, ‘FROGTRUMPETS!’
She straightened up her small hat and smiled at the screen. She looked a bit nervous, glanced away and looked back at the screen, moving closer to it this time.
Tiga gasped.
‘I knew I recognised the name,’ Mrs Brew said. ‘That’s her, Tiga.’
Tiga felt her eyes stinging. She looked away from Mrs Brew so she wouldn’t see she was teary, but Fran was already right in front of her waving a massive hanky.
‘You have a good cry, my dear! Don’t you worry!’
‘Fraaaan,’ Tiga grumbled, taking the hanky and hiding her face with it. ‘Did you know her?’ she asked.
Mrs Brew shook her head. ‘No, I just remembered her because of this documentary. I don’t think I ever met her.’
When Tiga peeked back at the screen, she saw Gretal Green laughing as she pointed at a tank full of slugs.
‘We’re working to enhance the slugs’ brain capacity, so they can go up above the pipes and collect information for us,’ she said, her voice wobbling nervously. ‘The problem is finding a way to extract the information once they have collected it, as I don’t think we are ever going to get the slugs to talk.’
‘She has such a nice voice!’ Tiga said.
‘You have a slug, Tiga …’ Mrs Brew said.
‘The star of TOE PINCHERS, apparently,’ Fran said sarcastically.
Mrs Brew raised an eyebrow. ‘TOE PINCHERS? Is that the horror film I’ve seen posters for?’
Fran tutted.
Tiga leapt to her feet and pointed at the screen. ‘The slug has always been in my shed! Maybe it’s one of my mum’s slugs! Maybe it has important information stored in its extra-clever brain!’
Mrs Brew nodded. ‘Maybe …’
The documentary cut to a picture of a young girl with a load of frogs clinging to her hair.
‘This is Olga Flopp. She has frogs permanently stuck to her head,’ the documentary narrator explained. ‘No one is quite sure why.’
And then it clipped to a gloriously glossy, fast-flowing silver river.
‘Is that in the city?’ Tiga asked.
Mrs Brew nodded. ‘Sort of. It’s the way in. It swirls around the city – you have to ride it all the way around.’
‘That’s where I’m going to go tomorrow. Me and Peggy … and Fluffanora, if we can convince her,’ Tiga rambled. ‘That’s where we need to start the search. We’re going to find Gretal Green!’
‘Speaking of Fluffanora,’ said Mrs Brew. ‘Where is she? I haven’t seen her all day.’
‘She said something about going to the Docks,’ said Fran, flying through the air and plonking herself in one of the self-walking shoes. She lay back in it like it was a sun lounger. ‘Aaah, this is the life,’ she said.
‘The Docks?’ Tiga and Mrs Brew said at the same time.
‘Yes, the Docks,’ said Fran.
Mrs Brew walked up to Fran. ‘What reason would she have to go there?’
Fran shrugged. ‘She definitely said the Docks.’
‘I might go check on her …’ Mrs Brew mumbled.
‘I’ll come too,’ Tiga said.
48
Desperate Dolls, Again
When they pulled up in the Docks in Mrs Brew’s car, Ratty Ann, it was very quiet.
Everyone was in Ritzy, partying. But there was a faint banging sound, and an occasional clang of metal.
‘I think you could make the sign sparkly,’ they heard Fluffanora say. ‘No harm in a bit of sparkle here and t
here.’
‘Not my style, really,’ said Miss Flint. ‘But we could put some sparkle along the edge of the desk there, maybe?’
Fluffanora was on her tiptoes on a stool, hanging some lovely silky curtains in a brand new and brilliant-looking Desperate Dolls.
‘And we have lots of spare little bits of fabric and things that Mum could give you to make dresses for the dolls,’ Fluffanora said, noticing the visitors. ‘Couldn’t we, Mum?’
Mrs Brew nodded slowly as she and Tiga stood surveying the scene, completely gobsmacked.
‘And maybe you could send some of your dolls to our shop and we could have a little “Desperate Dolls” stall in there so people can buy your dolls there too,’ Fluffanora prattled on.
Miss Flint beamed and shyly nodded her head. ‘A stall in Brew’s, well, that would really be something … And of course it’s near Cakes, Pies and That’s About It, Really.’
Fluffanora nodded. ‘You could come and eat the tarts.’
Miss Flint’s cheeks darkened a little with embarrassment. ‘Yes … I’ve never tried them.’
‘Come on, you two!’ Tiga called to Fluffanora and Miss Flint. ‘This can wait, you’re missing an excellent party in Ritzy City!’
49
That Apple
Everyone in Ritzy City danced for hours that night to the sound of the Silver Rats.
But as they did, high above them in one of the pipes, a wrinkled old hand slid slowly into view.
Its crooked and crinkled fingers unfurled to reveal an apple coloured the brightest of greens.
Slowly it fell, down and down, until it landed with a quiet thud among the dancing crowds. Their laughter and singing drowned out the evil cackles that echoed in the pipes above them.
No one in Ritzy City would notice the apple until morning.
When it was much too late.
‘Fabulous fairies and fashion-forward witches’
Guardian, Best New Children’s Books,
Summer 2015
‘I’m a big fan of the main fairy’
Fran the Fabulous Fairy
‘Cheese water – that is so disgusting!’
RTÉJr’s The Word
‘Fizzing with fun’
Daily Mail
‘The craziest and funniest book I’ve read in ages’
Andy Stanton, author of the Mr Gum series
‘This book could do with more jam …’
Mavis, owner of Jam Stall No. 9
‘Witch Wars is a book to really laugh at’
Emily, age 7 and a half, for lovereading4kids.co.uk
‘I couldn’t put this book down and will
recommend it to all my friends’
Evie, age 8, for lovereading4kids.co.uk
‘Brilliantly written book and fab drawings’
Caitlin, age 7, for lovereading4kids.co.uk
‘Yawn. Tiga’s adventures are so rubbish’
Felicity Bat, evil witch
‘The illustrations are outstanding … I loved this
book so much that I would like to read the next
book in the series’
Isabella, age 8, for lovereading4kids.co.uk
‘I would give it 5 stars’
Ella, age 8, for lovereading4kids.co.uk
‘Silly spells, delectable dresses, magical mishaps
and ridiculous riddles, this is a witch story like no
other – and it’s a blast!’
Bookseller
‘Fun, friendship, fabulous illustrations’
Parents in Touch
‘A completely fresh and fun take on witches,
Witch Wars is for anyone who likes magic, adventure, fashion or a fabulous story’
Booktrust
‘Sibéal Pounder’s imagination is boundless – there is
something new and hilarious on every page.
We can’t wait for the next one!’
Ruth Fitzgerald, author
‘I only review cheese’
Miss Heks, evil guardian
‘Bonkers in all the best possible ways, Witch Wars
is funny, fabulous and above all a truly great story.
You'll never look at witches the same way after
reading this one’
Katy Cannon, author
‘Enchanting characters, witty writing and the best
frocks EVER! This book is a must-have. Original,
funny, with a lovely light touch. I loved it’
Sam Hay, author
Bloomsbury Publishing, London, Oxford, New York, New Delhi and Sydney
First published in Great Britain in October 2015 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
50 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3DP
www.bloomsbury.com
Bloomsbury is a registered trademark of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Text copyright © Sibéal Pounder 2015
Illustrations copyright © Laura Ellen Anderson 2015
The moral rights of the author and illustrator have been asserted
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
eISBN 978 1 4088 5268 2
To find out more about our authors and books visit www.bloomsbury.com. Here you will find extracts, author interviews, details of forthcoming events and the option to sign up for our newsletters.
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