The Trial of Morrigan Crow Book 2; The Return of Morrigan Crow

Chapter 5 - Dearborn and Murgatroyd

"Yeah, well he's a lot less fussy about that than you'd imagine," said Miss Cheery. "At least inside Wunsoc. Pax gives the tour to new scholars every single year, he's been doing it for decades." The conductor jumped up from her seat and ran to the front of the carriage, where she took command of a series of levers and buttons. The engine gave a great groan and thrummed into life. "You just wait. He always does an epic first-day trick for the newest unit. Last year he made a herd of woolly mammoths stampede out the front doors of Proudfoot House and then disappear into the forest, like ghosts. Just an illusion of course, but still – it was cool."

"Wow," breathed Arch.

"Right, let's get going or you'll be late for the best day of your life," Miss Cheery called back over her shoulder. 'Any more questions?'

Hawthorne stuck his hand straight up in the air.

"Miss, can we get capes?"

"Proudfoot Station. Oldest Wunderground station in Nevermoor," announced Miss Cheery. "Most people don't even know it's right here on Wunsoc campus, in the middle of the Whinging Woods."

Hometrain 919 emerged from the Wunderground tunnel into the bustling, buzzing brightness of the loveliest train station. There were six platforms, connected by picturesque red-brick footbridges covered in climbing ivy, just like the vines that crept up the walls of Proudfoot House. There were polished wooden benches and small glass-walled waiting rooms. The station was surrounded by thick green forest and the trees curved protectively over the top of it, forming a natural domed canopy. It was still early – the sky was a cool dawn blue – but what little light there was filtered through the foliage in dappled pools. Gas lamps hanging on the platforms were just beginning to extinguish, one by one.

Despite the early hour, three more Hometrains (the numbers 918, 917 and 916 painted on their sides), a full-length steam engine and a knot of small brass train carriages were already parked at various platforms.

Miss Cheery pulled up to Platform 1, which was teeming with Wuns, young and old, and opened the carriage door to let Unit 919 out. The platform walls were covered with sign-up sheets for all sorts of clubs, groups, bands and societies-within-the-Society. There was the Goal-Setting and Achieving Club for Highly Ambitious Youth, which met on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, and all day Sunday; which Morrigan doesn't think she would be happy about. On the other hand there is also clubs like Introverts Utterly Anonymous, which promised no meetings or gatherings of any sort, ever.

There was an air of agitated excitement at the station. People clustered together, talking in whispers. Morrigan heard snatches of passing conversation.

"... nobody knows, the Elders aren't saying anything ..."

"... one of his tricks, maybe?"

"... never done this before ..."

Miss Cheery frowned, looking a little disconcerted at the scene.

"Is something wrong, miss?" asked Morrigan, although she knows what is causing the confusion.

"Not really, but it's usually a bit more festive on the first day back after break. And Paximus Luck is usually here waiting for—"

"All right, Marina?" A young man, who Morrigan think his name was Toby, was leaning out the door of Hometrain 917, calling to Miss Cheery. He jumped down on to the platform and jogged over. "Heard you'd been made a conductor. Congratulations."

"Cheers, Toby," she said distractedly. "What's going on? Where's Plucky?"

Toby looked grim. "Nobody knows. He disappeared overnight."