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when aimed in the right direction, and blue for cold when aimed the wrong way. My legs were beginning to cramp by the time the light flashed. It was blue at first, but my aunt tilted her head and the rug lifted a few inches off the ground, rotating slowly until the light changed to red.
    Grassina muttered something under her breath and the rug rose into the air, its movement smoother than when we had left the castle. Rising above the treetops, the rug swayed in the air currents, settling down only after Grassina used a calming spell.
    The lights sparking through the scale were faint, a good indication that we had far to travel. Before long, we were moving so fast that we had to squint against the wind. Although I tried to look at the scenery, I soon gave up and closed my eyes, clinging to Eadric's hand as the wind buffeted the carpet. I opened my eyes once and we had passed the Purple Mountains. I opened them again and we were flying over a vast plain where an army marched below us, so far away that they looked smaller than ants.
    When daylight faded into night and the stars came out one by one, I closed my eyes and leaned against Eadric. I must have slept, for the next thing I knew it was daylight and we were flying over a body of water that seemed to go on forever. At one point, a group of enormous fishlike creatures passed below us, clearly visible despite the great distance that separated us. I wanted to share the sight with Eadric, but when I glanced at him, his face was pale, the skin around his mouth slightly green.
    "Are you all right?" I asked.
    Eadric moaned and shook his head, his lips pursed shut as if speaking would take too much effort. I squeezed his hand. A moment later, he leaned toward the edge of the rug and emptied his stomach to the water below. I felt sorry for him when he finally sat up, pale and shaking, although I was grateful that the wind carried the smell away.
    Most of our trip had been made in good weather, but as the hours passed, the sky grew cloudy and whitecaps topped the waves. Eadric moaned more often now, and his hand felt cold and damp. We need to set down soon, I thought, and leaned forward to check the scale again. The lights were brighter, the red sparks flashing with such frenzy that I knew we were approaching our destination.
    "Do you know where we are?" I asked, leaning close to my aunt's ear.
    "I have a good idea. There's an island straight ahead. It's where we're headed if I'm not mistaken. Sit back and hold on tight. Our ride is about to get rough."
    Despite the spell my aunt had used to keep us steady, the magic carpet jerked and shuddered as the wind increased. Now Grassina took us higher still. The clouds appeared dark and menacing, and I dreaded going through them. When we entered the first cloud, a chill enveloped us that made my breath catch in my throat. I shivered as the cold seeped into my bones. Eadric was only a vague shape beside me, though he was so close our hips touched.
    The wind grew stronger, lashing us with rain. Looking up as lightning flashed, I saw the otter slipping toward the edge of the rug. "Haywood!" Grassina screamed, and lunged for him, grabbing his furry paw as he was about to go over. The otter scrabbled with his hind paws, dragging himself back onto the rug until he was huddled by my aunt, her arm pressing him to her side.
    My stomach lurched when the carpet dropped and then shot up again just as quickly. Clutching the carpet's edge on one side and Eadric's hand on the other, I was truly frightened for the first time since our journey began. My heart thudded as the rug bucked and swooped. Damp and shivering, I bit my lip, trying not to cry out when I felt the tickling begin. Alarmed, I pressed my nose against my shoulder, but it wasn't enough. The tickling became unbearable, and I squeezed Eadric's hand in warning.
    Of course I sneezed. The transformation was almost instantaneous. No longer a gradual tingling, it felt more like a shock that started