without first rinsing it out
thoroughly.

The Queen overheard him.

'Not at all,' said she. 'Ritti-Marduk is a very clean man. And one has
to have SOME ONE as taster, you know, because of poison.'

The word made the children feel rather creepy; but Ritti-Marduk
had tasted all the cups, so they felt pretty safe. The drink was
delicious--very cold, and tasting like lemonade and partly like penny
ices.

'Leave us,' said the Queen. And all the Court ladies, in their
beautiful, many-folded, many-coloured, fringed dresses, filed out
slowly, and the children were left alone with the Queen.

'Now,' she said, 'tell me all about yourselves.'

They looked at each other.

'You, Bobs,' said Cyril.

'No--Anthea,' said Robert.

'No--you--Cyril,' said Anthea. 'Don't you remember how pleased the Queen
of India was when you told her all about us?'

Cyril muttered that it was all very well, and so it was. For when he had
told the tale of the Phoenix and the Carpet to the Ranee, it had been
only the truth--and all the truth that he had to tell. But now it
was not easy to tell a convincing story without mentioning the
Amulet--which, of course, it wouldn't have done to mention--and without
owning that they were really living in London, about 2,500 years later
than the time they were talking in.

Cyril took refuge in the tale of the Psammead and its wonderful power of
making wishes come true. The children had never been able to tell anyone
before, and Cyril was surprised to find that the spell which kept them
silent in London did not work here. 'Something to do with our being in
the Past, I suppose,' he said to himself.

'This is MOST interesting,' said the Queen. 'We must have this Psammead
for the banquet tonight. Its performance will be one of the most popular
turns in the whole programme. Where is it?'

Anthea explained that they did not know; also why it was that they did
not know.

'Oh, THAT'S quite simple,' said the Queen, and everyone breathed a deep
sigh of relief as she said it.

'Ritti-Marduk shall run down to the gates and find out which guard your
sister went home with.'

'Might he'--Anthea's voice was tremulous--'might he--would it interfere
with his meal-times, or anything like that, if he went NOW?'

'Of course he shall go now. He may think himself lucky if he gets his
meals at any time,' said the Queen heartily, and clapped her hands.

'May I send a letter?' asked Cyril, pulling out a red-backed penny