Alter put her finger to her lips as she stepped down into his room. "Keep quiet," she whispered. "And relax," she added. "The Duchess of Petra sent me. More or less." She had been instructed to use that name to calm the prince. It seemed to work a trifle. "Look," explained Alter, "you're being kidnapped. It's for your own good, believe me." She watched the blond boy come away from the door. "Who are you?" he asked. "I'm a friend of yours if you'll let me be." "Where are you going to take me?" "You're going to go on a trip. But you'll come back, eventually." "What has my mother said?" "Your mother doesn't know. Nobody knows except you and the Duchess, and the few people who're helping her." Let appeared to be thinking. He walked over to his bed, sat down, and pressed his heel against the side board. There was a tiny click. Nothing else happened. "Why won't they open the door?" he asked. "It's been locked," Alter said. Suddenly she looked at the clock beside the Prince's bed, and turned to the window. Light from the crystal chandelier caught on the shells that were strung on leather thongs around her neck as she turned. Let put his hand quietly on the newel post of his bed and pressed his thumb hard on the purple garnet that encrusted the crowning ornamental dolphin. Nothing happened except a tiny click. At the window, Alter reached out her hand, just as a bundle appeared outside on a lowered rope. She pulled them in, untied them, and shook them out as the rope suddenly flew out the window again. "Here," she said. "Get into these." It was a suit of rags. She tossed them to him. Finally Let slipped out of his pajama pants and into the suit. "Now look in your pocket," Alter said. The boy did and took out a bunch of keys. "You can open the door with those," Alter said. "Go on." Let paused, then went to the door. Before he put the key in the lock though, he bent down and looked through the keyhole. "Hey," he said, looking back at the girl. "Come here. Do you see anything?" Alter crossed the room, bent down, and looked. The only motion Let made was to lean against one of the panels on the wall, which gave a slight click. Nothing happened. "I don't see anything," Alter said. "Open the door." Let found the proper key, put it in the lock, and the door swung back. "All right, you kids," said the guard who was standing on the other side of the door (who incidentally wore a size seventeen uniform), "you come along with me." He took Let firmly by one arm and Alter by the other and marched them down the hall. "I'm warning you to keep quiet," the guard said to Let as they turned the last corner. Three minutes later they were outside the castle. As the guard passed another uniformed man at the Sentry's post, he said, "More stupid kids trying to break into the palace." "What a night," said the guard and scratched his head. "A girl too?"