The Magicians of Caprona by Diana Wynne Jones

again. Tonino had never been so frustrated in his life. He did not even know what shape his parcel was. He was not the only one to feel frustrated.
    “Oh, why?” complained Lucia, Paolo and young Cousin Lena.
    “I know,” said Aunt Maria. “Like school again. Start writing.”
    “It’s exploiting children, that’s what we’re doing,” Rosa said cheerfully. “There are probably laws against it, so do complain.”
    “Don’t worry, I will,” said Lucia. “I am doing.”
    “As long as you write while you grumble,” said Rosa.
    “It’s a new spell-scrip for the Army,” Uncle Lorenzo explained. “It’s very urgent.”
    “It’s hard. It’s all new words,” Paolo grumbled.
    “Your father made it last night,” said Aunt Maria. “Get writing. We’ll be watching for mistakes.”
    When finally, stiff-necked and with red splodges on their fingers, they were let out into the yard, Tonino discovered that he had barely time to unwrap the parcel before supper. Supper was early that night, so that the elder Montanas could put in another shift on the army-spells before bedtime.
    “It’s worse than working on the Old Bridge,” said Lucia. “What’s that, Tonino? Who sent it?”
    The parcel was promisingly book-shaped. It bore the stamp and the arms of the University of Caprona. This was the only indication Tonino had that Uncle Umberto had sent it, for, when he wrenched off the thick brown paper, there was no letter, not even a card. There was only a new shiny book. Tonino’s face beamed. At least Uncle Umberto knew this much about him. He turned the book lovingly over. It was called
The Boy Who Saved His Country
, and the cover was the same shiny, pimpled red leather as the great volumes of war-spells.
    “Is Uncle Umberto trying to give you a hint, or something?” Paoloasked, amused. He and Lucia and Corinna leaned over Tonino while he flipped through the pages. There were pictures, to Tonino’s delight. Soldiers rode horses, soldiers rode machines; a boy hung from a rope and scrambled up the frowning wall of a fortress; and, most exciting of all, a boy stood on a rock with a flag, confronting a whole troop of ferocious-looking dragoons. Sighing with anticipation, Tonino turned to Chapter One:
How Giorgio uncovered an Enemy Plot
.
    “Supper!”
howled Aunt Gina from the yard. “Oh I shall go mad! Nobody attends to me!”
    Tonino was forced to shut the lovely book again and hurry down to the dining room. He watched Aunt Gina anxiously as she doled out minestrone. She looked so hectic that he was convinced Benvenuto must have been at work in the kitchen again.
    “It’s all right,” Rosa said. “It’s just she thought she’d got a line from the
Angel of Caprona
. Then the soup boiled over and she forgot it again.”
    Aunt Gina was distinctly tearful. “With so much to do, my memory is like a sieve,” she kept saying. “Now I’ve let you all down.”
    “Of course you haven’t, Gina my dear,” said Old Niccolo. “This is nothing to worry about. It will come back to you.”
    “But I can’t even remember what language it was in!” wailed Aunt Gina.
    Everyone tried to console her. They sprinkled grated cheese on their soup and slurped it with special relish, to show Aunt Gina how much they appreciated her, but Aunt Gina continued to sniff and accuse herself. Then Rinaldo thought of pointing out that she had got further than anyone else in the Casa Montana. “None of the rest of us has any of the
Angel of Caprona
to forget,” he said, giving Aunt Gina his best smile.
    “Bah!” said Aunt Gina. “Turning on the charm, Rinaldo Montana!” But she seemed a good deal more cheerful after that.
    Tonino was glad Benvenuto had nothing to do with it this time.He looked around for Benvenuto. Benvenuto usually took up a good position for stealing scraps, near the serving table. But tonight he was nowhere to be seen. Nor, for that matter, was Marco.
    “Where’s Marco?” Paolo asked Rosa.
    Rosa smiled.