Lady Friday
 Australian Cover | |
| Author | Garth Nix |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Sandra Nobes / Hofstede Design (paperback, Allen & Unwin) |
| Language | English |
| Series | Keys to the Kingdom |
| Genre | Fantasy, Young adult novel |
| Publisher | HarperCollins (UK) Scholastic Press (USA) Allen & Unwin (Australia) |
Publication date | February, 2007 (USA) February, 2007 (UK) March, 2007 (AUS) |
| Publication place | Australia |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 278 pp |
| ISBN | 0-00-717509-4 |
| OCLC | 76359863 |
| Preceded by | Sir Thursday |
| Followed by | Superior Saturday |
Lady Friday is the fifth novel by Garth Nix in his 'The Keys to the Kingdom' series. The fifth Trustee, Lady Friday, is mentioned at the end of the fourth book in the series, Sir Thursday, as a 'Doctor Friday'. Lady Friday is also mentioned in Grim Tuesday by Grim Tuesday as "that fool, Friday". Lady Friday is afflicted with the deadly sin of lust.
Plot summary
At the beginning of Lady Friday, a cleaner tells Leaf that everybody has become infatuated with a "Dr. Friday", because she is so beautiful and refined; as a result, every member of the staff calls her Lady Friday. Lady Friday, a Denizen and Trustee of the House, is in command of the Middle House.
It is later revealed that Lady Friday has kidnapped thousands of people and taken them to Avraxyn, the world that is mentioned in Sir Thursday as the world from which the Skinless Boy's mind-controlling mould originated. There, Lady Friday drains from them their emotions and memories, which she then drinks in order to experience them (being a House Denizen herself, she cannot have these emotions herself, but must take them from others).
Arthur, the Piper, and Superior Saturday all receive messages from Lady Friday, saying she has abdicated the rule of the Middle House and that the first of the three who can reach her Scriptorium in the Middle House can claim the Fifth Key and her domain as their own. Along with each message is sent a Transfer Plate that sends whoever touches it straight to the Middle House (which is a giant, terraced mountain). Arthur accidentally takes the plate and is sent to the Middle House; he still retains the Fourth Key.
While the Piper is contemplating what to do with his Plate, the Piper's Children Suzy Turquoise Blue and Fred Initial Numbers Gold, along with their loyal New Nithling bodyguard Ugham, grab it and are transferred to the Middle House. In the Middle House, Arthur takes refuge in a Manuscript-Gilding workshop, where he fights off some Fetchers and eventually meets Fred and Suzy. At first, he does not trust them, fearing their allegiance to the Piper; however, they and his own inclinations convince him that they can be trusted. Around their necks are bindings that bend them to the Piper's will; these are removed by Arthur with the power of the Fourth Key, at Suzy's behest.
While on the way to the Scriptorium, they meet some of the Middle House's Winged Servants of the Night, who are fighting several of Saturday's elite forces, known as Artful Loungers. Arthur singlehandedly defeats four of the latter, earning the friendship of the Servants. While flying to the pinnacle of the mountain, on which stands the Scriptorium, Arthur is guided to the Fifth Part of the Will, which is chained within the lair of the Winged Servants. This part of the Will (shown on the British cover), a bizarre creature having the head of a fox, the upper torso of a bat, the lower body of a blue dragon, and four legs, is much more likable than the other parts; it is stated that this part, presumed to embody the virtue of moderation, is the part without which the Will has no self-control.
When Arthur reaches the Scriptorium, he finds that the Piper has apparently killed Saturday's Dusk. The Piper orders Ugham to pick up what is supposed to be the Fifth Key; when Ugham does so, a trap from Lady Friday, in the form of an entrance to the Void of Nothing, is sprung. Ugham is instantly dissolved; as the breach gets bigger, Arthur decides to use the Fourth Key, even if it turns him into a Denizen, to close the hole. One Key alone is not sufficient to accomplish this task; therefore the Will advises him to call upon the power of the remaining Keys in his possession; the Keys appear with him, and he fixes the breach. To return to the Lower House, Arthur uses the Improbable Stair, the Architect's own personal transport, to transport himself, Suzy, and Fred to Monday's Dayroom. There, the butler Sneezer uses the Seven Dials to transport Suzy, Fred, Arthur, and their friend Dr. Scamandros to Friday's hideout.
They find that Friday has lost her self-control and is about to "experience" thousands of people at once. Arthur arrives just as Friday transfers their beings into the Key; having obtained mastery of the Middle House, he returns their experiences. He finds that his friend Leaf was among the people, but that his own mother is not. It is confirmed thereafter that Arthur's mother is not in the Secondary Realms, and is therefore deduced to be in the Upper House. Arthur gives all the keys to the Will, except for the Fifth, and decides to go to Earth to settle matters there before going after Saturday. As the book closes, Suzy gives Arthur a note that Ugham gave her before he died. It appears to be a piece of a letter sent from Sunday to Saturday or vice versa. It reads "For the last time, I do not wish to intervene. Manage affairs in the House as you wish. It will make little difference in the end. S". The sender of this message, 'S', is presumed to be either Saturday or Sunday and is later revealed to be Sunday in Superior Saturday. The final sentence may remind readers of the suggestion raised in Sir Thursday by Dame Primus that the Trustees are wittingly or unwittingly part of a plan to destroy the House, and itself makes the suggestion that the sender believes the House to be doomed.
Characters
Arthur Penhaligon- Rightful heir to the Architect, Master of the Lower House, Lord of the Far Reaches, Duke of the Border Sea, Overlord of the Great Maze, Commander of the Glorious Army of the Architect and Master of the Middle House.
Suzy Turquoise Blue- Monday's Tierce and Piper's child.
Fred Initial Numbers Gold- Lieutenant in the Army of the Architect and Piper's child.
Banneret Ugham- Newnith (New Nithling) soldier and guardian of Suzy and Fred.
The Piper- third son of the Architect and the Old One. Brought the Piper's Children and Raised Rats into the House and controls them with his pipe. He also created the New Nithlings.
Leaf- Arthur's friend on Earth. Was kidnapped by Lady Friday.
Lady Friday - Morrow Day and Mistress of the Middle House. Trustee of the Fifth key.
Dame Primus- Parts One to Five of the Will of the Architect, Steward of the Lower House, The Far Reaches, The Border Sea, the Great Maze, and The Middle House.
Fifth Part of the Will- A Part of the Will of the Architect in shape of a bat/dragon that is imprisoned in the Eyrie of the Winged Servants of the Night.
The Will
Other
The release date of this book was 5 February 2007 in the USA, and 8 March 2007 in Australia. The book's first chapter is available on the Keys to the Kingdom Website [1] (out dated link), while GarthNix.co.uk [2] has the Prologue.