Lady Friday

Lady Friday

Australian Cover
Author	Garth Nix
Cover artist	Sandra Nobes / Hofstede Design (paperback, Allen & Unwin)
Country	Australia
Language	English
Series	The 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)
Media type	Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages	278 pp
ISBN
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.

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.