Septimus Heap_ Magyk Part 24

"Down here," said Boy 412.

"What, you just found it? Just now?"

"No. I found it before."

"Before what?"

"Before-remember when we got lost in the haar?"

Jenna nodded.

"Well, I fell down here then. And I thought I was going to be stuck here forever. Until I found the ring. It's Magyk Magyk. It lit up and showed me the way out."

So that was what happened, thought Jenna. It made sense now. Boy 412 sitting smugly waiting for them when she and Nicko finally found their way back, frozen and soaked after hours of wandering around looking for him. She had just known known he had some kind of secret. And then all that time he had been walking around with the ring and never showing anyone. There was more to Boy 412 than met the eye. he had some kind of secret. And then all that time he had been walking around with the ring and never showing anyone. There was more to Boy 412 than met the eye.

"It's a beautiful ring," she said, gazing at the gold dragon curled around Boy 412's finger. "Can I hold it?"

A little reluctantly, Boy 412 took off the ring and gave it to Jenna. She cradled it carefully in her hands, but the light began to fade and the darkness drew in around them. Soon the light from the ring had completely died.

"Have you dropped it?" Boy 412 asked accusingly.

"No," said Jenna, "it's still here in my hand. But it doesn't work for me."

"Of course it works. It's a Magyk Magyk ring," said Boy 412. "Here, give it back. I'll show you." He took the ring and immediately the tunnel was filled with light. "See, it's easy." ring," said Boy 412. "Here, give it back. I'll show you." He took the ring and immediately the tunnel was filled with light. "See, it's easy."

"Easy for you," said Jenna, "but not for me."

"I don't see why," said Boy 412, puzzled.

But Jenna had seen why. She had seen it over and over again, growing up in a household of Wizards. And although Jenna knew only too well that she was not Magykal Magykal, she could tell who was.

"It's not the ring that's Magyk Magyk. It's you you," she told Boy 412.

"I'm not Magyk Magyk," said Boy 412. He sounded so definite that Jenna didn't argue.

"Well, whatever you are, you'd better keep hold of the ring," she said. "So how do we get out?"

Boy 412 put the dragon ring on and set off along the tunnel, leading Jenna confidently through the twists and turns that had so confused him before, until at last they arrived at the top of the steps.

"Careful," he said. "I fell down these last time and nearly lost the ring."

At the bottom of the steps Jenna stopped. Something had made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

"I've been here before," she whispered.

"When?" asked Boy 412, a bit put out. It was his his place. place.

"In my dreams," muttered Jenna. "I know this place. I used to dream about it in the summer when I was at home. But it was bigger than this..."

"Come on," said Boy 412 briskly.

"I wonder if it is is bigger, if there's an echo." Jenna raised her voice as she spoke. bigger, if there's an echo." Jenna raised her voice as she spoke. there's an echo there's an echo there's an echo there's an echo there's an echo there's an echo there's an echo there's an echo there's an echo there's an echo there's an echo there's an echo...sounded all around them.

"Shhh," whispered Boy 412. "He might hear us. Through the ground. They train them to hear like dogs."

"Who?"

"Hunters."

Jenna fell silent. She had forgotten about the Hunter, and now she didn't want to be reminded.

"There're pictures all over the walls," Jenna whispered to Boy 412, "and I know I've dreamed about them them. They look really old. It's like they're telling a story."

Boy 412 hadn't taken much notice of the pictures before, but now he held his ring up to the smooth marble walls that formed this part of the tunnel. He could see simple, almost primitive shapes in deep blues, reds and yellows showing what seemed to be dragons, a boat being built, then a lighthouse and a s.h.i.+pwreck.

Jenna pointed to more shapes farther along the wall. "And these look like plans for a tower or something."

"It's the Wizard Tower," said Boy 412. "Look at the Pyramid on the top."

"I didn't know the Wizard Tower was so old," said Jenna, running her finger over the paint and thinking that maybe she was the first person to see the pictures for thousands of years.

"The Wizard Tower is very old," said Boy 412. "No one knows when it was built."

"How do you you know?" asked Jenna, surprised that Boy 412 was so definite. know?" asked Jenna, surprised that Boy 412 was so definite.

Boy 412 took a deep breath and said in a singsong voice, "The Wizard Tower is an Ancient Monument. Precious resources are squandered by the ExtraOrdinary Wizard to keep the Tower in its garish state of opulence, resources that could be used for healing the sick or making the Castle a more secure place for all to live. See, I can still remember it. We used to have to recite stuff like that every week in our Know Your Enemy lesson." See, I can still remember it. We used to have to recite stuff like that every week in our Know Your Enemy lesson."

"Yuck," sympathized Jenna. "Hey, I bet Aunt Zelda would be interested in all this down here," she whispered as she followed Boy 412 along the tunnel.

"She knows all about it already," said Boy 412, remembering Aunt Zelda's disappearance from the potion cupboard. "And I think she knows that I know."

"Why? Did she say?" asked Jenna, wondering how she had missed all this.

"No," said Boy 412. "But she gave me a funny look."

"She gives everyone funny looks," Jenna pointed out. "It doesn't mean she thinks they've been down some secret tunnel."

They walked on a little farther. The line of pictures had just ended and they had reached some steep steps leading upward. Jenna's attention was caught by a small rock nestled beside the bottom step. She picked it up and showed it to Boy 412.

"Hey, look at this. Isn't it lovely?"

Jenna was holding a large egg-shaped green stone. It was slippery-smooth as though someone had just polished it, and it shone with a dull sheen in the light of the ring. The green had an iridescent quality to it, like a dragonfly's wing, and it lay heavily but perfectly balanced in her two cupped hands.

"It's so smooth," said Boy 412, stroking it gently.

"Here, you have it," said Jenna impulsively. "It can be your own pet rock. Like Petroc Trelawney, only bigger. We could ask Dad to get a spell for it when we go back to the Castle."

Boy 412 took the green rock. He wasn't sure what to say. No one had ever given him a present before. He put the rock into his secret pocket on the inside of his sheepskin jacket. Then he remembered what Aunt Zelda had said to him when he had brought her some herbs from the garden.

"Thank you," he said.

Something in the way he spoke reminded Jenna of Nicko.

Nicko.

Nicko and the Hunter. Hunter.

"We've got to get back," said Jenna anxiously.

Boy 412 nodded. He knew they had to go and face whatever may be waiting for them outside. He had just been enjoying feeling safe for a while.

But he knew it couldn't last.

36.

FROZEN.

The trapdoor slowly rose a few inches, and Boy 412 peered out. A chill ran though him. The door to the potion cupboard had been thrown wide open, and he was looking straight at the heels of the Hunter's muddy brown boots. inches, and Boy 412 peered out. A chill ran though him. The door to the potion cupboard had been thrown wide open, and he was looking straight at the heels of the Hunter's muddy brown boots.

Standing with his back to the potion cupboard, only a few feet away, was the figure of the Hunter, his green cloak thrown over his shoulder and his silver pistol held at the ready. He was facing the kitchen door, poised as if about to rush forward.

Boy 412 waited to see what the Hunter was about to do, but the man did nothing at all. He was, thought Boy 412, waiting. waiting. Probably for Aunt Zelda to walk out of the kitchen. Probably for Aunt Zelda to walk out of the kitchen.

Willing Aunt Zelda to stay away, Boy 412 reached down and held his hand out for Jenna's s.h.i.+eld Bug.

Jenna stood anxiously on the ladder below him. She could tell that all was not well from how tense and still Boy 412 had become. When his hand reached down she took the rolled-up s.h.i.+eld Bug from her pocket and pa.s.sed it up to Boy 412, as they had planned, sending it a silent good luck wish as she did so. Jenna had begun to like the bug and was sorry to see it go.

Carefully, Boy 412 took the bug and slowly pushed it through the open trapdoor. He set the tiny armored green ball down on the floor, making sure he kept hold of it, and pointed it in the right direction.

Straight at the Hunter.

Then he let go. At once the bug uncurled itself, locked its piercing green eyes on to the Hunter and unsheathed its sword with a small swis.h.i.+ng noise. Boy 412 held his breath at the noise and hoped the Hunter had not heard, but the stocky man in green made no move. Boy 412 slowly breathed out and, with a flick of his finger, he sent the bug into the air, toward its target, with a shrill shriek.

The Hunter did nothing.

He didn't turn or even flinch as the bug landed on his shoulder and raised its sword to strike. Boy 412 was impressed. He knew the Hunter was tough, but surely this was taking things too far.

And then Aunt Zelda appeared.

"Look out!" yelled Boy 412. "The Hunter!"

Aunt Zelda jumped. Not because of the Hunter but because she had never heard Boy 412 speak before and so she had no idea who had spoken. Or where the unknown voice was coming from.

Then, to Boy 412's amazement, Aunt Zelda s.n.a.t.c.hed the s.h.i.+eld Bug off the Hunter and tapped it to make it roll back into a ball.

And still still the Hunter did nothing. the Hunter did nothing.

Briskly, Aunt Zelda put the bug into one of her many patchwork pockets and looked around her, wondering where the unfamiliar voice had come from. And then she caught sight of Boy 412 peering out from the slightly raised trapdoor.

"Is that you you?" she gasped. "Thank goodness you're all right. Where's Jenna?"

"Here," said Boy 412, half afraid to speak in case the Hunter heard. But the Hunter gave no sign of having heard anything at all, and Aunt Zelda treated him as nothing more than an awkward piece of furniture as she walked around his immobile figure, lifted up the trapdoor and helped Boy 412 and Jenna out.

"What a wonderful sight, both both of you safe," she said happily. "I was so worried." of you safe," she said happily. "I was so worried."

"But-what about him him." Boy 412 pointed to the Hunter.

"Frozen," said Aunt Zelda with an air of satisfaction. " said Aunt Zelda with an air of satisfaction. "Frozen solid and staying that way. Until I decide what to do with him." solid and staying that way. Until I decide what to do with him."

"Where's Nicko? Is he all right?" asked Jenna as she clambered out.

"He's fine. He's gone after the Apprentice," said Aunt Zelda.

As Aunt Zelda finished speaking, the front door crashed open and the dripping-wet Apprentice was propelled inside, followed by an equally dripping-wet Nicko.

"Pig," spat Nicko, slamming the door. He let go of the boy and went over to the blazing fire to get dry.

The Apprentice dripped unhappily on the floor and looked over to the Hunter for help. He dripped even more unhappily when he saw what had happened. The Hunter stood Frozen Frozen in mid-lunge with his pistol, staring into s.p.a.ce with empty eyes. The Apprentice gulped-a big woman in a patchwork tent was advancing purposefully toward him, and he knew only too well who it was from the Ill.u.s.trated Enemy Cards he had had to study before he came on the Hunt. in mid-lunge with his pistol, staring into s.p.a.ce with empty eyes. The Apprentice gulped-a big woman in a patchwork tent was advancing purposefully toward him, and he knew only too well who it was from the Ill.u.s.trated Enemy Cards he had had to study before he came on the Hunt.

It was the Mad White Witch, Zelda Zanuba Heap.

Not to mention the Wizard boy, Nickolas Benjamin Heap, and 412, the lowlife runaway deserter. They were all here, just as he had been told they would be. But where was the one they had really come for? Where was the Queenling Queenling?

The Apprentice looked around and caught sight of Jenna in the shadows behind Boy 412. He took in Jenna's gold circlet s.h.i.+ning against her long dark hair and her violet eyes, just like the picture on the Enemy Card (drawn very skillfully by Linda Lane, the spy). The Queenling was a little taller than he had expected, but it was definitely her.

A sly smile played on the Apprentice's lips as he wondered if he could grab Jenna all by himself. How pleased his Master would be with him. Surely then his Master would forget all his past failures and would stop threatening to send him into the Young Army as an Expendable. Especially if he had succeeded where even the Hunter had failed.

He was going to do it.

Taking everyone by surprise, the Apprentice, although hampered by his sodden robes, flung himself forward and seized hold of Jenna. He was unexpectedly strong for his size, and he wrapped a wiry arm around her throat, almost choking her. Then he started to drag her toward the door.

Aunt Zelda made a move toward the Apprentice, and he flicked open his pocketknife, pressing it hard against Jenna's throat.

"Anyone tries to stop me, and she gets it," he snarled, propelling Jenna out the open door and down the path to the canoe and the waiting Magog. The Magog paid the scene no attention at all. It was immersed in liquifying its fifteenth drowned s.h.i.+eld Bug, and its duties did not commence until the prisoner was in the canoe.

She nearly was.

But Nicko was not going to let his sister go without a fight. He hurtled after the Apprentice and threw himself onto him. The Apprentice landed on top of Jenna, and there was a scream. A trickle of blood ran from underneath her.

Nicko yanked the Apprentice out of the way.

"Jen, Jen!" he gasped. "Are you hurt?"