“That isn’t the same.”

“It, too, is Magyk, Apprentice.”

Septimus ran his fingers across the Dragon Ring. It sat cold and unresponsive on his finger, just like any other ring. The little buzz of Magyk that he always felt from it was no longer there. A feeling of doom swept over Septimus. He knew Marcellus spoke the truth—Magyk did not work inside the chamber.

They were trapped.

16

MISSING

That evening at five past six, Lucy—who was trying to hang up an interesting experiment in knitted curtains—watched from the window as Simon Heap waited on Marcellus’s doorstep. She saw Simon knock for a third time, step back and look up at the windows, shake his head and cross the road back to their house.

“He’s not there,” Simon said forlornly, as he wandered into their tiny front room. Lucy was inspecting her curtains with approval—she particularly liked the holes where she had dropped the occasional stitch. “Don’t worry, Si,” she said. “He’ll be back soon.”

Simon took the I, Marcellus out of his pocket and looked at it. “I thought it was too good to be true,” he said gloomily.

“Don’t be silly, Si. If Marcellus didn’t want you to be his Apprentice, he wouldn’t have given you his precious book, would he? We’ll sit and wait for him to come back.”

Simon made a pot of herb tea and set it down on the table next to a small, battered box that bore the label SLEUTH. He opened the box, took out his old and worn Tracker Ball and began gently throwing it from one hand to the other as he always did when he felt unsettled. Lucy poured the tea and together they sat at the window, watching for the return of the Alchemist.

Night began to fall and candles were placed in the windows of the houses on either side of Marcellus’s, but his remained dark. Suddenly Lucy saw a cloaked figure stride quickly down the slipway and walk up to his front door.

“There he is!” she said. Simon threw Sleuth into its box and was heading out of the room when Lucy said, “Oh. It’s Marcia.”

The sound of the angry rapping of Marcellus’s doorknocker carried across the snowy slipway. They watched Marcia wait and then step back and peruse the dark windows, just as Simon had. Then they saw the ExtraOrdinary Wizard spin around and head across the slipway toward their door. Simon rushed into the hall, leaping over a rolled-up rug, a potted plant and a box of books. He opened the door just as Marcia was about to knock.

“Oh!” she said, surprised.

“Sorry,” said Simon. “It falls off its hinges if you knock hard.”

Marcia did not waste words. “Have you seen Marcellus?” she asked.

“No, I haven’t.”

“It’s too bad, Simon. It’s Septimus’s last day and I’m expecting him back for a Wizard Warming Supper. We have two new Ordinaries to welcome.”

“Right.” People becoming Wizards were still a sore spot for Simon.

“I’d be very grateful if as soon as they come back you would kindly tell Septimus to get straight over to the Wizard Tower?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Thank you, Simon.” With that Marcia turned and strode away up Snake Slipway. Simon closed the door.

“What was that about?” asked Lucy.

“I’m being a messenger for my little brother, that’s all,” said Simon glumly. “And it looks like that’s all I’m ever going to be.”

“Oh, don’t be silly, Si. Just because Marcellus is late home it doesn’t mean he’s changed his mind about making you his Alchemie Apprentice, does it? We’ll watch for him to come back and as soon as he does you can go and see him.”

“All these new Wizards, Lu. It’s not fair.”

“You don’t want to be a boring old Wizard,” said Lucy. “Alchemie is much more exciting.”

“I guess so.”

“Besides,” Lucy said with a smile, “you look really good in black.”

But Marcellus did not come back. Simon watched all evening from the front-room window and, much to Lucy’s annoyance, would not let her draw her new curtains. Lucy wanted to see the effect of the moonlight through the holes, but Simon was adamant—he had to watch for Marcellus. By the time midnight was drawing on, Simon was worried.

“I’m going to the Wizard Tower, Lu,” he said. “Something’s not right.”

Simon had not even reached the end of Snake Slipway when he saw the unmistakable figure of Marcia striding toward him.