The Alchemyst

CHAPTER THREE

W hat was that disgusting smell?

Sophie Newman was just about to press the Bluetooth headset back into her ear

when she breathed deeply and paused, nostrils flaring. She d just smelled

something awful. Closing her phone and pushing her headset into a pocket, she

leaned over the open jar of dark tea leaves and inhaled.

She had been working in The Coffee Cup since she and her brother had arrived

in San Francisco for the summer. It was an OK job, nothing special. Most of

the customers were nice, a few were ignorant and one or two were downright

rude, but the hours were fine, the pay was good, the tips were better and the

shop had the added advantage of being just across the road from where her

twin brother worked. They had turned fifteen last December and had already

started to save for their own car. They estimated it would take them at least

two years if they bought no CDs, DVDs, games, clothes or shoes, which were

Sophie s big weakness.

Usually, there were two other staff on duty with her, but one had gone home

sick earlier, and Bernice, who owned the shop, had left after the lunchtime

rush to go to the wholesalers to stock up on fresh supplies of tea and

coffee. She had promised to be back in an hour; Sophie knew it would take at

least twice that.

Over the summer, Sophie had grown used to the smells of the different exotic

teas and coffee the shop sold. She could tell her Earl Grey from her

Darjeeling, and knew the difference between Javanese and Kenyan coffee. She

enjoyed the smell of coffee, though she hated the bitter taste of it. But she

loved tea. In the past couple of weeks she had been gradually sampling all

the teas, particularly the herbal teas with their fruity tastes and unusual

aromas.

But now something smelled foul and disgusting.

Almost like rotten eggs.

Sophie brought a tin of loose tea to her face and breathed deeply. The crisp

odor of Assam caught at the back of her throat: the stench wasn't coming from

there.

You re supposed to drink it, not inhale it.

Sophie turned as Perry Fleming came into the shop. Perry Fleming was a tall,

elegant woman who could have been any age from forty to sixty. It was clear

that she had once been beautiful, and she was still striking. Her eyes were

the brightest, clearest green Sophie had ever seen, and for a long time she

had wondered if the older woman wore colored contact lenses. Perry s hair had

once been jet-black, but now it was shot through with strands of silver, and

she wore it in an intricate braided ponytail that lay along her back almost

to the base of her spine. Her teeth were small and perfect, and her face was

traced with tiny laugh lines at the corners of her eyes. She was always much

more elegantly dressed than her husband, and today she was wearing a mint

green sleeveless summer dress that matched her eyes, in what Sophie thought

was probably pure silk.

I just thought it smelled peculiar, Sophie said. She sniffed the tea again.

Smells fine now, she added, but for a moment there, I thought it smelled

like like like rotten eggs.

She was looking at Perry Fleming as she spoke. She was startled when the

woman s bright green eyes snapped wide open and she whirled around to look

across the street just as all the little square windows of the bookshop

abruptly developed cracks and two simply exploded into dust. Wisps of green

and yellow smoke curled out into the street and the air was filled with the

stench of rotten eggs. Sophie caught another smell too, the sharper, cleaner

smell of peppermint.

The older woman s lips moved, and she whispered, Oh no not now not here.

Mrs. Fleming Perry?

The woman rounded on Sophie. Her eyes were wild and terrified and her usually

faultless English now held a hint of a foreign accent. Stay here; whatever

happens, stay here and stay down.

Sophie was opening her mouth to ask a question when she felt her ears pop.

She swallowed hard and then the door to the bookshop crashed open and one of

the big men Sophie had seen earlier was flung out onto the street. Now he was

missing his hat and glasses, and Sophie caught a glimpse of his dead-looking

skin and his marble black eyes. He crouched in the middle of the street for a

moment, then he raised his hand to shield his face from the sunlight.

And Sophie felt something cold and solid settle into the pit of her stomach.

The skin on the man s hand was moving. It was slowly flowing, shifting

viscously down into his sleeve: it looked as if his fingers were melting. A

glob of what appeared to be gray mud spattered onto the street.

Golems, Perry gasped. My God, he s created Golems.

Gollums? Sophie asked, her mouth thick and dry, her tongue suddenly feeling

far too large for her mouth. Gollum, from Lord of the Rings?

Perry was moving toward the door. No: Golems, she said absently, Men of

Clay.

The name meant nothing to Sophie, but she watched with a mixture of horror

and confusion as the creature the Golem on the street crawled out of the sun

and under the cover of the awning. Like a huge slug, he left a wet muddy

trail behind him, which immediately dried in the fierce sunlight. Sophie

caught another glimpse of his face before he staggered into the bookshop. His

features had flowed like melted wax and a fine web of cracks covered the

skin. It reminded her of the floor of a desert.

Perry dashed out into the street. Sophie watched as the woman pulled her hair

free of its intricate braid and shook it loose. But instead of lying flat

against her back, her hair flowed out about her, as if it were blown in a

gentle breeze. Only there was no breeze.

Sophie hesitated a moment; then, grabbing a broom, she dashed across the road

after Perry. Josh was in the bookstore!

The bookshop was in chaos.

The once-neat shelves and carefully stacked tables were scattered and tossed

about the room in heaps. Bookcases were shattered, shelves snapped in half,

ornate prints and maps lay crushed on the floor. The stench of rot and decay

hung about the room: pulped paper and wood turned dry and rotting, even the

ceiling was scored and torn, plaster shredded to reveal the wooden joists and

dangling electrical wires.

The small gray man stood in the center of the floor. He was fastidiously

brushing dust off the sleeve of his coat while two of his Golems explored the

cellar. The third Golem, damaged and stiff from exposure to the sun, leaned

awkwardly against a crushed bookcase. Flakes of gray mudlike skin were

spiraling off what remained of his hands.

The gray man turned as Perry, followed by Sophie, dashed into the bookshop.

He gave a neat little bow. Ah, Madame Perenelle. I was wondering where you

were.

Where is Nicholas? Perry demanded. She pronounced the name Nicola. Sophie

saw a static charge ripple down the woman s hair, blue and white sparks

crackling.

Downstairs, I believe. My creatures are looking for him.

Clutching the broom tightly in both hands, Sophie slipped past Perry and

crept around to the other side of the room. Josh. Where was Josh? She had no

idea what was happening and didn't care. She just needed to find her brother.

You are looking as lovely as ever, the gray man said, eyes fixed on Perry.

You haven t aged a day. He bowed again, an old-fashioned, courtly movement

that he performed effortlessly. It is always a joy to see you.

I wish I could say the same for you, Dee. Perry moved farther into the

room, eyes darting from side to side. I recognized your foul stench.

Dee closed his eyes and breathed deeply. I rather like the smell of

brimstone. It is so He paused. So dramatic. Then his gray eyes snapped

open and the smile faded. we've come for the Book, Perenelle. And don't tell

me you've destroyed it, he added. Your continued remarkable good health is

proof indeed of its existence.

Which book? Sophie wondered, glancing around the room; the shop was full of

books.

We are the guardians of the Book, Perry said, and something in her voice

made Sophie turn to look at her. The girl stopped, mouth and eyes wide with

horror. A silver mist surrounded Perry Fleming, rising off her skin in

gossamer threads. Pale and translucent in places, it gathered thick and hard

around her hands, making it look as if she were wearing metal gauntlets. You

will never get it, Perry snapped.

We will, Dee said. we've accumulated all the other treasures over the

years. Only the Book remains. Now, make it easy on yourself and tell me where

it is .

Never!

I knew you would say that, Dee said, and then the huge Golem launched

himself at Perry. Humans are so predictable.

Nick Fleming and Josh were opening the door of the dry cleaner s when they

saw Perry, followed by Sophie, race across the street and into the bookshop.

Get this door open, Nick snapped as he reached under his T-shirt. From a

simple square cloth bag dangling around his neck, he produced what looked

like a small book bound in copper-colored metal.

Josh slammed back the bolts and tugged open the door and Nick raced out,

quickly thumbing through the rough-edged pages as he ran, looking for

something. Josh caught a brief glimpse of ornate writing and geometric

patterns on the thick yellowed pages as he followed Nick back into the

bookshop.

Nick and Josh arrived in time to see the Golem touch Perry.

And explode.

Fine, gritty powder filled the air, and the heavy black overcoat crumpled to

the floor. For a moment, a miniature whirlwind spun there, churning up the

dust, then it curled away.

But Nick and Josh s entry diverted Perry s attention. She half turned and in

that instant Dee drew his left arm across his eyes and hurled a tiny crystal

ball onto the floor.

It was as if the sun had exploded in the room.

The light was incredible. Blinding and harsh, it blanketed the room in its

ghastly flare, and with the light came the smell: the stink of burning hair

and overcooked food, smoldering leaves and scorched metal mingled with the

acrid fumes of diesel.

Josh caught a glimpse of his sister just as Dee tossed the crystal. He was

partially shielded by Nick and Perry, both of whom were battered to the floor

by the light. Josh s vision became a kaleidoscope of black-and-white still

images as the light seared the rods and cones at the back of his eyes. He saw

Nick drop the metal-bound book onto the floor saw two black-clad shapes

surround Perry and vaguely heard her scream saw Dee snatch the book with a

grunt of triumph while Nick groped blindly on the floor.

You lose, Nicholas, Dee hissed, as you have always lost. Now I get to take

those things most precious to you: your beloved Perenelle and your book.

Josh was moving even before he was aware of it. He launched himself at Dee,

catching the small man by surprise. Although only fifteen, Josh was tall for

his age, and heavy: he was big enough to be a linebacker, and the youngest on

his football team. He knocked Dee to the ground, sending the book spinning

out of his grasp. Josh felt the heavy metal cover beneath his fingertips and

caught it just as he was lifted straight off the floor and tossed into a

corner. He landed on a pile of books that cushioned his fall. Black spots and

darts of rainbow light moved across his eyes every time he blinked.

Dee s gray shape loomed over Josh, then his gloved hand reached down for the

book. Mine, I think.

Josh s grip tightened, but Dee simply wrenched the book from his hand.

You. Leave. My. Brother. Alone. Sophie Newman brought the broom down five

times on Dee s back, once for every word.

Dee barely glanced at her. Clutching the book in one gloved hand, he caught

the broom in the other and muttered a single word, and it immediately

withered and turned to ragged pulpy splinters in Sophie s hands. You re

lucky I m in a good humor today, he whispered, else I d do the same to

you. Then Dee and his two remaining Golems swept out of the devastated

bookshop, carrying Perry Fleming between them, and slammed the door closed.

There was a long moment of silence, and then the last remaining undisturbed

shelf of books clattered to the floor.