The Magician

CHAPTER TWELVE

T he Witch said we should get to the Eiffel Tower by seven, and to wait

there for ten minutes, Nicholas Flamel said as they hurried down the narrow

alley. If no one shows up in that time, we are to return there at eight and

again at nine.

Who ll be there? Sophie asked, jogging to keep up with Flamel s long

stride. She was exhausted, and the few moments sitting in the caf had only

served to emphasize just how tired she was. Her legs felt leaden and there

was a sharp stitch in her left side.

The Alchemyst shrugged. I don't know. Whoever the Witch can contact.

That s assuming there is anyone in Paris willing to risk helping you,

Scathach said lightly. You are a dangerous enemy, Nicholas, and probably an

even more dangerous friend. Death and destruction have always followed

closely at your heels.

Josh glanced sidelong at his sister, knowing she was listening. She

deliberately looked away, but he knew she was uncomfortable with the

conversation.

Well, if no one turns up, Flamel said, then we ll go to plan B.

Scathach s lips curled into a humorless smile. I didn't even know we had a

plan A. What s plan B?

I haven t gotten that far yet. He grinned. Then the smile faded. I just

wish Perenelle were here; she d know what to do.

We should split up, Josh said suddenly.

Flamel, who was in the lead, glanced over his shoulder. I don't think so.

We have to, Josh said firmly. It makes sense. But as he said it, he

wondered why the Alchemyst didn't want them to split up.

Josh is right, Sophie said. The police are looking for the four of us. I m

sure they have a description by now: two teenagers, a red-haired girl and an

old man. It s not really a common group.

Old! Nicholas sounded vaguely insulted, his French accent pronounced.

Scatty is two thousand years older than I!

Yes. But the difference is that I don't look it, the Warrior teased with a

grin. Splitting up is a good idea.

Josh stopped at the mouth of the narrow alley and looked up and down. Police

sirens wailed and warbled all around them.

Sophie stood beside her brother, and while the similarity in their features

was obvious, he suddenly noticed that there were now lines on her forehead,

and her bright blue eyes had become cloudy, the irises flecked with silver.

Roux said we should turn left for the Rue de Dunkerque or right for the

Metro station.

I m not sure that splitting up Flamel hesitated.

Josh spun around. We have to, he said decisively. Sophie and I will he

began, but Nicholas shook his head, interrupting him.

OK. I agree that we should split up. But the police may be looking for

twins .

We don't look too much like twins, Sophie said quickly. Josh is taller

than me.

And you both have blond hair and bright blue eyes, and neither of you speaks

French, Scatty added. Sophie, you come with me. Two girls together will not

attract too much attention. Josh and Nicholas can go together.

I m not leaving Sophie , Josh protested, suddenly panicked at even the

thought of being separated from his sister in this strange city.

I ll be safe with Scatty, Sophie said with a smile. You worry too much.

And I know Nicholas will look after you.

Josh didn't look too sure. I d rather stay with my sister, Josh said

firmly.

Let the girls go together; it s better this way, Flamel said. Safer.

Safer? Josh said incredulously. Nothing about this is safe.

Josh! Sophie snapped, in the exact tone that their mother sometimes used.

Enough. She turned back to the Warrior. You ll need to do something with

your hair. If the police have a description of a red-haired girl in black

combats

You re right. Scathach s left hand moved in a quick twisting gesture and

suddenly she was holding a short-bladed knife between her fingers. She turned

to Flamel. I m going to need some cloth. Without waiting for an answer, she

spun him around and lifted his battered leather jacket. With neat precise

moves, she cut a square from the back of Flamel s loose black T-shirt. Then

she dropped his leather jacket back in place and twisted the square of fabric

into a bandana, knotting it at the back of her head, covering her distinctive

hair.

This was my favorite T-shirt, Flamel muttered. It s vintage. He shifted

his shoulder uncomfortably. And now my back is cold.

don't be such a baby. I ll buy you a new one, Scatty said. She caught

Sophie s hand. Come on. Let s go. See you at the Tower.

Do you know the way? Nicholas called after her.

Scatty laughed. I lived here for nearly sixty years, remember? I was here

when the tower was built.

Flamel nodded. Well, try not to draw attention to yourself.

I ll try.

Sophie , Josh began.

I know, his sister answered, be careful. She turned back and hugged her

brother quickly, their auras crackling. Everything s going to be all right,

she said softly, reading the fear in his eyes.

Josh forced himself to smile, and he nodded. How do you know? Magic?

I just know, she said simply. Her eyes blinked briefly silver. This is all

happening for a reason remember the prophecy. Everything s going to work out

fine.

I believe you, he said, even though he didn't. Be careful, and remember,

he added, no wind.

Sophie hugged him quickly again. No wind, she whispered in his ear, and

then spun away.

Nicholas and Josh watched Scatty and Sophie disappear down the street,

heading toward the Metro station; then they turned in the opposite direction.

Just before they rounded a corner, Josh glanced back over his shoulder and

saw that his sister had done the same. They both raised their hands and waved

good-bye.

Josh waited until she had turned away and then lowered his hand. Now he was

truly alone, in a strange city, thousands of miles from home, with a man he

didn't trust, a man he had started to fear.

I thought you said you knew the way, Sophie said.

It s been a while since I was here, the Warrior admitted, and the streets

have changed quite a bit.

But you said you were here when the Eiffel Tower was built. She stopped,

abruptly realizing what she had just said. And when was that exactly? she

asked.

In 1889. I left a couple of months later.

Scathach stopped outside the Metro station and asked directions from a

newspaper and magazine seller. The tiny Chinese woman spoke very little

French so Scathach quickly switched to another language. Sophie abruptly

realized that she recognized it it was Mandarin. The smiling clerk came out

from behind the counter and pointed down the street, speaking so quickly that

Sophie was unable to pick up individual words, despite the Witch s knowledge

of the language. It sounded as if she were singing. Scathach thanked her,

then bowed, and the woman matched the bow.

Sophie caught the Warrior s arm and dragged her away. So much for not

attracting attention to yourself, she murmured. People were starting to

stare.

What were they staring at? Scathach asked, genuinely puzzled.

Oh, probably just the sight of a white girl speaking fluent Chinese and then

bowing, Sophie said with a grin. It was quite a performance.

One day everyone will speak Mandarin, and bowing is just good manners,

Scathach said, setting off down the street, following the directions the

woman had given.

Sophie fell into step beside her. Where did you learn Chinese? she asked.

In China. Actually, I was speaking Mandarin to the woman, but I also speak

Wu and Cantonese. I ve spent a lot of time in the Far East over the

centuries. I used to love it there.

They walked in silence, and then Sophie said, So how many languages do you

speak?

Scathach frowned, eyes briefly closing as she considered. Six or seven

Sophie nodded. Six or seven; that s impressive. My mom and dad want us to

learn Spanish, and Dad is teaching us Greek and Latin. But I d really like to

learn Japanese. I really want to visit Japan, she added.

six or seven hundred, Scathach continued, then laughed aloud at the

stunned expression on Sophie s face. She slipped her arm through Sophie s.

Well, I suppose a few of those would be dead languages, so I m not sure they

count, but remember, I ve been around for a very long time.

Have you really lived for two and a half thousand years? Sophie asked,

glancing sidelong at the girl who looked no older than seventeen. She

suddenly grinned: never once had she imagined herself asking a question like

that. It was just another example of how her life had changed.

Two thousand, five hundred and seventeen humani years. Scathach smiled a

tight-lipped smile that hid her vampire teeth. Hekate once abandoned me in a

particularly nasty Underworld Shadowrealm. It took me centuries to find my

way out. And when I was younger I spent a lot of time in the Shadowrealms of

Lyonesse, Hy-Brasil and Tir na nOg, where time moves at a different pace.

Shadowrealm time is not the same as humani time, so I really only count my

time on this earth. And who knows, you may get to find out for yourself. You

and Josh are unique and powerful and will grow even more powerful as you

master the elemental magics. If you don't discover the secret of immortality

yourselves, someone may offer it to you as a gift. Come on, let s cross.

Catching hold of Sophie s hand, she pulled her across a narrow road.

Although it had only just turned six in the morning, traffic was starting to

build. Vans were making deliveries to restaurants, and the chill morning air

was beginning to fill with the mouth-watering odors of fresh-baked bread and

pastries and percolating coffee. Sophie breathed in the familiar fragrances:

croissants and coffee reminded her that only two days ago she had been

serving those in The Coffee Cup. She blinked away the sting of sudden tears.

So much had happened, so much had changed in the past two days. What s it

like to live so long? she wondered aloud.

Lonely, Scatty said quietly.

How long how long will you live? she asked the Warrior cautiously.

Scatty shrugged and smiled. Who knows? If I m careful, exercise regularly

and watch my diet, I could live another couple of thousand years. Then her

smile faded. But I m not invulnerable, nor am I invincible. I can be

killed. She saw the stricken look on Sophie s face and squeezed her arm.

But that s not going to happen. Do you know how many humani, immortals,

Elders, were-creatures and assorted monsters have tried to kill me?

The girl shook her head.

Well, nor do I, actually. But there have been thousands. Maybe even tens of

thousands. And I m still here; what does that tell you?

That you re good?

Hah! I m better than good. I am the best. I am the Warrior. Scathach

stopped and looked into a bookshop window, but Sophie noticed that when she

turned to talk, her bright green eyes were darting everywhere, taking in

their surroundings.

Resisting the temptation to turn around, Sophie lowered her voice to a

whisper. Are we being followed? She was surprised to discover that she

wasn't the least bit afraid; she knew, instinctively, that nothing could harm

her when she was with Scatty.

No, I don't think so. Just old habits. Scathach smiled. The same habits

that have kept me alive through the centuries. She moved away from the shop

and Sophie linked her arm with Scatty s.

Nicholas called you other names when we met you . Sophie frowned, trying to

remember how he d first introduced Scathach back in San Francisco only two

days ago. He called you the Warrior Maid, the Shadow, the Daemon Slayer, the

King Maker.

Those are just names, Scathach muttered, sounding embarrassed.

They sound like more than names, Sophie pressed. They sound like

titles titles you've earned? she persisted.

Well, I ve had lots of names, Scathach said, names my friends gave me,

names my foes called me. I was the Warrior Maid first, and then I became the

Shadow, because of my skills at concealment. I perfected the first camouflage

clothing.

You sound like a ninja, Sophie laughed. Listening to the Warrior talk,

images from the Witch s memories flickered through her head, and she knew

that Scatty was telling the truth.

I tried teaching ninjas, but they were never that good, believe me. I became

the Daemon Slayer when I killed Raktabija. And I was called the King Maker

when I helped put Arthur on the throne, she added, her voice turning grim.

She shook her head quickly. That was a mistake. And not my first either.

She laughed, but it came out shaky and sounding forced. I ve made a lot of

mistakes.

My dad says you can learn from your mistakes.

Scatty barked a laugh. Not me. She was unable to keep the note of

bitterness from her voice.

It sounds like you've had a tough life, Sophie said quietly.

It s been tough, the Warrior admitted.

Has there ever been a Sophie paused, hunting for the word. Have you ever

had a a boyfriend?

Scathach looked at her sharply, then turned her face away to stare into a

shop window. For a moment Sophie thought she was examining the display of

shoes, but then she realized that the Warrior was looking at her own

reflection in the glass. The girl wondered what she saw.

No, Scatty finally admitted. There s never been anyone close, anyone

special. She smiled tightly. The Elders fear and avoid me. And I try not to

get too close to humani. It s too hard watching them age and die. That is the

curse of immortality: to watch the world change, to see everything you know

wither. Remember that, Sophie, if someone offers you the gift of

immortality. She made the last word sound like a profanity.

It sounds so lonely, Sophie said carefully. She never thought about what it

must be like to be immortal before to live on while everything familiar

changed and everyone you knew left you. They walked a dozen steps in silence

before Scatty spoke again.

Yes, it s been lonely, she admitted, very lonely.

I know about lonely, Sophie said thoughtfully. With Mom and Dad away so

much or moving us from city to city, it s hard to make friends. It s almost

impossible to keep them. I suppose that s why Josh and I have always been so

close; we ve had no one else. My best friend, Elle, is in New York. We talk

on the phone all the time, and e-mail and chat on IM, but I haven t seen her

since Christmas. She sends me photos off her cell every time she changes her

hair color, so I know what she looks like, she added with a smile. Josh

doesn t even try to make friends, though.

Friends are important, Scathach agreed, squeezing Sophie s arm lightly.

But while friends come and go, you will always have family.

What about your family? The Witch of Endor mentioned your mother and

brother. Even as she was speaking, images from the Witch s memories popped

into her mind: a sharp-faced older woman with bloodred eyes and an

ashen-skinned young man with blazing red hair.

The Warrior shrugged uncomfortably. We don't talk much these days. My

parents were Elders, born and raised on the isle of Danu Talis. When my

grandmother Dora left the island to teach the first humani, they never

forgave her. Like many Elders, they considered the humani to be little better

than beasts. Curiosities, my father called them. A flicker of disgust

crossed her face. Prejudice has always been with us. My mother and father

were even more shocked when I announced that I too was going to work with the

humani, to fight for them, to protect them when I could.

Why? Sophie asked.

Scatty s voice grew soft. It was obvious to me, even then, that the humani

were the future and that the days of the Elder Races were drawing to a

close. She glanced sidelong at Sophie, who was surprised to find Scathach s

eyes bright and glittering, almost as if there were tears in them. My

parents warned me that if I left home, I would bring shame on the family name

and they would disown me. Scatty s voice trailed into silence.

But you still left, Sophie guessed.

The Warrior nodded. I left. We didn't speak for a millennium until they were

in trouble and needed my help, she added with a grim smile. We talk

occasionally now, but I m afraid they still consider me an embarrassment.

Sophie squeezed her hand gently. She felt uncomfortable with what the Warrior

had just told her, but she also realized that Scatty had shared something

incredibly personal, something that Sophie doubted the ancient warrior had

ever shared with anyone else. I m sorry. I didn't mean to upset you.

Scathach squeezed back. You didn't upset me. They upset me more than two

thousand years ago, in fact and I can still remember it as if it were

yesterday. It s been a long time since anyone took the trouble to ask about

my life. And believe me, it s not been all bad. I ve had some wonderful

adventures, she said brightly. Did I tell you about the time I was the lead

singer in an all-girl band? Sort of goth-punk Spice Girls, but we only did

Tori Amos covers. We were very big in Germany. She lowered her voice. The

problem was, we were all vampires .

Nicholas and Josh turned onto the Rue de Dunkerque and discovered there were

police everywhere. Keep walking, Nicholas said urgently as Josh slowed.

And act natural.

Natural, Josh muttered. I don't even know what that means anymore.

Walk quickly, but don't run, Nicholas said patiently. You re completely

innocent, a student on the way to class or heading to a summer job. Look at

the police, but don't stare. And if one looks at you, don't turn away

quickly, just let your eyes drift on to the next character. That s what an

ordinary citizen would do. If we re stopped, I ll do the talking. We ll be

fine. He saw the skeptical look on the boy s face and his smile widened.

Trust me, I've been doing this for a very long time. The trick is to move as

if you have every right in the world to be here. The police are trained to

look for people who look and act suspicious.

don't you think we fall into both categories? Josh asked.

We look like we belong and that makes us invisible.

A group of three policemen didn't even look in their direction as they walked

past. Josh noticed that each was wearing a different type of uniform, and the

men seemed to be arguing.

Good, Nicholas said when they were out of earshot.

What s good?

Nicholas inclined his head in the direction they had just come. You saw the

different uniforms?

The boy nodded.

France has a complicated police system; Paris even more so. There is the

Police Nationale, the Gendarmerie Nationale and the Pr fecture de Police.

Machiavelli has obviously pulled out all the stops to find us, but his great

failing has always been that he assumes that other people are as coldly

logical as he is. He obviously thinks that if he puts all these police

resources on the streets, they will do nothing but search for us. But there

is a great deal of rivalry between the various units, and no doubt everyone

wants the credit for capturing the dangerous criminals.

Is that what you've made us into now? Josh asked, unable to disguise the

sudden bitterness in his voice. Two days ago, Sophie and I were happy,

normal people. And now look at us: I barely know my own sister. We ve been

hunted, attacked by monsters and now we re on a police most-wanted list.

you've made us criminals, Mr. Flamel. But this isn't the first time you've

been a criminal, is it? he snapped. He shoved his hands deep into his

pockets and closed them into fists to prevent them from shaking. He was

scared and angry, and the fear was making him reckless. He d never talked to

an adult like that before.

No, Nicholas said mildly, his pale eyes starting to glitter dangerously.

I've been called a criminal. But only by my enemies. It seems to me, he

added after a long pause, that you've been talking to Dr. Dee. And the only

place you could have encountered him was in Ojai, since that was the only

time you were out of my sight.

Josh didn't even think about denying it. I met Dee when the three of you

were busy with the Witch, he admitted defiantly. He told me a lot about

you.

I m quite sure he did, Flamel murmured. He waited by the curb as a dozen

students on bicycles and mopeds sped past; then he strolled across the

street. Josh hurried after him.

He said that you never tell anyone everything.

True, Flamel agreed. If you tell people everything, you take away their

opportunity to learn.

He said you stole the Book of Abraham from the Louvre.

Nicholas walked for half a dozen steps before nodding. Well, I suppose that

is true too, he said, though it s not quite so straightforward as he would

like to paint it. Certainly, in the seventeenth century, the book briefly

fell into the hands of Cardinal Richelieu.

Josh shook his head. Who s that?

Have you never read The Three Musketeers? Flamel asked in astonishment.

Nope. Didn't even see the movie.

Flamel shook his head. I ve got a copy in the shop , he began, and then

stopped. When he d walked away from the bookshop on Thursday, it had been a

trashed ruin. Richelieu appears in the books and the movies, too. He was a

real person and was known as the l Eminence Rouge the Red Eminence so named

after his cardinal s red robes, he explained. He was King Louis XIII s

chief minister, but in reality he ruled the country. In 1632, Dee managed to

trap Perenelle and me in a part of the old city. His inhuman agents had

surrounded us; there were ghouls in the earth beneath our feet, Dire-Crows in

the air, and Baobhan Sith were tracking us through the streets. Nicholas

shrugged uncomfortably at the memory and looked up and around, almost as if

he expected to see the creatures appear again. I was beginning to think that

I was going to have to destroy the Codex rather than see it fall into Dee s

hands. Then Perenelle suggested one last option: we could hide the book in

plain sight. It was simple and brilliant!

What did you do? Josh asked, curious now.

Flamel s teeth flashed in a quick smile. I sought an audience with Cardinal

Richelieu and presented him with the book.

You gave it to him? Did he know what it was?

Of course he did. The Book of Abraham is famous, Josh or maybe infamous

might be a better word. Next time you go online, look it up.

Did the cardinal know who you were? he asked. Listening to Flamel talk, it

was easy so easy to believe everything he said. And then he remembered how

believable Dee had been back in Ojai.

Flamel smiled, remembering. Cardinal Richelieu believed I was one of the

descendants of Nicholas Flamel. So we presented him with the Book of Abraham

and he put it in his library. Nicholas laughed softly as he shook his head.

The safest place in all of France.

Josh frowned. But surely when he looked at it, he saw that the text moved?

Perenelle put a glamour over the book. It s a particular type of

spell astonishingly simple, apparently, though I could never master it so

when the cardinal looked at the book, he saw what he expected to see: pages

of ornate Greek and Aramaic writing.

Did Dee catch you?

Almost. We escaped down the Seine on a barge. Dee himself stood on the Pont

Neuf with a dozen musketeers and fired scores of shots at us. They all

missed; despite the musketeers reputation, they were terrible shots, he

added. And then, a couple of weeks later, Perenelle and I returned to Paris,

broke into the library and stole our book back. So I suppose you could say

that Dee is right, he concluded. I am a thief.

Josh walked on in silence; he had no idea what to believe. He wanted to

believe Flamel; working in the bookshop alongside the man, he d grown to like

and respect him. He wanted to trust him and yet he could never forgive him

for putting Sophie in danger.

Flamel glanced up and down the street; then, putting his hand on Josh s

shoulder, he guided him through the stalled traffic and across the Rue de

Dunkerque. Just in case we re being followed, he said softly, his lips

barely moving as they darted through the early-morning traffic.

Once they were across the road, Josh shrugged off Nicholas s hand. What Dee

said made a lot of sense, he continued.

I m sure it did, Flamel said with a laugh. Dr. John Dee has been many

things in his long and colorful life, a magus and a mathematician, an

alchemist and spy. But let me tell you, Josh, he was often a rogue and always

a liar. He is a master of lies and half-truths, and he practiced and

perfected his craft in that most dangerous of times, the Elizabethan Age. He

knows that the best lie is one that is wrapped around a core of truth. He

paused, his eyes flickering over the crowd streaming past them. What else

did he tell you?

Josh hesitated for a moment before replying. He was tempted not to reveal all

of his conversation with Dee but then realized that he d probably said too

much already. Dee said that you only used the spells in the Codex for your

own good.

Nicholas nodded. It s a fair point. I use the immortality spell to keep

Perenelle and myself alive, that is true. And I use the philosopher s stone

formulation to turn ordinary metal into gold and coal into diamonds. There s

no money in bookselling, let me tell you. But we only make as much wealth as

we need we re not greedy.

Josh hurried ahead of Flamel, then turned around to face him. This isn't

about the money, he snapped. There is so much else you could be doing with

what s in that book. Dee said it could be used to turn this world into a

paradise, that it could cure all disease, even repair the environment. He

found it incomprehensible that someone would not want to do that.

Flamel stopped in front of Josh. His eyes were almost on a level with the

boy's. Yes, there are spells in the Book which would do all that and much,

much more, he said seriously. I've glimpsed spells in the Book that could

reduce this world to a cinder, others that would make the deserts bloom. But

Josh, even if I could work those spells which I cannot the material in the

Book is not mine to use. Flamel's pale eyes bored into Josh s, and Josh had

no doubt now that the Alchemyst was telling the truth. Perenelle and I are

only the Guardians of the Book. We are simply holding it in trust until we

can pass it on to its rightful owners. They will know how to use it.

But who are the rightful owners? Where are they?

Nicholas Flamel put both hands on Josh s shoulders and stared into his bright

blue eyes. Well, I was hoping, he said very softly, that it might be you

and Sophie. In fact, I m gambling everything my life, Perenelle's life, the

survival of the entire human race that you are.

Standing on the Rue de Dunkerque, looking into the Alchemyst's eyes, reading

the truth in them, Josh felt the people fade away until it was as if they

were standing alone on the street. He swallowed hard. And you believe that?

With all my heart, Flamel said simply. And everything I have done, I ve

done to protect you and Sophie and to prepare you for what is to come. You

have to believe me, Josh. You must. I know you re angry because of what has

happened with Sophie, but I would never let her come to harm.

She could have died or fallen into a coma, Josh muttered.

Flamel shook his head. If she were an ordinary human, then yes, that could

have happened. But I know she isn't ordinary. Nor are you, he added.

Because of our auras? Josh asked, digging for as much information as he

could get.

Because you are the twins of legend.

And if you re wrong? Have you thought about that: what happens if you re

wrong?

Then the Dark Elders return.

Would that be so bad? Josh wondered aloud.

Nicholas opened his mouth to reply and quickly pressed his lips tightly

together, biting back whatever he had been about to say, but not before Josh

saw the quick flash of anger that darted across his face. Finally, Nicholas

forced his lips into a smile. Gently, he turned Josh around so that he was

facing the street. What do you see? he asked.

Josh shook his head and shrugged. Nothing just a bunch of people heading off

to work. And the police looking for us, he added.

Nicholas caught Josh s shoulder and urged him down the street. don't think

of them as a bunch of people, Flamel admonished sharply. That s how Dee and

his kind see humankind: what they call the humani. I see individuals, with

worries and cares, with family and loved ones, with friends and colleagues. I

see people.

Josh shook his head. I don't understand.

Dee and the Elders he serves look at these people and see only slaves. He

paused, then quietly added, Or food.