Fyre

Page 146

“Not on your own,” said Milo. “I am coming with you.”
“Jenna will not be going alone,” said Marcia. “You can be sure of that, Milo.” She got to her feet. “Excuse me a moment.”
Marcia quickly returned with Marcellus. “Our Castle Alchemist has a suggestion,” she said.
Marcellus smiled happily. He knew what it meant for Marcia to freely use his old title. “It is extremely dangerous approaching from the Fyre hatch,” he said, “as Simon here will attest.” Simon nodded. “I suggest we go to the Fyre Chamber through the Covert Way.”
“Covert Way? Another secret, Marcellus?” Marcia asked with a wry smile.
This was still a sensitive subject for Marcellus. “It is not my secret, Marcia,” he retorted.
“It is mine, ExtraOrdinary,” admitted Julius. “The Covert Way is the direct connection between here and the Fyre Chamber and emerges on the Chamber floor, behind the Cauldron. I Concealed it after the Great Alchemie Disaster. It lies beneath the spiral stairs. I will show you.”
In the cramped and dusty inspection space beneath the spiral stairs, Milo, Marcia, Septimus, Jenna, Beetle, Marcellus and the ghost of Julius Pike were gathered, looking at a roughly plastered, blank wall.
“There is an ExtraOrdinary Conceal here.”
“Not noted in the Concealed Register,” said Marcia tartly.
“No,” admitted Julius.
ExtraOrdinary Conceals were undetectable and used only by ExtraOrdinary Wizards within the confines of the Wizard Tower. A condition of their use was that they should be entered in the Concealed Register so that every ExtraOrdinary Wizard would know what was Concealed where in the Wizard Tower.
“So what have you been Concealing here, Mr. Pike?” asked Marcia.
“A moving chamber that will take us to the Chamber of Fyre.”
“Really? Well, I suggest you Reveal it right away.” Septimus could tell that Marcia was furious.
Julius obeyed and a smooth and shiny black door in the wall was Revealed: Marcia gave Septimus and Marcellus a quizzical look. “That looks familiar.”
“Yes, I know,” Septimus said guiltily.
“Was that what you were doing on that terrible day—traveling to the Fyre Chamber?” Marcia asked.
Septimus felt really bad. “Yes, it was.”
“Goodness!” said Marcia, shaking her head.
“I so wanted to tell you,” said Septimus. “But I had promised not to.”
“A promise very reluctantly given,” said Marcellus. “But it was necessary, Marcia. I needed his help. You do understand?”
“I do understand,” she said. “And it will never be necessary again.” She turned to Julius. “Is this safe?” she asked.
“Yes. When I Concealed it I left it Charging,” said Julius. “I always believed that maintenance of the moving chamber was important. Unlike the Alchemists who left theirs to look after itself.”
“Huh,” harrumphed Marcellus.
Up until then Septimus had found little to agree upon with Julius Pike, but he had to admit that the ghost had a point about maintenance.
“Very well, Julius,” said Marcia. “Take us through the Covert Way.”
Julius Pike placed the palm of his ghostly hand onto a worn patch to the right-hand side of the door—then snatched it away. “I forget that I am a ghost,” he said despairingly. “It must have a Living hand.”
Septimus considered that he had some experience in the matter. “I’ll do it,” he offered.
The ghost shook his head. “It will not recognize you,” he said. “This Covert Way would open only for the Identity palm prints of the then-ExtraOrdinary Wizard—who was myself—my Senior Apprentice and the Castle Alchemist.”
“Well then, Marcellus can do it,” said Marcia.
“It will not recognize me,” said Marcellus. “Julius removed my Identity from everything.”
“I could smash it open,” Milo offered eagerly.
“It doesn’t work like that,” said Marcellus snappily.
“Then I shall just have to climb through the hatch like everyone else,” said Jenna. “It will be all right.”
“No,” said Marcellus. “It will not be all right.”
“Syrah!” said Septimus suddenly. “Julius, she was your Senior Apprentice! Will it recognize her palm?”
Julius heaved a hollow ghostly sigh that gave everyone goose bumps. “If she were alive, indeed it would,” he said mournfully. “After Syrah vanished on the Queste, I did not have the heart to remove her Identity. However, Apprentice, she is not alive. I do not know why you say such foolish things.”