by D D Everest
‘And the second verse?’ asked Hawke.
‘The second verse refers to the key to magic’s lock,’ said Gaunt. ‘That can only mean one thing.’
‘The Opus Magus,’ breathed Hawke.
Gaunt nodded. ‘Exactly.’
Archie’s mouth fell open. ‘But … That’s not possible,’ he gasped. ‘Is it?’
Gaunt leaned forward. His face took on a new intensity. ‘The Opus Magus disappeared two thousand years ago when the Great Library of Alexandria burned down,’ he said. ‘Its physical form was destroyed but the spell itself must have survived somehow or magic would have disappeared long ago. I think The Opus Magus is the secret that The Book of Prophecy revealed to Grey.’
Archie’s mind was racing as he tried to fit it all together.
Hawke was sitting motionless. He hadn’t moved so much as a muscle since Gaunt had started speaking. ‘And what is your conclusion from this?’ he asked.
Gaunt folded his spectacles and slipped them back into his pocket. ‘If Dee’s prophecy is right, then Grey saw two things: The Opus Magus, and a vision of how to use it to defeat the Dark Flame.’ He paused. ‘The only way.’
*
Archie left Lost Books with his head spinning. He had so many thoughts buzzing round his brain that he felt quite dizzy. He was still turning over what it all meant in his mind when he heard a rustling sound. It was coming from the bookshelf next to him.
‘Psssssst,’ said a papery voice. ‘Over here. We’ve got some information for you.’
‘What?’ said Archie, still trying to gather his wits.
‘We’ve been asking around about your father,’ said the voice. ‘I told you we like solving mysteries.’
Archie’s heart leaped and he recognised the voice now – it was the mystery book from behind the curtain at the bookshop! He scanned the bookcases until he spotted its red spine on one of the shelves. It must have been put there after it was delivered to the museum.
‘What did you find out?’ he asked, desperate for news.
The book rustled again. ‘I’ve talked to the reference books – the ones that can speak – and they all agree that if he was trapped inside a book then it must be a drawing book.’
Drawing books had the power to draw people into their pages so they became part of the story and could get trapped if the book was closed while they were still inside.
The only drawing books Archie knew of were The Book of Yore and The Book of Prophecy, but he supposed there could be others.
‘How can I find out which drawing book it is?’ he asked, his heart beating faster.
‘That’s harder,’ said the mystery book.
‘I need to know!’ said Archie. ‘I have to find out what happened to him and my mum and sister.’
‘How old is your sister?’
Archie stopped to think. ‘Rosie was nearly three year’s older than me, so she’d be almost sixteen now.’
‘Right,’ said the book. ‘Leave it with me. I’ll get back to you when I know more.’
Archie was suddenly aware of Thistle’s freckled face staring at him. ‘So you’ve started talking to yourself now!’ he said.
Archie smiled. ‘I was talking to one of the books,’ he said. ‘Anyway, what are you doing in this part of the museum?’
‘I’ve just come from the menagerie,’ said Thistle. ‘I told Rupert I’d keep an eye on the place for him so I was just checking up, and there’s something wrong. Simon the salamander has not been well at all – and now he’s disappeared!’
‘What?’ cried Archie. ‘A six-foot lizard can’t just disappear!’
‘That’s what I thought,’ said Thistle, ‘but this one has. I’ve asked Quiggley and he has no idea where Simon’s gone. In fact, I’m not even sure Quiggley knew that he had a red-bellied salamander in his care. He doesn’t seem to know the first thing about magical creatures, and he certainly doesn’t know about how to look after members of the dragon family.’
‘But this is terrible. Where can Simon have gone?’ asked Archie, shocked.
‘Quite,’ said Thistle shaking his head. ‘I’ve got my curiosity compass and I thought it might help us find him.’
Bramble and Archie had given Thistle the curiosity compass for his twelfth birthday. It was a magical device that looked like a pocket watch and could detect the direction of magic. Thistle and Archie had used it to locate Grey’s secret laboratory.
Thistle flicked its cover open. Inside was a compass with the design of the sun on its face and a black needle that would change colour and spin if the curiosity compass detected magic nearby.
Archie and Thistle both regarded the needle. It was glowing with a bright golden colour and turning slowly.
‘Hmm,’ mused Thistle. ‘There’s a lot of magic in this part of the museum. That’ll be the books. I’ve worked out how to use the compass properly now,’ he added. ‘You can set it for different types of magic. I’ll set it to detect natural magic because Simon is a magical creature.’
He turned a dial on one side of the compass to a picture of a lightning bolt striking a tree.
‘There,’ he said, holding up the instrument so that they could both see.
The needle was still. ‘Oh,’ sighed Thistle. ‘Well I guess that means Simon is nowhere around here.’
‘I guess not,’ mused Archie. ‘But if he’s not here, where is he?’
At that moment the needle suddenly turned red and began spinning madly. ‘Hang on,’ cried Thistle. ‘There’s something naturally magical and it’s on the move. ‘Come on!’
Thistle held up the compass and began to walk in the direction the magical energy was coming from, glancing at the needle every few moments to make sure he was going in the right direction. Archie followed him. He felt a tingling sensation, too, indicating a strong magical presence.
‘It’s over here!’ Thistle said, striding through the Great Gallery like some intrepid explorer in a jungle.
‘This way,’ he added, ducking into an aisle of bookcases. They weaved in and out of the bookshelves. ‘Getting stronger. It’s very strong here.’
They both stopped and looked around.
‘I don’t understand it,’ said Thistle. ‘According to the compass we should be right on top of the source of the magic.’
They stared around but there was no sign of anything that might be producing natural magic.
Thistle scratched his head and shook the compass. ‘Its never been wrong before,’ he said. ‘Perhaps Simon’s behind this bookcase …’
He took a step forward and tripped over something that left him sprawling on the ground. ‘What the …’
There was a low growling sound like an engine throbbing.
‘Uh oh!’ cried Thistle scrambling to his feet. ‘I recognise that sound. Duck!’
The two boys ducked behind a bookcase just as a flame appeared in the air.
‘It’s Simon,’ cried Thistle. ‘But why can’t we see him?’
At that moment there was a fizzing sound and a smell of wet straw, and Simon the red-bellied salamander appeared in front of them, looking as startled as they were. For a moment the lizard stared at them with big sad eyes and then with a sound like a whimper, it collapsed on the ground.
Thistle leaped forward. ‘He’s sick,’ he cried. ‘He looks horribly pale.’
‘Look!’ said Archie pointing to a cut on the salamander’s leg. ‘He’s bleeding. We need to get him back to the menagerie right now.’
‘That might be easier said than done!’ said Thistle. ‘Simon’s lost weight but he still weighs a tonne.’
Thistle stayed with Simon while Archie went for help. The first person he found was Feodora Graves. When she heard what had happened she came at once.
‘How is he?’ she asked when she saw the salamander lying on the ground with Thistle stroking its head.
‘He’s alive at least,’ said Thistle, ‘but he’s very weak. He’s lost a lot of blood.’
‘I’ll use a
heavy-lifting spell to get him back to the menagerie,’ said Graves. ‘When did he last flame?’
‘Just now,’ said Archie, ‘but it was pretty pathetic.’
‘Should be safe to get close then,’ said Graves.
She stroked Simon’s head, and then she put her head close to his and sniffed. ‘Hmmm,’ she said. ‘He’s been given some sort of concealment potion to make him invisible. I can smell it on his breath. It must have worn off just as you found him. Just as well because we don’t want an invisible salamander on the loose.’
‘But why would anyone want to make Simon invisible and let him out of the menagerie? And hurt him?’ asked Thistle.
Graves looked thoughtful. ‘Those,’ she said, ‘are very good questions.’
9
The Secret Informer
Saturday morning couldn’t come soon enough for Archie. The five members of the Alchemists’ Club had agreed to meet at Quill’s and then go to Grey’s laboratory. They had a lot to talk about.
Archie, Bramble and Thistle got there first and were just ordering hot chocolate and buns when Rupert arrived with Arabella.
‘Rupert!’ cried Bramble, giving him a big hug.
Rupert blushed. He looked pleased and embarrassed at the same time. He glanced around Quill’s. ‘How I’ve missed this place!’ he said, beaming a smile at Archie and Thistle.
‘How long are you in Oxford for?’ asked Thistle.
‘Just the weekend. I was planning to drop in at the menagerie, to see how the animals are doing. I wanted to see the Pegasus and I heard about the trouble with Simon the salamander. Dragons can be very tricky unless you know what you’re doing.’
‘Peter Quiggley has taken over from you and I’m not sure he knows much about dragons, or any magical creatures for that matter!’ said Archie.
Rupert looked bemused. ‘Quiggley? Really?’ he said. ‘How did he get the job?’
‘That’s what we thought,’ said Bramble. ‘Did you put in a good word for him?’
Rupert shook his head. ‘You must be joking!’ he said. ‘Quiggley is about the last person I’d have suggested. I don’t think he likes ordinary animals – let alone magical ones. When Brown asked me who I thought should take over from me I recommended Thistle.’
Thistle looked pleased. ‘Thanks, Rupert,’ he said.
‘It’s a shame the Flame of Pharos doesn’t decide,’ said Bramble. ‘I’m sure it would have chosen you, Thistle.’
‘Why doesn’t the Flame decide?’ asked Archie.
‘Some jobs are at the discretion of the elders,’ said Rupert. ‘They choose their own personal apprentices. That reminds me, I hear you are Hawke’s apprentice. That’s brilliant. Congratulations!’
‘Thanks,’ said Archie, swelling with pride.
‘So tell me what else has been going on at the museum,’ said Rupert. ‘And don’t leave anything out.’
‘Let’s go to the lab and talk there,’ said Archie, casting a glance around the other tables. ‘We don’t want to be overheard.’
Archie let them into the Aisle of White using his key. They hurried down to Old Zeb’s workshop and collected the key to the black door.
When the door opened four pairs of eyes went straight to the bench. But there wasn’t another note.
‘What’s the matter with you lot,’ asked Rupert, noticing their serious faces. ‘Anyone would think you’d seen a ghost.’
‘Funny you should say that,’ said Archie. ‘I wonder if ghosts can write.’
They told Rupert about the secret informer and showed him the first note, which Archie had brought with him.
‘Someone’s trying to warn us,’ said Rupert.
‘Yes,’ mused Archie, ‘but who?’
‘Someone who wants us to think that Fabian Grey is still alive,’ said Rupert.
‘Or it could be Faustus Gaunt?’ said Thistle. ‘He’s FG.’
‘Good thinking,’ said Bramble. ‘But how would Gaunt know about the lab?’
‘He’s the magical prophecies expert, isn’t he?’ said Rupert, looking thoughtful. ‘Tall with long, silver hair?’
‘Yes, that’s him,’ said Archie. ‘He’s helping Hawke with John Dee’s prophecy.’
Rupert nodded. ‘Thought so. He’s a fellow of the Royal Society. I’ve seen him around the place a couple of times. He must be looking at the records there, too.’
Arabella interrupted. ‘Hold on, let’s not forget the club rules. We can’t start the meeting properly until we’ve all said the pledge.’ She broke into a smile. ‘The five of us here in the lab with a mystery to solve. It’s just like old times!’
They all grinned at each other. It was good to be back together. They’d all missed the camaraderie and closeness of their secret meetings.
‘All right, I’ll go first,’ said Bramble. ‘I, Bramble Thornbush Foxe, pledge to restore magic to its former glory.’
Archie thought about The Opus Magus. One by one the others said their names and pledged themselves to the Alchemists’ Club. Rupert was last and no sooner had he finished than Thistle turned to him.
‘So what happened at the Royal Society when The Book of Night was stolen?’
Rupert’s brow creased into a frown. ‘How do you know it’s The Book of Night?’ he said, his eyes sparkling with interest. ‘All Gloom told me was that it was one of the seven.’
‘We overheard Gloom talking to Hawke about it in the oculus,’ said Arabella. ‘And from what Archie has found out, it’s the worst book they could possibly have got their hands on. So what happened?’
Rupert looked pensive. ‘I’d only just started working at the Royal Society, but I could tell there was something going on. Gloom seemed nervous and now I know why. He asked me if I thought a dangerous magical book would be safe if no one knew where it was. I told him that as far as I was concerned there was only one safe place for dangerous magical books – and that was in the museum!’
‘What did he say to that?’ asked Thistle.
‘He didn’t say anything, but I could tell it wasn’t the answer he wanted to hear. Shortly after that he must have contacted Hawke and asked him to send someone to collect it.’
‘Yes,’ said Thistle. ‘Hawke sent Bone and Dad, but when they got there they were ambushed.’
‘So now the Greaders have got it,’ said Rupert. ‘What will they do with it?’
Archie explained what he’d discovered about The Book of Night. Rupert looked shocked.
‘So if The Book of Night is opened then the Dark Flame will release the Pale Writers to find The Opus Magus,’ gasped Rupert. ‘I thought The Opus Magus was just a legend?’
‘No,’ said Archie, shaking his head. ‘Hawke says it’s real. If the Pale Writers find it then the Dark Flame will use it to turn all magic into dark magic.’
‘So all of our work rewriting the magical books will have been for nothing,’ groaned Arabella.
‘Yes,’ said Archie. ‘The Dark Flame has been consuming the new spells – that’s why they burned with a black flame. And worse than that, all the spells we have already rewritten will turn dark as well. The Opus Magus is the key to everything. It’s the primary spell. Whoever controls The Opus Magus controls magic.’
‘But there must be something we can do,’ said Rupert. ‘There must be some way of stopping them.’
‘The vision The Book of Prophecy revealed to Grey,’ Archie said. ‘That’s the only way to stop the Dark Flame. Gaunt thinks Grey saw The Opus Magus, and we know he had a bibliographical memory so he’d remember every spell he ever saw.’
‘I bet that’s what he was going to use the azoth for,’ said Arabella, ‘to rewrite The Opus Magus!’
‘But just seeing a spell wouldn’t have turned his hair white,’ said Thistle. ‘He must have seen something else as well.’
‘Gaunt and Hawke also think Grey saw a vision of what he had to do with The Opus Magus to defeat the Dark Flame,’ said Archie.
‘Well, whatever it was drove him half m
ad,’ said Arabella. ‘Braxton Foxe said Grey couldn’t remember what he’d seen, which is very odd for someone with such a good memory!’
‘Couldn’t remember or wouldn’t remember?’ asked Rupert.
‘Perhaps whatever Grey saw was so frightening he didn’t want to remember,’ said Archie.
‘But surely he would have left a clue,’ said Bramble. ‘We are talking about the greatest alchemist of all time – and he was desperate to restore magic! Perhaps Hawke and Gaunt are looking for it, too.’
‘So what are we going to do?’ asked Arabella.
‘We have to help them discover what Grey saw in the vision,’ said Archie, ‘before the Greaders open The Book of Night – or worse, discover The Opus Magus.’
*
By the end of the meeting they were already formulating a plan. Now that they weren’t writing magic every night, they could concentrate on trying to solve the mystery.
Bramble and Thistle would find out all they could about The Book of Night and the Dark Flame, including the Pale Writers. Arabella would keep her eyes and ears open around Ripley Mansion, her parents’ house in Oxford where the Greaders met, for any information about what they were up to.
Archie was determined to help Hawke and Gaunt discover what Grey had seen in The Book of Prophecy using his book-whispering and delving skills.
Rupert, meanwhile, would keep them informed of developments at the Royal Society and try to find out what the magical authorities were doing to recover The Book of Night.
They agreed to meet again as soon as there were any significant developments.
*
After the meeting, Rupert said he was going to drop in at the menagerie. The others decided to go with him. Thistle was the only one of them who had visited that part of the museum since Peter Quiggley had taken over Rupert’s old job.
The five of them made their way to the West Gallery of the museum and through the door to the Natural Magic Department. They climbed the wooden staircase to the second floor. The heavy oak door was locked, but luckily Rupert still had a key and was able to let them in.