visited my chamber. What did you find there, Jack?’
Jack said nothing.
The Magus reached inside his cloak and pulled out the golden casket that had contained the Egg.
‘Well I know that you were searching for the Cinnabar Egg, and well I know that no man alive can open this casket unless that man is myself. Yet you betrayed me, and I warned you what would be the consequences of your betrayal.’
‘Punish Wedge,’ said Jack. ‘He was the one who allowed me to escape.’
‘He allowed nothing,’ said the Magus. ‘Do you yet imagine that anything happens in this house unless I allow it to happen? You did not escape. Now you shall be punished. Perhaps you had better embrace your mother – it will be for the last time.’
The Magus left the room and Jack ran into his mother’s arms. She held him close, and said bravely, ‘I’m not afraid, Jack. Don’t you be afraid, my best boy.’
Jack said, ‘Mother, whatever spell he casts will be broken when he is defeated, and his defeat is near at hand.’
Before Jack could speak further, Wedge came hopping into the room, dragging Crispis behind him.
‘Jackster!’ said Wedge. ‘Don’t go telling the Magus you gave me the Egg. He’ll kill me for certain, but I’ll kill this one!’
Crispis struggled to get away, but Wedge was strong.
‘You betrayed me!’ said Jack.
‘Not that I did,’ said Wedge hotly. ‘I’d be glad to see the back of you, and your mother and that dog. I said as much to Mistress Split, and SHE was the one who told tales, because of that dog! She believed that She would lose the dog! Follow you it would, She said! All lost for a dog!’
‘I’ll tell him about you and the Egg,’ said Jack.
Wedge’s face went white then green then purple. He leaned forward, his half-nose on Jack’s whole nose.
‘Say nothing about the Egg! Say nothing, I say! When I have power you and your own shall go free, yet if you say to Master that I have the Egg, all of us is lost!’
‘I am not afraid,’ said Jack.
‘This one is!’ said Wedge horribly. ‘Look at him tremble.’
And it was true. Crispis was trembling.
Now Jack knew that he would say nothing to the Magus about the coconut he had given Wedge, because there was only one place that he, Jack, could have got the coconut, and that was from the Dragon. Jack did not want anyone except himself to start thinking about the Dragon. Tomorrow was the day when the Dragon had promised to prepare the Bath for the Sunken King. Jack knew he had to be clever. He had to duck and avoid, and let the time pass until he could free the King.
The Magus came back into the room.
‘Wedge! There is no need to punish Crispis. He may go back to the other boys in the bedchamber. Leave him there and do not call him for work today. He will not be fit for the great Opus.’
Crispis didn’t look at all like he would be fit for any Opus of any size. He could hardly stop his teeth chattering in his head.
Wedge let Crispis go, and the little boy fell to the floor, then scrambled up and ran off. Jack was glad. He wanted to protect Crispis, and vowed silently in his heart that Crispis would come and live with him and his mother when all this was done.
‘Jack!’ said the Magus. ‘Did you try to bribe Wedge?’
‘Yes,’ said Jack, and Wedge’s face went the colour of a bowl of beetroot soup, but Jack knew what to say. ‘Wedge caught me searching for the Cinnabar Egg, and to avoid punishment I tried to make him help me escape.’
‘And why would he help you?’ said the Magus in a tone like lead.
‘I said I was the only one who could get rid of the dog for him. I said that if he let me go, and Crispis, and Max and my mother, he would be happy again, because Mistress Split would not have the dog.’
‘It’s true, it’s true!’ cried Wedge. ‘Didn’t She betray me to keep that dog?’
And the Magus knew that this was so, and he believed the story. It was the first time that Jack had got the better of
Jack said nothing.
The Magus reached inside his cloak and pulled out the golden casket that had contained the Egg.
‘Well I know that you were searching for the Cinnabar Egg, and well I know that no man alive can open this casket unless that man is myself. Yet you betrayed me, and I warned you what would be the consequences of your betrayal.’
‘Punish Wedge,’ said Jack. ‘He was the one who allowed me to escape.’
‘He allowed nothing,’ said the Magus. ‘Do you yet imagine that anything happens in this house unless I allow it to happen? You did not escape. Now you shall be punished. Perhaps you had better embrace your mother – it will be for the last time.’
The Magus left the room and Jack ran into his mother’s arms. She held him close, and said bravely, ‘I’m not afraid, Jack. Don’t you be afraid, my best boy.’
Jack said, ‘Mother, whatever spell he casts will be broken when he is defeated, and his defeat is near at hand.’
Before Jack could speak further, Wedge came hopping into the room, dragging Crispis behind him.
‘Jackster!’ said Wedge. ‘Don’t go telling the Magus you gave me the Egg. He’ll kill me for certain, but I’ll kill this one!’
Crispis struggled to get away, but Wedge was strong.
‘You betrayed me!’ said Jack.
‘Not that I did,’ said Wedge hotly. ‘I’d be glad to see the back of you, and your mother and that dog. I said as much to Mistress Split, and SHE was the one who told tales, because of that dog! She believed that She would lose the dog! Follow you it would, She said! All lost for a dog!’
‘I’ll tell him about you and the Egg,’ said Jack.
Wedge’s face went white then green then purple. He leaned forward, his half-nose on Jack’s whole nose.
‘Say nothing about the Egg! Say nothing, I say! When I have power you and your own shall go free, yet if you say to Master that I have the Egg, all of us is lost!’
‘I am not afraid,’ said Jack.
‘This one is!’ said Wedge horribly. ‘Look at him tremble.’
And it was true. Crispis was trembling.
Now Jack knew that he would say nothing to the Magus about the coconut he had given Wedge, because there was only one place that he, Jack, could have got the coconut, and that was from the Dragon. Jack did not want anyone except himself to start thinking about the Dragon. Tomorrow was the day when the Dragon had promised to prepare the Bath for the Sunken King. Jack knew he had to be clever. He had to duck and avoid, and let the time pass until he could free the King.
The Magus came back into the room.
‘Wedge! There is no need to punish Crispis. He may go back to the other boys in the bedchamber. Leave him there and do not call him for work today. He will not be fit for the great Opus.’
Crispis didn’t look at all like he would be fit for any Opus of any size. He could hardly stop his teeth chattering in his head.
Wedge let Crispis go, and the little boy fell to the floor, then scrambled up and ran off. Jack was glad. He wanted to protect Crispis, and vowed silently in his heart that Crispis would come and live with him and his mother when all this was done.
‘Jack!’ said the Magus. ‘Did you try to bribe Wedge?’
‘Yes,’ said Jack, and Wedge’s face went the colour of a bowl of beetroot soup, but Jack knew what to say. ‘Wedge caught me searching for the Cinnabar Egg, and to avoid punishment I tried to make him help me escape.’
‘And why would he help you?’ said the Magus in a tone like lead.
‘I said I was the only one who could get rid of the dog for him. I said that if he let me go, and Crispis, and Max and my mother, he would be happy again, because Mistress Split would not have the dog.’
‘It’s true, it’s true!’ cried Wedge. ‘Didn’t She betray me to keep that dog?’
And the Magus knew that this was so, and he believed the story. It was the first time that Jack had got the better of
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