Septimus Heap, Book One_ Magyk - Angie Sage [145]
Nicko looked at Marcia with the same expression he used for Maxie when he had done something particularly silly. But he said nothing. He picked up the basket of cabbages and walked around the table and started handing them out.
“Er, thank you, Nicko,” said Silas as he took the proffered cabbage and held it awkwardly in his hands, wondering quite what to do with it.
“No!” snapped Marcia. “Don’t give it to them. Put the cabbages on the plates.”
Nicko gave Marcia another Maxie look (this time it was the I-wish-you-hadn’t-pooed-there look), then quickly dumped a cabbage on each plate.
When everyone, including Maxie, had a cabbage, Marcia raised her hands for silence.
“This is a suit-yourself supper. Each cabbage is Primed to willingly Transform itself into whatever you would most like to eat. Just place your hand on the cabbage and decide what you would like.”
There was an excited buzz as everyone decided what they were going to have and Transformed their cabbages.
“It’s a criminal waste of good cabbages,” Aunt Zelda whispered to Alther. “I shall just have cabbage casserole.”
“Now that you have all decided,” said Marcia loudly over the hubbub, “there is one last thing to be said.”
“Get a move on, Marcia!” Silas called out. “My fish pie’s getting cold.”
Marcia gave Silas a withering look.
“It is traditional,” she continued, “that in return for the seven years and a day of his life that the Apprentice offers the Wizard, the Wizard offers something to the Apprentice.” Marcia turned to Boy 412, who was sitting almost hidden behind a huge plate of eel stew and dumplings just like Aunt Zelda always made.
“What would you like from me?” Marcia asked him. “Ask me anything you like. I will do my best to give it to you.”
Boy 412 gazed at his plate. Then he looked at all the people gathered around him and thought how different his life had become since he had met them. He felt so happy that there was really nothing else he wanted. Except for one thing. One big, impossible thing that he was almost too scared to think about.
“Anything you like,” Marcia said softly. “Anything you want at all.”
Boy 412 gulped.
“I want,” he said quietly, “to know who I am.”
49
SEPTIMUS HEAP
Unnoticed on the chimney pot of Keeper’s Cottage, a storm petrel perched. He had been blown in the night before and had been watching the Apprentice Supper with great interest. And now, he noted with a feeling of fondness, Aunt Zelda was about to do what the petrel had always considered she had a particular gift for.
“It’s the perfect night for it,” Aunt Zelda was saying as she stood on the bridge over the Mott. “There’s a beautiful full moon, and I’ve never known the Mott to be so still. Can everyone fit on the bridge? Shuffle up a bit, Marcia, and make room for Simon.”
Simon didn’t look as if he wanted to be made room for.
“Oh, don’t bother about me,” he mumbled. “Why break the habit of a lifetime?”
“What did you say, Simon?” asked Silas.
“Nothing.”
“Let him be, Silas,” said Sarah. “He’s had a tough time recently.”
“We’ve all had a tough time recently, Sarah. But we don’t go around moaning about it.”
Aunt Zelda tapped the handrail of the bridge irritably.
“If everybody has quite finished bickering, I would like to remind you that we are about to try to answer an important question. All right, everybody?”
Silence descended on the group. Along with Aunt Zelda, Boy 412, Sarah, Silas, Marcia, Jenna, Nicko and Simon were all squashed onto the small bridge that went over the Mott. Behind them was the Dragon Boat, her head raised high and arched over them, her deep green eyes staring intently at the reflection of the moon swimming in the still waters of the Mott.
In front of them, pushed back a little to allow the reflection of the moon to be seen, was Molly with Alther sitting in the prow, observing the scene with interest.
Simon hung back on the edge of the bridge. He didn’t see what the fuss was about. Who cared where some Young Army brat came from? Especially a Young Army brat who had stolen his lifelong dream