Septimus Heap, Book One_ Magyk - Angie Sage [77]
“They lived in a tip, didn’t they? Dirty Wizards. Never did have no time for them meself,” said a rough voice. Silas spun around to see a burly man standing in the doorway. Behind him Silas could see a large wooden cart in the corridor.
“Didn’t think they’d send anyone along to ’elp. Good thing they did. It ’ud take all day on me own. Right, cart’s outside. It’s all to go to the dump. Magyk books to be burned. Got that?”
“What?”
“Gawd. They sent me a daft one ’ere. Junk. Cart. Dump. It ain’t exactly Alchemy. Now give us that heap a wood you’re parked on and let’s get goin’.”
Silas got up from his chair as if in a dream and handed it to the removal man, who took it and hurled it into the cart. The chair shattered and lay in pieces at the bottom of it. Before long it was underneath a huge pile of the Heaps’ lifetime accumulation of possessions and the cart was full to overflowing.
“Right, then,” said the removal man. “I’ll get this down to the dump before it closes while you put them Magyk books outside. The firemen will collect ’em tomorrow on their rounds.”
He handed Silas a large broom. “I’ll leave yer to sweep up all that disgustin’ dog hair and what-have-yer. Then you can get off ’ome. You look a bit done in. Not used to ’ard work, eh!” The removal man chuckled and thumped Silas on the back in what was meant to be a friendly manner. Silas coughed and smiled wanly.
“Don’t forget them Magyk books” was the man’s parting advice as he trundled the teetering cart off down the corridor on its journey to the Riverside Amenity Rubbish Dump.
In a daze, Silas swept up twenty-five years’ worth of dust, dog hair and dirt into a neat pile. Then he gazed regretfully at his Magyk books.
“I’ll give you a hand if you like,” Alther’s voice said next to him. The ghost put his arm around Silas’s shoulder.
“Oh. Hello, Alther,” said Silas gloomily. “What a day.”
“Yes, it’s not good. I’m very sorry, Silas.”
“All…gone,” mumbled Silas, “and now the books too. We had some good ones there. A lot of rare Charms…all going up in flames.”
“Not necessarily,” said Alther. “They’d fit nicely into your bedroom in the roof. I’ll help you with the Remove Spell if you like.”
Silas brightened a little.
“Just remind me how it goes, Alther, then I can do it. I’m sure I can.”
Silas’s Remove worked well. The books lined up neatly, the trapdoor flew open, and book by book they flew up through it and stacked up in Silas and Sarah’s old bedroom. One or two of the more contrary books headed out the door and were halfway down the corridor before Silas managed to Call them back, but by the end of the spell all the Magyk books were safely in the roof and Silas had even Disguised the trapdoor. Now no one could possibly guess what was there.
And so Silas walked out of his empty, echoing room for the last time and took off down Corridor 223. Alther floated along with him.
“Come and sit with us for a while,” Alther offered, “down at the Hole in the Wall.”
“Where?”
“I only recently discovered it myself. One of the Ancients showed me. It’s an old tavern inside the Castle walls. Got bricked up years ago by one of the Queens who disapproved of beer. Seems as long as you’ve walked the Castle walls—and who hasn’t?—a ghost can get in, so it’s packed. It’s got a great atmosphere—might cheer you up.”
“I don’t know if I really fancy it, thanks all the same, Alther. Isn’t that the one where they bricked up the nun?”
“Oh, she’s great fun, is Sister Bernadette. Loves a pint of beer. Life and soul of the party. So to speak. Anyway, I’ve got some news of Simon that I think you should hear.”
“Simon! Is he all right? Where is he?” asked Silas.
“He’s here, Silas. In the Castle. Come along to the Hole in the Wall. There’s someone you need to talk to.”
The Hole in the Wall Tavern was buzzing.
Alther had led Silas to a tumbledown pile of stones