Septimus Heap, Book Six_ Darke - Angie Sage [150]
To Jenna’s delight, Marcia saw the Port Witch Coven off the premises with great effectiveness. They left so fast—even the Witch Mother managed a rapid hobble in her spikes—that they forgot about Nursie, who sat unnoticed beside a collapsed pile of books. Nursie had discovered a stash of dusty licorice snakes in the back of a drawer and was contentedly chewing them. Nursie had what she called a penchant for licorice.
Marcia raced into the Manuscriptorium itself, closely followed by Jenna and Septimus. The place was strewn with upturned desks, ripped paper and broken lamps. Everything was covered with a sticky gray dust, which Septimus realized to his disgust was shed Thing skin. Quickly they picked their way through the debris. At the stone arched entrance to the Hermetic Chamber they stopped.
“The Seal is gone,” Marcia said heavily. “I fear the worst.”
The seven-cornered passage looked ominously well used—there was a slimy Thing trail on the floor. Like giant slugs, thought Septimus. He stepped into the passage and called tentatively into the dark. “Beetle . . . Beetle.” There was no reply.
“It sounds . . . dead in there,” he whispered.
“I think,” said Jenna slowly, “that it sounds more like something is blocking the passageway farther up.”
“It is just possible that the Seal is still holding farther in,” said Marcia.
“Can it do that?” asked Septimus. “I thought it would all go at once.”
“We’ll just have to see, won’t we?” Marcia said briskly and she disappeared into the seven-cornered passage. Septimus and Jenna set off after her.
As he rounded the sixth corner, Septimus cannoned into Marcia. “Oof!”
Marcia was standing at a dead end of pitted stone. “It’s still Sealed,” she whispered excitedly. “It really is quite amazing. The Seal has been chipped away but I think . . . I think it’s still okay.”
“Does that mean that Beetle is . . .” Septimus could not finish his question. The thought that Beetle might not be okay made him feel sick.
“We can but hope,” said Marcia grimly.
Grimacing Marcia placed her hands on the filthy, sticky surface of the Seal. In the light of the Dragon Ring, Jenna and Septimus watched as the surface of the Seal healed itself. Soon it was smooth and shimmering with Magykal purple once more, lighting up the seven-cornered passage and showing the revolting film of slime and Thing skin in glorious detail. Septimus thought of how the Seal must have shone through the Darke when the Things had first arrived and taunted them—no wonder they had attacked it. He would have added a Camouflage.
Now Marcia began the UnSeal. Jenna retreated from the sudden onslaught of Magyk, which was highly concentrated in the narrow confines of the passageway and made her feel queasy. But Septimus was fascinated. He watched the shiny surface glow even brighter and slowly begin to retreat before them. Step by step Marcia and Septimus followed the Seal until it stopped at the end of the passageway. They waited anxiously, watching the diamond-hard surface slowly became translucent until they began to see the shadowy impression of the Hermetic Chamber beyond.
The Seal thinned until there was no more than a shifting swirl of Magyk dividing them from the Chamber. Through it Septimus could see Beetle slumped at the table. He could not tell whether he was alive or dead.
Once more Marcia stretched out her hands—which Septimus noticed were trembling—and laid them on the last vestige of the Seal. At her touch it melted away and a rush of air whooshed past them into the Chamber.
“Beetle!” Septimus ran across and shook his friend by the shoulder. Beetle felt so cold that Septimus jumped back in horror. Jenna appeared at the entrance to the Chamber. They both looked at Marcia in panic.
Marcia strode over to the siege drawer, which lay upturned on the table with a tangle