Septimus Heap, Book Six_ Darke - Angie Sage [44]
Of all the alleyways that led off Wiz Way, Dagger Dan’s Dive was the worst. The twisting, narrow passage was named after a notorious mugger and cutthroat who had used it as a foolproof escape. Even if closely pursued, Dagger Dan would always get away—and mystify his pursuers—by jumping into the open drain at the alley’s dead end, then creeping through the water and filth to his small boat tied up on the river by the drain’s mouth.
Beetle could not understand why Jenna had chosen to run down Dagger Dan’s Dive, of all places. Like him, she had grown up in the Ramblings. She had been to a Ramblings school, and she too would have passed her Ramblings Proficiency Test by memorizing the Ramblings map and undertaking three timed journeys on her own. This was the test that all children had to pass before they were allowed to become Ramblers and wander freely (or Ramble) on their own. But even for a Rambler there were forbidden alleys—and Dagger Dan’s Dive was at the top of the list.
The Dive, as it was known locally, was inhabited by the more shadowy denizens of the Castle—the kind of people who one never saw out in daylight hours and hoped not to see out at night. With its decrepit overhanging buildings exuding the sickly sweet smell of rot (and worse) and the inhabitants’ habit of jostling strangers or staring from their windows at every echo of footsteps—usually armed and ready to throw a bucket of slop if they didn’t like the look of those making them—Dagger Dan’s Dive was a place no one chose to go, especially at night.
But as Jenna ran, she was oblivious to everything she knew about the Dive. Escorted by the UnSeen bird, she raced along, jumping over potholes, skidding around stinking piles of rubbish, ignoring catcalls and curses shouted from windows far above and even a well-aimed rotten tomato that hit the back of her cloak. Toward the end of the Dive, Jenna began to slow down, and she finally came to a halt under the dull light of a rusty lantern. She stopped to catch her breath and looked about, suddenly confused by where she found herself. Above her head the lantern squeaked as it swung mournfully above a dilapidated door studded with nails. Behind her was a boarded-up window with faded lettering above it proclaiming:
FORTUNES TOLD, FORTUNES SOLD.
ENTER HERE IF YOU BE BOLD.
POSITIVELY NO CREDIT.
A gust of wind rattled the lantern alarmingly. Jenna shivered. Where was she—and what was she was doing here? The long-ago chanted list of forbidden alleyways came back to her and she realized with a sinking feeling that, not only had she run down Dagger Dan’s Dive, but she was now standing outside the notorious Doom Dump, which some years ago had been the center of great excitement when it had been Fumigated and Locked by a posse of Wizards led by the ExtraOrdinary Wizard herself.
Every Ramblings child knew that Doom Dump was near the end of Dan’s Dive and Jenna, well aware that the Dive was a dead end, knew she must turn around and go back the way she had come. The thought frightened her, and she felt unwilling to move. The lantern squeaked and a spatter of rain soaked into her cloak. Jenna shook her head to get rid of an odd buzzing, muzzy feeling.
Just as Jenna was getting the courage to go back up the Dive she heard the sound of pounding footsteps coming toward her. She froze. The footsteps drew closer, and she shrank back into the shadows of Doom Dump, pressing against the wall in the hope that whoever it was coming down the alley would not see her.
To her huge relief it was Beetle who came skidding around the corner.