Septimus Heap, Book Six_ Darke - Angie Sage [84]
A look of concern flashed across Marcia’s face. “But I thought Septimus was with him.”
“Apparently not,” said Beetle, a trifle sulkily.
“What’s that in the door?” asked Marcia. A long, thin piece of red leather was poking between the door and the doorjamb.
“Oh,” said Beetle. “It’s his shoe.” He unlocked the door and it flew open to reveal Marcellus Pye, equally irritable, on the other side, nursing the squashed tip of his precious red shoe—a birthday present from Septimus a few years back.
“It’s ruined,” said Marcellus. “Look.” He pointed to the torn ribbons that were tied just below his knee.
“You shouldn’t wear such ridiculous shoes,” snapped Marcia.
“Well, you’d know all about that, Marcia,” Marcellus retorted.
While Marcia and Marcellus were bickering, something had caught Beetle’s attention—the two torches burning on either side of the Palace Gate had just gone out. Beetle had a bad feeling—why had both torches gone out at the same time? He soon had his answer.
“No . . . no, it can’t be!” he gasped.
“What?” asked Marcia, stopping midway through a shoe-based insult.
Beetle pointed down Wizard Way. Like water through a sluice gate, the thick fog of the Darke Domaine was pouring out through the Palace Gate and swirling into the lower reaches of Wizard Way. “The Safety Curtain! It’s been breached!”
“What?”
Merrin smirked.
“Marcellus,” said Marcia. “Make yourself useful for once. Hold on to this . . . this creature for me. I must see what’s happening.” She handed Merrin over to Marcellus and hurried out into Wizard Way. She was just in time to see the first torch at the Palace end of the Way extinguished by what looked like a bank of black fog.
Marcia ran back into the front office, slammed the door and leaned against it. She looked as white as a sheet of best Manuscriptorium paper. “You’re right. It’s breached.” And then, to Beetle’s shock, Marcia swore.
Merrin broke through his Silent with a snigger.
Marcia glared at him. “You won’t be laughing soon, Merrin Meredith,” she snapped. “Not when we are getting that Paired Code out of you.”
Merrin went pale. He hadn’t thought about that.
“Get him out of here, Marcellus,” said Marcia. “Beetle, you take Miss Djinn. We must get back to the Wizard Tower now.”
Beetle was reluctant. “But we can’t abandon the Man-uscriptorium,” he said.
“The Manuscriptorium must take its chance.”
Beetle was horrified. “No. No. If the Darke Domaine gets in everything will be destroyed. All the arcane Magyk in the Hermetic Chamber and in the old Chamber of Alchemie . . . it will all be gone. Nothing will remain. Nothing.”
“Beetle, I’m sorry, there is nothing we can do.”
“Yes, there is,” Beetle retorted. “The Hermetic Chamber can be Hermetically Sealed. That’s why it’s built like it is. And the ExtraOrdinary Wizard can Seal it. That is true, isn’t it?”
Marcia answered with great reluctance. “Yes, it is true. But to Seal Miss Djinn in there would be nothing short of murder. She wouldn’t know what was happening to her. She’d have no chance.”
“But I might,” said Beetle quietly.
“You?”
“Yes. Seal me in the Hermetic Chamber. I’d guard it.”
Marcia was grave. “Beetle, there’s only enough air for about twenty-four hours—after that you’ll have to do a Suspension. You do know that not all those Sealed in the Chamber have survived, don’t you?”
“I’ll take a chance. Fifty-fifty isn’t bad.”
Marcia shook her head. So often Beetle knew far more than she expected. “Three lived, three died,” she muttered. “Not great odds.”
“Could be worse. Please, Marcia. I don’t want to lose the Manuscriptorium. I’d do anything to stop that. Anything.”
Marcia knew that Beetle was not going to change his mind. “Very well, Beetle. I’ll do as you ask. I’ll Activate the Hermetic Seal.”
Leaving Marcellus Pye with a firm grasp on Merrin and Jillie Djinn staring into space, Marcia and Beetle made their way to the entrance of the seven-cornered passage. They stopped outside.
“You’ll find the secret siege drawer in the table by tapping the tiny black circle