The Golden Acorn - Catherine Cooper [15]
‘Well, I don’t consider it stealing. I like to think I’m doing them a favour, you know, like a tasting service. If the food isn’t any good I don’t eat it; they know there’s something wrong with it then.’
Jack tried not to smile; food was obviously very important to Camelin.
‘How often do you leave anything?’
‘It’s only happened once. Last summer there was a Mexican night on at the Village Hall. I heard someone talking about a chilli and I fancied something cool, only when I tried a beakful it was red hot. Took me two days to stop my beak burning. Won’t be having any more of that in a hurry.’
Jack had to laugh, especially when Camelin shook his head and made a disgusted kind of noise.
‘I’ve not been back to the Village Hall since then.’
Jack thought that was probably a good thing.
Elan came out carrying a small square book, which she offered to Jack.
‘This is for you.’
‘Thanks,’ he said, looking puzzled.
It was handmade like all the other books he’d seen on Nora’s bookshelves. It was decorated with two trees. Their entwined knotted roots were made from twisted copper wire. In the middle, written in silver letters, were the words, Book of Shadows. It was like the one he’d seen in Nora’s herborium, only smaller, and at the bottom was his own name.
‘Wow! What’s it for?’
‘It’s for you to write in, not with a pen, with your wand.’
Jack’s eyes became wide; he was going to be able to use his wand after all.
‘The first page is blank,’ explained Elan. ‘If you write my name or Nora’s at the top your message will appear in our books. We can write back to you the same way.’
‘But I don’t know how to use the wand.’
‘When you’re ready,’ said Nora, ‘take it in your right hand, wait until it transforms then instruct it to become your pen.’
‘What do I say?’
‘When your wand gets used to you, no words will be necessary. It will instinctively know what you want it to do, but for now try scriptum. Don’t get excited or you’ll have sparks flying again.’
Jack had no idea how he was going to keep calm. To have a magic wand and be taught how to use it was incredible. He gave the book to Nora and took the wand in his right hand. The tip of his finger felt hot and soon the whole twig started to glow. It wasn’t long before the gnarled bark became smooth again.
‘Wow!’ exclaimed Jack.
There was a crackle as sizzling lights erupted from the tip of the wand.
‘Not again!’ shouted Camelin and hurriedly skipped out of the way.
‘Take a deep breath,’ instructed Nora.
Jack watched in fascination as he managed to bring the wand under control. His hand was shaking and the wand wobbled about but the sparks had stopped.
‘Imagine it’s a pen,’ urged Elan.
Jack concentrated hard. He visualized his pen and prepared to say scriptum, but before the words left his lips his wand transformed itself.
‘You’ve done it!’ squealed Elan as she jumped up and down.
‘Brilliant,’ said Nora.
‘Beginner’s luck,’ Camelin croaked.
‘I can’t believe I just did that. Was it me or the wand?’
‘It was you,’ replied Nora. ‘The wand only works to your command.’
‘Try writing something to me,’ said Elan as she ran into the kitchen. ‘I’ll write back and you can see how it works.’
Nora passed Jack the open book. He didn’t know what to write. He put Elan’s name at the top of the page and underneath wrote…
…Am I doing this right?
He watched the words sink into the page and disappear. Seconds later Elan’s reply appeared…
…Yes… we’ll try it again tonight when you get home.
‘I think that’s probably enough for today,’ said Nora.
Jack put his wand into his left hand. The smoothness vanished immediately. He knew without looking that he was holding the twig again; he could feel the rough bark under his fingertips.
‘If you have any questions about the task you have agreed to undertake just ask your book,’ explained Nora. ‘It also contains the history of the Otherworld in the section about The Annals of Annwn.’
Jack flicked through the pages; they were all blank.
‘But…’ he began.
‘It’s magic Jack,’ laughed Nora. ‘You have to know what to do before it