by D D Everest
‘Katerina Krone is there,’ he said. ‘She is recovered enough from the Grimoire’s spell to be able to speak. She was part of the last plot so she might have knowledge of this one.’
So he wasn’t going to the asylum on his own account. He thought Katerina might have information about the Dark Flame. It seemed to Archie that Hawke was clutching at straws. Perhaps he really had lost the plot. All that Archie could do was keep his eyes and ears open for clues.
*
The next day, Hawke and Archie caught the train to London, and then a bus before walking the last part of the journey to the asylum. Archie found himself gazing at the red-brick building with its spiky iron railings outside. He looked up at the bars on the windows.
He had been here once before with Hawke. On their previous visit they had come to question Arthur Ripley to find out what he knew about the Alchemists’ Curse. Shortly after that, Ripley had escaped from the asylum and he was still on the run.
Archie wondered whether they were wasting their time. The last he’d seen of Katerina Krone she’d been under the Grimoire’s curse and completely spellbound – frozen like a statue, unable to move or speak. He doubted whether she would be much different now. Even if she was, what could she possibly tell them?
The sign on the door read: THE ASYLUM. RESPITE FOR THE MAGICALLY ILL.
Hawke grasped the large brass doorknocker and knocked three times. A small hatch slid open and two eyes peered out.
‘Gideon?’ said a surprised voice. ‘We weren’t expecting you!’
‘Good morning, Rumold. I took the liberty of dropping by without an appointment,’ said Hawke.
Rumold seemed momentarily at a loss, but then he recovered himself.
‘Of course, Gideon. We are always pleased to see you. Whatever the circumstances …’
The door opened and Rumold stood in the doorway. He was a tall man with iron-grey hair. On his previous visit, Archie had wondered how the two men knew each other. Thanks to Gaunt, he now knew the answer. Hawke had once been an inmate at the asylum.
‘Ah, and I see you have brought young Archie Greene with you again,’ said Rumold, his eyes alighting on Archie.
‘Is it for yourself that you’ve come to see us? Or perhaps Archie is in need of our help? I understand that it was because of him that The Book of Prophecy was destroyed?’
Archie felt a momentary panic. Was this some sort of trick? Had Hawke brought him here under false pretences as a punishment?
‘Nonsense,’ said Hawke. ‘I trust the boy completely. I have never doubted him and he has no reason to doubt himself.’
So he didn’t blame Archie for the loss of The Book of Prophecy after all. That was a relief.
‘We have come on another matter entirely,’ continued Hawke. ‘I would like to see one of your … patients. Katerina Krone. I understand that she’s sufficiently recovered to talk?’
‘Katerina is making good progress,’ said Rumold in a guarded voice. ‘I’m not sure that it would be helpful for her to see you, though. It might prove too much of a shock and set her recovery back.’
‘I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist,’ said Hawke, his eyes narrowing. ‘I believe she may have important information concerning the Dark Flame.’
Archie thought that some of the friendliness had gone from his voice. He sounded curt, almost dismissive. Rumold noticed it, too.
‘Are you all right, Gideon?’ he asked solicitously. ‘You don’t seem yourself. Have you been taking your medication?’
‘I am absolutely fine,’ said Hawke. ‘And now if you don’t mind I would like to see Katerina.
‘I’m under strict instructions that she’s not to see anyone,’ said Rumold, holding out his hands apologetically and blocking the doorway.
‘From whom?’
‘From the Magical League,’ said Rumold.
Hawke’s brow clouded. ‘But I am the head of Lost Books at the Museum of Magical Miscellany and this investigation concerns the disappearance of a very dangerous book. So I believe, in this instance, I have authority over the Magical League.’
A look of irritation flickered on Rumold’s face. ‘Well, yes, I suppose so,’ he muttered. ‘Look – there’s no reason for us to fall out over this. Why don’t you come back tomorrow when I’ve had a chance to clear it with them?’
‘There’s no time for that,’ snapped Hawke. ‘Take me to Katerina or I will find the way myself!’
Archie was shocked at the change in Hawke’s manner. He’d always been so polite before, but now there was a real edge to his voice. His eyes bored into Rumold’s like a challenge. The two men glared at each other for a moment and then Hawke said, ‘Step aside, Rumold. You are out of your depth.’
Rumold’s eyes flared. He spoke slowly as if it took all his concentration to control his anger. ‘It is you who is out of his depth, Gideon. You are out of order. When the Magical League hears about this they will not let it go unpunished.’
Hawke shrugged. ‘I’ll take that chance,’ he said. ‘There’s too much at stake here to let them bully me out of doing my job. Now are you going to step aside or will I have to move you?’
An angry scowl momentarily flashed across Rumold’s face, but then he replaced it with a thin smile. ‘Very well, Gideon. But you must face the consequences of your actions.’
He threw the door open and they stepped into a large, white hallway. ‘Follow me,’ he said, leading them through another door and along a white corridor.
Archie and Hawke did as he said. ‘Are you sure about this?’ Archie whispered as they fell into step behind Rumold. Hawke gave him the faintest of smiles. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘I have never been more sure.’
Archie studied Hawke. He realised he didn’t even know where the head of Lost Books had trained. Old Zeb had said that it must have been at one of the magical academies because the old bookbinder hadn’t taught him. Archie wondered which academy. Could it have been in Prague, the same academy as Katerina?
They followed Rumold through a maze of identical-looking corridors. Archie could hear the sounds of inmates moving around in their cells or shouting out. The place made him feel uneasy. He tried to imagine what it would be like to be shut up in one of the small rooms with no way out.
They passed the cell where Arthur Ripley had been locked up. It was deep inside the building and Archie wondered how Ripley had managed to escape from such a secure place. When he mentioned this to Hawke, the head of Lost Books nodded.
‘That’s what I keep asking myself,’ he said in a low voice. ‘And the answer I keep coming back to is that he must have had some help.’
He glanced at Rumold walking in front of them. Archie nodded. Hawke’s actions were beginning to make some sort of sense. If he suspected that someone inside the asylum had helped Ripley escape, that would explain his impatience with Rumold. On the other hand, if Hawke wasn’t taking his medication then that could also explain his paranoia …
Archie gave Hawke a sideways glance. He preferred to believe the first explanation. He trusted Hawke and although his behaviour was a little odd of late, Archie had no grounds to doubt him. Not yet anyway. And until he did, Archie would remain loyal.
Finally they turned into an isolated corridor and Rumold unlocked a thick iron door. He showed them into a room with a table and two chairs. There were no windows.
‘Wait here and I will get Katerina,’ he said. He turned abruptly and closed the door behind them. Archie heard the sound of a key being turned in the lock. He saw Hawke flinch and felt his own heart start to beat faster.
Hawke’s eyes were roving all around, as if he was fighting to stay in control. Archie was relieved to hear the sound of halting footsteps in the corridor outside and then the sound of a key being turned in the lock. The heavy iron door swung open and Katerina stood in the doorway. She was thinner than Archie remembered and her flowing auburn hair had been cut short.
‘You have visitors,’ Rumold said, ushering her towards one of the
chairs. Katerina stared ahead blankly. She stumbled forward.
Her once piercing blue eyes were dull and she moved slowly as if she was drugged. But she still looked a lot better than the last time Archie had seen her. Then, she’d been frozen like a statue.
Katerina sat in the chair, her elbows on the table, wringing her hands constantly as if she was washing them. Archie noticed that she did this for almost the entire interview.
‘Thank you, Rumold,’ Hawke said, dismissing him.
Rumold closed the door with a loud clang and the key turned in the lock. Archie could sense that Rumold was still there, watching them through the grille.
‘Hello, Katerina,’ Hawke said gently, sitting in the other chair. ‘Do you remember who I am?’
Katerina flicked her eyes at him and looked away. She nodded.
‘And do you remember Archie?’ Hawke asked.
Again she flicked her eyes and nodded. This time Archie thought he detected some other emotion. He couldn’t be sure what it was. Was it fear, or anger perhaps?
Hawke was speaking again. ‘It’s good to see that you are recovering from the Grimoire’s curse,’ he said. ‘Perhaps there is hope for all those the book cursed.’
Katerina stared at him with lustreless eyes.
‘I want to ask you about something,’ Hawke continued, his voice still gentle but more urgent. ‘We know that you exchanged letters with Arthur Ripley. He was the one who told you about the Grimoire being in the Darchive at the Museum of Magical Miscellany, wasn’t he?’
Archie knew it was true because Katerina had told him so herself. She nodded. So she remembered what had happened.
‘Good,’ said Hawke. ‘What else do you remember about Arthur Ripley’s plans? What was meant to happen once you had the Grimoire in your possession?’
‘I was to inherit Hecate’s powers,’ said Katerina. Her voice was flat and lacking vitality, but she spoke clearly.
‘And what was Ripley’s part in all this?’ asked Hawke. ‘What did he want from you?’
‘Ripley wanted a darchemist,’ said Katerina. ‘He had big plans for a dark magic writer.’ Her glassy eyes stared straight ahead.
‘What plans?’ asked Hawke.
Silence.
‘Katerina, what was Ripley going to do with a darchemist?’
Katerina stopped wringing her hands for a second. Her eyes shone with a sudden intensity. ‘Rewrite The Opus Magus, of course!’ she said in a mocking voice that reminded Archie of the Grimoire. She threw back her head and laughed manically. ‘That’s been his plan all along!
‘Welcome to the dark age of magic!’ she screeched. ‘And there’s nothing that any of you can do to stop it. Only Fabian Grey can do that, and he’s dead! And Archie Greene doesn’t even know about his part.’
‘What part?’ exclaimed Archie. ‘What are you talking about?’
A smile flickered across Katerina’s lips. ‘See,’ she said, her eyes shining with malice. ‘He doesn’t know.’ She looked at Hawke. ‘And you don’t know either.’
Katerina’s eyes smouldered with madness, and a secret. ‘My ancestor Felicia Nightshade said that when Grey escaped from The Book of Prophecy he was babbling like a madman. Most of what he said made no sense but he kept repeating the same phrase: “Only the Greys can save magic.” Plural, you see – more than one Grey!’
Archie stared in bewilderment. ‘But I was born three hundred and fifty years later!’
‘Yes,’ said Katerina, ‘but your fate and Fabian Grey’s are connected. Whatever Grey saw in The Book of Prophecy, it involves you as well!’
Archie stared at her in shock. His heart was pounding. Was this the final part of his forked fate? Was he supposed to save magic by defeating the Dark Flame in place of Grey? He felt light-headed.
The iron door opened and Rumold was in the room. He seized Katerina by the shoulders and shook her.
‘That’s enough,’ he cried. ‘Drink this.’
He held a flask to her full lips and Katerina drank from it, and immediately calmed down. She started to wring her hands again. Fast to begin with but slowing as the potion took eff ect until she sat quietly clasping her hands together as if one might comfort the other.
‘You have upset her, Gideon,’ Rumold reprimanded. ‘You shouldn’t have asked about Ripley. Her mind is too fragile. She doesn’t know what she is saying.’
Hawke glared at him. ‘But I disagree, Rumold. I think she knows exactly what she’s saying.’
Before Rumold could stop him, Hawke snatched Katerina’s right hand in his and turned the palm to face him. Archie gasped. There was a black firemark on it: the Black Dragon.
‘Another one who has taken the Dark Oath,’ said Hawke. ‘I wonder how many more are in this building.’
Rumold glanced at the door as if he was expecting someone. The door remained closed. Hawke didn’t seem to have noticed. He fixed Rumold with a stare and his mismatched eyes bored into him with such intensity that Archie worried that the head of Lost Books might have lost control.
Rumold swallowed hard. His eyes flicked to the door again. Just then it opened and a tall, gaunt man entered the room.
‘Gideon, I understand you’ve been distressing the patients,’ he said in his cold voice with an undercurrent of menace.
Hawke swung around in his chair. ‘Uther,’ he said. ‘What an unpleasant surprise.’ His eyes returned to Rumold’s face. ‘So you called in reinforcements. I might have guessed you would.’
Rumold shrugged. ‘It’s for your own good, Gideon. You are confused. You haven’t been taking your medication. We cannot allow you to leave like this.’
At a nod from Morgred, two burly men in white coats stepped into the room and stood on either side of Hawke.
Morgred gave a thin smile. ‘Gideon Hawke,’ he said, ‘I am relieving you of your duties as head of Lost Books, with immediate effect.’
For a moment Archie thought that Hawke was going to resist, but he saw a look of resignation in his eyes.
‘Very well, Uther,’ he said, wearily. ‘If that is what the Magical League orders, I will return to Oxford and pack my things.’
Morgred glanced at Rumold, who shook his head once.
‘That won’t be possible, Gideon,’ Rumold said, the self-assurance returning to his voice. ‘It will be better for you to spend some time here. That way we can monitor your progress. We want to help you.’
Hawke’s brow furrowed. ‘I see I have no choice,’ he muttered. ‘Very well, can I have my old room then?’ he asked. ‘The one with the window so I can see the birds?’
Rumold nodded. ‘If it pleases you, Gideon, then yes.’
Hawke gave a thin-lipped smile. His eyes narrowed as if he was trying to calculate something. ‘And what about Archie?’ he said. ‘I hope that he’ll be allowed to continue his apprenticeship at the museum.’
Morgred nodded. ‘Yes, the boy will be allowed to continue with his work.’
Archie felt a mixture of relief that he was free to leave and carry on with his apprenticeship, and alarm for Hawke who would have to remain at the asylum. He felt a sudden panic. Had he allowed Hawke’s paranoia to cloud his own judgment? Whose side was Hawke really on?
He felt Morgred’s hand on his shoulder.
‘Come along, Archie. Gideon needs to get some rest.’
The magical enforcer steered Archie towards the door, but as he passed him Hawke caught his arm.
‘May I give my apprentice a final piece of advice?’ he asked.
‘Very well,’ Morgred said. ‘But make it brief.’
‘Thank you, Uther,’ said Hawke. ‘Very thoughtful of you.’ He leaned forward and whispered into Archie’s ear so that the others couldn’t hear him.
‘Remember the Torchstones.’
Aloud he said, ‘Keep practising the delving spells I showed you. You’re making excellent progress.’
Archie gazed at him quizzically. Hawke’s eyes looked tired but he managed a thin smile and a wink.
/>
‘And Archie – trust no one.’
*
It was with a heavy heart that Archie caught the train back to Oxford. He felt deeply sad for Hawke, but when he thought about it, he realised that Hawke’s erratic behaviour had started earlier, when The Book of Night was stolen.
He tried to convince himself that Hawke would be looked after in the asylum, but he couldn’t shift a nagging feeling that something was very wrong. He didn’t trust Rumold or Morgred. If someone wanted to get Hawke out of the way, this was a very convenient way to do it.
Archie got off the train and headed home. He wondered what was really going on. It seemed like some sort of power struggle was occurring in the magical realm. One thing seemed certain: with Hawke gone, the Alchemists’ Club would have to discover what Grey saw on their own.
Back at the Foxes’, Loretta was distraught to hear the news about Hawke.
‘He’s been under enormous pressure. It must have been too much for him. That’s the price you pay for magical ability like his!’ she exclaimed, and then burst into tears.
‘There, there,’ consoled Woodbine.
‘I can’t believe they’ve done this. Relieved him of his duties at the very time we need him most!’ sniffed Loretta.
‘Did Morgred say who would be taking his place as head of Lost Books?’ asked Woodbine.
Archie shook his head.
‘They’ll have to appoint someone in the next couple of days,’ said Woodbine. ‘It will be one of the museum elders I imagine.’ He looked grim.
16
Mixed Messages
The next morning, Archie called an emergency meeting of the Alchemists’ Club. Rupert was in London but the others agreed to meet in the usual place later that evening.
When Archie arrived at the laboratory he spotted the message on the bench immediately. It was in a white envelope as before and in the same firm handwriting. But this time it was addressed to Archie Greene care of the Alchemists’ Club. He opened it and read the note inside.
