Archie Greene and the Alchemist's Curse

by D D Everest

  As they made their way back to the mending workshop, the old bookbinder was not his usual chirpy self. Archie could tell that he was shaken by what he’d just seen.

  Old Zeb had said that only a magic writer could help The Book of Charms. The master spells had to be rewritten – and quickly. It was the only way. And only someone with the Golden Circle firemark could write magic.

  Archie felt a sudden thrill. This was it! This was what he had to do. He had to persuade the other four apprentices to help him write magic for the first time in three hundred and fifty years. He felt light-headed as he thought about the enormity of the task.

  But even as the idea crystallised in his mind, he realised there was no way Hawke would agree to it. Not after what had happened before. The Alchemists’ Club had tried to write magic and it had gone spectacularly wrong. Now he was contemplating doing the same thing. But this time it would be different. They wouldn’t make the same mistakes.

  *

  That afternoon, the five apprentices sat at a table in Quill’s. They had been excited about the start of term and the book fayre, but now things had suddenly turned very serious.

  ‘Ever since we got the firemarks, everyone seems to be watching us,’ said Rupert quietly. He was right. Several of the other apprentices were casting curious glances in their direction and whispering in low voices. ‘It’s as if we’re meant to do something, but we don’t know what it is.’

  Archie thought he did. He explained what he’d found out about The Book of Charms. ‘If the spells keep fading, then the magic that protects the museum will fail,’ he said, glancing around at the other four. He wanted to tell them his idea, but he wasn’t sure how they would react. He took a breath.

  ‘If The Book of Charms isn’t rewritten, then we might as well put a welcome sign on the door. The Greaders can walk in and help themselves to any books they fancy.’

  ‘Over my dead body,’ said Bramble hotly.

  ‘Exactly. Someone’s got to stop them,’ said Archie. ‘The original Alchemists’ Club was formed to rewrite the magical books, right?’

  They all nodded. He continued. ‘Now, just as the magic is fading, the Golden Circle firemarks suddenly appear again.’

  ‘Where are you going with this, Arch?’ asked Bramble, her eyes wide.

  Archie took a deep breath. ‘I think the Flame is trying to protect the museum,’ he said. ‘That’s why it gave us the firemarks. Not even the elders can write magic. We’re the ones with the firemarks, so we’re the only ones who can do it.’

  The other four looked at him. It took a moment to sink in.

  ‘But we haven’t got the faintest idea how to write magic,’ said Arabella.

  ‘I’ve been thinking about that,’ said Archie. ‘Fabian Grey and the others found a way to write magic, so we can, too. We know the knowledge is somewhere in the museum, because they found it. I think we should re-form the Alchemists’ Club.’

  ‘But none of us have even finished our apprenticeships,’ said Arabella.

  ‘That’s true,’ said Archie. ‘But nor had they, and they did it. If we all pool our knowledge, we can do it, too!’

  ‘Well,’ said Rupert, ‘I suppose I could show you the menagerie and explain what I know about natural magic. That wouldn’t be hard.’

  ‘Exactly,’ said Archie.

  ‘What about Hawke and the other elders?’ asked Rupert.

  Archie shook his head. ‘It’ll have to be our secret,’ he said. ‘After what happened the last time, Hawke won’t let us try. So, what do you say? Are you up for it?’

  This was the moment of truth. He held his breath. The other four apprentices exchanged glances.

  ‘Archie’s right,’ said Bramble quietly. ‘The elders can’t write magic. They don’t have the Golden Circle firemark. We’re the only ones who can do it. We can meet in secret, just the five of us – no one else needs to know.’

  ‘So, is that a yes?’ asked Archie.

  Bramble hesitated for a moment longer and then nodded. ‘There was a Foxe in the original club, and there will be a Foxe in the re-formed club,’ she said. ‘I’m in!’

  ‘Make that two Foxes,’ said Thistle.

  ‘And a Trevallen,’ said Rupert. ‘Arabella?’

  Arabella looked away. ‘Come on,’ said Archie. ‘There was a Ripley in the original club, after all.’

  ‘That’s what worries me,’ snapped Arabella. ‘My family doesn’t have a good record with this sort of thing. Several of my ancestors were Greaders, and my grandfather tried to kill you!’

  ‘Just because you’re a Ripley doesn’t mean you have to become a Greader,’ said Archie.

  Arabella paused and took a breath. ‘It still sounds dangerous to me. Look what happened with the original Alchemists’ Club. Do we want to take that chance?’

  ‘If Archie is right, then we don’t have a choice,’ said Bramble. ‘If we don’t rewrite the spells protecting the museum, then no one will, and the museum will be destroyed!’

  ‘But we don’t know where to start,’ said Arabella.

  ‘We don’t. But there’s someone at the museum who does,’ said Archie. ‘Katerina. She’s studying how to write magic. If anyone knows what we need, then it’s her.’

  ‘Well, she did offer to help. I suppose we could ask her,’ said Arabella.

  ‘Brilliant!’ said Bramble. ‘That’s agreed, then. The Alchemists’ Club rides again! We can hold our first meeting tomorrow at—’

  But she never got to finish her sentence, because at that moment a dark shape arrowed through the door ray and landed on the table. Arabella screamed.

  Bramble’s eyes opened wide as she stared at a raven. In its claw it gripped a gold ring.

  ‘What on earth …?’ said Bramble.

  The raven flapped its wings noisily. There was a sudden hush as people turned to look. For a moment the bird gazed around the room, taking in its surroundings. Its flinty eyes came to rest on Archie. Then, to everyone’s surprise, it spoke.

  ‘Archie Greene, I have come from the Tower to warn you. The five have been revealed, but there is unfinished business. The forks are on you. Choose your path carefully. I bring this ring as a sign that I speak the truth.’

  The raven dropped the ring on the table. The other apprentices in Quill’s crowded around, pointing at it and whispering in low voices. Archie’s mind was racing. The Siren Sisters had said something about a raven. But what was the warning? And what was he supposed to do about it?

  All these thoughts passed through his mind in a split second as he stared at the ring on the table.

  For a moment, nobody moved, and then Feodora Graves eased her way to the front. She had been talking to Pink about the permission wall.

  ‘Goodness, what a fuss. Haven’t you ever seen a raven before?’ she demanded.

  ‘Not one that talks,’ muttered Meredith Merrydance, in a voice that was louder than she intended.

  Graves gave her a withering look. ‘Anyone would think you’d never heard of magic!’

  ‘It’s a bad omen,’ declared Enid Drew.

  ‘Nonsense,’ said Graves. ‘It’s a talking raven, that’s all. They’re very clever birds.’

  Archie’s mind was still racing. The raven was watching him, its head cocked to one side.

  Graves picked up the ring and examined it.

  ‘What does it mean?’ asked Meredith.

  Graves was still thinking about her reply when another voice interrupted.

  ‘I would have thought that was perfectly obvious.’ The apprentices turned their heads to see Aurelius Rusp, at the back of the room. Archie hadn’t known he was there, but he had witnessed the whole episode. ‘Archie Greene has the forks on him.’

  His pronouncement was met by another outbreak of excitable chattering among the apprentices.

  ‘Aurelius!’ warned Feodora Graves, holding up the ring between her thumb and forefinger. ‘It’s Fabian Grey’s ring – it bears his mark.’

  At that moment,
the raven snatched the ring from her. It swooped over the table and dropped it into Archie’s hand.

  ‘Beware the Alchemist’s Curse!’ it screeched.

  Then it flapped its wings and disappeared through the front door, leaving a stunned silence.

  6

  The Dragon’s Claw

  In Quill’s the next morning everyone was talking about the mysterious raven. Many of the apprentices had seen it and had heard Rusp. Those who weren’t there at the time had received dramatic accounts from their friends.

  ‘It was amazing,’ Archie heard Peter Quiggley telling one of the other apprentices, a boy called Gabriel Monk. ‘The raven said that the museum was cursed.’

  Archie’s ears pricked up.

  ‘And it gave Archie Greene a ring! They say he’s got the forks on him, too. And you know what that means? He could be a darchemist!’

  Gabriel’s eyes opened wide. ‘Really?’

  Archie ignored them and hurried past. If people wanted to talk behind his back, that was up to them. He thought about the ring. Why had the raven given it to him? What was he supposed to do with it?

  He found his cousins at the bar. They were excited about the first meeting of the new Alchemists’ Club, which was going to take place that lunchtime. As far as they were concerned, the appearance of the raven just made it more urgent.

  ‘I’ll have a black death,’ said Thistle, when Pink asked them what motion potions they wanted. ‘And I’ll be riding in the Dragon’s Claw.’

  ‘You’re brave,’ said Pink. ‘It’s pretty wild.’

  Thistle’s eyes gleamed. ‘I know. I read about it in Magical Places to Visit!’

  ‘Well, it’s up to you,’ she said. ‘The last person who used the Claw ended up in one of the dungeons in the Supernatural Magic Department and was an hour late for his apprenticeship. I’ll get to you as soon as I can, but there’s a couple of others in front of you.’

  She moved to the end of the bar to serve someone else.

  Bramble gave Thistle a dark look. ‘With everything else that’s going on, do you really think you should be using the Dragon’s Claw?’

  ‘Where’s your sense of adventure, Bram? I’ll be fine,’ Thistle said dismissively. ‘Besides,’ he added, patting Magical Places to Visit in his pocket, ‘it’s all explained in here. It sounds really exciting.’

  Pink handed him a glass with a thick black substance like tar.

  ‘One black death,’ she said.

  ‘That looks disgusting,’ said Bramble, pulling a face. ‘Anyway,’ she added, dropping her voice so that no one could overhear, ‘we’re meeting Rupert and Arabella in the West Gallery at noon. Don’t be late!’

  ‘We’ll need to find somewhere more private once we start meeting regularly,’ said Archie.

  ‘You’re right, we can’t practise writing magic in plain view of the elders,’ she said. ‘Try to keep him out of trouble,’ she added, nodding at Thistle. ‘He won’t take any notice of me.’

  Bramble collected her motion potion and made her way towards the box seats.

  ‘Listen to this,’ said Thistle, reading from his book. ‘The Dragon’s Claw belonged to Fellwind the Destroyer, one of the great dragons of the North. His claw was so large that it could hold two men. It has an unusual spinning motion.’

  Archie wasn’t sure he liked the sound of the Dragon’s Claw. But Thistle had a gleam in his eye, and Archie could see that he wasn’t going to change his mind. His adventurous cousin didn’t know the museum very well, so Archie decided he’d better go with him. At least that way if the Claw let him off in an unfamiliar place, he could guide him back to where he was meant to be.

  ‘Okay,’ he said. ‘If you insist on using the Claw, I’m coming with you.’

  He ordered another black death, and the two of them made their way to the nook called the den and approached the giant talons. Thistle scrambled up into the seat and made himself comfortable. Archie joined him.

  ‘Now what?’ he asked.

  Thistle consulted his book again. ‘To operate the Dragon’s Claw, pull the thumb forward and drink the motion potion …’

  ‘Right, here goes then,’ said Archie. He pulled the thumb forward. The talons closed around them.

  ‘Bottoms up!’ he said, clinking glasses. The black death tasted of liquorice.

  Thistle was gazing at the book in his hand. His expression had changed from anticipation to apprehension. ‘Uh-oh!’

  ‘What’s the matter?’ asked Archie.

  ‘I didn’t read the next page. There’s more! Listen to this. “The Dragon’s Claw is rarely used because it has a reputation for trickery and treachery.”’

  ‘Well, you were warned, and it’s too late to do anything about it now,’ said Archie. ‘We’ll be at the Happy Landing in a moment.’

  The Dragon’s Claw began to spin, corkscrewing its way into the floor. As it did, Thistle cried out. Perhaps it was scarier than he had expected. But Archie was soon too frightened for himself to worry about his cousin.

  The Dragon’s Claw flew along the dark tunnels under Quill’s, spinning ever faster. The lights from the lanterns were just a blur as they hurtled through the narrow passages.

  Its movements were far more violent and unpredictable than the other seats of learning. From time to time they would touch the side of the tunnel, sending them ricocheting off a wall and causing the Claw to lurch to one side or another. The spinning in particular was very disorienting; it meant that Archie couldn’t be sure where he was going. He felt giddy.

  Finally they shot out of the tunnel and into the Bookery. Archie felt a sense of relief that the wild ride must be nearly over. He wouldn’t be in a hurry to use the Dragon’s Claw again. Just then he ducked as an unfortunate book collided with the top of the Claw, making a horrible thudding sound. He heard an indignant yelp from the book, and the air was full of fluttering loose leaves like feathers. Then they were plummeting towards the ground a long way below.

  Archie felt sick now. He tried to look at Thistle, but with all the spinning he couldn’t turn his head to see the expression on his cousin’s face. Then he closed his eyes. They must be nearly at the Happy Landing by now, he thought. Unless the Dragon’s Claw was taking them somewhere else?

  They had slowed down. The Claw was spinning on the spot now. Archie glanced across at Thistle, trying to catch his cousin’s eye. Thistle’s pale face gazed back at him. He looked decidedly green around the gills.

  There was a grinding sound as an ancient lock was drawn back, followed by the groan of a heavy door opening. Archie tried to focus, but all he could see was darkness. The Dragon’s Claw moved forward again and the door slammed shut behind it.

  Archie thought they had stopped spinning, but it was so dark that he couldn’t be sure. He couldn’t even tell that his eyes were open. He put his hands to his face and touched his eyelids. They were definitely open; he could feel his eyelashes fluttering against his fingertips.

  ‘Thistle, are you all right?’ he asked, reaching out and touching his cousin’s shoulder.

  ‘Yeah, I think so.’

  Archie was trying to orient himself. He couldn’t tell which way was up and which way was down. He could be upside down, for all he knew. The only thing he was sure about was that this wasn’t the Happy Landing that he’d arrived at so many times before. A shiver travelled up his arm.

  Archie pushed the dragon’s thumb away and the Claw opened. Still feeling woozy, he slithered out onto the ground.

  Archie felt around him and discovered that he was now sitting on what felt like some cold flagstones. He got to his feet. For a moment, he swayed, with his head still spinning. He heard Thistle land beside him. And he thought he heard something else; a rustling sound. It was very faint, but in the darkness his other senses were heightened. He turned his head towards the sound. There it was again.

  ‘Where are we?’ Thistle asked, his voice hoarse with fear.

  ‘Beats me,’ said Archie. ‘But wherever it is
, it’s not where we want to be.’ He swallowed hard. ‘And I don’t think we’re alone.’

  *

  The next few hours were the longest Archie could ever remember. At first the boys tried to find a way out. They felt their way back to the entrance. They banged on the heavy door, shouting for help, but no one came.

  After a while they slumped down with their backs to the door and sat side by side. In the oppressive darkness, every minute dragged by. They were tired, cold and hungry, and they were also becoming increasingly frightened. They jumped at the slightest sound. Archie was beginning to think they might be trapped there forever.

  ‘Why did I have to try the Dragon’s Claw?’ groaned Thistle. ‘Why didn’t you stop me?’

  ‘Bramble and Pink tried to warn you,’ said Archie. ‘But you wouldn’t listen.’

  ‘Well, I’m listening now,’ sighed Thistle.

  Archie was thinking about his forked fate again. There was something very wrong, and he was sure it was connected to the Golden Circle firemarks and The Book of Charms – and now this. ‘I think someone or something brought us here,’ he said.

  ‘What for?’ asked Thistle, his voice shaking slightly.

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Archie. ‘And I don’t think we should wait around to find out. Let’s try the door again.’ He gazed into the darkness. A sound made him start.

  ‘Thistle, did you hear that? It sounded like an animal.’

  ‘All I can hear is that rustling sound,’ said Thistle.

  Archie stared blindly into the darkness. He felt a sense of dread like an icy hand on his shoulder. He heard Thistle’s voice beside him.

  ‘Archie, I don’t want to worry you, but my ring’s glowing. Dad said it does that when there’s dark magic nearby.’

  They heard the rustling sound again. The air smelled foul. Just then Archie heard a voice.

  ‘What have we here? Two boys lost in the dark. How delicious!’

  Archie blinked into the darkness. ‘Who are you?’ he asked.

  ‘Who are you talking to?’ asked Thistle.