Page 35 (1/2)

Scrying

He&039;s lying," Nicko said angrily, pacing up and dohile the Apprentice dripped dry slowly by the fire The Apprentice&039;s green woolen robes gave off an unpleasantthe syk She opened a few jars of Stink Screen, and soon the air sue pie

"He&039;s just saying it to upset us," said Nicko indignantly "That little pig&039;s name is not Septimus Heap"

Jenna put her arm around Nicko Boy 412 wished he understood as happening

"Who is Septimus Heap?" he asked

"Our brother," said Nicko

Boy 412 looked even more confused

"He died when he was a baby," said Jenna "If he had lived, he would have had aykal powers Our dad was a seventh son, you see," Jenna told hiykal"

"It certainly didn&039;t with Silas," muttered Aunt Zelda

"When Dad married Mum they had six sons They had Simon, Sam, Edd and Erik, Jo-Jo and Nicko And then they had Septimus So he was the seventh son of a seventh son But he died Just after he was born," said Jenna She was reht when she was tucked in her box bed "I always thought he was my twin brother But it turns out he wasn&039;t"

"Oh," said Boy 412, thinking how complicated it seemed to be to have a family

"So he&039;s definitely not our brother," Nicko was saying "And even if he was, I wouldn&039;t want him He&039;s no brother of mine"

"Well," said Aunt Zelda, "there&039;s only one way to sort this out We can see if he&039;s telling the truth, which I very h I did alonder about Septiht soibbous moon," she said "Nearly full Not a bad time to scry"

"What?" asked Jenna, Nicko and Boy 412 in unison

"I&039;ll show you," she said "Come with me"

:The duck pond was the last place they all expected to end up, but there they were, looking at the reflection of the moon in the still, black water, just as Aunt Zelda had told theed firmly between Nicko and Boy 412, in case he should try to make a run for it Boy 412 was pleased that Nicko trusted hi to stop hi exactly the kind of Magyk he had been warned about in the Young Ar blue eyes blazing in theabout dead babies What Boy 412 found difficult to believe was not that this was happening, but the fact that to him it now seemed quite normal Not only that, but he realized that the people he was standing around the duck pond with - Jenna, Nicko and Aunt Zelda - meant more to him than anyone ever had in his whole life Apart froht Boy 412, he could do without the Apprentice The Apprentice reminded him of most of the people who had tormented him in his previous life His previous life That, decided Boy 412, was hoas going to be Whatever happened, he was never going back to the Young Army Never

Aunt Zelda spoke in a low voice "Now I a to ask the moon to show us Septimus Heap"

Boy 412 shivered and stared at the still, dark water of the pond In the middle lay a perfect reflection of the moon, so detailed that the seas and mountains of the moon were clearer than he had ever seen before

Aunt Zelda looked up at the moon and said, "Sister Moon, Sister Moon, show us, if you will, the seventh son of Silas and Sarah Shohere he is now Show us Septimus Heap"

Everyone held their breath and looked expectantly at the the surface of the pond Jenna felt apprehensive Septimus was dead What would they see? A srave?

A silence fell The reflection of the e white, alue shadows began to appear in the circle Slowly they became more defined until they sawtheir own reflections

"See," said the Apprentice "You asked to see me, and there I a," said Nicko indignantly "It&039;s just our reflections"

"Maybe Maybe not," said Aunt Zelda thoughtfully

"Can we see what happened to Septimus when he was born?" asked Jenna "Then we&039;d know if he was still alive, wouldn&039;t we?"

"Yes, ould I&039;ll ask But it&039;s s from the past" Aunt Zelda took a deep breath and said, "Sister Moon, Sister Moon, show us, if you will, the first day of the life of Septihed

"Quiet, please," said Aunt Zelda