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Septi full of carrots and followed Una Brakket down the dark hallway Previously he had only been allowed into the narrow front room that overlooked the street, but, as he followed the housekeeper deep into the gloomy recesses of the hall, Septio on forever Una Brakket stopped by a low door and lit a candle Soon Septi her down so cellar The cellar was long and narroith a low vaulted roof, and the sounds of the paddleboats being dragged out of the boathouse echoed eerily through the walls It was stuffed full of what looked like years of accumulated junk: there were heaps of rusty tripods and Bunsen burners, stacks of wooden boxes stuffed full of ancient yellowing papers, piles of broken scientific instru on the wall

With Septi behind, Una strode to the back of the cellar and went through a sht of her candle quickly faded as she disappeared around a corner, and Septiobut that didn&039;t worry Septier began to glow, as it always did in the dark, and soon he had enough light to see where he was again

"Where are you? I haven&039;t got all day," Una Brakket&039;s sharp voice cut through the glooone "I don&039;t allow boys with candles down here," she snapped, noticing the light glowing from his hand

"But" Septimus protested

"In fact I don&039;t allow boys down here at all And if it were up tobut trouble, boys"

"But"

"Now just put that candle out and follow ht hand into his tunic pocket and followed Una Brakket into a narrow brick-lined tunnel The tunnel wound its way deep beneath the streets of the Castle, taking theardens The candle flausts of air that eddied through the tunnel, bringing with theressed onward, an icy chill settled in the air; Septi him

Suddenly she stoppeda thick wooden door barred the way Fro froest one and pushed it into the keyhole, which was oddly placed in thearound her to see what she was doing when a loud whirring noise started up from behind the door

Una Brakket ju heavily on Septimus&039;s foot

"Ouch!"

"Get back!" She gave Septi back into the tunnel a split second before the wooden door cae

"Wait there," snapped Una "You are not to come any farther I will tell Madam Marcia that she is required" With that Una Brakket strode across the door as if it really was a drawbridge

Septimus followed her into the Laboratory

Professor Weasal Van Klaest place that Septimus had ever seen, and he had seen some very odd places since he had become Marcia&039;s Apprentice

The Laboratory was bathed in a low blue light It was a long, thin, vaulted underground roo vials and flasks, flagons and funnels, all connected by a large glass tube which looped and soared down the entire length of the Laboratory Froas, which Professor Van Klaiving the whole place a distinctive smell that reminded Septih the blue haze, trying to see where Marcia was At the far end of the Laboratory he could just about ure of Marcia and the stulass tube full of a shiny black liquid; she had been startled by the bang of the door falling open and was staring into the blue vapor to see as going on

"What are you doing here?" she called out, surprised at Septimus&039;s sudden appearance behind Una "It&039;s meant to be your day off, Septiain"

"It&039;s Jenna!" yelled Septirab hih the haze toward Marcia

"What? What&039;s Jenna?" asked Marcia, confused, her head still spinning from the endless mathematical for in an effort to show Marcia why the ShadowSafe was taking so long to ly co part of the ShadowSafe when Septi the doorbell and Una Brakket had very reluctantly gone to answer it Marcia had been glad to see the housekeeper go, for Una was hanging around like an irritating bluebottle, which Marcia had had great trouble resisting the urge to swat

"She&039;s gone!" yelled Septi the ExtraOrdinary Wizard just before Una Brakket could grab hi between hilad to hear it," said Marcia, confused at the dance Septiht Sarah was leaving it a bit late to get her off to the Dragon Boat It&039;s only two days to MidSuone to Aunt Zelda&039;s She&039;s been kidnapped"

"What?" Marcia dropped the glass tube she was holding The Professor and Una Brakket both gasped in disam for the ShadowSafe

"Is this so black sludge that now covered her purple snakeskin shoesand at Professor Van Kla to scrape up his precious Aam

"No," said Septimus bleakly "I wish it was"