Page 23 (1/2)

B eetle, Jenna and the NightUllr stepped through the concealed door in the bookshelves into the shadowy Manuscriptorium, lit only by the ept Wizard Way torches, which cast a red dancing light through the glass of the office partition

"That boy," said Jenna as she followed Beetle through the towering ranks of dark, empty desks "I think I knoho he is"

"Yeah," said Beetle gloomily "He&039;s the new scribe Miss Djinnsomeone like him You think she&039;d be able to see - "

"See what exactly, Beetle?" Jillie Djinn&039;s voice cah!" yelled Beetle, still jumpy after the Ullr incident "Whatwhere?"

"Up here," said Jillie Djinn from somewhere above them Beetle looked up and saw to his dise&039;s seat, peering at a sheaf of papers through her tiny illulass Jillie Djinn turned her attention to Beetle and Jenna, not noticing the NightUllr in the shadows She gazed doith a face like thunder "I was occupied in checking Mr Partridge&039;s work It has not been up to scratch these past three days I have been exa his calculations for the increase in the rate of paper wastage by scribes of less than one year&039;s experience averaged out over the past three-and-three-quarter years," she infor to the conclusion that they do not possess the standard of accuracy that I expect fromso insolently discussed with a mere outsider but - "

"Jenna&039;s not an out - "

"Do not interrupt However important Princess Jenna o, she is an outsider And you, Mr Beetle, have just taken an outsider through a Restricted Access passageway"

"But I - "

Jillie Djinn&039;s tirade swept on, "Not only that, Mr Beetle, you have been discussing sensitive Manuscriptorium business with the aforementioned outsider and insulted your Chief Hermetic Scribe, to whom you have taken an oath to show respect at all times You have broken three of the sworn tenets of the Manuscriptorium"

"But - "

"Do not interrupt I am not finished In addition, Mr Beetle, it has not escaped lected to take due care of the Inspection sled"

A sroan escaped Beetle

"My new scribe, Daniel Hunter, informed me of a conversation he overheard between you and Mr

Fox I understand that two days ago you took Mr Fox on an unauthorized errand into the Ice Tunnels to retrieve the Inspection sled, which you had neglected to secure in the approved manner I also understand that Mr Fox then spent the re the Ice Wraith and thus ere yet again one scribe short that afternoon Is that correct?"

Beetle nodded miserably

"Answer me!"

"Yes It is correct," lance, but Beetle, as staring wretchedly at his boots, did not notice

Unfortunately, Jillie Djinn was still not finished "Nor to conforulations of the Manuscriptorium at all times, I would be prepared to overlook such poor behavior"

Beetle glanced up at Jillie Djinn but she looked straight through hih the , Beetle looked pale He knew there was a but co but

It ca I a with a successful atte through the hatch into a forbidden area"

Beetle felt sick Jillie Djinn had found out - just as he had known she would