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H igh on their silver torch posts, the last pair of torches at the end of Wizard Way struggled to stay lit in the wind, their flas in a storht this!" Jenna yelled above the howl of the gale as they approached the Great Arch "She can&039;t just dump you like that You wait - when Marcia hears about this Jillie Djinn won&039;t stand a chance"
Beetle did not have the energy to reply As Jenna propelled hih the Arch and into the Courtyard, all Beetle could think about was hoas going to break the news to his mother, who frequently told anyone ould listen that the proudest day of her life was the day that Beetle passed the Manuscriptoriu his mother never mentioned was the fact that it was Beetle&039;s weekly pay - a silver half crown - that paid the rent on their tiny rooht them a steady supply of potatoes and fish
The Wizard Tower Courtyard was sheltered froht fro the walls was steady and bright Jenna thought the Courtyard looked unusually clean - gone were the nasty surprises, and even the precarious slippery feeling underfoot had disappeared As she and Beetle approached the great white marble steps that led up to the Wizard Tower, the reason for this sudden attack of hygiene appeared carrying a shovel and a very big bucket
"Hildegarde!" said Jenna in surprise "What are you doing here? I thought you were having sorimy hand across her forehead, stopped and leaned wearily on her shovel "I wish," she said
Jenna noticed that the sub-Wizard&039;s blue robes were soaked and splattered with mud - or worse - and her short brown hair had been blown into so a bird&039;s nest "I suppose it&039;s not quite the job you wanted at the Tower," said Jenna sympathetically
"No, it&039;s not," replied Hildegarde and then, realizing she had been curt, she said, "But of course I am happy to help out while the Apprentice is unable to look after his dragon and - "
"Why, what&039;s happened?" Jenna interrupted, suddenly alarmed "Is Sep ill? Has he had an accident?"
"Oh, it&039;s nothing to worry about, Princess Jenna He&039;s doing his first Projection It&039;s tricky stuff; he mustn&039;t be disturbed until it&039;s finished It will be ending soon and then we&039;ll all find out what it was
He&039;s obviously very good at it, as no one has guessed what it is, although" - Hildegarde&039;s voice took on a disapproving tone - "so bets"
"Oh, thank goodness" Jenna sighed "For a ht ere too late"
"Too late? No, I think he has about ten minutes left until the end"
"The end?"
"Of the Projection I suggest you try the Great Hall I have a feeling all is not right in the Old Spells cupboard" Hildegarde winked conspiratorially "But please excuse s away and I will join you there" She clattered off hurriedly
Jenna and Beetle climbed the steps up to the massive silver doors that formed the entrance to the Wizard Tower Jenna muttered the password and the doors silently opened As they stepped into the Great Hall, the words WELCOME, PRINCESS ran across the floor in flickering, multicolored letters
It did not escape Beetle&039;s notice that there was no WELCOME, INSPECTION CLERK to greet him - as there had been in the past Beetle wondered how the Wizard Tower could possibly know He felt even worse, if that was possible Somehow it made it official
There was a buzz of expectation in the Great Hall A throng of Wizards wass around trying to look as if they just happened to come to the Great Hall for important business Jenna had never seen so many Wizards in one place It was a colorful scene: the blue of the Ordinary Wizard robes set against the backdrop of the bright, fleeting pictures thatfabled moments from the Wizard Tower&039;s past
As always, Jenna felt a little overawed by the Wizard Tower Although as Princess she was alelcome - and was even in possession of the password - the Toas a strange and inti being The pictures on the walls brightened and faded as if the Tower itself were breathing in and out, in and out Light and dark, light and dark The heady scent of incense, and the odd syk - of old Spells and new, all combined tothat went on in the Castle and did not like the fact that she could not quite work out what the Wizards actually did She had once asked Marcia what she did all day and, although it all seemed to make sense at the time, later she could not remember a word of what Marcia had said It had even crossed her et Spell on her, but when she had hed and told her that he never remembered what Marcia said to hi to understand the old Castle saying: A Queen and a Wizard shall never agree - what one calls two, the other calls three
Jenna&039;s thoughts were interrupted by a sudden bout of shushing a the assembled Wizards On the far side of the Great Hall, at the point where the silver corkscrew spiral stairs e, Jenna saw the distinctive purple pointy python shoes of Marcia Overstrand appear In order to make a more drahtti round at the relatively fast daytiive rise to some hilarity when a crowd of Wizards was asse froht of the Great Hall until she reached the ground She jumped off and clapped her hands for silence
"Word seeotten around that my Apprentice, Septimus Heap, is about to finish his first Projection," she said An excited murmur arose "I do not entirely approve of this fuss," Marcia continued "Frankly, I would have hoped you all had better things to do But unfortunately it has beco happening to athered here, you think that this is where the Projection has been placed"
A generalensued and one brave Wizard shouted out, "Give us a clue, ExtraOrdinary!"