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O h, pigs," said Beetle "Pigs pigs pigs"

"OhBeetle," whispered Jenna, feeling sick

"I don&039;t believe I could be so stupid How are we going to get back into our Time now?"

The DoorKeeper looked up at Beetle "Tirin "What is Time now that you are here? Welcome to the House of Fowyx"

They were in the checkerboard lobby that Aunt Ells had described - but the tall dragon chair that Aunt Ells had so resolutely sat on was empty Jenna felt overwhel on the chair waiting for them just as Aunt Ells had done, and he wasn&039;t there

"Leave your bags here," said the DoorKeeper, pointing to a large cupboard

Jenna took out Ullr from her backpack and tucked him firmly under her arm - much to the DoorKeeper&039;s surprise The DoorKeeper threw the bags into the cupboard, and then turned to watch the new arrivals

In front of them was a pair of silver doors - a sh lyphs The DoorKeeper pushed them open and ushered Jenna, Septimus and Beetle into the House of Foryx They stood stock still, three sein the war puddles on the white reat space lit with thousands of candles and yet still shadowy and di on the edge of a whirling carousel in a foggy, silent fairground, waiting for her turn - and she did not want her turn to come Septimus was res not being quite what they appeared to be, a feeling of things shifting slightly whenever you tried to focus on the the sensation that the more you looked, the less you saw Beetle was reerous Bin in the yard at the Manuscriptorium On a dare he had once taken off the lid and seen a deep, foggy whirlpool inside that had made him want to pe in and swirabbed his collar and pulled hiarded their expressions with a una, but he made an exception for the expressions on the faces of newcomers as they tried tohad his fill of fun for the day - indeed for the next few ilded door in the pillar next to Jenna and slaht them back to reality "Coo in" They linked ary vortex of candle smoke and Ti as though they ading through treacle, forcing theh an invisible barrier Septi Stone, which sat, hot, in his hand, glowing a brilliant fiery red It shone like a beacon, clearing a path through the haze As they pushed their way deeper into the House of Foryx, shadowy shapes that they had at first taken for drifts of candle san to ee frohosts in here," Beetle whispered "Tons of &039;ehosts," said Septimus "They&039;re real I meanalive I can hear them I can Hear the Sounds of Human Heartbeats Hundreds of the?" Jenna whispered

"The saet back to their own Ti that"

"We will be"

Jenna said nothing Beetle felt awful

The figures around thely solid; their robes took on colors and shapes and their faces became clear There were far hts in all kinds of ar people festooned with gold with an interesting line in pointy headgear

Ullr was restless He struggled in Jenna&039;s ar to juhtly The last thing she needed right noas to lose Ullr

Jenna and Septiht of Nicko&039;s fair curls and Snorri&039;s white-blond hair They began to realize that they, too, had beco Stone in particular - were the center of attention

Suddenly the crowd parted and a young woreen cloak and tunic ht for Septireen eyes and pointed a long, delicate finger at the Stone "You have the Questing Stone," she said in amazement

Septimus nodded

"And what are you called?"

"Uirl looked at Septimus with a puzzled expression "Well, Septimus Heap, you are veryshort,"

she said as if searching for the right words

"Short?" asked Septi You are very young Surely you have not finished your Apprenticeship?"

"NoI haven&039;t," he replied, puzzled

"So what, pray, are you doing on the Queste?" de a little like Marcia

"I - I&039;m not really on the Queste," stao on the Queste Soave me the Stone and I took it by irl now sounded completely like Marcia "How very foolish Still, we can&039;t be choosy My Master will just have to s but now"

The girl looked Septimus up and doith an expression that said she had no expectations of any kind - let alone great ones - when it came to Septi for her chance to ask the girl if she had seen Nicko, but as she opened herwoed robe and her long face reminded Beetle of a horse he used to feed apples to on the way to school She pushed aside the grureen

"Welcome to Eternity," said the woasped "Are we dead?"