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S eptih the thick purple door Angrily, he instructed the door to UnBar
The girl laughed "You will not succeed, Septih &039;tis true, the door is a Twin, but all identical twins have some differences You have just discovered one of them" The Apprentice appraised Septi for a Questor to arrive
I had hoped for someone moremature to pass some days with Do you play cards?"
"Cards?"
"I could teach you a few gae Snap"
"Snap?"
The girl sighed "Possibly not," she said
Septie - although she was ave up any hope of a reasonable conversation and turned his attention to his new surroundings
He was in a huge octagonal chah which he could see the darkening sky suffused with the last pinkish rays of the sunset He was, he guessed, at the very top of the House of Foryx Watched by the eagle eyes of the ancient Apprentice, Septimus wandered around the chas, the lapis chests, the rich tapestries - reht Septi There was soyk
"What is this place?" Septirumpy Apprentice
"The House of Foryx," came the reply
"I know that," Septi not to betray his impatience "But this place This rooh"
Septihed He tried one last question "Who are you?"
To his surprise the girl actually answered his question "I am Talmar," she said
Talmar The name was familiar Septimus tried to remember why - and then it came to him Suddenly, he felt very odd indeed "NotTalmar Ray Bell?" he asked
A look of airl&039;s face "How do you know?" she asked
Septirinned, pleased with the effect of his question
Somewhere in the distance came the silvery sound of a bell Talmar assumed her air of superiority once more and pronounced, "My Master is ready Followof the sun, the glass doh the chaht their path At the far end of the chaure sitting by a fire on a low, comfortable chair not unlike the one that sat close to the fire in Marcia&039;s rooms - the one she always insisted was hers
Talh the curtains and the figure - a frail, elderly , hite hair held back with an ExtraOrdinary Wizard headband - looked up The light of the candle fla them seem almost on fire
"This is our Questor, Septimus Heap," said Talmar
"Welcoet up and Talmar rushed to his side to help him As he stood, a little bent and unsteady on his feet, Septimus saw that he was dressed in an archaic set of ExtraOrdinary Wizard robes - frolyphs in gold thread Leaning on Talmar&039;s arm, the old man walked slowly toward Septimus
"From the Old to the New," he s"
"Greetings," Septi the thin old hand
The old ht hand Septi, which was shining brighter than he had ever seen it do before - like a tiny la," murmured the ancient ExtraOrdinary Wizard
"Your ring?" said Septied toOh Oh, of course"
"Ah You knoho I am?" asked the old man
Septimus nodded Now he understood "You&039;re Hotep-Ra," he said
As the stars shih the dome and the full moon traveled across the sky, Septi at a feast of delicacies, which had appeared on the long, low table that Talmar had set in front of the fire Tallasses
Hotep-Ra raised his glass and said, "Let us celebrate the end of your Queste" He downed the tea in one gulp Septimus and Tal left for you to do before your Queste is ended"
"Oh?" SeptiiveStone"
Septi he would like better He took the fiery red stone from his pocket
Relieved to be rid of the Stone, Septimus put it in the outstretched hand Hotep-Ra placed his other hand over the Stone and Septi the bones of the hand beneath the skin like dark red shadows And then the light began to fade and Hotep-Ra&039;s hands beca Stone was now an inky black
"You have completed the Queste" Hotep-Ra sht you all this way: come sit beside me and tell me all that has happened at the Castle inhoas supposed to know
"As Apprentice you will know such things Now, before you begin I shall place n on the back of this stone and return it to you as a memento of your journey"
Septimus was not sure that he actually wanted a
Hotep-Ra turned the stone over and his expression clouded
"What is it, Master?" asked Talmar
"I do not understand I numbered these Stones with a Hidden tally As each one was Drawn the number would show itself This is number twenty-one This is the last Stone," ," said Tal He has not even finished his Apprenticeship"
"Has he not?" asked the Wizard, puzzled "But this is an honor reserved for the last day of the Apprenticeship"
"Exactly He must have stolen it He is no h of Talnation "How dare you call me a thief! Anyould anyone want to steal that for?" he asked "It has been nothing but trouble And I can tell you that I am the last Questor - it was the last Stone in the Pot And I can tell you so else - all the others ent on the Queste never returned It is not an honor - it is a curse Every Apprentice dreads their last day because of it And Tertius Fuasped "Has that lying, underhanded, double-crossing streak of Wurhost has," said Septier Living But what effrontery - I Banish hione When did this happen?"
"A long tio He&039;s ancient"
"How ancient?"
"I - I don&039;t really know He&039;s one of the oldest in the Castle"
"One of the oldest" Hotep-Ra fell silent for some minutes Neither Talmar nor Septimus dared speak Finally the ancient ExtraOrdinary Wizard said very quietly, as if expecting bad news, "Tell me, Apprentice - how many ExtraOrdinary Wizards have there been since Talmar and I left the Castle?"