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Down in the Vaults, Marcia discovered two things, one pleasant, the other much less so The pleasant surprise was that Tertius Fu Ghost of the Vaults, was not at his post For once Marcia was able to go into the Vaults without being harassed about passwords Marcia enjoyed being alone in the Vaults She Lit the lauide her back and took the other deep into the musty vaulted chambers that ran under Wizard Way As a matter of courtesy, a scribe was normally sent to the Vaults with the ExtraOrdinary Wizard to fetch whatever she wanted, but today, as Marcia had noticed, courtesy was in short supply at the Manuscriptorium However, like all ExtraOrdinary Wizards, Marcia had a copy of the Vault Plan, and she was quite content finding her way through the e tubes, all neatly stacked and labeled over thousands of years The Vaults contained the archives of the Castle, and the Wizard Tower had nothing to rival the Chief Hermetic Scribes but also a matter of annoyance, as ExtraOrdinary Wizards did indeed have a right of entry to the Vaults at any time - and on some of the ancient maps (secreted in the Chief Hermetic Scribe&039;s upstairs office), the Vaults were actually shown as belonging to the Wizard Tower

Marcia found what she was looking for - the ebony box containing the Live Plan of What Lies Beneath There had recently been so UnSealed, and Marcia had been keeping an eye on things In the light of the lae sheet of paper and carefully unrolled the Plan The Plan showed all the Ice Tunnel Sealed hatches - including tunnels that were not shown on the basic iven to the Inspection Clerk Marcia stared at the Plan, not quite able to believe what she was seeing - the major tunnel out of the Castle was UnSealed at both ends

Minutes later the secret door in the bookshelves banged open, and Marcia burst into the Manuscriptoriu unheeded onto their work, they watched the ExtraOrdinary Wizard speed between the desks and disappear into the narrow, seven-cornered passageway that led to the Herh the room - ould their Chief Hermetic Scribe have to say about that? No one, not even the ExtraOrdinary Wizard, entered the Hermetic Chamber without permission The scribes waited for the inevitable explosion To their amazement it did not come Instead Jillie Djinn appeared at the entrance of the passageway looking a little flustered and said, "Miss Badger, would you come into the Chamber, please?"

With the accoer slipped down froeway

"Ah, Miss Badger," said Marcia as Romilly entered the Hermetic Chamber in the wake of Jillie Djinn

The Chamber was a small, round, ashed rooainst the wall and a bare table in the e behind the table while Marcia paced like a caged panther - one of the dangerous purple ones

"Yes, Madam Overstrand?" said Romilly, convinced that she was about to follow in her predecessor&039;s footsteps and be suer, Miss Djinn informs me that the Keye to Seal the Ice Tunnel hatches is not at present available In other words, it is lost Is that correct?"

"I, er" Romilly was not sure what to say All she kneas that she had only been Inspection Clerk for four days, and she had yet to set foot in the Ice Tunnels due to what her Chief Hermetic Scribe called "a technical difficulty"

"Miss Badger, have you actually seen the Keye since you took up your appointment?" asked Marcia

"No, Madam Overstrand, I haven&039;t"

"Does this not strike you as odd?"

"Well, I" Rolare and faltered

"Miss Badger," said Marcia, "this is a ency, and I would appreciate any infornificant you may think it is"

Romilly took a deep breath This was it In half an hour she would be out on the street, clutching her Manuscriptoriu for another job, but she had to answer truthfully "It&039;s the new scribe - the pimply one who soh he says he&039;s Daniel Hunter Well, the day after Beetle left - the day I got appointed Inspection Clerk - I went to have a look at the Keye Safe - that&039;s the box where the Keye is kept e&039;re not in the tunnels - and he was there When he sawin his pocket and scuttled away I told Miss Djinn, but she said it was fine So I supposed it was, even though I thought he looked really guilty" Roivable thing in the eyes of Jillie Djinn

Jillie Djinn glared at Ro that Mr Hunter took the Keye, I can assure you that that is not possible," she snapped "There is a Lock on the Keye Safe that only a Chief Hermetic Scribe can UnDo"

"Except" said Roer?" said Marcia

"I think that Mr er, Hunter, ht well know the UnDo"

"Nonsense!" said Jillie Djinn

"I think the Ghost of the Vaults ht have told him," said Romilly tentatively

"Don&039;t be ridiculous!" spluttered Jillie Djinn

Ro called ridiculous "Well, actually, Miss Djinn, I think the Ghost of the Vaults did tell hi that he and, er"

"Tertius Fume," Marcia supplied

"Yes, that&039;s it He and Tertius Fuers "He said that the ghost had told him all the arcane codes Foxy - I e of the Rare Charm Cupboards, so he asked Mr Hunter what the UnLock was, and Mr Hunter knew it Mr Fox was furious, and he told Miss Djinn"

"And what, pray, did Miss Djinn say?" asked Marcia, sidelining Jillie Djinn

"I believe Miss Djinn told Mr Fox to change the Lock," Ro us that if we needed to know anything we should ask him because he knows even more than the Chief Hermetic Scribe"

Jillie Djinn ry camel would not have been ashaer," she said "I appreciate your honesty I realize this may have put you in a difficult position here, but I trust you will not have any trouble" Marcia glared at Jillie Djinn "However, if you do, there is always a place for you at the Wizard Tower Good day to you, Miss Djinn I have urgent matters to attend to"

Marcia swept out of the Manuscriptoriuh the Great Arch, a bulky figure stepped in front of her

"Zelda, for heaven&039;s sake get out of - " Marcia stopped, suddenly realizing that it was not Zelda Heap standing in the shadows of the Arch Swathed in a reat-nephew Simon Heap