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N either Jenna, Beetle nor Septi - they were all fast asleep in the hideout The thick layer of grass that Septi woken by the heat of the sun, and they had finally eed close to h the retreating tide to a large rock with a flat top that he already thought of as his fishing rock, and within half an hour landed three of the black and silver fish they had enjoyed so much the previous day While Beetle fished, Septimus had rebuilt the fire on the beach, and noas slowly turning the fish over the glowing e in the sand with the WaterGno out to sea with a frown

"That&039;s odd," she said

"It&039;s meant to be the Wizard Tower sled," said Beetle, "only the water keeps splashing and , Beetle Out there" Jenna pointed out to sea "Look"

"What?" said Beetle, as a little shortsighted

"The lighthouse," she said "It&039;s dark"

"Yeah," said Beetle, trying to get the sled runners right in the sand "They cover the into the bricks"

Septione out," he said

"That&039;s what I thought," said Jenna

"I wonder why?"

"Maybe the sun&039;s too bright"

"Maybe"

They ate the fish with more of Marcia&039;s StayFresh bread and some of Jenna&039;s hot chocolate Beetle decided that he wanted to catch soer fish

"There&039;s so to the Pinnacle "I bet there are so what I can catch out there Would anyone like to come?"

"I&039;ll come," said Jenna

"Sep?"

Septimus shook his head "No, I&039;d better not"

"Come on, Sep," said Jenna "You haven&039;t been anywhere yet"

"No, Jen," said Septiretfully "I think I should stay with Spit Fyre He doesn&039;t seeood, and he hasn&039;t even drunk any water this o"

"Wellokay, Sep," said Jenna "If you&039;re sure"

Septih he was not so sure that he wanted to be left alone oncesilly "Yep, I&039;m sure I&039;ll be fine with Spit Fyre"

Septi the beach At the end of the bay they clambered up the line of rocks and waved Septimus returned their waves; he watched theht Then he turned to attend to Spit Fyre

First he checked the dragon&039;s tail The HeatCloaks were dark and, when he touched them, were stiff and stuck fast to the scales Septi theood, so he decided to leave thereat, but he told himself it was probably the seaweed that he had packed over the wound He decided that if the sate

Back at the bucket end of the dragon, things did not look a lot better Spit Fyre&039;s eyes were firmly closed, and however much Septimus prodded hion would not respond Septi because of the bucket on his head, but he was not entirely sure He thought the dragon&039;s breathing seemed a little labored and wondered if he was hot, but the rocks provided almost complete shade and his scales felt quite cool Septimus picked up the WaterGnome He pulled Spit Fyre&039;s lower lip out a little and drizzled soon actually sed it, as much of it seemed to dribble back out and land in dark patches on the rocks Disconsolate, Septimus sat down He stroked Spit Fyre&039;s nose and ht, Spit Fyre, I know you are And I won&039;t leave you until you&039;re better, I promise"

Suddenly Septimus heard a movement in the sand dunes behind him He jumped up

"Come out, wherever you are," he said with asthe apparently empty dunes He half-closed his eyes - all the better for Seeing things, as Marcia often said - and there, in the dunes not far away, he did indeed See soreen

As if she knew she had been Seen, the girl began walking toward hih the sand dunes, and as she stepped from the cover of the last dune onto the beach below, Septireen tunic

Septimus skirted Spit Fyre&039;s bucket and juirl walked slowly toward him and, as she drew closer, Septi what looked like a very old-fashioned Apprentice tunic froykal symbols Two faded purple stripes on the hem of each sleeve proclaily dark hair framed a careworn face covered in freckles Septi he had seen her before - but where?

The girl stopped in front of hiarded hiave a small formal bohich, he suddenly rereet each other "Septimus Heap," she stated

"Yes?" Septimus replied warily

"We haveirl spoke, Septih she were unused to speech

"Who are you?" he asked

"Iam Syrah Syrah Syara"

The name was familiar too But from where?

"You don&039;t reirl

"I think I do, but"

"The Wizard Tower?" the girl prompted

That was it! Septimus remembered the pictures he had seen on the walls of the Wizard Tower just before he escaped the Siege - especially the one of the girl ai a punch at Tertius Fume He shook his head in disbelief Surely this could not be her - that had happened hundreds of years ago

"I said hello to you," said the girl

"You said hello?" Now Septimus was completely lost

"Yes That is why I knoho you are You arethe Alchemie Apprentice, the one who ratulate you You came back, I suppose, and have taken my place with Julius"

"Julius?" asked Septimus, puzzled

"Julius Pike, now your ExtraOrdinary Wizard" Syrah sighed wistfully "Oh, what I would give to see dear Julius once more"

Septiirl Syrah saying - that he was back in that Tiain? Septimus forced hi had happened to even suggest that they had gone back in Ti to do with itor perhaps the weird lighthouse they had nearly crashed intoorbolt? Maybe - ed back there without even knowing? No, he told himself, that was not possible The only explanation was that Syrah was a ghost A very solid-looking one, it is true, but island life was obviously good for ghosts

"You have a dragon," said Syrah

"Yes," said Septimus

"I have a confession to on"

"I know you have Why didn&039;t you just come and say hello?"