Marley’s assistance in his shows became all the more overt, to the point of almost stealing the Stage magician’s lemon-light.
Culpeper didn’t like limes.
[i:7b4ac39f52]“I say! Anyone would think you were trying to outdo me, dear boy! The trick with the wand, and the handkerchief. One could almost say there was no trickery involved. That it was in fact “magicâ€.â€[/i:7b4ac39f52] He emphasised the last word, lingering on it with a clucked tongue. The accusation was blatant.
[i:7b4ac39f52]“Not at all, Mr. Culpeper. I’ve just been watching you do it. You do it much better than I do.â€[/i:7b4ac39f52] As obvious as the praise was, it stroked Culpeper’s swift-footed ego.
[i:7b4ac39f52]“Course not. You’re just an assistant. Besides the only way you could is if you...â€[/i:7b4ac39f52]
Read from Sam’s pages, Marley thought. Grinning.
[i:7b4ac39f52]“Mr. Culpeper? What is that old book in the store-room? It looks so dusty, maybe you should throw it out?â€[/i:7b4ac39f52]
Samuel listened and folded a corner of his first page angrily.
Culpeper shook his head vehemently. [i:7b4ac39f52]“No. No. No. No. That would not do. Not at all. Now, no more of this silliness. Bring me the Oubliette. We need to sell out tonight. The bills don’t pay themselves you know.â€[/i:7b4ac39f52] He whisked away like a waist-coated spinning top.
Marley toyed with the zip on his coat, walking back to Samuel’s room.
[i:7b4ac39f52]“You little snipe! What were you thinking? If Culpeper found out I was teaching you things I didn’t him, he’d throw us both out! Of all the...â€
“Shush! He doesn’t suspect a thing. He thinks I’m too daft to even try. I was just having some fun with the old chap.â€
“Fun? Fun, young fellow me lad, is not what magic is all about. You can’t just go around turning people into toads and not expect consequences. You have to learn restraint. With your mouth as well as your wand. Now pick me up and put me on the windowsill. I can hear birds singing.â€[/i:7b4ac39f52]
Marley smiled. The old book was something of the sentiment. He lifted the dusty pile of spells and ciphers and plopped it onto the dreary window frame.
[i:7b4ac39f52]“When are you going to teach me some more? I’m bored with the wand spell. And if I levitate that handkerchief one more time I’ll...â€
“Give your mouth a rest! You aren’t getting anything else out of me till you shut up and practice more! Ungrateful toe rag!â€
“And put away that petted lip! Grief! Can’t get a good apprentice anywhere these days!â€[/i:7b4ac39f52]
Marley pouted anyway.
He went into the other room and practiced the spells he had been shown.
Concentrating on the little wand he added a few personal touches. Thorns would pop in and out from the wands length. As if following some soundless rhythm. It was like watching paint dry. In fact watching paint dry was more exciting. Especially when it was an especially vibrant puce. He rubbed his temples and asked the wand to shrink.
It trembled negatively.
[i:7b4ac39f52]“Aww please!â€[/i:7b4ac39f52]
The wand repented and shrunk down becoming small enough to be hidden between his fingers.
[i:7b4ac39f52]“Thankyou.â€[/i:7b4ac39f52] The tiny wand swelled as if with pride.
Marley shook his head. Must stop humanising objects, he thought.
He took the snotty old handkerchief out of his pocket, straightening it as best he could before he held it at finger’s length.
[i:7b4ac39f52]“Next time. Use a clean one! Magic is best done with a washed hankie.â€[/i:7b4ac39f52] Sam called out.
He scowled at the dusty book, leaving him to his windows and his birds.
[i:7b4ac39f52]“You. You can shut it!â€[/i:7b4ac39f52] He returned his gaze to the hankie. Which, as weighed down with bogeys and crusties as it was, still managed to maintain a Peregrine-like hovering a few feet from the floor.
[i:7b4ac39f52]“There.â€
“Yes. Very good, give yourself a pat on the bac...â€[/i:7b4ac39f52]
The window’s smashing ended Samuel’s mockery suddenly. In an instant he was gone. Marley, panic stricken ran to the window.
[b:7b4ac39f52]The[/b:7b4ac39f52] book fell at first, before it rose, caught in the talons of a falcon that whirled hauntingly outside the shattered window. Marley looked out and down, wishing he hadn’t when he saw the pale faces and outstretched hands of three men look up at him.
He looked pleadingly after the book who seemed to mouth the words “Don’t say my name!â€.
[i:7b4ac39f52]“Samuel?â€[/i:7b4ac39f52]
[b:7b4ac39f52]The[/b:7b4ac39f52] book sighed as it landed in the outstretched palm of one of the figures.
[i:7b4ac39f52]“Now you’ve done it, Marley.†Sam whispered pointlessly. “They’ll be after you now they know who I am.â€[/i:7b4ac39f52]
Marley’s eyes glazed over as if he had in deed heard Samuel’s message.
He spun on his heels, dropping the wand as he ran to warn Culpeper.Statistics: Posted by Marley Brennan — Thu Nov 25, 2004 10:10 pm
]]>