Michael Scott - The Alchemyst

The gray man turned as Perry, followed by Sophie, dashed into the bookshop.He gave a neat little bow. Ah, Madame Perenelle. I was wondering where youwere.

Where is Nicholas? Perry demanded. She pronounced the name Nicola. Sophiesaw a static charge ripple down the woman s hair, blue and white sparkscrackling.

Downstairs, I believe. My creatures are looking for him.

Clutching the broom tightly in both hands, Sophie slipped past Perry andcrept around to the other side of the room. Josh. Where was Josh? She had noidea what was happening and didn t care. She just needed to find her brother.

You are looking as lovely as ever, the gray man said, eyes fixed on Perry.

You haven t aged a day. He bowed again, an old-fashioned, courtly movementthat he performed effortlessly. It is always a joy to see you.

I wish I could say the same for you, Dee. Perry moved farther into theroom, eyes darting from side to side. I recognized your foul stench.

Dee closed his eyes and breathed deeply. I rather like the smell of brimstone. It is so He paused. So dramatic. Then his gray eyes snappedopen and the smile faded. We ve come for the Book, Perenelle. And don t tellme you ve destroyed it, he added. Your continued remarkable good health isproof indeed of its existence.

Which book? Sophie wondered, glancing around the room; the shop was full of books.

We are the guardians of the Book, Perry said, and something in her voicemade Sophie turn to look at her. The girl stopped, mouth and eyes wide withhorror. A silver mist surrounded Perry Fleming, rising off her skin ingossamer threads. Pale and translucent in places, it gathered thick and hardaround her hands, making it look as if she were wearing metal gauntlets. You will never get it, Perry snapped.

We will, Dee said. We ve accumulated all the other treasures over the years. Only the Book remains. Now, make it easy on yourself and tell me whereit is.

Never!

I knew you would say that, Dee said, and then the huge Golem launchedhimself at Perry. Humans are so predictable.

Nick Fleming and Josh were opening the door of the dry cleaner s when theysaw Perry, followed by Sophie, race across the street and into the bookshop.

Get this door open, Nick snapped as he reached under his T-shirt. From asimple square cloth bag dangling around his neck, he produced what lookedlike a small book bound in copper-colored metal.

Josh slammed back the bolts and tugged open the door and Nick raced out,quickly thumbing through the rough-edged pages as he ran, looking forsomething. Josh caught a brief glimpse of ornate writing and geometricpatterns on the thick yellowed pages as he followed Nick back into thebookshop.

Nick and Josh arrived in time to see the Golem touch Perry.

And explode.

Fine, gritty powder filled the air, and the heavy black overcoat crumpled tothe floor. For a moment, a miniature whirlwind spun there, churning up thedust, then it curled away.

But Nick and Josh s entry diverted Perry s attention. She half turned and inthat instant Dee drew his left arm across his eyes and hurled a tiny crystalball onto the floor.

It was as if the sun had exploded in the room.

The light was incredible. Blinding and harsh, it blanketed the room in itsghastly flare, and with the light came the smell: the stink of burning hairand overcooked food, smoldering leaves and scorched metal mingled with theacrid fumes of diesel.

Josh caught a glimpse of his sister just as Dee tossed the crystal. He waspartially shielded by Nick and Perry, both of whom were battered to the floorby the light. Josh s vision became a kaleidoscope of black-and-white stillimages as the light seared the rods and cones at the back of his eyes. He sawNick drop the metal-bound book onto the floor saw two black-clad shapessurround Perry and vaguely heard her scream saw Dee snatch the book with agrunt of triumph while Nick groped blindly on the floor.

You lose, Nicholas, Dee hissed, as you have always lost. Now I get to takethose things most precious to you: your beloved Perenelle and your book.

Josh was moving even before he was aware of it. He launched himself at Dee,catching the small man by surprise. Although only fifteen, Josh was tall forhis age, and heavy: he was big enough to be a linebacker, and the youngest onhis football team. He knocked Dee to the ground, sending the book spinningout of his grasp. Josh felt the heavy metal cover beneath his fingertips andcaught it just as he was lifted straight off the floor and tossed into acorner. He landed on a pile of books that cushioned his fall. Black spots anddarts of rainbow light moved across his eyes every time he blinked.

Dee s gray shape loomed over Josh, then his gloved hand reached down for thebook. Mine, I think.

Josh s grip tightened, but Dee simply wrenched the book from his hand.

You. Leave. My. Brother. Alone. Sophie Newman brought the broom down fivetimes on Dee s back, once for every word.

Dee barely glanced at her. Clutching the book in one gloved hand, he caughtthe broom in the other and muttered a single word, and it immediatelywithered and turned to ragged pulpy splinters in Sophie s hands. You re lucky I m in a good humor today, he whispered, else I d do the same to you. Then Dee and his two remaining Golems swept out of the devastatedbookshop, carrying Perry Fleming between them, and slammed the door closed.There was a long moment of silence, and then the last remaining undisturbedshelf of books clattered to the floor.

I suppose calling the police is out of the question. Sophie Newman leanedagainst a precariously listing bookcase and wrapped her arms around her bodyto stop herself from shaking. She was surprised that her voice sounded socalm and reasonable. We ve got to tell them that Perry s been kidnapped.

Perry s not in any danger just yet. Nick Fleming was sitting on one of thelower rungs of a short stepladder. He was holding his head in his hands andbreathing deeply, coughing occasionally as he tried to clear his lungs ofdust and grit. But you re right, we re not going to the police. He manageda wan smile. I m not sure what we could say to the police that would makeany sense to them.

I m not sure that it makes much sense to us either, Josh said. He was sitting on the only unbroken chair left in the bookshop. Although he d brokenno bones, he was bruised all over and knew he was going to turn severalreally interesting shades of purple over the next couple of days. The lasttime he d felt like this was when he d been run over by three guys on thefootball field. Actually, this felt worse. At least then, he knew what washappening.

I think that perhaps gas escaped into the shop, Nick suggested cautiously,

and what we ve all experienced and seen is nothing more than a series ofhallucinations. He stopped, looking at Sophie and Josh in turn.

The twins lifted their heads to look at him, identical expressions ofdisbelief on their faces, bright blue eyes still wide with shock. Lame,Josh said finally.

Very lame, Sophie agreed.

Nick shrugged. Actually, I thought it was a pretty good explanation. Itcovered the smells, the explosion in the shop and any any peculiar things youthought you might have seen, he finished hurriedly.

Adults, Sophie had decided a long time before, were really bad at making upgood excuses. We didn t imagine those things, she said firmly. We didn t imagine the Golems.

The what? Josh asked.

The big guys were Golems; they were made out of mud, his sister explained.Perry told me.

Ah, she did, did she? Fleming murmured. He looked around the devastatedshop and shook his head. It had taken less than four minutes to completelytrash it. I m surprised he brought Golems. They are usually so unreliable inwarmer countries. But they served his purpose. He got what he came for.