Michael Scott - The Alchemyst

But things would change.

The Elders liked to think that Dee was their puppet, their tool. He had seenhow Bastet had abandoned Senuhet, who had been with her for at least acentury, without a second glance. He knew they would do exactly the same tohim, given the chance.

But Dr. John Dee had plans to ensure that they never got that chance.

I t was late in the afternoon when Josh finally turned the Hummer down thelong, curving road that led into the small city of Ojai. The stress ofdriving four hundred miles in one long trip was etched onto his face, andalthough the computer had estimated that it would take around six and a halfhours, it had taken close to nine. Driving the big Hummer on the highway wassurprisingly easy: he d simply put on the cruise control and let it go. Itwas boring, but off the highway and on any other type of road, the Hummer wasa nightmare to control. It wasn t like any of his computer games. It was justso big, and he was terrified he was going to run over something. The hugejet-black vehicle also attracted a lot of attention he d never thought he dbe so happy to have tinted windows. He wondered what people would think ifthey knew it was being driven by a fifteen-year-old.

The road curved to the right, and Ojai s long, straight main street appearedbefore him. He slowed as he passed the Psychic Boutique and the OjaiPlayhouse; then the lights changed at Signal Street and he stopped, leanedacross the steering wheel and peered through the smeared, bug-spatteredwindshield. His first impression as he looked down the empty street was thatOjai was surprisingly green. It was June in California, that time of yearwhen most things had turned brown and withered, but here there were treeseverywhere, contrasting with the white stone of the buildings. Directly infront of him, to his right, a low, ornate white stone tower rose over thepost office into the brilliant blue sky, while on the left, a row of shopswas set back from the road, sheltered beneath a row of white stone arches.

Glancing in the rearview mirror, he was surprised to find Scatty s eyes onhim.

I thought you were asleep, he said quietly. Sophie, who had moved up intothe passenger seat beside him after a few hours of driving, lay curled upasleep, and Flamel snored gently beside Scatty.

I ve no need to sleep, she said simply.

There were a lot of questions he really wanted to ask, but instead, he justsaid, Do you know where we re going?

She leaned forward, rested her arms on the back of his seat and her chin onher arms. Straight on, past the post office that s the building with thetower then turn right after Libbey Park at Fox Street. Find a parking spacedown there. She nodded to the left, toward a row of shops nestled under thewhite arches. We re going there.

Is that where your grandmother is?

Yes, Scatty said shortly.

And is she really a witch?

Not just a witch. She is the original Witch.

How do you feel? Sophie asked. She stood on the sidewalk and stretched,standing on her toes and arching her back. Something popped in her neck.

That feels good, she added, turning her face and closing her eyes againstthe sun, which was still high in the cloudless robin s-egg blue heavens.

I should be asking you that question, Josh said, climbing out of the car.He yawned and stretched, rotating his head from side to side. I never want to drive again, he added. His voice dropped to little more than a whisper.

I m glad you re okay. He hesitated. You are okay, aren t you?

Sophie reached out to squeeze her brother s arm. I think so.

Flamel climbed out of the car and slammed his door. Scatty had already movedaway from the car to stand beneath the shelter of a tree. She d dug a pair ofmirrored sunglasses from her pocket and popped them onto her face. TheAlchemyst went to join her as Josh hit the alarm on the key chain. The carblipped once and its lights flashed.

We need to talk, Flamel said quietly, though the side street was deserted.He ran his fingers through his close-cropped hair, and strands came away onhis fingers. He looked at them for a moment, then brushed them on his jeans.Another year was etched onto his face, subtly deepening the lines around hiseyes and the semicircular grooves on either side of his mouth. This personwe re going to see can be He hesitated and then said, difficult.

You re telling me, Scatty muttered.

What do you mean by difficult? Josh asked in alarm. After everything theyhad just encountered, difficult could mean just about anything.

Cranky, cantankerous, irritable and that s when she s in a good mood,Scatty said.

And when she s in a bad mood?

You don t even want to be in the same city as her!

Josh was puzzled. He turned to the Alchemyst. Then why are we going to seeher?

Because Perenelle told me to, he said patiently, because she is the Mistress of Air, and can teach Sophie the basics of elemental air magic, andbecause she can give Sophie some advice on how to protect herself.

From what? Josh asked, startled.

From herself, Flamel said matter-of-factly, and turned away, heading backtoward Ojai Avenue. Scatty moved out of the shadows and fell into step besidehim. Wish I d brought sunscreen. I burn easily in this sunshine, she grumbled as they walked away. And wait till you see my freckles in themorning.

Josh turned back to his sister; he was beginning to have some idea of thehuge gulf of understanding that now separated him from his twin. Do you haveany idea what he was talking about? Protecting yourself from yourself? What sthat supposed to mean?

I think I know. Sophie frowned. Everything around me is so loud, sobright, so sharp, so intense. It s like someone turned the volume up. My senses are so acute; you wouldn t believe what I can hear. She pointed to abattered red Toyota driving slowly down the road. The woman in that car is talking on the phone to her mother. She s telling her she doesn t want fishfor dinner. She pointed to a truck parked in a yard on the opposite side ofthe street. There s a sticker on the back of the truck; do you want me totell you what it says?

Josh squinted; he couldn t even read the license plate.

When we ate earlier today, the taste of the food was so overwhelming italmost made me throw up. I could taste the individual grains of salt on thesandwich. She stooped and picked a jacaranda leaf off the ground. I can trace each vein in the back of this leaf with my eyes closed. But you knowwhat s worst of all? The smells, she said, looking deliberately at herbrother.

Hey Ever since he d hit puberty he d tried every deodorant on the market.

No, not just you she grinned though you ve really got to change yourdeodorant, and I think you re going to need to burn your socks. It s all thescents, all the time. The stink of gas in the air is awful, the smell of hotrubber on the road, of greasy food, even the perfume from these flowers isoverwhelming. She stopped in the middle of the street, and her tone abruptlychanged. She looked at her brother, and the tears she had no idea were therestarted to leak from her eyes. It s too much, Josh. It s just too much. Ifeel sick and my head is pounding, my eyes hurt, my ears ache, my throat israw.

Josh awkwardly tried to put his arms around his sister to hug her, but shepushed him away. Please, don t touch me. I can t bear it.

Josh struggled to find words to respond, but there was nothing he could sayor do. He felt so helpless. Sophie was always so strong, always in control;she was the person he went to when he was in trouble. She always had theanswers.

Until now.

Flamel! Josh felt the anger flare again. This was Flamel s fault. He wouldnever forgive the Alchemyst for what he d done. He looked up to see Flameland Scathach turning back to them.