The Alchemyst

CHAPTER THIRTY

J osh Newman jerked open the door of the black SUV and felt a wave of relief

wash over him. The keys were in the ignition. He pulled open the rear door

and held it while Nicholas Flamel hurried toward the car, carrying Sophie in

his arms. He reached in and gently stretched her out on the backseat. Scatty

burst through the barrier of leaves and came hurtling down the path, a broad

smile on her face.

Now, that, she said as she launched herself into the back of the SUV, was

the most fun I ve had in a millennium.

Josh climbed into the driver s seat, adjusted it and turned the key in the

ignition. The big V6 engine growled to life.

Flamel hopped into the passenger s seat and slammed the door. Get us out of

here!

Josh pushed the gearshift into drive, gripped the leather steering wheel in

both hands and pressed the accelerator flat to the floor. The big Hummer

lurched forward, kicking up stones and dirt as he spun it in a circle and

then set off down the narrow path, rocking and bouncing over the ruts, tree

branches and bushes scraping its sides, scoring lines along its pristine

paintwork.

Although the sun had risen in both the Shadowrealm and the real world, the

road was still in deep shadow, and no matter where Josh looked, he still

couldn t find the controls for the lights. He kept glancing in the side and

rearview mirrors, expecting at any moment to see the Morrigan or the Cat

Goddess step through the wall of vegetation behind them. It was only when the

path ended in a burst of sunshine and he wrenched the steering wheel to the

right, turning the heavy SUV onto the narrow, winding blacktop, that he eased

off the gas. The Hummer immediately lost speed.

Everyone OK? he asked shakily.

He tilted the rearview mirror down so that he could see into the back. His

twin lay stretched across the wide leather seats, her head on Scatty s lap.

The Warrior was using a scrap of cloth torn from her T-shirt to wipe the

girl s forehead. Sophie s skin was deathly white, and although her eyes were

closed, her eyeballs moved erratically beneath her lids, and she twitched as

if she was having a nightmare. Scatty caught Josh looking at them in the

glass and she smiled in encouragement. She s going to be OK, she said.

Is there anything you can do? Josh demanded, glancing at Flamel'sitting

next to him. His feelings for the Alchemyst were completely confused now. On

the one hand, he had placed them in terrible danger, and yet Josh had seen

how savagely Flamel had fought in their defense.

There is nothing I can do, Flamel'said tiredly. She is simply exhausted;

nothing more. Nicholas also looked worn out. His clothes were streaked with

mud and what might have been blood. Bird feathers stuck in his hair, and both

hands were scratched from his encounters with the cats. Let her sleep, and

when she awakens in a few hours time, she will be fine. I promise you.

Josh nodded. He concentrated on the road ahead of him, unwilling to continue

the conversation with the Alchemyst. He doubted that his sister would ever be

fine again. He d seen how she looked at him, her eyes blank and staring: she

hadn't recognized him. He d listened to the voice that had come out of her

mouth: it wasn't a voice he d known. His sister, his twin, had been utterly

changed.

They came up on a sign for Mill Valley, and he turned left. He had no idea

where they were going; he just wanted to get away from the Shadowrealm. More

than that: he wanted to go home, wanted to go back to a normal life, he

wanted to forget that he d ever come across that ad in the university

newspaper his father had brought home.

Assistant Wanted, Bookshop. We don't want readers, we want workers.

He d sent in a r sum and a few days later he d been called for an interview.

Sophie had had nothing else to do that day and had come along for company.

While she d been waiting, she d gone to the shop across the road for a chai

latte. When Josh had come out of The Small Book Shop, beaming delightedly

because he d been offered the job, he d discovered that Sophie had found a

job as well in The Coffee Cup. They would be working right across the street

from each other it was perfect! And it had been perfect until yesterday, when

this madness had begun. He had trouble believing it had only been yesterday.

He looked in the mirror at Sophie again. She was resting quietly now,

completely still, but he was relieved to see that a little color had come

back into her cheeks.

What had Hekate done? No what had Flamel done? It all came back to the

Alchemyst. This was all his fault. The goddess hadn't wanted to Awaken the

twins she knew the dangers. But Flamel had pushed, and now, because of the

Alchemyst, Hekate's Shadowrealm paradise was under attack, and his sister had

become a stranger to him.

When Josh had started working in the bookshop for the man he knew then as

Nick Fleming, he d thought he was a little strange, eccentric, maybe even a

little weird. But as he d gotten to know him, he d come to genuinely like the

man, and to admire him. Fleming was everything Josh s father wasn't. He was

funny, and interested in just about everything Josh did, and his knowledge of

trivia was incredible. Josh knew that his father, Richard, was really only

happy and comfortable when he was standing before a lecture hall full of

students or buried up to his knees in dirt.

Fleming was different. When Josh quoted Bart Simpson to him, Fleming

countered with Groucho Marx and then went further and introduced Josh to the

movies of the Marx Brothers. They shared a love of music even though their

tastes were widely different; Josh introduced Nick to Green Day, Lamb and

Dido. Fleming recommended Peter Gabriel, Genesis and Pink Floyd. When Josh

let Fleming listen to some ambient and trance on his iPod, Fleming loaned him

CDs of Mike Oldfield and Brian Eno. Josh introduced Nick to the world of

blogging and showed him his and Sophie s blog, and they had even started

talking about putting the entire shop s stock online.

In time Josh had come to think of Fleming as the older brother he d always

wished he had. And now that man had betrayed him.

In fact, he d been lying to Josh from the very beginning. He hadn't even been

Nick Fleming. And somewhere at the back of Josh s mind, an ugly question was

beginning to form. Keeping his voice low and his eyes on the road ahead, he

asked, Did you know all this would happen?

Flamel'sat back into the deep leather seat and turned to look at Josh. The

Alchemyst was partially in shadow and he clutched the seat belt across his

chest with both hands. What would happen? he asked carefully.

You know, I m not a kid, Josh said, his voice rising, so don't talk to me

like one. In the rear seat, Sophie muttered a little in her sleep, and he

forced himself to lower his voice. Did your precious Book predict all this?

He caught a glimpse of Scatty moving in the backseat and realized she had

eased forward to hear the Alchemyst s answer.

Flamel took a long time before replying. Finally, he said. There are some

things you must know first about the Book of Abraham the Mage. He saw Josh

open his mouth and he pressed on quickly. Let me finish. I always knew the

Codex was old, he began, though I never knew just how old. Yesterday Hekate

said she was there when Abraham created it and that would have been at least

ten thousand years ago. The world was a very different place then. The

commonly held view is that mankind appeared in the middle of the Stone Age.

But the truth is very, very different. The Elder Race ruled the earth. We

have scraps of the truth in our mythology and legends. If you believe the

stories, he continued, they possessed the power of flight, they had vessels

that could cross the oceans, they could control the weather and had even

perfected what we would call cloning. In other words, they had access to a

science that was so advanced, we would call it magic.

Josh started to shake his head. This was too much to take in.

And before you say this is all far-fetched, just think how far the human

race has come in the past ten years. If someone had told your parents, for

example, that they would be able to carry their entire music library in their

pocket, would they have believed it? Now we have phones that have more

computing power than was used to send the first rockets into space. We have

electron microscopes that can see individual atoms. We routinely cure

diseases that only fifty years ago were fatal. And the rate of change is

increasing. Today we are able to do what your parents would have dismissed as

impossible and your grandparents as nothing short of magical.

You haven t answered my question, Josh said. He was watching his speed

carefully; they couldn t afford to be pulled over.

What I m saying to you is that I do not know what the Elder Race was able to

do. Was Abraham making predictions in the Codex, or was he simply writing

down what he had somehow seen? Was he aware of the future, could he actually

see it? He swiveled around in the seat to look at Scatty. Do you know?

She shrugged, lips curling into a little smile. I m Next Generation; much of

the Elder World had vanished before I was even born, and Danu Talis was long

sunk beneath the waves. I ve no idea what they could do. Could they see

through time? She paused, thinking. I ve known Elders who seemed to have

that gift: Sibyl certainly could, and so could Themis and Melampus, of

course. But they were wrong more often than they were right. If my travels

have taught me anything, it is that we create our own future. I ve watched

world-shaking events come and go without anyone making predictions about

them, and I ve also seen prophecies usually to do with the end of the

world that also failed to happen.

A car overtook them on the narrow country road, the first they had seen so

far that morning.

I m going to ask you the question one more time, Josh said, struggling to

keep his voice even. And this time, just give me a straight yes-or-no

answer: was everything that just happened predicted in the Codex?

No, Flamel'said quickly.

I hear a but in there somewhere, Scatty said.

The Alchemyst nodded. There is a little but. There is nothing in the book

about Hekate or the Shadowrealm, nothing about Dee or Bastet or the Morrigan.

But He sighed. There are several prophecies about twins.

Twins, Josh said tightly. You mean twins in general or specifically to do

with Sophie and me?

The Codex speaks of silver and gold twins, the two that are one, the one

that is all. It is no coincidence that your auras are pure gold and silver.

So yes, I am convinced the Codex is referring to you and your sister. He

leaned forward to look at Josh. And if you are asking me how long I ve known

that, then the answer is this: I began to suspect only yesterday, when you

and Sophie came to my aid in the shop. Hekate confirmed my suspicions a few

hours later when she made your auras visible. I give you my word that

everything I ve done has been for your protection.

Josh started to shake his head; he wasn't sure he believed Flamel. He opened

his mouth to ask a question, but Scatty put her hand on his shoulder before

he could speak. Let me just say this, she said, her voice low and serious,

her Celtic accent suddenly pronounced. I ve known Nicholas Flamel for a very

long time. America was barely even colonized when we first met. He is many

things dangerous and devious, cunning and deadly, a good friend and an

implacable enemy but he comes from an age when a man s word was indeed

precious. If he gives you his word that he s done all this for your

protection, then I am suggesting that you believe him.

Josh eased on the brake and the car slowed as it rounded a corner. Finally,

he nodded and let out his breath in a deep sigh. I believe you, he said

aloud. But somewhere in the back of his mind, he kept hearing Hekate's last

words to him Nicholas Flamel never tells anyone everything and he had the

distinct impression that the Alchemyst still wasn't telling everything he

knew.

Suddenly, Nicholas tapped Josh s arm. Here stop here.

Why, what s wrong? Scatty demanded, reaching for her swords.

Josh signaled and pulled the Hummer off the road to where a roadside diner

sign had flickered into life.

Nothing s wrong. Flamel grinned. Just time for some breakfast.

Great. I m famished, Scatty said. I could eat a horse. If I weren t a

vegetarian and liked horse, of course.

And you weren t a vampire, Josh thought, but kept his mouth shut.

Sophie woke up while Scatty and Flamel were in the diner ordering breakfast

to go. One moment she was asleep, the next she sat bolt upright in the

backseat. Josh jumped and was unable to prevent a little startled cry from

escaping his lips.

He swiveled around in the driver s seat, kneeling up to lean over the back.

Sophie? he asked cautiously. He was terrified that something strange and

ancient would look through his sister s eyes again.

You don't want to know what I was dreaming about, Sophie said, stretching

her arms wide and arching her back. Her neck cracked as she rotated it. Ow.

I ache everywhere.

How do you feel? Well, it sounded like his sister.

Like I m coming down with flu. She looked around. Where are we? Whose car

is this?

Josh grinned, teeth white in the shadows. We stole it from Dee. We re

somewhere on the road out of Mill Valley, heading back into San Francisco, I

think.

What happened what happened back there? Sophie asked.

Josh s smile broadened into a wide grin. You saved us, with your newly

Awakened powers. You were incredible: you had a silver whip energy thing, and

every time it touched one of the cats or birds, it changed them back into

their real forms. He trailed off as she started to shake her head. You

don't remember anything?

A little. I could hear Perenelle talking to me, telling me what to do. I

could actually feel her pouring her aura into me, she said in awe. I could

hear her. I could even see her, sort of. She suddenly drew in a deep,

shuddering breath. Then they came for her. That'sall I can remember.

Who did?

The faceless men. Lots of faceless men. I watched them drag her away.

What do you mean, faceless men?

Sophie s eyes were wide and terrified. They had no faces.

Like masks?

No, Josh, not masks. Their faces were smooth no eyes, no nose, no mouth,

just smooth skin.

The image that formed in his head was deeply disturbing, and he deliberately

changed the subject. Do you feel different? He chose the word carefully.

Sophie took a moment to consider. What was wrong with Josh, why was he so

concerned? Different? How?

Do you remember Hekate Awakening your powers?

I do.

What did it feel like? he asked hesitantly.

For a moment Sophie s eyes flickered with cold silver light. It was as if

someone had flipped a switch in my head, Josh. I felt alive. For the first

time in my life I felt alive.

Josh felt a sudden inexplicable pang of jealousy. From the corner of his eye,

he spotted Flamel and Scatty leaving the diner, arms piled high with bags.

And how do you feel now?

Hungry, she said. Extremely hungry.

They ate in silence: breakfast burritos, eggs, sausage, grits and rolls,

washed down with soda. Scatty had fruit and water.

Josh finally wiped his mouth with a napkin and brushed bread crumbs off his

jeans. It was the first proper meal he d had since lunchtime the day before.

I feel human again. He glanced sideways at Scatty. No offense.

None taken, Scatty assured him. Believe me I ve never wanted to be human,

though there are, I believe, some advantages, she added enigmatically.

Nicholas bundled up the remains of their breakfast and shoved them into a

paper bag. Then he leaned forward and tapped the screen of the satellite

navigation system set into the dashboard. Do you know how this works?

Josh shook his head. In theory, I guess. We put in a destination and it

tells us the best way to get there. I ve never used one before, though. My

dad s car hasn t got one, he added. Richard Newman drove a five-year-old

Volvo station wagon.

If you looked at it, could you make it work? Flamel persisted.

Maybe, Josh said doubtfully.

Of course he can. Josh is a genius with computers, Sophie said proudly from

the backseat.

This is hardly a computer, her twin muttered, leaning forward and hitting

the On button. The large square screen flickered to life, and an incredibly

patronizing voice warned them about typing addresses into the system while

driving, then instructed Josh to hit the OK button, acknowledging that he d

heard and understood the warning. The screen blinked and immediately showed

the position of the Hummer on an unnamed backroad. Mount Tamalpais appeared

as a little triangle at the top of the screen, and arrows pointed south to

San Francisco. The little track that led to Hekate's Shadowrealm wasn't

shown.

We need to go south, Flamel continued.

Josh experimented with the buttons until he got the main menu. Okay. I need

an address.

Put in the post office at the corner of Signal Street and Ojai Avenue in

Ojai.

In the backseat, Scatty stirred. Oh, not Ojai. Please tell me we re not

going there.

Flamel twisted in his seat. Perenelle told me to go south.

L.A. is south, Mexico is south, even Chile is south of here. There are lots

of nice places that lie to the south .

Perenelle told me to take the children to the Witch, Flamel'said patiently.

And the Witch is in Ojai.

Sophie and Josh looked quickly at each other, but said nothing.

Scatty sat back and sighed dramatically. Would it make a difference if I

told you I didn't want to go?

None at all.

Sophie crouched between the seats to stare at the little screen. How long

will it take? How far away are we? she wondered out loud.

It s going to take most of the day, Josh said, leaning forward to squint at

the screen. Where his hair brushed his sister s, a tiny spark crackled

between them. We need to get to Highway One. We go across the Richmond

Bridge His fingers traced the colored lines. Then to I-580, which

eventually turns into I-5. He blinked in surprise. We stay on that for over

two hundred and seventy miles. He hit another button, which calculated some

totals. The entire trip is just over four hundred miles, and will take at

least six and a half hours. Before today, the farthest I ve ever driven is

about ten miles!

Well, this will be great practice for you, then, the Alchemyst said with a

smile.

Sophie looked from Flamel to Scatty. Who is this Witch we re going to see?

Flamel'snapped his seat belt into place. We re going to see the Witch of

Endor.

Josh turned the key in the ignition and started the car. He glanced in the

rearview mirror at Scatty. Someone else you've fought with? he asked.

Scathach grimaced. Worse than that, she muttered. She s my grandmother.