The Magickers (38 page)

Trent took the flashlight from him and aimed it at the bunks. Jason got out his crystal and concentrated until its golden lantern light flared. Trent tossed him a can, saying, “I'll get started on the bunks.”

Jason played his crystal lantern over them. “Too messy . . . no way to short-sheet them.”

“Ah, never fear, I have a plan.” With a grin, Trent opened up the pillows and began to fill the cases with shaving cream. “Niiiice and fluffy.”

Jason quickly began finding the worn sneakers scattered all over the cabin floor, filling them with quick squirts of shaving cream that seemed to explode into clouds. As a finishing touch, he tucked the scraggly laces into each billowy cloud. The two of them moved quickly through the cabin until first one, then the second can of shaving lather sputtered empty. Trent hummed off-key as he moved from window to storage cupboard. A can rattled as he shook it.

“I thought all the shaving cream was gone?” Jason peered at his silhouette.

“It is. This is silly string.” And with a chuckle, he began to spray the plastic string through the air, en-webbing the door latch, the cupboard pulls, anywhere that had a knob or pull or latch. Satisfied, he stuffed the can inside his shirt. “I think our work here is done.”

Jason lifted his crystal lantern high, spilling golden light throughout the entire cabin. The pranks were not obvious. Stefan and Rich could fall into any number of them, and even once they discovered that their cabin had been visited, there were secret, hidden traps of lather and other goodies which should befall them all night. He nodded in satisfaction. They slipped back out the window and fastened the screen in place when they heard heavy footsteps.

Backs to the cabin, they squatted down and held their breath. Needles cracked and branches rattled, and then the figure, whoever it was, passed by. They waited long moments, till they gulped for air, then stood and sprinted back to Starwind. Once inside, they grabbed each other by the wrist and did a fierce little victory dance.

“That,” Trent said when they finally stopped, “felt great.”

“We got 'em good,” Jason agreed. “Now,” he added, pulling up a chair, “we listen.”

“To what?” Trent dragged the other chair over and joined him at the window.

“To the noise of discovery, which ought to be any second. They've been out thirty minutes. I bet they've found out by now. . . .” He sat back in his chair and watched as Trent pulled over one of his favorite comic books and began to read by flashlight.

“Why don't you use your crystal? No batteries to worry about.”

“Like Eleanora said, some people can't work with Fire that well. I must be one of 'em. I can hardly do that bit.” Trent flipped a page. “Could be worse, I could be lighting up like Squibb does.”

While he read, Jason watched the night activity. A possum sauntered past looking in the moonlight like an odd, hunched-over cat, with a ratlike tail trailing after it. Just a step or two behind came Hightower who paused to look at the tracks, then went on down the camp pathway toward the main buildings. Jon and Henry would be safe coming back for an hour or so, at least. An owl hooted as if to echo the lateness of the hour. Trent yawned as he turned a page.

Jason heard something. He put his eye to the shutters, watching. He saw Jon and Henry come stumbling back to their cabin. He put a hand out and shook Trent.

“Something's wrong.”

“What? What is it?”

“I can't tell.” He stood. It looked to him as though Squibb had been hurt, leaning on Jon as the tall boy helped him up the cabin steps. He could hear Henry's moaning voice. “Come on!” He wasn't going to stay there and guess, Lights Out or not.

Trent jumped to his feet to follow and they thundered across the wooden porches of both cabins. Inside, Jonnard had a switch on, and Henry sat on the floor, face in his hands, crying. Jon looked almost as distressed as Squibb, his face pale and his dark hair going in every direction.

“What happened?”

“He'll be all right,” Jon said slowly. He sat down heavily on the desk chair, dropping the two pillowcases. “Did you get their cabin?”

“Yes, but—”

“He'll be all right!”

“No, I won't.” Henry sniffled, looking up through his fingers. “It's gone, gone, all of it.”

Jason stood, baffled. Trent stared. “What's gone?”

“He'll be all right.” Jon sounded as if every word were an effort. “We took them everywhere. We had them looking in every prickly bush and disgusting hole around the lake.” He took a deep breath.

Henry made a loud snuffling noise and dragged his sleeve across his face. “It's gone,” he repeated, very muffled.

“Henry,” said Jonnard. “Shut up and go to sleep, you'll be fine tomorrow.”

Squibb shook his head mournfully.

“What's gone?” Trent shot looks from one to the other. “And where's Danno?”

“Danno didn't show up. We took Rich and Stefan out for snipes without him. Henry, it'll be all right.”

“No, it won't.” Henry stopped sniffling and instead sat on the cabin floor and began to shake. Pale and shivering, he looked absolutely miserable.

Jason squatted beside him. “Tell me what's wrong?”

Henry looked up into his face. “It's gone. My Magick. Look. . . .” And he pulled his crystal out of his pocket. The vibrant, sometimes fiery crystal had gone soot dark. It looked absolutely lifeless. Henry poked a finger at it. “Blasted,” he said. “Like me.” He sniffled again.

Jason touched the stone. Colder than ice. No matter what Jonnard said, Henry was in trouble. Deep, deep trouble. . . .

“What's going on here?”

The boys all turned. Hightower stood in the doorway, waiting for an explanation. He did not look happy.

Shouts and yells of surprise and anger from several cabins away did not lighten the solemn atmosphere, despite Stefan's loud bellow cutting through the night. Rich shouted threats in his high-pitched voice, although of what they could not tell. Despite the commotion, Hightower's attention stayed fastened on the boy in front of him.

Henry stood up, and held his crystal out on his palm, hand wavering. “My . . . Magick . . .” he said, and looked at the Magicker hopelessly.

Hightower frowned heavily as he reached out and dropped his hand on Henry's shoulder. “I'm sorry, son,” he said. “There isn't anything I can do.”

Henry fainted.

26

O
NE huge golden topaz, rough-shaped and unpolished, sitting on the corner of an old wooden filing cabinet like a crystal lantern, lit Gavan Rainwater's office. It looked like a fallen star, Jason thought, as he sat miserably next to Jon and Henry, who could not stop sniffing. Trent stayed on his feet, one shoulder to the bookcase that overflowed with books and scraps of paper that looked very much like parchment, and even a few rolled up scrolls. Magickers stuffed the office until the only real room left was the chair behind the desk and that stayed empty for the moment as they waited for Rainwater.

Henry rubbed his nose dry, or attempted to. “I'm sorry,” he said for the hundredth time. He shredded the damp tissue in his hand.

“You didn't do anything wrong,” Jason told him, for at least the tenth time. Trent leaned forward and pounded on Squibb's shoulder.

Bailey and Ting shared a desk chair, leaning close together, their faces very pale. Lacey scrambled out of Bailey's pocket and down into the palm of her hand, where the packrat sat very quietly, her tufted tail hanging out, a tiny spidery strand dangling from it. “It was just a snipe hunt,” Bailey said quietly, to no one in particular.

Tomaz shifted at a sound in the hall, and opened the office door, holding it for Rainwater, who swept in with FireAnn at his heels, a goblet in her hand. Jason instantly recognized the tantalizingly sweet smell. Despite the wonderful aroma, every Magicker she passed seemed to shrink away from FireAnn and the goblet. Tomaz did not shrink back, but turned his face away. Gavan pulled his chair out and sat down, FireAnn at his elbow, his brow knotted. He looked as if he'd just been awakened, his hair slightly rumpled, his eyes not quite their usual brilliant blue. He leaned his cane against the desk.

“This is not good news.”

“Gavan,” began Eleanora, and then she stopped and tightened her mouth. Her dark hair had been pinned up for the night, in a mass of curls about her head, and she barely floated above the floor.

FireAnn shook her head at Eleanora. “It has to be done,” the fiery-headed cook insisted.

Jason realized the Magickers had been arguing. They had that look as they traded glances. Maybe there was hope for Henry yet. . . .

“Well, Henry,” Trent said loudly. “Looks like you've been voted off the island.”

“No . . .” Henry whimpered slightly. He stared at his lifeless crystal.

Dr. Patel put a slim brown hand on Trent's shoulder and squeezed. Trent rolled his eyes but shut up as if she'd said something into his ear. Bailey and Ting shifted even closer together.

“This is not an easy thing to do, for any of us, Henry.” Gavan nodded at FireAnn and took the goblet from her hands. He rolled the pewter chalice between his hands. “In the morning, you'll have good memories of camp. And a case of poison oak, I'm afraid, from tromping through all that brush. Dr. Patel will have called your parents, telling them she's sending you home early for better treatment, and she'll drive out with you.”

Henry stared through his spectacles at the goblet. “But I won't remember Magick,” he said. “The . . . the binding . . . and . . . that.”

“No. You won't.”

A lone tear dropped from Henry's already red eyes, and slid over his cheek. He wrung his hands together and, then, slowly, nodded. Jonnard said, “I'll go with you in the morning, Henry, ride in the van with you.”

Dr. Patel moved slightly, looking at Eleanora and Gavan. But it was Eleanora who said, “I think that would be nice of you, Jon. It would be good for Henry to have someone with him, and I think his parents would appreciate it, too.”

Squibb scratched at one arm. He dug in his pocket to get out a small jar of ointment, and Tomaz leaned over and took it from him. “You're going to have to suffer through this one,” he said quietly. He gave the jar to FireAnn who sighed as she tucked it away in her apron.

“Oh,” said Henry. “I really have poison oak?”

“Afraid so. It'll be a mild but stubborn case. You'll be fine in a few days although nothing is quite as good as what FireAnn cooks up.”

Henry pushed his round-lensed glasses back up his nose. “I'll do anything,” he declared. “Don't make me go! Please?”

“We've no choice. We have to protect ourselves, Henry. Your . . . Talent . . . as a Magicker has been on the edge your whole time here. And now . . . this.” Gavan picked up the dead crystal. “We've all seen it before, and it strikes fear in our hearts, because it could, possibly, happen to us as well. You've burned your power away and you're empty. It could come back, I've heard of a rare case or two where it did, but here and now . . . you've lost it, Henry. Without it, you're at risk here at camp, and there's little we can teach you. It becomes a matter of protecting you, and ourselves, against outsiders. The Draft of Forgetfulness is a kindness, really. You won't remember what you've lost. It's the best we can do.” He extended the goblet to Henry. “Drink it all down.”

Jason jumped to his feet. “No! Don't let them do it to you.”

Tomaz put his hand around Jason's elbow. “Jason,” he said, in warning.

“No, you can't do this. This is the best thing that's ever happened to him, to any of us. Don't take it away from him.”

Gavan Rainwater said sadly, “We didn't take it away. He burned it out or lost it. All we can do is protect him, and the best way to do that is to return him to the ordinary world where he belongs.”

Jason struggled. “But he doesn't belong there! Anyone can see that. You can, can't you?” He looked at Eleanora, then Anita Patel, then Jonnard. No one would meet his eyes. “Look, I'll protect him. I'll do whatever I have to do to keep him safe.”

Bailey offered, “You didn't send me away when I goofed.”

“This is different. This isn't to punish anyone, it's to protect them, and ourselves.”

“I don't want to be protected like this.”

“This is all my fault,” Bailey blurted out.

Eleanora moved to the girls, murmuring, “It's no one's fault. It's the way things are.”

“I dared them to get even with Rich and Stefan.” Lacey raced up Bailey's arm and dove into her pocket headfirst, tucking her tail in after, quickly, as though sensing all the upset.

Eleanora gently brushed a loose strand of hair from Bailey's brow and tucked it behind her ear. “I think that was a given, regardless.” She glanced at Gavan. “May I take the girls back, Gavan? I think they understand the seriousness of our situation here.”

He scratched at his chin before agreeing, “Good idea.”

Ting stood and pulled something from her pocket, a light pink stone wrapped in a bit of wire. It glowed faintly. She gave it to Henry, who stared at it a moment. “It's a good luck charm.”

“A little late,” commented Trent.

Henry curled his plump fist around it. He smiled nervously at Ting. “Thanks. I think I'm going to need a lot of luck.” He watched as Eleanora led the two girls from the crowded office.

Jason shrugged against Tomaz. “Henry, don't let them do this to you.”