2

Zack, Jonny and Sophie had arrived outside the Magic Circle headquarters. Staggered, to be precise, at intervals of about ten seconds. But they had made it. They were here! This was the place where a woman was first sawn in half (legally). This was the place where a man named Ali Bongo could appear without anyone batting an eyelid or asking him how to spell it. This was the place where every single piece of literature ever written about magic (including how to turn a handkerchief into an egg) was kept, catalogued and studied. Yes, this was THE Magic Circle: a place of secrets, intrigue and utter wonderment, a place of –

‘Is this really it?’ asked Sophie.

Jonny and Zack turned round to face the quirky-looking girl, her hair all shaved at the sides. She stared at the rather boring blue door, her eyebrows raised as she shifted her rucksack and put her map away.

‘You do know what building this is, right?’

Sophie grinned. ‘Yes, thank you, Zack Harrison, I do know what this building is! This is the world-famous headquarters of the Magic Circle.’

‘Did you just read that?’ Zack pointed to a small wooden plaque that boasted the society name in bold lettering.

‘Ha – might have!’ said Sophie, extending her hand. ‘Sophie Yang.’

‘Zack H–’

‘Hang on a minute!’ interrupted Jonny, batting his friend’s hand away from Sophie’s. ‘How did you know his name was Zack Harrison?’

Zack gawped at Sophie. ‘Yeah, hang on a minute – have we met before?’

‘In your dreams, mate!’

‘Then how?’

‘Well … Have either of you read any of Corinda’s books on mentalism?’ Sophie asked.

Zack and Jonny both shrugged.

‘Good, because it’s not relevant,’ she joked. ‘What is relevant is that your name is splashed across the back of your rucksack in thick marker pen and I’ve been staring at it ever since I left Euston Station.’

Zack and Jonny burst out laughing. ‘Oh, now I feel stupid!’ said Zack finally, shaking her hand firmly up and down.

‘I take it you’re both here for the induction week too … Exciting, isn’t it?’

Zack threw Jonny a tiny look which – given that Sophie had already demonstrated just how perceptive she was – was easily spotted.

‘We are, yes,’ answered Jonny immediately. ‘Do you know what you might do in your audition at the end of the week?’

‘Think so.’ Sophie played with what was left of her fringe, moulding the strands into a series of peaks. ‘I’ll probably do some hypnosis stuff, maybe some mind-reading and then finish with a –’

‘Whoa, hang on. Wait a flipping second!’ interrupted Jonny, his eyes gleaming. ‘You do hypnosis? Coooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool!’

‘Sure! What about you?’ Sophie looked up at him. ‘Got your routine sorted?’

‘Well, I’m still quite new to it,’ explained Jonny, rummaging around in his bag haphazardly and bringing out a set of linking rings, which had somehow miraculously joined together. ‘But my granddad has already taught me how to do this!’ He held the rings aloft proudly, though secretly at a loss as to how they’d managed to link together in his bag … There must be a gap in them somewhere!

‘What about you, Zack?’ asked Sophie, her eyes meeting his.

‘Oh … Well, I’m pretty good at pickpocketing … But … But I don’t know if I’ll be allowed to do that …’ He trailed off, looking uncomfortably over Sophie’s shoulder.

Well, if this isn’t the behaviour of someone hiding something, she thought, I don’t know what is!

Alex approached them tentatively, his face peeping over the top of some strange chapter on false deals, his cheeks already beginning to flush as they turned to face him.

‘Hi!’ Zack smiled at the blond, bespectacled boy. ‘You OK?’

Alex’s heart began to pound. Why did people always feel the need to talk to him? Couldn’t they just leave him alone? He took a deep breath and thought about something unrelated to calm his nerves (sweetcorn, in this instance), just like he’d been advised by the ‘doctor’ his parents had taken him to see last year.

Deep breaths, Alex … Corn on the cob … Chicken and sweetcorn soup …

‘Is … is this the Ma–?’ Alex began.

‘Yes!’ the other three chimed like an over-zealous pop group.

‘What’s your name?’ asked Sophie, offering her hand.

Alex stared at the girl’s arm, clearly wary. ‘I … I saw what you did … to the guard … at the station,’ he managed.

Sophie faltered slightly (there’s a first time for everything). ‘Ah. I see! Well, I promise I’m not going to do that to you.’ And she took Alex’s hand and gave it the most normal shake in the world. ‘Sophie Yang.’

‘A-Alex Finley,’ he said shyly.

‘Well, it’s great to meet you, Alex Finley,’ said Jonny cheerfully. ‘I’m Jonny and this is Zack. Now, Sophie, what did you do to the guard?’ he added, increasingly captivated by this girl.

‘I was just practising!’ She held up her hands innocently. ‘Just a basic handshake induction – he fell for it beautifully, though!’

‘Hey, Alex, don’t be nervous,’ said Zack, remembering how anxious he’d been the first time he came to the Magic Circle. ‘Everyone in this building loves magic, remember.’

‘Have you been here before, then?’ asked Alex, daring a quick look up at Zack.

‘Oh, well, erm …’ Zack trailed off, sending Sophie’s Sherlock radar into a spin again.

‘Ooh!’ said Jonny quickly, catching Zack’s eye and then changing the subject, causing Sophie to raise her eyebrows yet again. ‘What are you reading?’

‘Erm … Expert Card Technique,’ Alex mumbled, showing them the cover.

‘By Hugard and Brau?’ Sophie whistled. That was some complicated card magic. ‘Wow, you must be pretty good!’

Alex went a shade of dusty pink as Jonny patted him on the head, which wasn’t as patronizing as it sounds, more just convenient, given the difference in height. Jonny had never even heard of Hugard and Brau.

‘Will you show us something before we go in?’ asked Zack, always keen to watch a fellow practitioner of magic at work.

Alex was immediately suspicious, taking a couple of steps back. Surely this was some kind of joke … No one ever asked him to show them a trick unless it was a ruse to bash the playing cards out of his hands and all over the school playground. Hell, no one ever even spoke to him most of the time. But here were three people he’d just met who seemed excited by the prospect of him showing them something. Three people who – quite possibly – maybe even liked him.

He gingerly reached into his pocket, removing a brand-new deck of Bicycle playing cards. Brand new because Alex usually got through approximately one deck per week – more if he’d been practising lots, which was often the case recently. Sometimes he’d overhear his parents complaining about it – not so much because of the cost, but because they would far rather he spent his pocket money on sports magazines or computer games like their friends’ ‘normal’ children did.

Alex stretched his fingers, slowly removing the cards from their case, handling them expertly, as if they were an extension of his self. With the cards in his left hand (dealer’s grip), he placed his right thumb over the top of the deck, making a swoosh as he spread them into a perfect arc (pressure fan).

Sophie, Jonny and Zack gawped. Wow, this guy sure knew his stuff: that was no easy move!

Alex held the beautiful fan of cards towards them, pleased that the flourish had worked out as planned. ‘Pick … Pick a c–’

But just as Alex most likely went to say the word ‘card’ he was interrupted by the creaking of the blue door as it slowly, majestically began to open.

They all shifted their eyes to the entrance of the Magic Circle headquarters, wondering what might be the first thing they saw.

A man in top hat and tails, thought Sophie, thinking of the countless pictures she’d seen in books and magazines.

Someone our age, Zack hoped.

Granddad, perhaps, thought Jonny.

Some resident bully, worried Alex, his mind suddenly starting to race as he hastily put his cards away.

No.

It was a lady in her early sixties whose glasses hung on a chain just below her bosom and which bounced about like they were trying to get away.