BEYOND THE BOOK
Her birthday is 16th August.
She has written over 40 books and short stories, which are sold all over the world and translated into 20 languages.
Parts of the stories she writes always come true.
At Oxford University, she attended lectures by C S Lewis and J R R Tolkien.
Sometimes she dreams in Welsh.
Her cat’s name is Dorabella.
She has a travel jinx.
She collects dragons.
Who is Chrestomanci
Who is Chrestomanci? The question should really be What is Chrestomanci? for, as was revealed in Charmed Life, Chrestomanci is actually the title of a job and not a person’s name at all. The Chrestomanci is employed by the Government to monitor and control the use of magic throughout the related worlds.
This is not the most popular of jobs, especially with the less-than-scrupulous characters who tend to be tempted by any opportunity to misuse power, and particularly if it can earn them lots of money or an exciting life. But using magic is always dangerous, and it always has consequences, so even the best-intentioned witch or warlock needs help and guidance from time to time. Not only that, but there are plenty of ordinary people in the worlds without even a whiff of magical ability, and they need someone to make sure that the magic-users don’t get their own way all of the time – which is where Chrestomanci comes in.
As well as looking after people, Chrestomanci also has to protect the worlds they live in. Many spells need certain ingredients to work properly, just like recipes, which is fine if they are items like six drops of dew from a yew tree at dawn or a handful of grass from inside a stone circle, or even dried mouse droppings. But some spells call for substances such as dragon’s blood or mermaid scales. These are illegal products, because of the harm caused by both the collection and careless use of such dark materials. But this also means there is a thriving black market in ’exotic supplies’, so Chrestomanci and his team have to be constantly on the alert for smugglers and underhand dealers.
Of course, not everyone is qualified to take on the post of Chrestomanci – it’s not a job you can simply apply for. Only the strength and special skills of an enchanter can possibly begin to attempt to tackle the task. But Chrestomanci is no ordinary enchanter – he has to be a nine-lifed enchanter. Most people, whatever their magical status, just have one life each – but they also have counterparts, or doubles, in other worlds. People with nine lives (and they are exceedingly rare) exist only in their own world, with no counterparts anywhere else, which means that all the talents and energies and abilities that would have been spread out across the others are all concentrated in the one person. This makes Chrestomanci a very powerful enchanter indeed.
One of the most challenging tasks a Chrestomanci has to undertake is finding his successor – the next Chrestomanci. This is never easy, not only because of the fact that nine-lifed enchanters are exceedingly rare, but they might not even be living in the same world! They also are usually completely unaware that they have more than the usual number of lives and often demonstrate a distinct lack of magical ability in childhood. They are often discovered for the first time when they begin to lose their lives. For example, if on Monday somebody falls from an extremely high tower, or is consumed by fire, or gets hit round the head with a cricket bat, and yet on Tuesday is happily walking around with no noticeable ill-effects, chances are he has nine lives. This means he is then worth testing to find out what’s stopping him from doing magic.
All nine-lifed enchanters have a weakness, and it is usually that weakness which prevents them from being aware of their magic when they are young. Of course, they do not all share the same weakness, so it can take some time to track down exactly what the problem is. Once the weakness is identified and avoided, they can work magic like anything! In fact, because enchanters’ magic is particularly potent and immediate, they have to spend many years in training, learning how to control their power and discovering its full extent – while trying very hard not to dislocate the universe or blow off too many rooftops.
Once they are aware of their nine lives, it’s up to them to make sure they take care of the ones they have left – especially the last one. The best way to do this is to detach it from the body and keep it in a secret, protected location where it cannot be attacked or enchanted. Removing a life intact is a delicate operation; Gabriel de Witt, who is Chrestomanci in The Lives of Christopher Chant, pioneered the process, trialling it successfully for the first time on his Chrestomanci-in-training.
The one thing Chrestomanci doesn’t have is a nine-to-five job. He has to be ready to thwart evil, apprehend villains and solve magical conundrums at the drop of a hat, no matter what time, place or dimension they happen to occur. People in dire need can also summon him by calling his name aloud three times. Consequently, his staff are used to finding half-drunk cups of tea and abandoned plates, as dire need is no respecter of mealtimes.
Being Chrestomanci is the most powerful job in the related worlds, and they’re always on the lookout for the next one. So if you ever find yourself returning to dream worlds you’ve visited before, waking up with grubby feet and gravel in your bed, being told off for being on a different planet or raising small whirlwinds in the garden – you never know, it could be you!
Mythical Menagerie
Centaur
part human / part horse
Minotaur
bull’s head / human body
Hippocampus
part horse / part fish
Hippogryph
part griffin / part horse
Sphinx
human head / lion’s body / wings
Manticore
lion’s body / man’s face
Faun
part human / part goat
Merfolk
human body / fishy tail
Cockatrice
part chicken / part reptile
Chimera
lion’s head / goat’s body / snake’s tail
CHRESTOMANCI CASTLE
As a nine-lifed enchanter with the most powerful job in the related worlds, it is only right and proper that Chrestomanci resides in a place that is as grand and imposing as his title – and Chrestomanci Castle is most certainly grand and imposing. If driving from the local railway station, you would first glimpse this marvellous
building at the top of a hill as you approached along the narrow winding road. You would sweep through massive gates into an avenue of dark green cedars and elm trees, before scrunching to a halt on the gravel outside one of the castle’s many entrances.
Nestled in the heart of the English countryside, Chrestomanci Castle’s history stretches back beyond most people’s memory. Parts of it are very old, although it has been extended and expanded over the years so that its appearance is unlike any other castle you have ever seen before. Part of it is grey and turreted and every bit the medieval-style fortress you might imagine; yet turn a corner and you will come across a bright new part, more like a palace or a mansion, with a spread of windows and a flag fluttering from the roof. Architecturally, Michael Saunders would probably tell you it is a very interesting mix indeed – but it’s probably not wise to ask him about it unless you have two or three hours to spare.
The interior of Chrestomanci Castle is as impressive as the outside. If you entered through the main front doors, you would find yourself in an airy entrance hall with a pentagram built into the tiled floor. Topping this lofty space is a glass dome roof, and underneath this a majestic pink staircase curls up to the next floor. Several doorways topped with statues lead off from the hall, and you can identify the door to the next most important room by the fact that it is topped with a clock as well as a statue. But the most magnificent sight in the entrance hall is the enormous crystal chandelier which hangs from the glass dome on a long chain.
If you entered from one of the side doors, you would be confronted by a choice of stairs, corridors, doors and more stairs. There is soft green carpet everywhere, flanked by highly polished wooden floors. In fact, to all but the very longest-serving members of the household, navigating Chrestomanci Castle is a most confusing challenge!
Of course, the other way to enter Chrestomanci Castle is by magic – which means you would most likely arrive in the centre of the tiled pentagram in the main hall. It’s best to make sure that you are definitely invited if you plan to pay a visit in this way, as otherwise you are likely be caught in a particularly uncomfortable security device set to apprehend intruders!
It is impossible to count all the rooms in Chrestomanci Castle. There are hundreds and hundreds, and even the resident Chrestomanci is unlikely to know exactly how many or to have visited them all! There are the sorts of rooms you would expect to find in a castle, such a huge dining room, and Large and Small Drawing Rooms, both nearly the size of a football pitch. There are more unusual rooms too, such as the magician’s workshop. There’s an enormous library, which boasts a copy of every book in the world – and many more from other worlds as well.
If guests come to stay, there are plenty of bedrooms to choose from, each with its own bathroom. Some of the more interesting bedrooms are in the older, turreted part of the castle. Here, the rooms are round and the walls are nearly three feet thick. If you kneel on one of the deep window-seats and look out you will see a breathtaking view of the castle grounds, with its smooth green lawns, immaculate flower gardens and splendid orchards. If you look carefully, you might even get a glimpse of Chrestomanci’s private, walled garden. But don’t try and go there without his permission – you will probably find yourself somewhere else altogether!
Chrestomanci himself tends to influence the atomosphere of the building. In Gabriel De Witt’s day, Chrestomanci Castle was very businesslike and efficient – definitely the headquarters of a powerful magic task-force! Then later, when Gabriel realised the value of identifying and harnessing talent at an early age, it was opened up as an academy for children with magical abilities.
When Chrisopher Chant became Chrestomanci, the everyday business of policing magic carried on, with the invaluable help of his wife Millie (also a powerful enchantress). But the arrival of two magical children of their own (Roger and Julia) and the adoption of two more (Cat and Janet) meant that part of the castle transformed into a family home.
The thing that everyone notices when they go to Chrestomanci Castle is the calm, quiet atmosphere everywhere, as if it is cloaked in a blanket of cotton wool. This is, of course, magic, for the whole building is suffused in it. Visitors who are up to no good feel very uncomfortable as the castle works on them, but if you live there for a while you gradually absorb what you need to help you deal with your sort of magic.
When it’s time to leave Chrestomanci Castle, you’ll probably be quite sad to go. But a word of warning – don’t try to take any souvenirs with you unless they have been specifically given to you as gifts as they tend to protest in VERY LOUD VOICES!
Have you ever wondered?
Cat got his nickname because he has nine lives. Do you have any nicknames?
Joe Pinhoe uses his magic to design and invent a flying machine. What type of travelling machine would you invent?
Janet and Julia’s dream of owning a pony didn’t turn out well. Have you ever looked forward to something that went wrong? Or dreaded something that had a happy outcome?
What magical things do you think Nutcase saw when he went on his secret journeys through Ulverscote and the surrounding countryside?
Design a dressing gown for Cat to wear when he becomes the next Chrestomanci.
Eggs of Note
