At Loretta’s insistence, Archie spent the next two days in bed. He needed to build up his strength again, she said. He tried to appeal to his grandmother, but she stood firmly behind Loretta.
‘Archie, you can’t expect to face the Pale Writers without being affected. I don’t think you can take many more of their attacks. Every time they touch you a little part of your spirit is extinguished. You need time to recover.’
Archie reluctantly conceded. In truth, he knew they were right. His second brush with a Pale Writer had left him very weak. More worryingly, the unpleasant hollow feeling he’d felt after the first attack was back, and much worse. It was as if the vile creature had taken some of the very essence he was made from.
He felt thinner and less substantial somehow, despite Loretta’s best efforts to feed him up with marmalade omelettes and her own special recipe for cherry buns. It didn’t help that Loretta had substituted curry for cherry in her recipe so the buns were filled with curry powder. But it was more than Loretta’s cooking that had left a bad taste in his mouth. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that he was more vulnerable than before.
He brooded over what Gran had told him. The Pale Writers had once been magic writers. They had surrendered their souls to the Dark Flame when they summoned it from Pandemonium. Given half a chance they would steal Archie’s soul, too, and make him a servant of the Dark Flame. It wasn’t a very comforting thought.
*
On the second day after the attack, Archie had some welcome visitors. Rupert was back in Oxford for a few days and dropped in at 32 Houndstooth Road with Arabella.
The Alchemists’ Club crowded into the boys’ bedroom where Archie was sitting up in bed with a pile of pillows plumped up behind him.
‘You do look a bit pale, Arch,’ said Rupert. ‘Sorry, bad choice of words!’
‘Thanks!’ said Archie.
‘How are you feeling?’ asked Arabella.
‘Much better,’ said Archie. ‘In fact, I feel well enough to hold a meeting of the Alchemists’ Club. Even if Rupert thinks I don’t look it,’ he added, managing a smile.
‘We’re all here, so why not?’ said Thistle.
The others agreed. They took it in turns to repeat the pledge.
Archie, Bramble and Thistle filled in the other two on what Gardenia had discovered on her travels.
‘I have some news, too,’ declared Arabella when they had finished. ‘Last night there was a Greader meeting at my parents’ house, and I overheard them talking about The Opus Magus. The rumour among the Greaders is that Grey did hide it somewhere, but that it may not be a book. It may be in some other form.’
‘Like what?’ asked Bramble.
‘I couldn’t hear everything they were saying, but it sounded like a place to store memories. And they think they know how to find it.’
‘We have to find it before they do,’ said Archie. ‘What else has been going on while I’ve been stuck in here?’
‘Brown has officially taken over from Hawke in Lost Books,’ said Thistle. ‘So when you go back to the museum, you’ll be reporting to him.’
Archie pinched his lip thoughtfully. ‘What’s he like?’
‘He was all right with me when I worked in the mythical menagerie,’ Rupert said. ‘But I always got the impression that he was a bit bored with the Natural Magic Department, and wanted to do something else. Now he’s got his chance.’
‘He’s under a lot of pressure, though,’ said Arabella. ‘Graves says that it was the strain of trying to find out what Grey had to do to fulfil the prophecy that pushed Hawke over the edge. Now Brown is in the hot seat.’
‘What’s he doing about it?’ asked Archie.
‘Not much so far,’ said Bramble. ‘He seems to spend all his time going through Hawke’s things. It’s as if he’s looking for something.’
‘Grey’s account of what he saw in his vision,’ said Archie. ‘That was what was driving Hawke so hard. He was convinced that Grey must have written it down.’
‘Well, whatever it is, Brown has torn Hawke’s office apart trying to find it. When I took a book in the other day, the place was completely trashed. He’s even thrown out Hawke’s favourite sofa.’
‘I loved that sofa!’ said Rupert.
‘So did Hawke,’ said Archie, angrily.
*
After the others had left, Bramble stayed behind.
‘Are you okay?’ she asked. ‘You really don’t look your usual self.’
‘I just feel so helpless,’ groaned Archie. ‘The Greaders are closing in on The Opus Magus and we still don’t know how to defeat the Dark Flame. And to make matters worse, I’m stuck here.’
‘Not for much longer,’ said Bramble. ‘Pink sent you a present.’ She crossed the room and took something from her bag.
‘What is it?’ asked Archie.
‘It’s a thickening potion,’ said Bramble. ‘Guaranteed to put some colour back in your cheeks! Now drink it down and I’ll bring you some more tomorrow.’
The potion tasted of strawberries and cream and all sorts of other deliciously rich ingredients. Archie could feel his skin glowing.
‘That’s more like it,’ said Bramble, smiling. ‘Now what else is bothering you?’
She knew him too well to be fobbed off.
‘I’ve been thinking about my family,’ confided Archie. ‘I’ve been trying to find out what happened to them. I’ve done some digging and it seems they were trapped in a drawing book. It might be The Book of Yore, but what if it’s The Book of Night, or …’ His voice trailed off.
‘The Book of Prophecy?’ asked Bramble.
Archie nodded. He felt himself choking up. ‘I may never know what happened to them. And I don’t understand why they didn’t take me with them. That’s all I really want – to know why they left me behind.’
Bramble touched his hand. ‘Your dad was a good man,’ she said. ‘He would have done anything for his children. Your mum, too.’
Archie looked at her in astonishment. ‘I didn’t know you met them?’
Bramble’s brow clouded. She looked as confused as he was. ‘I have strong memories of them,’ she said, slowly. ‘I think I must have stayed at their house when I was little. It’s strange, I feel like I knew them well.’
She smiled. ‘And I know that wherever they are, they would want you to be brave and try to be happy.’
Archie smiled and wiped his eye. He suddenly felt very drowsy. ‘And I’m sure they would want me to try to defeat the Dark Flame and save magic!’
‘Yes,’ said Bramble, squeezing his hand. ‘They definitely would, and that is what we are going to do. Now get some rest – we have work to do tomorrow and you’re going to need your strength.’
‘That reminds me,’ she added. ‘Pink said to tell you that the thickening potion has a strong sleeping tonic in it, too.’
But Archie didn’t hear her because he was already fast sleep. Bramble tucked him in and put out the light.