Archie Greene and the Magician's Secret by D D Everest Read Free Book Online Page B

through a glass skylight and reflected off the polished wooden floor, lending Quill’s a mystical, almost astral quality.
    As Archie watched, the girl with auburn hair strolled toward the light. It was so bright that Archie had to shield his eyes. When he looked again, she had vanished.
    â€˜That’s odd,’ he said. ‘Where did that girl go?’
    Bramble smiled in a knowing way. ‘You’ll find out soon enough,’ she said.
    Directly opposite them was a long wooden bar. Ranged along the bar in a row were twenty or more chrome taps with old-fashioned porcelain handles.
    As Archie watched, the waitress pulled down on one of the handles and a torrent of molten chocolate gushed into the mug she was holding. Then she held a glass under another tap. Thistime a stream of red fruit juice gushed out. Archie licked his lips.
    He was suddenly aware of the waitress looking at him. She was tall and thin with bare arms and lots of tattoos. Her hair was short and spiky and very, very black. Both her eyebrows were pierced.
    â€˜That’s Pink,’ Bramble said quietly. ‘She controls who goes in and out. Hello, Pink,’ she called. ‘This is my cousin Archie Greene.’
    Pink gave him a friendly nod and came over. ‘So you’re Alex Greene’s boy. I knew your dad.’
    Bramble lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. ‘He’s the new bookbinding apprentice and he’s never seen the museum before.’
    Pink smiled good-naturedly. ‘Following in the family footsteps then – good for you Arch.’
    She leaned forward secretively. ‘I take it you’ve got the mark?’
    â€˜Yes, he has,’ nodded Bramble. ‘Show Pink your hand.’
    Archie revealed his magic mark.
    Pink squinted at it. ‘Yep, that’s all in order. You can pass through the door ray.’
    Bramble took him by the arm and marched him straight through the shaft of light. It felt warm like sunshine, and for a moment Archie was dazzled by it. He smelled a strange aroma that put him in mind of a summer’s night. Then he was on the other side.

12
The Seats of Learning
    A rchie found himself in a large room that he hadn’t noticed before. From this side it was obvious that Quill’s had two distinct parts to it. At the front it looked like an ordinary café, but at the back there was a much larger space that was invisible from the other side. Separating the two was the shaft of light.
    From where he was now, Archie could see into the front of the shop as if it was on the other side of a window. The effect was like a one-way mirror. He could see the people at the front of the shop, but could not be seen by them.
    ‘That’s weird,’ he said to Bramble. ‘When you first come in you wouldn’t know this side was here at all.’
    ‘Exactly,’ smiled Bramble. ‘Anyone can walk in off the street but only the Flame Keepers can passthrough the door ray to this side. We call it front of house and back of house.’
    ‘But how’s that possible?’ he said. ‘What stops other people doing what we just did?’
    ‘It’s enchanted – a permission wall. Only someone with the firemark can pass through.’
    Archie reached out his hand to touch the invisible wall that separated the two halves of the room. His fingers met no resistance, but Bramble grabbed his hand.
    ‘Don’t do that,’ she said. ‘The people on the other side will be alarmed if they see a hand appear from nowhere!’
    Archie gazed around him at the large, comfortable armchairs and sofas covered in scuffed leather. He took an instant liking to Quill’s. It had a wonderful lived-in feeling. For someone who didn’t like old things, Archie surprised himself.
    At that moment, he spotted the auburn-haired girl who had come in at the same time as them. She hadn’t vanished into thin air – she had just passed through the door ray. On this side of the room there were lots of teenagers seated at tables. But