All credit goes to the author of the Bartimaeus Trilogy
Bartimaeus
My stomach was being pulled at. Ugghhh. Not again. It's probably it's Nat, boy does he love annoying people.
I appeared in the middle of Nathaniel's new room, making it nice and cold as I entered.
"What do you want!" I said. "It's only been a year since you released me!"
"Sorry..." Nathaniel said, not really sounding sorry at all. "I just needed you to do something for me..."
"Well, duh. That much is obvious." I said, sounding as impatient as you like.
"Someone appeared on the wrong side of the pentacle..." Nathaniel said under his breath. "I just wanted you to find out if... If my master is going out with anyone lately!"
"What? Why would you summon me for some silly errand like that! That's the stupidest thing I have ever been summoned for! Do you want to go out with Jessica Whitwell or something? Is that what you want?" I felt like slapping that little boy in the face. At least stealing an amulet from on of the most important magicians in the government was a worthy challenge, but spying on his master to find out if she was dating anyone lately? Really? Why would he even want to know that?
"You should be happy it's so simple." he said. "It's a nice easy assignment, easy enough for an imp to do. I don't know why you're so mad. I just want to know if she's going out with someone or not."
"Yes, but why?" I asked. "If she is that's really none of your business. Plus, why didn't you just summon an imp? There easier to summon, if you didn't know. And they wouldn't argue about the assignment as much. And they would be easier to control, so why on Earth and the Other Place, would you summon a fourteenth level demon like me?!"
"Because you'd get it done quicker." the boy said. "And i's really none of you're business why I want to know, now is it? If you really must know then I'll tell you. I want to because she's been neglecting my lessons with her lately and I want to know why."
"And you think that she's fallen in love with someone." I said. "You know she could just be getting bored with you... Or maybe she doesn't have anything else to teach you. Maybe your smart enough to work at Parliament!."
"Go." said Nat.
Ugghh. I hate that queasy sensation.
"Don't make me say it again." he said.
"Oh fine, I'm going, I'm going." I said.
And I went, so he wouldn't try and inflict pain again.
^^.
I was on a shelf in his masters study, overlooking her desk. I had taken the form of a fly. She had an imp at her shoulder, but he looked dazed and bored, and I doubt he would notice me. She was filing out papers or at least, that's what it looked like she was doing. She had a laptop open on her desk and a mound of papers beside her. Her hair was in a rather messy bun and she was in what looked like her pajamas. Her eyes looked tired, like she had not slept for several days.
"That would be why she's neglecting Nathaniel's lessons..." I said quietly to myself. Suddenly, the phone rang. It scared me out of my skin. She answered the phone with a yawn.
"Hello...?" she said, tiredly. She suddenly jumped up. "Oh, it's you... I'd love to go out to lunch!... Tuesday sounds great... Noon...? Yes, I'm free at noon... No, thank you for the invitation... Goodbye, I'll see you Tuesday."
Alright, I thought. Maybe she is in love.
Nathaniel
I wonder when he'll return... I thought, pacing my room, trying to find a way to deal way to deal with my impatience. I've all ready read everything on my bookcase, so I guess I could draw or something... Practice drawing pentacles...?
"Ugghh!" I said to myself. "I'm bored and tired of waiting all the time!" If Bartimaeus were here, he would be lecturing me about how patience is a virtue and all that crap. I hate when people lecture me like that! It's not like it's my fault everything and everyone goes so slow! I'm tired of this! I'm just going to summon him. I walked over to the pentacle and said the rite of summoning.
The Egyptian boy appeared in the circle. "Oi!" he said. "I'd only been out for five minutes! Why'd you call me back! How impatient can a person get!?"
"You were taking far too long!" I said. "Isn't there a faster way to find out that to spy on her?"
"No. She'd sense me if I were anything bigger than a fly and she doesn't look like she's ever going to leave that study." he said. "She's going out on a lunch date at noon on Tuesday, though."
"Who with?" I asked.
"She didn't say." Bartimaeus replied. "Seemed like it could be anyone, though. She might have been cozy with who she was talking to, but I couldn't really tell. It was just a lunch date, so it's probably just someone she works with."
"Well, whatever." I said. "I'm tired and I feel like going to bed. Spy on her while I'm sleeping, if you like."
"Nah, I'll just sit here and watch you sleep." Bartimaeus said.
For some reason, this made me get rather embarrassed. I blushed a bit and laid down in my bed.