A/N: I know, I know. It's been a while. Don't worry, Watcher, Nickle will definitely be part of the little Irish venture.

Disclaimer: Not mine. None of it. Not mine.

Disclaimer remix: I may not use all of the OCs, because I already have more characters than I can keep track of, so try not to feel bad…yours may show up later in the story.

Chapter 6: In which an unhappy trio goes to Tara, and Nathaniel discovers Karma's true identity (finally!).


Nathaniel sat at the breakfast table, fiddling with a pear, and locked in an intense staring match with Achetti. Callidus, who among those three was the most in danger, was sitting, wolfing down some porridge.

Laura snapped her fingers. A carving knife whistled through the air, and landed, buried an inch deep in the table. "Now, once you two have finished hating each other, you can think up a plan. If we know who that afrit is working for, we can figure out where Kitty's at."

"And Karma." Nathaniel, who had jolted back in his chair, added.

"See! This monster cares more about his djinn than real people!" Achetti snapped.

Nathaniel leaned forwards, and pulled the knife out of the table. "For your information." He said quietly, and coldly, reminding all in the kitchen that this teenager was an experienced magician. "Karma is not 'my' djinn. If she was, she would either be here now, or be dead, and I feel she is neither. And I do care about Kitty, more than any of you EVER could."

Laura glanced from Achetti to Nathaniel, and reached forward, plucking the knife from Nathaniel's hand. "John, when I told Achetti no murdering, it went with you, too."

Nathaniel glared at her, and without a word, stood up and left the room. Callidus, realizing he was now in Achetti's line of fire, picked up the porridge, and followed Nathaniel.


"I feel like an idiot." Queezle tapped her throat, to reassure herself that Nickle was still on the chain around her neck. She had assumed the form of a frazzled nanny, dragging a little child with red hair and unusual golden eyes through the London streets. "I have no idea where we're going."

"You're going to the train station, to Tara." Snapped Kako. "The fastest train possible."

Queezle looked around, and hurried on.

"And we passed the train station ten minutes ago." Kako said, self-satisfied.

"Why you…" Queezle spun around, and collided with a person leaving a shop. He fell to the ground, and Queezle bent down to help him up…but stopped. "Nath-John! You're still alive!"

"And who are you?" Nathaniel glared up at the nanny bending over him.

"Karma!" the djinn bent over him. "I- I may have a way to get Bartimaeus! I'm going to Tara to…"

"Queezle? Are you coming?" Kako marched over to her.

"Queezle?" Nathaniel asked.

Nickle entered into the conversation. "I don't think you should tell him anything. How can you know you can trust him, Queezle?"

"You? You're Queezle?"

"Oh, brilliant, stranger." Kako snapped sarcastically.

"He's part of this!" Queezle said to Nickle.

"Then why don't you help him off the ground?"

"Oh. Right." Queezle gave Nathaniel a hand up off of the ground.

"I need an explaination, Karma." Nathaniel kept a firm hold on her sleeve.


As the train pulled away from the station, Queezle sighed, and sank back into her seat. The rocking of the train was soothing, and Kako was quiet for once, staring out the window. She let her thoughts drift, but they all kept returning to the same thing. Soon, she would see Bartimaeus again.


A/N: Okay, that takes the prize for the worst chapter I've ever written. EVER! And one of the shortest, too.