Bartimaeus Note to Readers

Hello everyone,

I am Bartimaeus, normally speaking to lowlife humans is horrible, and I despise it. However, given the fact this is my story, I guess I can make an exception.

Cliff hangers occur when an author leaves the story hanging at a climatic point to make their readers annoyed or pissed off. It is often thought of as a wonderful art of writing, if you are a common reader you will have no problem recognizing this as pure bull crap.

I have left a cliff hanger at the end of last chapter, one which involved my possible death. However, given the fact I was narrating that part and I am telling you about cliff hangers right now. It is probably expected that I will survive, well... technically I am not sure whether or not that is a true statement or not. Whether I died back then or not is a mystery. It's a difficult matter. Nevertheless if you have the slightest bit of sense, you might be able to figure out what I mean in later chapters. Permitting if I do not leave another cliff hanger this chapter, you may not agree with that. But what do I care? I am the one with magic powers, what will you do about it?

If you do not understand what I am talking about now, that is fine. I do not expect you to understand. After all, humans are thick!

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Bartimaeus

The sun sat low on the horizon casting rays of beautiful orange light around the land. It was not too bright, more faded as if the light was a matter of substance. A wonderful magical wind sweeping through the forests and lakes as America began to retire for the day.

It was a good day to die, the slightly warm but gentle rays of the sun on your skin. Luring you into a peaceful trance as a small breeze of warm air brushes your hair up and down. As you stare straight out over a cliff and into a valley of forest below... It was indeed a perfect day to end your days.

While you were in a state of true happiness, where you did not bother to think about the fact you were not at all happy; to die while watching life blossom, and the sun on the leaves (1).

America was truly a beautiful place; it made me sad to think years from now; whether hundreds or thousands... all this could be gone...

Oops, my mistake... by 'It was a good day to die." I meant 'that would be a good day to die.'

Oh no... Right now Nathaniel, Negabor, Faquarl, Ascobal, and I were being poked with a stick while being pushed out of a cave and into well... imagine what I said above, except in pouring, cold, miserable rain. Because right now was a crap day to die!

Upon stumbling out of the cave entrance, we were all immediately drenched by the pissing rain. As we kept on walking out, chained and garbed with a million enchantments the rain increased, and thunder boomed across the land.

I spat out some water and raised my head to take another look around, I couldn't see anything however since some of my wet hair had fallen across my face (2).

I breathed in deeply as the thunder boomed again, "I will ask again. What are you doing to us?!" I asked the Djinni.

I could not tell - the rain and darks skies obscured my vision. But as a streak of lightning lit up the hill, I swear to a marid that I saw the Djinni-Djinni smiling. "You may ask as much as you wish," he said, apparently not caring for the rain. "But I have said as much as I can... or rather want. We will kill you, and then we will have a trial."

"How is that supposed to work?" I screamed.

"You will see in time," he laughed his evil laugh again (3).

Just what I needed, not only was I on the verge of my death. But it was going to be delivered by a babbling idiot. Honestly, some people cannot shut up (4)!

It turned out the cave entrance was located on a mountain, so after walking for a bit we came to the edge of a cliff. I thought they might make us jump off, but instead we continued around the rim of the mountain, and started spiralling upwards.

After a while the path widened and I started to make out huts alongside the trail. Even some people showed up, all of them were Djinni (5). However there were surprisingly no humans around...

"What happened to all the humans?"

The Djinni (6) just laughed again and kept walking on. We passed many huts, villagers (Djinni), and other things.

"So... I take it this is a village set into a mountain?" I asked.

"No, it's a plateau, you will see at the top. Which reminds me, we are nearly there."

Sure enough the path started to even out, and after turning a corner we were on top of the 'plateau.' It was a small expanse of field. The rain had nearly stopped; it was just drizzling a bit now. The sky was still grey and dark however, and a thin mist surrounded the peak of the plateau.

We kept trudging on until we were by the edge of the Plateau. A steep drop straight into a valley; the one I had described at the beginning of this chapter. However if you have any listening skills whatsoever, you would know it was not quite as peaceful at the moment as described.

By the edge a crowd was gathered around a guillotine, noticeably far away. There was about 10 meters between the crowd and the execution device. Since I was standing about 5 meters away, I knew why.

Pure cold silver, the guillotine's blade was made of the substance which we Djinni hated the most.

We all stared at the wooden structure for a minute before someone from the crowd walked up to it.

He was the man who bore the staff in battle; I quickly flicked through the planes... he was all human. Well that was a first...

"We are all here today to bear witness as 4 Djinni and a human cross into our realm." He stopped as if waiting for the crowd to say something, "after the deed is done, the Djinni will be sent to the court, and the human," he gestured at Nathaniel, "will be sent to the mine."

The crowd nodded its approval. "Well then! Let the ceremony begin!"

Two guards stepped forward, seemingly out of nowhere and grasped Negabor by the shackles and pulled him up to the guillotine. He and the guards both twitched after coming within a few meters of it.

They lowered his head so it sat across the blades path, and what happened after then is kind of hard to explain.

Someone yelled, "Bartimaeus!"

Then a detonation was shot, it hit the side of the plateau blasting a tree off the cliff and into oblivion. Looking off the side of the plateau it was hard to tell. But it looked like a glowing blue dot was sprinting through the valley and towards the mountain... plateau, whatever.

"Turning my attention back to the crowd and guillotine, I saw one face I thought (and wished) I would never see again. I also saw the face of someone whom I thought I had lost.

Realization swept over me, but arose twice as many questions as I had before.

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(1) Thank you very much Nari for that one. – joeylejoker

(2) I always change into Ptolemy without knowing... hey! There is already a footnote? Who the hell is joeylejoker?!

(3) I am sure he has practiced that in a mirror before...

(4) *Wink* *Wink*

(5) When we left the cave, they had lifted the spell which blocked our access to the planes.

(6) I do not really know how to refer to him other than that.

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Mwahaha! Cliff hangers! Oh how I adore you. I hope you all like that chapter. I thought the beginning was brilliant and beautiful. Also I understand it was a bit complicated but I thought it was nice, and I hope you all do too! Please review!! Everyone...