OK, everyone, this is probably the last chapter for at least a week…sorry about that, but I do have to get back to school. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed! A-hem, unfortunately this chapter is another semi-fluffy one, but don't worry, fluff-haters, there are no dancing fairies this time. Go NatKitty!

In this episode/chapter/section/whatever, the…um…quartet reaches the dangerous Sulphurous Marsh, leading to a near-death experience (last time it was Kitty Power…could it possibly be…Nat Power this time?). Nathaniel shares some of the secrets of his past with Kitty and their bond becomes closer…

Disclaimer: The Bartimaeus Trilogy belongs to Mr. Stroud. And his editor/publisher dude, in a way. God, I'm getting bored of writing this. Enjoy the chapter!


You'd Have To Be Crazy!

"Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow; Don't walk behind me, I may not lead; Walk beside me, and just be my friend."
– Albert Camus

"'The Sulphurous Marsh," read Nathaniel, "is dangerous to all. Nothing grown there may be eaten, for the sulphur substance is poisonous. Flames spout randomly from the ground due to chemical reactions, so mind your path well. Furthermore, there are pits of mud that act as the sinking sands of the marsh. Always stay on firm ground, and ignore the false direction of the sprites.' Well," he continued, "we can see why no one has ever bothered to come here before. You'd have to be crazy!"

"Your point being…" said Bartimaeus.

"I'm not crazy!"

"Sorry, Nathaniel," said Kitty, "but do you honestly think we would be here otherwise?"

"I didn't come here of my own free will! I was persuaded by the government -"

"Yeah, yeah," the djinni said, "we don't need to hear about the nobility of the magicians again. God, I may as well take up slapping you, like Kitty -"

"Do that and I'll shut you in an iron box!"

"- if I didn't think that would happen."

They walked in silence for several more moments, until they saw an end to the trees and what was most definitely (Judging by colour and general odour of rotten eggs, Nathaniel thought grimly) the dreaded marsh.

"Let's go single file," said Kitty practically, removing a flashlight from her highly overstocked bag. "I know we're kind of tired -"

"Speak for yourself," murmured the two djinn present.

"- but I rather think we'll be more comfortable sleeping in a field of daisies than with rotten tree stumps again."

"Sure," said Nathaniel glumly. Kitty patted him on the shoulder.

They formed a line with Bartimaeus in the lead (despite his earlier pathfinding mistakes), followed by Kitty, Nathaniel, and Queezle bringing up the rear. The dirt path was narrow and smooth, even though it was definitely the road less travelled by.

A sharp hiss…Nathaniel looked to his right just in time to see a huge gout of flame burst up about three feet away from him. The smoke combined with the sulphur fumes made him cough, and he placed one of his handkerchiefs over his face.

"All right there?" asked Kitty.

"Yes," he said testily. "Are you sure this is the shortcut? Because if it's not…"

"Of course I'm sure!" said the djinni irritably. "Have I ever been wrong before? Tchah, you'd think I'd never been here before!"

"Um…"

"All right, I haven't, but still…"

"Shut up."


Kitty walked in silence behind Bartimaeus, feeling uneasy. Everything about the marsh, from its smell to its greenish sort of glow, was starting to creep her out. Why am I here? She asked herself yet again. Why am I the one who was crazy enough to find the amulet by myself?

It's not like they even had proof it would actually work. That whole idea of fulfilling the holder's deepest desire? How was that even possible? She knew from experience that magic could attack, and protect…but fulfill desires? It was highly doubtful.

The four of them passed over what seemed to be a river of boiling mud. There was a hiss right in her ear and she jumped away, narrowly escaping a bonfire that would have burned her to a crisp. Just like that dragon, she thought, and then tried not to think about it.

But in her haste to escape the flames, she had stepped off the narrow path, and suddenly she was falling, falling down towards the river…


Nathaniel was feeling hot and irritable again. He still did not fully understand why their group was always taking the most difficult route to get to the field of daisies. They had had to get past marid magic, Jabor, a filthy, tangled forest; not to mention those dragons. His blood still ran cold at the thought of what could have happened to Kitty if she hadn't killed the one that was attacking her.

Kitty. What was going on with him? He could barely get her out of his head anymore, much worse than when he thought she was dead and he felt guilty. The night before, with the fairies in the clearing, something had awoken inside of him, something he had never felt before. He had always felt attracted to – to very pretty girls, like Jane Farrar and Clarice; but Kitty (he mentally excused himself) wasn't a stunning, attractive female. There was definitely something else.

He watched the back of her head for a time before he, too, heard the hiss. His heart quailed as she leapt aside from the flames, only to miss her step and fall of the pathway edge!

Nathaniel did no know what he was doing, or why he was doing it, but then he was down flat on the dirt bridge, extending his hands toward her flailing fingers. If she fell all the way, she would die…but was there really anything he could do?

To his relief, Kitty managed to grasp his fingers, barely holding on, her face white and set. Unfortunately, he had miscalculated badly, and began to slip forwards off the bridge as well.

Two pairs of strong hands grabbed his feet suddenly, halting his progress over the edge. The djinn were helping him. He readjusted his grip on Kitty's hands, aware that his palms were sweaty. She grabbed his wrists, her eyes determined and…could it possibly be? Full of trust…

The muscles in his arms screaming, Nathaniel began pulling her up, scooting himself backward. He closed his eyes, feeling dizzy with the effort…he had moved her maybe a foot upward. He wasn't going to be able to do it…he looked back at her face, his mind overtaken by a whine of panic.

Gritting his teeth, making his will as strong as he could, he suddenly levered her up and back on to the bridge. They both collapsed there, breathing heavily. The two djinn trudged over to the other end of the bridge, where Nathaniel could see the end of the marsh and – could it be? – a flash of white upon the hills beyond. They had come so far…

Groaning, he brought himself up to a standing position once more, then leaned forward to help Kitty up. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity.

"You saved my life," she whispered, coming closer. Nathaniel blinked.

"I suppose," he said. "Time I paid you back, you know."

They were too closer. Were those the stars shining back at him through her dark eyes?

Nathaniel leaned forward and kissed her on the lips.

It was too fast, he knew, and he pulled back immediately. Then she clasped his hands in hers, their fingers interlocking, and pulled him back towards her, her lips seeking his this time. He relaxed into her embrace.

The djinn looked pointedly away, but Nathaniel could almost hear them snickering.


As they relaxed, finally, on the edges of the field of white flowers (they didn't really look like daisies at all, in Kitty's opinion), she and Nathaniel watched each other. It was strange, really, to be able to look into his pale face without having to think of something nasty to say. He spoke first.

"It was a bit odd, don't you think?" he said tentatively. "Me saving you?"

"How so?"

"Well…it's not something magicians would do normally. We normally just rely on – on our slaves."

"I noticed," she said. "You stay in your nice houses and send out your little delegations, without any thought to their condition or their feelings."

"You are very blunt, Kitty." He smiled wryly.

"Not to mention insightful!" Bartimaeus called from the top of the hill.

"The truth is…" He didn't seem to know where to begin. "Well, do you know how we're raised?"

"No." He was going to talk about his parents again?

"At the age of five, my parents 'dropped me off' at the government center. Just took their money and left without saying goodbye…"

"What!" Kitty was shocked. After ignoring her parents for the past two years, she suddenly felt very glad that she had known them her entire life.

"Yeah…it's all right, though. I don't even remember their faces." He paused, frowning. "I was delivered to my first master, Arthur Underwood, and his wife." He smiled. "I must, say though, she was the only one ever to kiss me good night. That much was a comfort, when I was young…"

"But what has that got to do with -"

"To begin my education, my master decided to show me what demons looked like. He wanted me to hate them with every fibre of my being, like all magicians do."

Kitty looked up at Bartimaeus. She could tell he was listening closely.

"He told me to go to his study to fetch a pair of spectacles, put them on, and return to him. I went downstairs quickly to fetch them, but strange things were happening…I heard hisses, scraping, and the pencils in the jar seemed to come to life…"

The young magician's voice was a whisper, and Kitty could somehow tell he had never talked about this with anyone before.

"The door slammed, and I was locked in. I put on the spectacles, then, and I saw the truth about the study. Of course, the imps then saw that I could see them, and they attacked me. I was six years old; my master did not return to fetch me for an hour."

His voice was shaking, and Kitty found she had been holding her breath. He turned suddenly to her.

"Don't you see? That is what magicians are taught: to fear and hate the very things we enslave! If we are ever brave, it may be speaking out against another magician, but only if they are less powerful."

Another pause.

"I've always been…strong, as a magician, but never brave, not like you would consider brave. In fact, until I met you, I never really realized the extent of human courage. I didn't believe, at the first, that you would save me from the golem, because that would be risking yourself for someone else. That kind of altruism is something…I wish I had."

He turned away, his face impassive. Kitty considered this, then crawled over so she was facing him.

"What do you think today was?" she said, smiling. Then she grew serious again, eyeing him closely. "Are you saying no one has ever cared for you?"

"No…there were people. Like Mrs. Underwood, and Ms. Lutyens…at least, I thought so." His expression was pained.

"Well then," said Kitty. "I'll just have to care about you myself, won't I? Who needs parents?"

She was astonished to see tears in the corners of his eyes. He swiped them away, then leaned forward and kissed her timidly.

"Get a room," said Bartimaeus.


Okay, how was that? Hope it keeps you guys busy for about a week…I promise I'll write the last five chapters ASAP! Love you all!