Last real chapter, everyone! God, I never thought I'd really get this far…I have this thing about finishing stories, I think. Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who supported throughout the creation of my very first fanfic!

In this chapter, everyone comes to and discovers that…wait…what happened? As Bartimaeus predicted, their minds have been altered somewhat. And hey…what happened to the Amulet, anyway? Nathaniel reports to his superiors (…) and Kitty makes some serious decisions about the second Resistance.

Disclaimer: Ha-ha, I just realized I didn't write one of these for one of the last chapters…ah, well. Wait, did I? No time to check…ah, well. For both of them, I did not make up the characters. But I'm sure you've figured that out by now. (Note to Self: Discover better sense of humour when writing silly disclaimers)


Memory is Futile

"As memory may be a paradise from which we cannot be driven, it may also be a hell from which we cannot escape." – John Lancaster
Spalding

John Mandrake opened his eyes slowly, for fear of disrupting his senses even more than they already were. He rubbed the back of his head, where he could feel a bruise.

And sat up with a start. What was going on? What on earth was he doing lying on the grass in the middle of...well...a park? Looking around, he realized he must be near Highgate. Someone was sitting by the metal bridge that connected the two sides of the park...on closer inspection, it was Bartimaeus. What was he doing here? Why had he, Mandrake summoned him?

"Bartimaeus," he said officially, standing up with difficulty, "what exactly are we doing here?"

"Search me," the demon replied, turning to face him. The face of the Egyptian boy looked rather confused. "All I remember is that we were going to go to Phasma Mortuus to...that's it! Find the Amulet of Phasma Mortuus."

Mandrake's memory blossomed. Of course, the Amulet!

"Yes, that's right," he said coolly. "Bartimaeus...can you recall if we – er – appropriated the artifact?"

"Dunno. Do you recall why we can't recall anything?"

The magician closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. For someone known to have a great memory, he really was losing it. What had happened on the island? A surge of heat and fire...the smell of sulfur...and – falling rocks? An explosion? Perhaps he had been knocked out somehow, and transported back...but that didn't explain where the amulet had gone. There was only one possible solution, for it could not have been stolen...

"We destroyed it, didn't we? That must be it," he told his servant.

Bartimaeus nodded reluctantly, looking distinctly peeved about something.


I woke up the second we hit the earth again. My master was beside me, unconscious...was it just me, or had that happened a lot lately? I couldn't recall. And wasn't there supposed to be someone else with us? I could certainly remember another shadow in the portal, thrown away from us as we found our destination...

Why couldn't I remember anything? It's not like djinn have the memory span of a goldfish (you might recall, I told you all this before.) Nat – Mandrake and I had gone to the dead spirit island. We were looking for something...and there were others there, too, enemies and friends... For some reason, our minds had been wiped clean inside my portal...others might say, there's shoddy workmanship for you, but hey, I'd never made one before.

What really bugged me was that my fine, developed, and multi-level conscious mind had been erased just as well as the humans'. Wait...there was only one human. Wasn't there? Damn it.

My master came to fairly quickly (you'd think he'd had practice recently...what had happened here?) and, of course, began asking questions right away. Predictable, and so convenient in my current state. He evidently thought we'd destroyed the amulet. I wasn't so sure about that...I mean, honestly, what could destroy something that powerful? We sure as hell hadn't just melted it down (although, now that I think of it, that would be an ideal solution for any troublesome artifact...)

"So..." I said, "shouldn't you...er...report to the big bonanza?"

"Stop telling me what to do, Bartimaeus," the boy said sharply. He paused. "We must report to Richmond immediately...but what am I going to tell them?"

Even though this question was probably not for me, I answered. "You could just tell them that were in danger from...er...Beardie, maybe?"

That was funny...why had the mercenary jumped so quickly to mind? Had he been there?

"And then...we destroyed the artifact to stop him getting it by causing a...rockfall. Sound good?" The boy frowned.

"I'll have to mention the Resistance," he said to himself, "since stopping them from getting it was the whole point to the trip. But since I made no arrests..."

"Boy, you are screwed, kid."


Kitty hit the ground hard and rolled, just as she had been trained to so long ago. Her head hurt incredibly and her brain was one huge muddle. What had just happened? She had been in some sort of tunnel...then she had been torn away and thrown into... She looked around her. Coincidentally, she seemed to be right beside the Resistance's cellar. How had she got here?

She'd been somewhere...Bartimaeus had been with her, and she was looking for...what, exactly? Perhaps it was all a dream...after all, why would Bartimaeus have been with her? Mandrake surely wouldn't have ordered him to come with her.

Mandrake...something stirred deep within her mind. Was she forgetting something about him? It was all so strange...perhaps her memory had been erased. But for some reason she couldn't get his face out of her mind, just as it had been almost two years ago. Mandrake had probably forgotten her...that would be just like the arrogant git. But why did she even care? That was long ago...she had the Resistance to think about. She had to find Kevin, Jenson, Antony, Rory, Rose, Oliver, and...and Lei.

Lei. Lei had been hurt, so she had gone off to get the Amulet of Phasma Mortuus so she could get their heart's desires. Oliver was dead and Kevin had stolen something...a will? And she had been looking for John Mandrake...something about his art teacher...

Kitty covered her face in her hands. Why now? If she hadn't actually gone yet, so much time had been wasted...Lei might be dead...why couldn't she remember what had happened after Kevin had given her the will? She stuck her hands in her pockets, wondering what on earth she could tell the Resistance now.

Then, suddenly...what was that hard thing in her pocket? A chain? She drew it out slowly, and gasped in wonder.

The Amulet of Phasma Mortuus, clear as noonday.

It looked vaguely familiar...had she seen it before? But then something else stirred within her, almost like...regret. Sorrow. Something she had lost because of this... The jewel radiated heat, and she decided not to touch it. That would be a decision for the Resistance...but as she thought this, a hollow feeling started in Kitty's heart. She was tired of running about after artifacts, and too many of them had been hurt by it.

"Kitty?" She looked up, startled.

"How many times have I told you to call me Alyssa?" Then she smiled as Rose threw her arms around her neck.


"John! How absolutely wonderful to see you again!"

Quentin Makepeace tugged at Mandrake's arm and pulled him inside his flat enthusiastically. The door shut and the playwright was on him like a flash.

"So?" he said. "Any news about the...er...artifact you were going to fetch?"

Mandrake straightened his tie and cleared his throat. Outside, he could hear Bartimaeus kicking small stones at the door, which made rather loud clunks as they hit. He had to hurry.

"Yes, Mr. Makepeace," he said elegantly. "The Resistance has been prevented from gaining that said Amulet. Sadly, it had to be destroyed in the process. I had no choice; however, we may be glad as to the fact that the commoners will never lay their hands upon it."

He could sense his friend's disappointment, and felt a stab of annoyance. How could Makepeace possibly know the dangers Mandrake had probably suffered from? He would like to see any other members of the government risk themselves in the way he...possibly had. If only he could remember!

"Well, well, well, my boy...a mixed bag, really, isn't it? Of course, I shall inform the Prime Minister of your success in halting the Resistance in this mission. We need not mention the Amulet of Phasma Mortuus at all, really. If you wouldn't mind, though...how exactly did you destroy it?"

Mandrake swallowed hard. He had been dreading this part, and did not really want to inform the members of Devereaux's Council that he had lost his mind.

"The tower was destroyed by Detonations, sir," he said, recalling something about the island's nature in his books. "The Amulet might have survived, afterward, but the island's resident dragons appear to have melted it down in their haste to attack me and my djinn. We escaped unharmed, however."

Makepeace's grin reappeared so suddenly it was startling.

"Dragons, my boy? Marvelous! I knew you could do it! Reminds me of one of my earlier plays, from my youth...I do believe it was called The Dragon of the Marsh."

"Of course, sir. A classic."

"Indeed, such wonderful taste you have, John. That reminds me...I would like your help in a little production next week, for dear Rupert's birthday..."

"Really, Quentin? What sort of production?"

"I was rather thinking of re-making A Midwinter Night's Dream...it is one of his favourites, and you would do splendidly as the young sprite. A fairy, you know...we'd dangle you from the ceiling with a nice pair of gauzy wings..."

"Fascinating, sir," said Mandrake, although inside his heart quailed. He would undergo more ridicule, for certain, and this time at a height. He would be lucky if he wasn't sick immediately afterward. Just like the time...

He frowned. What was he recalling again? He could have sworn it was something to with Kitty Jones...but she was dead. What on earth -

"Are you all right, John?" Makepeace was watching him. Mandrake plastered a fake grin on his face before answering.

"I'm spectacular, actually."

To Be Continued...


Sorry to leave you all hanging there, there's a bit more to be said...I'll finish this next week, but I'm really busy right now. Enjoy! Part 2 of this chapter coming up ASAP!