Hooray! Spring Break! That means lots of chapters, which is good. Thanks to all the people who are reviewing this!
In this chapter, Kitty has a little chat with Piper, and then goes to a Council meeting. Her schedule is interrupted by another vision, revealing something that changes Kitty's entire outlook on what happened…can you guess?
Disclaimer: The Bartimaeus Trilogy is Jonathan Stroud's, but everything that I say happens afterward is MINE, okay? Good.
No One Else Lives Here
"There was a time when you let me know
What's real and going on below.
But now you never show it to me, do you?"
- Hallelujah (Rufus Wainwright)
Kitty woke up early the next morning. She had barely slept at all, with both Kevin and Nathaniel drifting in and out of her troubled dreams.
She sat down at her table with a bowl of breakfast cereal (which tasted like woodchips in her current state of mind) and was staring at the food when the phone rang. Sighing and wondering who would call at seven o'clock on a Saturday morning, she answered.
"Hello?"
"Kitty? Is that you?" The voice was frenzied.
"Hi, Becca. Of course it's me…no one else lives here."
"Oh. How did you know it was me?"
"Who else sounds like they're in a hurry on a Saturday morning?"
She heard Rebecca Piper laugh on the other end.
"You know me too well. So…um…how are you holding up?"
"Fine…are you sure you don't want something? You don't usually call to chat…" Kitty said, sitting back down.
"Oh, you know…okay, fine, I need you to come to the Council meeting at three o'clock. Do you think you can make it?"
"Again?"
"We'd just like your opinion on the new summoning laws…Mr. Button said you'd probably have a pretty valuable opinion."
"I don't know, Becca…" Kitty sighed. She had enough on her mind without the government requesting her opinion!
"All right, what's bothering you? Is it – you know – him again?"
Kitty didn't answer for a moment. Then she said carefully:
"Why do always assume it's about him? For your information, I went out to dinner last night."
"With a man?" Rebecca sounded eager.
"What do you think? I'd go with a rooster?" Kitty almost laughed again.
"Well, that's great! It's nice to see you moving on, getting your mind off things like -"
There was a pause.
"I had a dream about him last night," said Kitty.
"I see…"
"It was – happy," she lied. "I really think I'm starting to get over him, Piper."
There, that ought to cast the subject away…
"You're a terrible liar, Kitty."
"By the way, I've been meaning to ask you for months…do you like being called Becca or Piper better?" Kitty asked, trying once again to change the subject.
"Piper…it may be my surname but I like it as a nickname…but that's not the point. Kitty, you need to talk about him sometimes."
"Sorry, didn't catch that."
"Oh, stop it!"
"I'll see you later, Piper."
Kitty hung up, sinking into a kitchen chair with her hands over her face.
At three o'clock sharp, Kitty walked into Richmond, running her fingers through her hair restlessly. She now understood how Jakob felt, walking around public places; everyone who passed her stopped and stared as though they had seen a ghost.
The Council was, luckily, on the ground floor, so Kitty made her way to the hall without difficulty. She knocked solidly on the oak door, and Piper opened it.
"Kitty! You're here! Well, come in, the meeting's just started."
She entered the room under the sharp, intelligent gaze of Prime Minister Greenstone and his Council. A satisfied feeling rose within her; most were commoners.
"Good day, Ms. Jones." Arthur Greenstone's eyes returned to his papers.
"Yes, hello, Lizzie," said Mr. Button distractedly. "Do sit down; we are just about to begin."
Kitty nodded abruptly and sat next to Piper, who smiled at her encouragingly. She managed a small smile back, her mind still on her dreams.
Mr. Greenstone stood up slowly. He was a tall, rather thin man with thinning blonde hair, but it was eyes that made Kitty sir up and listen. They were a deep green, and almost filled to the brim with sparkle…figuratively, of course. All in all, he was far more charismatic than Devereaux had ever been.
"We are gathered here to discuss the newly suggested summoning laws of the British Empire," he said brightly. "It has been agreed that, in order to prevent another spirits' revolt, magicians should have stricter guidelines that will not provoke the rebellious attitudes that have obviously been built up towards human beings for thousands of years."
He paused, turning a page in his notes. Kitty frowned and rubbed her eyes. She was getting another headache; hopefully the meeting would be over soon.
"Article 1, as suggested by this Council, states that magicians may only order an entity to accomplish tasks which they are incapable of performing themselves. This would most likely mean that spirits would be forced to do less work while held on Earth. Are all members agreed on this article? Please signify by raising your right hand."
Kitty raised her hand, placing the other over her eyes. God, it was hurting…
"Article 1 has therefore been passed. We shall therefore move on to Article 2…"
Kitty opened her eyes and tried to focus, but it was as though someone had pressed a knife behind her eyes…
"This article states that any said spirit may not be punished while accomplishing any task such as was mentioned above…"
Kitty placed both palms over her eyes. Piper was tugging at her sleeve, but she paid her no attention.
"…unless the task was left unaccomplished with the sole goal of harming the magician in question. In this case, imprisonment in a pentacle lasting no more than three days…"
White fog was swirling in Kitty's vision…what was happening? The Prime Minister's voice grew fainter…
"…instead of a torturous method, which could be seen as much more hostile…"
No, a part of her whispered, not this…but she was falling, falling into another vision…
Nathaniel was there again, leaning heavily on the Staff as Nouda approached him.
Bartimaeus…the voice was faint, but she could hear it clearly in her mind. What was this? His lips were not moving, so why could she suddenly hear his thoughts?
Yes? That was the djinni's voice…Kitty's heart rose into her throat. What was going on? What was she witnessing?
You've been a good servant…
There was a pause. Was the djinni contemplating his words?
Well, um, you've been just dandy too. She almost laughed.
I didn't say you were perfect…
What?
Far from it. Let's face it, you've generally managed to cock things up. Kitty was confused…why was Nathaniel telling the djinni something like this, when he only had about three seconds to live?
WHAT? The djinni's voice was outraged. Well, since we're doing some straight talking, let me tell you, buddy –
Which is why I'm dismissing you right now. What?
Eh?
Don't take it the wrong way…Now his lips moved, pronouncing the words she had heard before in the strange tongue…It's just that…we've got to break the Staff at the right moment here. You're holding it in check. But I can't rely on you for something as important as this. You're bound to mess it up somehow. Best thing is…Kitty trembled and covered her mouth with her hands. Best thing is to dismiss you. That'll trigger the Staff automatically. Then I know it'll be done properly.
Kitty felt sick. Those past two months, and she had never known what had happened to them…
Nathaniel – Bartimaeus again. Was he going to survive? Nathaniel seemed to be done the dismissal…
Say hello to Kitty for me. His last words. Tears sprang unbidden into her eyes…why could she only cry in dreams?
Bartimaeus was gone, and the vision dissolved before she could see the end…
"Kitty…Kitty!"
She opened her eyes slowly, and Piper's worried features came into focus.
"Kitty, what happened? I thought you had a headache, so I was looking for an aspirin…and then you fell onto the floor!"
"Where are we?" Kitty asked groggily.
"Richmond infirmary…I couldn't wake you up…are you not well, Kitty? You could have said…"
"It's nothing," she said quickly, the knowledge of what she had just seen coming back to her in a flash. Bartimaeus was alive…Nathaniel had saved him…
"I don't think it was nothing. Haven't you been eating right? Getting your sleep?"
"I told you I was fine!" Kitty sat up, annoyed. Piper looked at her critically.
"It's him, isn't it? I thought you were lying…" she said, frowning.
"No, it's not. Leave me alone."
"Oh, Kitty…did you – did you love him? Is that why you're doing this to yourself?"
Kitty stood up as though she had received an electric shock. Trembling, she glared at Piper.
"No," she said. "No, I didn't!"
Why could she only cry in dreams?
Hooray, it's finished! And Bartimaeus is back! New chapter coming ASAP!