He's humming something under his breath.
It's something quiet, something happy, as he sits on the window sill, dangling his legs over the street outside. I think he's watching the sunrise. Who really knows, with Bartimaeus?
I warily approach the djinni from behind, staying out of his immediate reach. After all, the last time I'd wandered too close to him while he was sitting by a window, he'd thrown me out of it.
"What are you doing?" I ask. "You have work to do. I'm sure I've given you enough. Or do you want more?"
Bartimaeus turns his head to me lazily, smiling. I'm sure he knows his expression irritates me. "Wanna see?"
"What?"
He pats the space beside him, inviting me to sit.
I scoff. "No thanks. Now, if you don't have anything to do- "
"Oh, come on." He says, and somehow, he grabs my arm and forces me next to him.
I'm about to give him the Stiples for touching me, but his gaze is caught in the distance, and involuntarily, I follow it.
My breath catches in my throat, and a memory, almost forgotten, rustles in the back of my mind. Sitting with Miss Lutyens, mapping out the constellations, sketching out the clouds and the curve of the moon.
Bartimaeus shifts beside me, and I'm alert again.
"I swear, Bartimaeus, if you try to kill me, I'll bring back the rosemary box."
"Relax," he says, scowling. "You've made your charges clear this time." He grins. "You should've checked your charges twice before summoning a powerful djinni like me. Not that I mind. The more mistakes you make, the less likely you'll be around to summon me again."
I glare at him, and start the incantations for the Inversion under my breath.
He stands up. "As lovely as it is to spend my free time smelling your hair gel, I actually do have other places I want to be."
"You really did complete your other charges." I say, breaking off the incantation as he transforms into a bird. "How long have you been slacking off?"
But even before I finish my sentence, he's flown away, and I'm tempted to summon him back and give him another charge just to spite him. Maybe I should tell him to reorganize the library again, or tell him to clear the chimneys. But then I give the stars another glance.
Again, I remember the garden, and Miss Lutyens.
I heard spirits like looking at the stars because it reminds them of their home. Is that what Bartimaeus had been thinking about, when looking at those twinkling pinpricks of light?
I hesitate, watching the djinni flapping his wings in the distance.
I'll give him a few more hours.
It's not like I don't have other work to be getting back to.
I step back into the corridor, adjusting my sleeves and tie, then smoothing back my hair.
"Piper!" I bark, as I see my secretary disappearing around the corner. "Where are you going when we have a pile of papers to sign?"