Just a small authors note - different chapters have different narrators. All chapters in first person are narrated by Bartimaeus. If they are in third person Joe or Kiera narrates them. Hope that makes things a little clearer.

Chapter 5

Joe was meant to be in school but he had skived off today. There was some geography assessment he was meant to have finished and handed in but he hadn't bothered to get it finished. He'd finish it tonight. It was much better than doing it at lunchtime. He didn't skive off often; not that this was the first time either.

He knew London well, including many of the side and back streets. It came in useful whenever a policeman or woman spotted him. His father didn't always know he'd been out in the city instead of in school, but he'd received the odd cuff or two for when he had. It didn't bother Joe. Yeah, of course he wanted to get a decent education, but that didn't mean he couldn't miss the odd day.

Joe hadn't come into any trouble until Kiera ran into him. He'd seen the policeman and, seeing that she was wearing a school uniform, dragged her along with him. It had been a fair chase. It gave Joe a buzz even though he knew that as soon as he got caught he would be in serious trouble with his parents and the police. But he continued to risk it.

When he finally fell back on the wall he got a chance to look at her. She didn't look pleased. Neither did she waste time shaking his hand of her wrist, and making it known that she didn't approve in the least. From his place of the floor he looked up at her. She was still catching her breath from the run. Her long black hair had been thrown about in the race through the café and her school uniform was dishevelled and creased. She was carrying a bag to.

"If your going to skive what were you thinking when you wore your school uniform?"

The girl looked down at him and scowled.

"I'm not skiving, I'm . . . " Her sentence trailed off, "I came out straight from school."

"Ah," he smiled knowingly. She was rather pretty in a cold sort of way. Her school uniform was quite smart, no tie though. It wasn't a uniform he knew. He nodded at her.

"What school do you go to?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"No reason, I was just wondering. Are you going to tell me?"

"Will you leave me alone if I do?"

"Not making any promises."

She sighed.

"London Magicians Academy."

"You're a magician," he exclaimed, startled.

"Why, do you have something to say about it?" She cast him a look of contempt.

"No no, I just thought, well, you know, you being out of school and everything. Well, you know-."

"No I don't. Tell me."

"Well, I just didn't expect a magician to be out of school, dodging the boys in blue."

She gave him another look, and he gave her an impish smile in return to her obvious scorn.

"Do you know where we are, I need to get back to the school."

"Yeah, it's not too far. Though we'll have to be careful, the cops will be looking for us. Do you not have anything to wear other than that uniform?"

"I could take the jacket off. The blouse doesn't have the crest on it-."

"No, I don't think that'll be enough. You look too young to be out of school. Just follow what I say and don't ask any questions."

"I look too young! What about you!"

He grinned.

"Yes, but I know how to blend in. Come on, let's get going."

The next few minutes were spent striding amongst the crowds of London while keeping an eye out for any policemen. Joe loved the risk but the girl obviously didn't. More than once they had to dodge quickly into a shop or up an alley to avoid being spotted. It was quite likely that people were looking out for them. When Joe and the girl finally reached the academy they were both breathing hard.

"Well done, you did well."

"Did you have to hold my hand so hard?" The girl snapped, massaging her hand gently.

"You should of kept up," he replied with laugh, "was it really so bad?"

She didn't answer.

"What's your name?"

"Kiera Blacklight, what's yours?"

"Joe. Joe Stevens."

"Look, I have to go now. Thank you."

"Hey, no problems. Will I see you around some time?"

"No," she answered, giving him the first smile he'd seen from her, "but I'm coming into town on the weekend. I'm going to the national history museum."

He pulled a face.

"When you're not in school you decide to go to that old place."

"Yep."

She crossed the road, heading back to the school. She didn't look back but Joe stood there until he saw her disappear inside the grounds. He turned back. He had the rest of the day to waste now. He reached into his pocket and ran his fingers around the few coins there. He was sure he had a note this morning. Damn. He must have lost it while running. He walked back into the centre of town, scuffing his trainers on the curb. Great, a few ten pennies weren't going to buy him lunch. He considered going back to school but decided against it. He had a note forged at home but for now he had little choice but to go home or go hungry. Thursday. His parents would still be out a work.

His home was on the edge of the city, away from the hustle and bustle of the people and the cars. He liked the sound of city life. In a strange way it was comforting. He supposed if he were in the country that he'd find the silence kind of spooky, ghostly even. He let himself into the back garden and made his way to his mum's potted plants. Now which one was it? He lifted up the pot of a small, yellow rose and picked up the spare house key. His dad also moaned that they'd get robbed leaving it outside but his mum never listened. Good for him really. He went inside through the back door and got himself something to eat. He didn't use anything obvious, and he left his mum's cake that she'd baked yesterday. Instead, he cooked some beans from a tin stuffed at the back of the cupboard and toasted a couple of slices of bread. It wasn't the lunch he'd been looking forward to but he was still waiting for his pocket money from his father. Neither did he intend to steal from his parents. Well, it was better than nothing, and it was nice and hot.

He washed up after himself and tidied away once he'd eaten. He wondered what the girl he met earlier was doing. What was her name again, oh yeah, Kiera. They probably had three courses at that magician academy. He smiled; remembering her face when he'd almost pulled her off her feet going round that corner. He'd have plenty to tell his friends tomorrow at school. Then he frowned, he'd forgotten to ask her what time she'd be in town on Saturday. Ah well, it would probably be sometime late in the morning, everyone has a lie in on Saturday. But maybe not. He remembered whom he was thinking about. Most likely she'd get there early, before the crowds. Great. He'd just have to pull himself out of bed then. The things he did for girls.