Alas, I didn't update yesterday. It's the first day since I started writing 'Just another Day' that I haven't posted a chapter, so you'll have to forgive me. Incidentally, I don't actually have any of the chapters written beforehand, or even a plan – it's made up as I go along. Not a good idea. So, with my sincerest apologies for the delay, I think I'd rather like to rake up Christopher's past now…well, a little.

Chapter 4

"Alright, Rodger, Julia, time to practise some magic." Michael said, and Janet and Cat both took this as a signal to leave.

Janet was rather surprised when Cat followed her down the stairs. "Aren't you going to see Chrestomanci?" she asked.

"No, he's going somewhere, and I don't have magic lessons today, for which I am very thankful." Cat replied.

"I thought you liked magic lessons?"

"Yes, but Chrestomanci is obsessed with Magical Theory right now." Cat sounded rather disappointed about this. "It's such a shame; I wanted him to tell me more about the traditions and structures of the other Series."

"That does sound interesting." Janet said as they walked out onto the grounds. "I do wish we could visit them…"

"Me too." Cat agreed. "Series Ten in particular. It sounds marvellous and also rather scary. They have this Goddess there, in one of the worlds, and she's always represented by a little girl – I asked Chrestomanci what happens when she grows up, but he went all vague and started talking about the climate."

"What's the Goddesses name?" Janet asked, sounding interested

"He wouldn't tell me that either." Cat answered, sounding rather disappointed.

They walked in silence for a while.

"Fancy going to the garden?" Janet asked.

Cat looked at her with a sort of horror on his face. "Don't you remember what happened last time?"

"Yes, but those horrible men had it all planned then. And don't you agree that the garden was beautiful?"

Cat had to agree. "Alright then, but not for long." he said, resignedly.

And so they went, remembering exactly how you had to walk to get there, and arriving in record time. A mewing cat was there to greet them, and it jumped into Janet's arms enthusiastically.

"Yes, yes, I love you too, Fiddle." Janet laughed, putting the cat back down. It followed as she and Cat walked.

"We would be in so much trouble if Chr…istopher knew we were here." Cat noted, remembering just in time that using Christopher Chant's title when you didn't want him to find you was not such a good idea.

"Oh yes, you are in trouble." A voice said from nearby.

Janet and Cat whirled around guiltily, each ready to blame the other.

But Chrestomanci was smiling at them both. "You know, you two really need to learn what rules are." he continued.

"What's the Goddess of that world in Series Ten called?" Janet asked, randomly grasping at the first subject that came into her head to distract Chrestomanci.

Chrestomanci certainly looked surprised at this. He gave them both a swift, searching look, before settling on what to reply. "Why?"

"Because Cat and I, we're really interested in other worlds. Me especially, coming from one." Janet said. "Is that where you're going? Can we come?"

Both children expected him to laugh and tell them to go back to the Castle. However, what they did not expect was for him to give them both another look then reply. "Could I trust you to be careful and do as I say?"

Cat and Janet looked at each other, stunned. "Oh yes!" they both replied in unison.

"Then I don't see why not. Come along."

Hardly daring to believe it, the two children followed.

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Then, a horrible smell of dragon's blood later, they were in a place far warmer and more exotic than Britain (Not that that's much of a challenge…there aren't many places that are not warmer, eh? Especially for us Twelve B'ers. But back to the story.).

"Is this Series Ten?" Cat asked.

Chrestomanci nodded. "I must go into one of these temples. Stay close."

But then, quite suddenly, they were almost ripped to pieces by a parade. There was a little girl sitting on a high seat and people were running after her, trying to touch her. She didn't look very happy. Janet started after the parade, spellbound.

"Janet!" Cat ran after her.

Chrestomanci pulled them both backwards. "No. That poor girl doesn't need you following her too." Then he muttered to himself "We would come on Festival Day…"

"Who was she? Some sort of Princess?" Janet asked.

Chrestomanci shook his head, but said no more.

Cat and Janet both looked incredibly confused as they followed him through the winding streets.

Presently, Janet noticed something else that piqued her interest. Just down the street was a man standing under a yellow umbrella. In this heat! She looked at Cat, who was staring at the man as well. They glanced at each other, and then at Chrestomanci, who, despite the vague look on his face, was striding purposely ahead. They slowly edged away down the small street, curious about this man.

"Hello, children." he said in a cheerful but foreign accent that Cat and Janet had heard before, but neither was sure where. "Care for a bell?"

"Oh, they are beautiful." Janet said. "But I'm afraid we don't have any money!"

"A gift, then." The man said jovially, and pressed a set of bells into each of their hands.

Janet and Cat looked ready to protest, but he looked away. So, Janet looked at Cat, who shrugged and they started to try to find Chrestomanci. Luckily, no one in the area was quite as tall…or as handsome…or as elegantly dressed as the man walking towards them, looking most irritated. "I thought I asked you to say with me" Chrestomanci sounded very annoyed.

Cat looked rather guilty, but Janet said "Yes, but the man under the umbrella wanted to give us these." She showed him the bells, tinkling them experimentally, and was delighted to hear that the tune changed depending on the order you touched them.

The look on Chrestomanci's face went vaguer than ever, and then he smiled. "Alright, come on."

They couldn't believe it. They'd got away from trouble again.

They followed Chrestomanci, playing with the bells, to a temple. It had taken hours to get here, but it looked even more impressive than the rest, so they thought it was worth it. They went inside and Cat and Janet just gaped in awe.

"Stay here." Chrestomanci told them, not sure why he was bothering. "I must go and talk to the Priestesses."

Cat and Janet nodded. Then, as soon as he was gone, they were off to explore.

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The two children stumbled into a room, where they found another girl, the girl from the parade maybe, looking rather ill. Despite this, the now teenaged boy that was Cat could not help noticing she was rather pretty.

"Hello. Who are you? You aren't supposed to be here." The girl said in a rather astonished but slightly haughty tone.

"I'm Cat" Cat answered.

"Don't be silly, Taia is a cat. You're a boy!"

"No, his name is Cat. My name is Janet." Janet explained.

"Why are you here? Who are you?" the girl demanded again. After all, their names weren't exactly an answer to this.

"Who are you?" Cat replied rudely.

"Why, I'm the Goddess of course." She sounded rather surprised.

There ya have it. Now, a question. Do any of you have a Gaia online account? If so, my account name is Siriusly Smart. PM me! If not, then…well…thanks for reading so far anyway.

Review, or Asheth will send her Army to get you.