Chapter 48
Bartimaeus
Alright, when I told Ptolemy and Kitty to leave, I was hoping they'd come back with something to help. But it seems that they took me seriously. Perfect.
I was faring pretty well with Farrar for about twenty minutes before she got the better of me. I was going for the run-and-attack technique, while she was going for the chase-and-attack technique. My comments hadn't worked in the least, so they were ruled out quickly. And lucky me, the werewolf repellent I had collected hadn't affected her in the least. She'd been a werewolf too long. She was fast, too. It was hard to dodge her. She was big, but she wasn't stupid.
She had gotten me off guard, when I thought my many denotations were starting to take a toll on her. I turned away for just a second, and she was on me. My essence was already wounded from one of her earlier attacks, and I was angry.(1) She sat on my chest with her knees and pinned my arms down. I couldn't move. Before my Denotation had charged, she attacked, making a deep gash in my already wounded essence.(2) I wailed in pain and forced her off me.
I staggered onto my feet, raised my hand to my head, shook it and blinked several times. I swayed a little(3). My consciousness flickered.
Just as I was about to pass out, Kitty and Ptolemy burst into the room. I couldn't make out much detail, but I could see that Kitty was carrying a human heart. Farrar caught sight of the heart and ran over to them. I was too dazed to grip everything completely, but I could tell what they were planning. Kitty was going to lure Farrar away from me and in some sort of confinement.
But they time they succeeded, I was already out cold.
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"…maeus,"
"…khyt?"
"Bartimaeus!" Still, I wasn't completely there.
But a bucket of ice water did the trick. My eyes shot open, I bolted upright. "What was that for?!" I shouted at them.
"We had to wake you up somehow." Kitty answered.
"What happened to Farrar?"
"Bathroom."
"Ah," I rubbed my arms in a desperate attempt to warm myself up(4). "She still alive?"
"Yeah," Kitty answered warily. "Ptolemy wouldn't let me kill her."
"She doesn't deserve to die!" Ptolemy cut in.
"You didn't, either." I told him. A heavy silence dropped.
"That was different." Ptolemy muttered.
"How, Ptolemy?" I stood. "Everyday for two thousand, one hundred, thirty-four years I've been wishing you had lived. Blaming myself for your death. Wondering who you'd grow up to be. I could've kept you from dying. You didn't have to die, Ptolemy. But you did. You were only fourteen! You had a long life ahead of you! But you wasted it to save me. Why?"
Ptolemy was silent for a moment, surprised by my reaction. "Because," he began, "you were my best—and only—friend. No human had been as close to me as you were. I didn't want to see you die along with me that day. Especially not for someone like me."
"Someone like you?" I yelled back. I felt to the point of tears(5). "In all my lifetime, I've never met another like you!" Kitty coughed to show her presence. "Well, except for Kitty. You two are two of a kind! Why, Ptolemy, do you think I wear your guise so much? It's not because it's something to wear! I can take over a million forms, and yours is the one I've used the most. Two thousand, one hundred, thirty four years, and I wear your form. Who do you think is the lucky one? Think about it." And with that, I took the guise of a sparrow and flew off.
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(1) Imagine a full glass of water with a medium-sized hole in its side. The water spills out of the glass somewhat quickly. That was me; running out of time.
(2) Now imagine that glass with an extra-large sized hole on top of the other.
(3) I was running out of essence, fast. Essence for me is like blood for you.
(4) Yes, djinn get cold.
(5) Yes, djinn can cry. Not usually out of depression, though. Try happiness.
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A/n
Sniff sniff. Poor Bartimaeus. Still lovey touchy. Well, that's it for a while since I've got writer's block. Ideas? Anything?