The Master Magician

The man, who was gravely overweight and wore a thick, white mustache, nodded his head. So this was Mg. Aviosky’s replacement at the school.

“And this is Magician Praff, nephew of Tagis Praff,” she said, gesturing to the second, younger man. He looked to be about Emery’s age and had a very straight nose and kind eyes. “He too is a Polymaker, and is attending this testing as a witness.”

Ceony offered a small curtsy and a nod, since it didn’t seem appropriate to march over and shake their hands. “The pleasure is mine,” she said.

Mg. Aviosky sat down and read a paper set before her, pursing her lips. After a few seconds, she said, “A . . . creative way to complete your first task, Miss Twill, but I’m not entirely sure it counts.”

Ceony stared at Mg. Bailey and said, “I believe the request was for something, not a spell specifically. Correct?” Fight this and I’ll show the others your lack of specifics on the paper you gave me, she thought. She prayed none of the other tasks had been similarly abridged.

The slightest twinge touched the corner of Mg. Bailey’s mouth. The inkling of a smile, perhaps? “Correct,” the Folder agreed. “If you’ll continue to item number two, Miss Twill, we will proceed.”

Ceony nodded and tugged her large bag into the room, letting the door close behind her. She moved to the center of the room, backdropped by the chalkboard, and pulled a paper crane from the top of her pile of spells. #2. Something that breathes. The first Folding spell she had ever learned.

She passed that task easily. Her spell for the third item, Something to tell a tale, also dated back to her first days as an apprentice. After her visit with Mg. Aviosky two weeks ago, Ceony had returned to the cottage with Emery to collect the children’s book Pip’s Daring Escape. She now read the story in its entirety, and the four magicians across from her watched the ghostly images of a gray mouse dance before them. Mg. Reed seemed especially entertained, which bolstered Ceony’s confidence in her solution to item number four: Something that sticks.

Ceony laid out four bearing squares on the floor, the same she had used when decorating Mrs. Holloway’s living room for her husband’s celebration party. While she had been tempted to use the squares to hang a dunce sign on the back of Mg. Bailey’s shirt, something as critical as her magician’s test required a certain level of politeness. Instead, she used the squares to stick a paper doll of herself to the chalkboard, which also completed task number five: Something that copies.

The magicians remained silent save for the occasional “Please continue” or “Go on” from Mg. Bailey, though after the first dozen spells, he merely nodded or gestured with a hand for her to continue. It seemed Mg. Bailey had also determined the test required a certain level of politeness.

On Ceony worked.

She displayed her blind box for item fourteen, Something to hide the truth, and a “Conceal” spell for item fifteen, Something to hide yourself, to which Mg. Reed commented, “Good show.” To Ceony’s relief, she did not have to make item twenty-four, Something to cross a river, actually cross a river. Mg. Bailey simply stood from his chair, walked over to her Folded boat, and inspected it. A simple “hmm” from his lips indicated it passed inspection, and she moved on.

Despite having her spells premade, Ceony found the time dragging. The room bore no clock, but she checked the windows after every spell to see how the sunlight had moved behind the blinds. She shook out the front of her blouse as she reached for her thirty-seventh spell, Something to defend against a tramp, in an attempt to cool her skin. She didn’t dare break the silence of her test to request that the magicians open a window.

After encircling her “Enlarge” chain spell around her torso, Ceony retrieved a “Ripple” spell from her tweed bag. The commands “Enlarge” and “Ripple” grew her to ten feet and distorted the room enough that Mg. Praff cried out for Ceony to stop, which she did immediately.

A nod from Mg. Bailey allowed her to bring forth her next spell.

Her forty-fourth spell, the flying starlights, managed to impress the impermeable Mg. Aviosky, whose eyes widened in childlike delight once Mg. Bailey closed the blinds and the starlights began to glow. For item forty-five, A way to be in two places at once, Ceony defaulted to her paper doll.

Mg. Bailey frowned and folded his arms. “You cannot use the same spell for two different tasks, Miss Twill.”

Ceony’s heart missed a beat. Her tongue went dry, and she had to swish it around in her mouth before croaking, “Wh-What?”

The Folder leaned forward. “You cannot use the same spell. You’ve already showcased the paper doll. If you do not have an alternative solution, I will end the examination.”

Taking a deep breath and trying to keep her voice level, Ceony said, “I don’t recall that requirement being in the rules, Magician Bailey.”