Mixed Magics: Four Tales of Chrestomanci Read Free Page A

“You are wasting petrol,” the car protested.
    The Willing Warlock took no notice. He stopped with a jolt among a lot of other cars, turned himself invisible, and tried to jump out. But he had forgotten the seat belt. It held him in place long enough for Towser to fix his fangs in the sleeve of his coat, and that seemed to be enough to make Towser turn invisible, too. “You have forgotten to set the hand brake,” said the car.
    “Doh!” snarled the Willing Warlock miserably, and put the hand brake on. It was not easy, with Towser’s invisible fangs grating his arm.
    “You’re to fetch me lots and lots,” Jemima Jane said. It did not seem to trouble her that both of them had vanished. “Towser, make sure he brings me an ice cream.”
    The Willing Warlock climbed out of the car, lugging the invisible Towser. He tried some more cunning. “Come with me and show me which ice cream you want,” he called back. Several people in the car park looked around to see where the invisible voice was coming from.
    “I want to stay in the car. I’m tired,” whined Jemima Jane.
    The invisible teeth fastened in the Willing Warlock’s sleeve rumbled a little. Invisible dribble ran on his hand. “Oh, all right,” he said, and set off for the restaurant, accompanied by four invisible heavy paws.
    Maybe it was a good thing they were both invisible. There was a big sign on the door: NO DOGS . And the Willing Warlock still had no money. He went to the long counter and picked up pies and scones with the hand Towser left him free. He stuffed them into his pocket so that they would become invisible, too.
    Someone pointed to the Danish pastry he picked up next and screamed, “Look! A ghost!” Then there were screams further down the counter. The Willing Warlock looked. A very large chocolate gâteau, with a snout-shaped piece missing from it, was trotting at chest level across the dining area. Towser was helping himself, too. People backed away, yelling. The gâteau broke into a gallop and barged out through the glass doors with a splat. At the same moment, someone grabbed the Danish pastry from the Willing Warlock’s hand.
    It was the girl behind the cash desk, who was not afraid of ghosts. “You’re the Invisible Man or something,” she said. “Give that back.”
    The Willing Warlock panicked again and ran after the gâteau. He meant to go on running, as fast as he could, in the opposite direction from the nice car. But as soon as he barged through the door, he found the gâteau waiting for him, lying on the ground. A warning growl and hot breath on his hand suggested that he pick the gâteau up and come along. Teeth in his trouser leg backed up this suggestion. Dismally, the Willing Warlock obeyed.
    “Where’s my ice cream?” Jemima Jane asked ungratefully.
    “There wasn’t any,” said the Willing Warlock as Towser herded him into the car. He threw the gâteau, the scones, and a pork pie onto the backseat. “Be thankful for what you’ve got.”
    “Why?” asked Jemima Jane.
    The Willing Warlock gave up. He turned himself visible again and sat in the driving seat to eat the other pork pie. He could feel Towser snuffing him from time to time make sure he stayed there. In between, he could hear Towser eating. Towser made such a noise that the Willing Warlock was glad he was invisible. He looked to make sure. And there was Towser, visible again in all his hugeness, sitting in the backseat licking his vast chops. As for Jemima Jane, the Willing Warlock had to look away quickly. She was chocolate all over. There was a river of chocolate down her front and more plastered into her red curls like mud.
    “Why aren’t you going on driving for?” Jemima Jane demanded. Towser at once surged to his huge feet to back up the demand.
    “I am, I am!” the Willing Warlock said, hastily starting the engine.
    “You have forgotten to fasten your seat belt,” the car reminded him priggishly. And as the car moved forward, it added,