street - their crooked doors were marked by arrowheads and their slate roofs rippled like waves - yet the great fire of the eighteenth century had never touched these ancient houses. According to Miss Ingledew, it was because at that time almost every house in the street had been occupied by a magician - of one sort or another. Piminy Street, however, was home to Mrs. Kettle, and there was nothing sinister about her. Unusual, maybe, but not threatening. She had once given Charlie a kettle that had been made five hundred years ago by her an- cestor Feromel. It contained a dark liquid that could never be poured away. This time- less liquid was usually cool, but Mrs. Kettle had 162 warned Charlie that when the kettle felt hot to the touch, he would be in danger. 225/557 On Friday night Charlie hadn't been sur- prised to find the kettle so hot he could barely touch it. He felt it again as soon as he woke next morning. It had cooled a little, but was still warm. Billy knew about Feromel's kettle. "Is it hot?" he asked. "Not too hot." Charlie pushed the kettle un- der his bed. "We'll go and fetch Rembrandt from Mrs. Kettle right after breakfast, alright?" Billy swung his legs out of bed and put on his glasses. "Hmmm. Wish I could get hold of Tancred," said Charlie. Neither Charlie nor Billy owned a cell phone. They weren't allowed in school, and Grandma Bone disapproved of them. Charlie didn't like the thought of speaking to 226/557 Tancred from the phone in the hall with Grandma Bone listening in. 163 The white camper van was gone when the boys went down to breakfast. "Your uncle must have left before dawn," said Maisie, placing large slices of bacon on each of their plates. "He's on the scent of something - goodness knows what." After another slice of bacon and several pieces of toast and honey, Charlie and Billy set off for the Kettle Shop. "You can always bring your rat here, Billy," said Maisie, as she let them out of the front door. "She'll never know," she added, glan- cing up the stairs, where Grandma Bone was having her morning gargle. "Thanks, Mrs. Jones." Billy raced after Charlie. 227/557 Charlie was anxious to get away from num- ber nine as fast as possible. He didn't want to see Benjamin again before he had rescued Runner Bean. As soon as they began to walk up Piminy Street, the sense of menace that Charlie often felt there 164 seemed to be even stronger. He always ima- gined that someone was watching him from a dark window beneath the eaves. The Kettle Shop was near a curious fish shop where there were never any fish. Before they reached the fish shop, however, they had to pass the Stone Shop. Of all the houses on Piminy Street, this was the most sinister. In the dark interior, carved stone figures bran- dished clubs and axes. There were stone sol- diers, horses, and dogs. But the mounted knight that had once attacked the boys was 228/557 gone - broken in two by the Red Knight and now lying, with his stone horse, at the bot- tom of the river. "Let's keep going." Billy plucked at Charlie's jacket. "I hate that place." Charlie's nose was almost touching the window-pane. He expected to see someone and, yes, there he was: Eric Shellhorn, Great- aunt Venetia's stepson. Charlie could just make out his face, peering from behind a tall, robed figure - a Druid, perhaps. "I knew he'd be in there," Charlie muttered. 165 Billy tugged Charlie's sleeve. "Let's go, Charlie. One of those things might start mov- ing again." "I don't think Eric would do that in broad daylight," said Charlie. "He might. Come on. I want to see Rembrandt." 229/557 Just before Charlie backed away from the window, he saw Eric dart across the back of the shop. "What's he going to do next, I wonder." Billy was already racing up the road and Charlie started to follow him, but then he found himself lingering outside the fish shop. The door to this peculiar place was al- ways closed, always locked, and yet a strong smell of fish seeped from the building, as though the very bricks were made of cod or mackerel. This was the home of Dagbert Endless, if you could call it a home. The window above the sign was dark and grimy. The curtains were threadbare, and all that could be seen of the shop beyond the window was an empty counter in a room with walls of cracked white tiles and a floor 166 230/557 of mildewed slate. Charlie wrinkled his nose and walked on. By the time he had reached the Kettle Shop, Billy was inside, making his way through the kettles displayed on stands and tables all around the room. Charlie closed the store door, which squeaked loudly on its somewhat rusty hinges, and he followed Billy through an archway into yet another room filled with kettles. But here there were four chairs, grouped around an empty table, where cus- tomers could sit and examine the ancient kettles. On a stove behind the table, a copper kettle whistled merrily. "I knew I'd see you today, my dears." The store's owner lifted the whistling kettle and poured boiling water into a large brown teapot. 231/557 "Because of my rat," said Billy, eyeing the plate of cookies that Mrs. Kettle now placed on the table. "Because of your rat, my dear." Mrs. Kettle was a very large, muscular woman, with a crown of smooth, copper-colored hair. She wore dark-blue coveralls and thick leather boots spotted with oil, for Mrs. 167 Kettle was a blacksmith first and foremost; kettle selling was merely a hobby, a front for her secret profession. "Where is he?" Billy gazed around, hoping for a black rat to come bounding toward him. "Guess!" said Mrs. Kettle. "I can't, I can't," said Billy impatiently. "There are too many places for him to hide." The blacksmith walked first one way and then another, tapping kettles as she went. She hesitated, then set off again, stopped, 232/557 and pondered, rubbing her chin. "I do be- lieve I've lost him," she said. "No-o-o!" cried Billy. The lid of a huge iron kettle lifted slightly and then slid to the floor with a loud clang. They waited expectantly, but no black rat leaped out. Instead, the head of a blue snake appeared. It bobbed from side to side, and the beautiful blue feathers adorning its head fluttered like silken banners in the wind. "Oh, I forgot the boa was here." Billy went toward the swaying head. 168 "He's a lovely fellow. I've gotten really at- tached to him," said Mrs. Kettle. "I call him Solomon; he's so wise." Upon seeing Billy, the blue boa came slither- ing out of the kettle, slipped to the ground, and began to coil itself around Billy's legs. But Billy lifted the creature and gently curled 233/557 it across his shoulders, all the while hissing and humming to it. The boa replied with a soft chirruping sound, like a small bird. "It's OK," said Billy when the boa had settled. "He won't make me invisible." "It's wonderful how you can do that, Billy, my dear," said Mrs. Kettle. "Solomon was very active before he took that little nap. Spiders, flies, beetles, even a mouse; he's been wrapping them up in his long blue coils and disappearing them all over the place." Charlie felt something on his foot. Before his very eyes the lace on his sneaker began to disappear. "Billy, I think I've found Rem- brandt. He's eating 169 my shoelace." Charlie lifted his foot and kicked it toward Billy. There was a loud squeak and Billy's white hair was suddenly tugged over his face. Billy 234/557 [...]... transformation, the image of a helmet appeared on the troll's bald head, and the hand, with a huge deformed thumb, reached for the knife wedged into his belt 181 250 /55 7 Tancred filled the wind with bolts of ice, and the hand stopped where it was Seconds passed The boy and the troll were now locked in an invisible battle When Tancred felt the troll's strength weakening, he seized his chance and aimed a rod of energy,... Street to the other Yet none of the residents had appeared at their doors Aren't they curious? Tancred wondered As he approached the Kettle Shop, the noise increased He looked through the window and saw a gray lumpen thing slamming ferociously into piles of ancient kettles The speed of the creature's lethal work filled Tancred with an overpowering 248 /55 7 rage He marched into the store and the troll... I fear he's the first of many." "The first of many what?" asked Charlie "Magicians, my dear, for want of a better word Once the whole street was full of them, but by the time I'd inherited this place from my grandpa, they were all gone And now " Mrs Kettle collected the cups and took them to the sink beside the stove "And now what?" prompted Billy 242 /55 7 "And now the wickedness is coming back," said... him From the corner of his eye Tancred saw a movement in the room beyond the door, but his gaze remained fixed on the troll A burst of fury from the creature almost took Tancred's breath away Using his own rage, he summoned up the wind that was always at his fingertips Thunder rolled across the roof and a streak of lightning lit the troll's ugly features And then came the wind The strength of his 180... But Rembrandt was obviously enjoying his invisibility Charlie felt him run over his foot, then a table shook and a kettle fell to the floor They all followed the tiny patterings and excited squeaks through the doorway and into the store Mrs Kettle dropped to her knees and began to crawl among the kettle displays; the boys followed her example and the boa 236 /55 7 170 joined in, slithering across the floor... be sure." Tancred stepped over the broken kettles And then he saw Mrs Kettle, lying in the shadows "Oh, no! Is she dead?" 251 /55 7 "No, I can hear her breathing," Charlie said quickly As Tancred reached the doorway, a sound made him turn Charlie, following his gaze, saw the troll 182 rock back onto its feet and shoot straight through the window It was only then that they became aware of the small boy... pressed a rusty doorbell, and they heard a long, mournful ring echo through the building Tancred pressed again Nothing The bell appeared to have given its last ring "Dagbert!" Charlie called up to the window "Are you there?" No reply They waited another five minutes before moving on They passed a candle shop and a picture framer's, and then they were standing outside the Stone Shop 187 Charlie' s instinct... gave away the troll's whereabouts He had gone through the doorway into the store, and now he proceeded to crush, dent, break, and shatter every kettle in the place The sound of iron and copper, steel, enamel, and even clay breaking apart was like nothing Charlie could ever have imagined He wondered if the wounded blacksmith could hear the terrible 246 /55 7 destruction of her beloved kettles, and if her... now, Tanc If Eric's in there, he could set the whole place off." Tancred stood away from the window "You're right Hmmm We'll have to think this through." But where could they go to think things through? Their usual meeting place was closed, Grandma Bone would be on the prowl at number nine, and Tancred lived miles away in the hills  259 /55 7 "My judgment's a bit off," Tancred murmured "I feel weird after... see the wide fleshy nose, the thin scribble mouth, and the small gimlet eyes "Satisfied, Charlie? " called Mrs Kettle 244 /55 7 "Yes." Charlie was about to step back when he saw a glint in the troll's left eye Was that a blink? Mesmerized by the blink, and terrified of what it might mean, Charlie felt behind him for the door He was too late There was an earsplitting crack as the troll broke free of the . of Tancred," said Charlie. Neither Charlie nor Billy owned a cell phone. They weren't allowed in school, and Grandma Bone disapproved of them. Charlie didn't like the thought of. from my grandpa, they were all gone. And now " Mrs. Kettle collected the cups and took them to the sink beside the stove. " ;And now what?" prompted Billy. 241 /55 7 " ;And now the wickedness. slices of bacon on each of their plates. "He's on the scent of something - goodness knows what." After another slice of bacon and several pieces of toast and honey, Charlie and Billy set