Horror of Horrors!
"Let's go!" you shout. You and Will wriggle out of the woman's clutches and dash over to the police car. Will yanks open the back door and hurls himself inside.
As you dive in, the woman makes a grab for the suitcase, but you push her away with your foot. The officer leaps behind the wheel and an instant later the car takes off with a squeal of burning rubber.
"Who was that woman?" Will asks the cop.
"She's a notorious witch," he replies. "We've been keeping track of her for some time. She's been after MagnifiCAT's secrets for years. We'll be bringing her in for unlicensed sorcery one of these days."
"Uh, is that a crime?" Will asks, looking puzzled.
The officer laughs and turns around in his seat to face you. "You'd better believe it is. As you two will find out. Illicit possesion of magical apparatus, and practicing magic without a permit? The mag will probably throw a book at you."
"Don't you mean 'judge'?" you ask.
"Judges are for ordinary crimes. For magical crimes you go before the mag."
Then something occurs to you. If he is turned around talking to you, WHO is driving the car? You try to form the question, but the words clog in your throat.
Will grabs your arm. "Look --- out the window!" he gasps.
The street has vanished and so has the town! The car zips through a tunnel of flashing lights.
"MagnifiCAT is an important man," the officer tells you. "You made a big mistake when you offended him. Still, you ARE just kids. The mag may go easy on you."
"Go easy?" Will repeats. "What does that mean?"
"If you're lucky, no jail at all. Just a few days of probation in the custody of a responsible magician. Someone like MagnifiCAT. Of course, we work on magical time here. For you, a few of our days will seem like ages and ages and ages. In fact, you'll probably feel as if your probation will never come to
As you dive in, the woman makes a grab for the suitcase, but you push her away with your foot. The officer leaps behind the wheel and an instant later the car takes off with a squeal of burning rubber.
"Who was that woman?" Will asks the cop.
"She's a notorious witch," he replies. "We've been keeping track of her for some time. She's been after MagnifiCAT's secrets for years. We'll be bringing her in for unlicensed sorcery one of these days."
"Uh, is that a crime?" Will asks, looking puzzled.
The officer laughs and turns around in his seat to face you. "You'd better believe it is. As you two will find out. Illicit possesion of magical apparatus, and practicing magic without a permit? The mag will probably throw a book at you."
"Don't you mean 'judge'?" you ask.
"Judges are for ordinary crimes. For magical crimes you go before the mag."
Then something occurs to you. If he is turned around talking to you, WHO is driving the car? You try to form the question, but the words clog in your throat.
Will grabs your arm. "Look --- out the window!" he gasps.
The street has vanished and so has the town! The car zips through a tunnel of flashing lights.
"MagnifiCAT is an important man," the officer tells you. "You made a big mistake when you offended him. Still, you ARE just kids. The mag may go easy on you."
"Go easy?" Will repeats. "What does that mean?"
"If you're lucky, no jail at all. Just a few days of probation in the custody of a responsible magician. Someone like MagnifiCAT. Of course, we work on magical time here. For you, a few of our days will seem like ages and ages and ages. In fact, you'll probably feel as if your probation will never come to
