Day Seven - Morning - Public - Bartimaeus
I, Bartimaeus, builder of the walls of Prague, consultant for the great Parthenon, constructor of Jericho's mighty walls, have been summoned1 again. It's not that I don't find the little attempts to contain me here on earth endlessly amusing3 , but this is a little too soon for my liking. Didn't anyone learn a lesson from the last magician who thought she could summon me? Swallowed whole because of her own overconfidence.
The same will happen to this summoner, should the magician in question choose to show himself. Hide where you will. Bartimaeus will find you.
The note is a curious way to lead me off of your trail, I'll admit. Unless these Powers That Be are unusually strong afrits under the magician's control, they will not stop me from tracking down the reason for my essence being subjected to the pains of earth. I might also admit that if this note happens to be true, the Powers have obviously made a rather good choice. My powers can be matched by few, and I have served some of the greater magicians in earlier centuries.
If the magician refuses to reveal himself, I will start looking for him4 starting at the town hall. Which, I suppose, means I should stop with this journal lark and get moving. Magicians are rarely5 brave.
-- "Bartimaeus of Uruk", "Rekhyt of Alexandria", "Necho of Jerusalem", "Sakhr Al-Jinni", "N'Gorso the Mighty", the "Serpent of Silver Plumes", and "Wakonda of the Algonquin"
1 Or at least that's the term I'm going to attach to this. Since (a) I wouldn't have come from the Other Place on my own, and (b) I therefore must have been brought here by a third party (i.e. a magician2 ).
2 Which gives pause to thought. Where is the magician? Is he too cowardly to face the great Bartimaeus? Is he off trembling in his high-priced suit, ruing the day that he ever thought to attempt to exert control over a being as fierce and magnificent as myself? Let him show himself and face my wrath!
3 That's sarcasm for those interested. I'm known for it.
4 Or her. I'd hate to be gender-biased.
Private
I know the magicians have underestimated me more than once, but to bring me to this world without the normal binding procedures? Something is fishy with this. Normally I expect at least one good Spasm once I'm summoned, but... there's nothing. Was I summoned and then forgotten? The insolence!
...at least it's better than the last job. Eating that foolish magician wasn't nearly revenge enough for being summoned to clean her house.
5 Nathanial being the rare exception.
The same will happen to this summoner, should the magician in question choose to show himself. Hide where you will. Bartimaeus will find you.
The note is a curious way to lead me off of your trail, I'll admit. Unless these Powers That Be are unusually strong afrits under the magician's control, they will not stop me from tracking down the reason for my essence being subjected to the pains of earth. I might also admit that if this note happens to be true, the Powers have obviously made a rather good choice. My powers can be matched by few, and I have served some of the greater magicians in earlier centuries.
If the magician refuses to reveal himself, I will start looking for him4 starting at the town hall. Which, I suppose, means I should stop with this journal lark and get moving. Magicians are rarely5 brave.
-- "Bartimaeus of Uruk", "Rekhyt of Alexandria", "Necho of Jerusalem", "Sakhr Al-Jinni", "N'Gorso the Mighty", the "Serpent of Silver Plumes", and "Wakonda of the Algonquin"
1 Or at least that's the term I'm going to attach to this. Since (a) I wouldn't have come from the Other Place on my own, and (b) I therefore must have been brought here by a third party (i.e. a magician2 ).
2 Which gives pause to thought. Where is the magician? Is he too cowardly to face the great Bartimaeus? Is he off trembling in his high-priced suit, ruing the day that he ever thought to attempt to exert control over a being as fierce and magnificent as myself? Let him show himself and face my wrath!
3 That's sarcasm for those interested. I'm known for it.
4 Or her. I'd hate to be gender-biased.
Private
I know the magicians have underestimated me more than once, but to bring me to this world without the normal binding procedures? Something is fishy with this. Normally I expect at least one good Spasm once I'm summoned, but... there's nothing. Was I summoned and then forgotten? The insolence!
...at least it's better than the last job. Eating that foolish magician wasn't nearly revenge enough for being summoned to clean her house.
5 Nathanial being the rare exception.