AN: Again, it's taken me longer than I expected to update this again but at least it's not mega late this time. I re-read the some of Ptolemy's Gate to get into the characters a bit more before starting this. So yeah… I hope it doesn't disappoint!
Disclaimer: I'm going to do this slowly 'cause if you don't understand that I don't own the Bartimaeus Trilogy by now, you must be lacking in the brains department. I… Do… Not… Own… The… Bartimaeus… Trilogy.
Bartimaeus
It seemed like I'd only been in the other place for a few seconds when the summons hit me. I usually try to resist them but I was so weak I just allowed myself to be sucked through. (1)
I materialised as Ptolemy, being too weak to change my form. If there had been any other djinn in the area, I would have been ashamed; weak as I was, I could no longer force Ptolemy's legs to support the weight of his body and I just collapsed before I even got a good look at who was summoning me this time.
I forced my eyes to open, taking a good look at my surroundings. My so-called master was there, peering anxiously at me. Well good. Let him look. It's his fault I'm like this; he's kept me in service too long. He made me weak.
A little niggling doubt pressed against my skull at that moment. He had saved me. He dismissed me but not for long. So was he Nathaniel or had the great magician John Mandrake decided to make an appearance? (2) He was definitely Nathaniel when he dismissed me.
"Bartimaeus?" he called tentatively. "Are you-"
"Half dead?" I finished for him. "Yes! I am, thanks to you!"
"Yes, I know," he managed. "That's why I brought you here. I- I wanted to say… To tell you… I-I'm Sorry."
I let out a harsh, barking laugh. "It's a bit late now, Natty boy, or is it Mr Mandrake today? Tell me, are you going to send me out to the commoners and let them knife me or are you going to spare them the effort and get your hands dirty doing it yourself? Decisions! Decisions!"
I will admit, I was a little harsh but I was in agony there and the way I saw it, it was all his fault. I turned two thousand years' worth of pent up pain and anger on him and watched as the colour vanished from his face. His mouth was struggling with words as a fish might writhe for water when caught. (3) Naturally, I took advantage of it and continued talking.
"That's all you do, isn't it? You make decisions and you don't care what the consequences are as long as you benefit from it. How many people do you plan to trample because you want to be the best? How many servants must you destroy?" I laughed again; taking pleasure in the boy's wincing.
"Yeah, that's right, look guilty! I think you only force me to remain here for you! You keep me here just so you can hang on to the Nathaniel you once were as well as the big bad Mandrake you've become. Well guess what Sunshine? It doesn't work anymore! No matter how long you keep me here, no matter how many times I save your sorry butt, no matter how hard I try to change it, you're not that boy anymore! With all of the things you've done, Mandrake has eaten away at Nathaniel until you're left with the power-hungry magician that stands in front of me now. Nathaniel is gone! He's faded away and now there's nothing left of him!"
As I ranted, I realised that I was ashamed of him. I could no longer bear to look in his direction. I had thought he was different but obviously, I was wrong. And it hurt. It hurt to look at him and know the Nathaniel he could have been and the John Mandrake that he has become.
Then I realised something else.
A warm hand came to rest on my back. I jumped, turning my head to see my master there – in my pentacle! He had left his pentacle. But even if I had enough energy left, I couldn't bring myself to hurt him. He looked too much like Nathaniel and, somehow, after separating Nathaniel from Mandrake, I couldn't stand the thought of Nathaniel being hurt.
"You?" I questioned, meeting his gaze. He had been crying. I had made him cry.
He forced a small, false smile. "I wasn't standing in a pentacle."
I looked to where he had been standing. Sure enough, there was no pentacle. Why?
"Why not?" I asked.
He shook his head, a particularly stubborn tear drop spilling over his cheek and landing on my back side. "Because I deserve it," he explains, his voice laced with hatred. "I wanted you to be able to hurt me. Go on, do it. After all I've done I deserve it."
Probably for the first time in my long career, I was speechless. I didn't know how to respond. He was asking me to hurt him. He actually wanted me to devour him! But I didn't want to…
His eyes never left mine. "What are you waiting for?" he snaps. "Why aren't you doing it? I've been an idiot! I've hurt you! You said yourself! I did this to you! Hurt me! Kill me, if you must! DO SOMETHING!"
That last bit was screamed at me with such force that I actually recoiled. He was crying again. I could feel his tears; he was so close now that they were dripping onto my neck. Of course, that was because of gravity where he was leaning over my guise where it lay on the floor.
Looking into his face, I noticed that it was finally sinking in. I had finally got through to him so now he knew what he had become and it was destroying him. I was compelled to do something about it. Me! Bartimaeus of Uruk, the serpent of the silver plumes! Comforting a human? Not behaviour my reputation could live with. So I remained where I was and watched however much it actually pained me to do nothing.
He was looking me directly in the eye now. "Why? Why did you let me do it? How could you… I… Why didn't you stop me? Why didn't anyone stop me?"
This time, I had no problem finding my voice. "I tried! You didn't listen! You never do!"
"No. I – I," He stopped, grabbing me and pulling me to him. "I'm sorry Bartimaeus! I'm so sorry! I just… I…"
He dissolved into tears, sobbing into the hair of Ptolemy's form. I raised my arms, wrapping them around his back.
"Nathaniel, I forgive you," I told him. (4)
I was so tired. Being on earth after losing that much essence was painful and I felt weak, so ridiculously weak. I let myself go limp, depending on Nathaniel's arms, which were wrapped around me, one holding my head, the other between my shoulder blades, to stop me hitting the floor hard.
Fortunately, they did lower me to the floor gently. Nathaniel spoke.
"Bartimaeus?" He sounded worried.
"Hmm?" I answered (5).
He enquired, "Is there anything else you want to say before I dismiss you?"
I managed a small nod. "Two things: One, You've got to promise to summon me again once my essence has healed sufficiently, (6) and two, you've got to remove that silver coat stand. I would hate to be someone who regularly had to use that front door; how would you like shimmying past a whopping great coat stand that has no coats on it? It's not even needed!"
"Yes," Nathaniel decided. I felt him move away from me, presumably leaving the pentacle to dismiss me, and forced my eyes open again.
He was about to start his dismissal but I interrupted.
"Nathaniel," I said, grinning. "You have a very fetching rug in your hall."
As he spoke the words of dismissal, catapulting me into the Other Place, I added in my head, "With my essence all over it."
I'm almost certain I left half my essence on the rug.
(2) You can almost see the sarcasm dripping from that statement, can't you? I meant the question though. I swear that boy had more personalities than I have guises!
I know, confusing analogy but it made sense to me. Oh fine! He was gaping okay? I was only trying to add a little description to your lives!
(4) I'm not very good at all this touchy feely stuff. Well what do you expect? I hated most of my masters and djinn don't get upset in the other place.
Very eloquently, I might add. I was practically passed out on the floor, you know. You have to cut me a little slack. Besides, I conversed with Solomon; I did it in style!
Note that I didn't add to gloat and annoy you some more because I now have something to guilt trip you with and I was also curious as to whether or not that meant Nathaniel was back for good. Oh well, you humans should learn to read between the lines.
AN: This is the longest chapter of this story! So what did you think? Unless you're anonymous, I will reply to any reviews this last chapter gets. Remember, they still make me smile!
Anyhow, I was wondering, after reading the reviews of chapter one again, if I should write a one-shot in which Bartimaeus actually calls djinniline. So if you could tell me what you think about that too, it'd be great!
THANK YOU! To everyone who has reviewed, favourited or subscribed to this story! And thanks also to anyone who reviews this chapter. If it wasn't for you, I might have forgotten about this story. You prompted me to update!
I shall list those people here:
xDrEaMeRx4xEVA
LLAMAS WILL RULE THE WORLD
Arthuria Parmentia
crazykk2
crystal-chan
Ilyia
Riiko Shea
boom123
pinkpriscilla44
nats-stars
Harzh
RoadRunnerKirby
terramari
BartimaeusRules!!
Hannah
anonymous?
LM1991
anonymous - Is this the same person as the one with the question mark? I'm putting this here just in case it isn't.
amaya 24
It's great to know so many people like this story. It's good that the pregnant bit shocked a few of you and that you liked Mandrakes inner battle (I loved writing those bits too).
Anyway, over and out!
Please review :-P