Atticus & The Scrolls Of The Pharaoh: The Adventures Of The Majjai Six, #2

By M.K. Drake

With the demon king, Razakel, trapped in his own realm, the brave Majjai continue to protect the mortal world against the remaining monsters who scattered after the last battle.

Razakel still has plans, he wants the Scrolls of the Pharaoh to enact his invasion, and enlists the biggest threat to not only The Majjai Six, but to all existence, throughout the universe. 

With the threat of a universal Apocalypse, can the Majjai sum up the strength and courage to combat this new enemy, as well as cope with revelations from within. And can Atticus rise to be the leader and protector he has been prophecised to be?

• Language: English
• Publisher: M.K. Drake
• Release date: Dec 15, 2015
• ISBN: 9781393921608

M.K. Drake

Born in Birmingham in the United Kingdom, but living most of his life in the town of Luton. A multi-cultural populace not too far from the capital, London. M.K. Drake grew up as a huge comic book fan. This has influenced his writing style greatly. A love of travel has taken M.K. Drake to many points around the globe, from the East in Singapore, all the way to the West in Seattle. He has a love of the Middle East and North Africa, which is noticeable in some of the locations chosen for his stories. As well as a great respect for the various mythologies that touch so many cultures  (his favourite most definitely being Norse), he also has a great passion about reflecting the diversity he sees every day, and believes strongly that these things that makes us so different, are what makes us all so amazing. Often asked what his motivations were to start writing, his simple reply, "For the love of telling stories. For the joy it brings young minds, creating worlds in their amazing and colourful imaginations. And most importantly, to inspire as many as possible to pick up a pen themselves." And that is probably all you need to know about M.K. Drake, apart from the only things he loves more than writing, are his wife and children. He often muses how some of his story ideas spark into life from the ones he tells his young ones while putting them to bed. One probably needs no greater seal of approval than that.

Book preview

Atticus and the Scrolls of the Pharaoh

Prologue

Time Infinite

Y ou defy the lord, and wish to bring the end of days upon them?

The voice echoes, reverberating into the darkness and throughout the black, infinite cosmos.

Vengeance, the intended recipient of said words, steadies himself. The stars dot all of creation, twinkling; he cannot help but be fully aware of the universe around him.

The dark canvas of space is further beautified by oil painting-like Nebulae in the distance, while super explosions momentarily blot other parts in bright flashes of white before the emptiness returns to claim everything again.

Vengeance pauses, taking in the forced quantum state of existence he finds himself in, that of Time Infinite.

It is a moment where time is no longer linear, where one can look deep into the endless cosmology of space and see everything – the entire roadmap of existence rolled out in front of them – if they are able to properly comprehend it. Vengeance knows it takes mastery to filter the useful information, but he has other matters on his mind right now.

He looks up to his accusers, sitting upon their horses of colour: white, red, black and pale.

They do not deserve existence, these humans and their demons. They breed hate and abuse the gifts given to them. They should be smitten down! Brothers, I implore you to see reason. They cannot be allowed to continue. Vengeance pulls his own horse to the side for a moment, as he hovers in the void of space, he calms it as it neighs, stroking its dark grey hair, flowing with the cosmic winds.

Conquest ushers his horse forward, bright white, almost blindingly so in the void of darkness bellowed out by the universe; a comet shoots past him for a moment which barely distracts him, but gives Vengeance the opportunity to see the face of his one-time leader. It is full of kindness, which cannot be hidden by the scorn and disappointment it tries to portray.

Ride with me for a moment brother, Conquest says, beckoning Vengeance towards him.

Vengeance accepts the invitation and commands his steed to move alongside Conquest, each step of the mighty horse sending tiny ripples of light into the fabric of the cosmos, disappearing behind the distant majestic galactic clouds.

The two horsemen ride on a carpet of light away from the others, the light fades away behind them, melting into the dark.

The lord sees good in humanity brother, as do the others, Zeus, Odin, Jupiter, the entire council of elders. We cannot interfere with them, but we can give them time, speaks Conquest with affirmation.

Vengeance snorts, "They allow demons to run riot, they risk giving them tools to meddle with time, and now I see the scrolls are within their grasp. This could end existence itself, if that monster beholds them. They give evil the room to breed, and they themselves have dark hearts. The endless wars... I do not see humanity, I see a disregard for it. I see only a thirst for death and the cyclical journey to oblivion. We waste so much time on them, when we should be tending to other flocks around this blessed universe."

Conquest sighs, You do not see. Free will is their gift; it will lead them to the light. We have to trust in the design.

They both hover over Andromeda, nonchalant of the presence of the vast and beautiful galaxy; Vengeance turns to face his brother. You sound like Gabriel. The Angels do not understand, they are pets more than anything else. We, together – we can do this. It is our duty to instigate the Rapture, if not to save the lives of trillions, to save existence itself. I have no allegiance to humanity or demons. I am vexed. I do not want to allow them to continue to exist. Their realms cause too much friction. Fight with me to bring this to an end.

I cannot. I trust in father. The intricate design of everything. We must trust – our time will come at the end of days. I have seen it. You must believe me, have faith in the Majjai of the Earth Realm. They have potential to unite the hearts and minds of humanity. We must allow them their chance. And do not dismiss demons so easily, they may be soulless, but they still have a lifeforce that must also be managed, nurtured. Faith is everything.

And at what cost? How much death should we allow? Their murderous endeavours as a species will outweigh our own at the Apocalypse! And this beast, this Kazmagus, he will be the trigger for it all. His soul is twisted – and all due to the Majjai you speak of.

His spawn can fix it.

Pah! The boy? He is insignificant. I will kill him first! He is an abomination!

You will not harm him. He is the paradox, the key. If you try, you will be bound to The Void, and your soul split between it and Hades, Hel and your own brother who watches us now! Do not test my kindness, for you will find it is not limitless.

Vengeance turns away from his brother, Unlike father’s.

This order comes from him, indirectly at least. Conquest turns and raises his right hand into the air, signalling War, Famine and Death to return to his side, It pains my heart, this act you force me to do. You affect us to become four, when we should be five. I pray you see the light and one day return to us and ride at our side.

The four horses that are standing opposite Vengeance and his own steed, begin to neigh loudly into the darkness of space, they stomp their feet loudly, sensing the act to come.

End it quickly, hisses Death, his Scythe by his side, his body drenched in a deathly hooded robe.

Conquest steps forward, You are banished from the heavens, forever bound to the realm of Earth, but not as its destroyer. You are its student. Be gone from us!

Vengeance roars into the night Never! You cannot control what I do, where I go! My soul is mine! and with that he sends a massive blast of energy towards the other horsemen from his hands, scattering them, I am infinite. My strength, my vision. It is true! he unsheathes a massive sword, and with it attempts to strike the Horsemen.

War intervenes, his bright red horse rushes into the path of the blade and its master, blocking it with his own sword, Give this madness up, you cannot win against us all.

I do it for all of you, you do not see!

No! shouts Conquest, "It is you who does not see!" He strikes Vengeance with such force that he flings his brother into the distance, smashing into a remote asteroid. The giant rock shatters, sending debris shooting through the vacuum of space.

One piece smashes against Death, who stands unaffected; he merely brushes away the debris and stares down towards Vengeance. Enough! he raises his Scythe, and with it, commands silence from all, including Vengeance, Go peacefully. Or I myself will bind your soul, painfully, to every single level of hell. Heed the rule: no harm must befall the boy from your hands. Take no side in the coming war. Or we will find you, Death lowers his Scythe.

Vengeance looks towards them with disdain, and raises his hood to cover his head. He hisses towards his brothers, hatred swelling within, but knows he is no match for the four of them combined. You will see, I am right! I will force your intervention for the end of days! he roars.

Conquest raises his arm again, and with it a portal forms behind Vengeance, a swirling light shoots out, grabbing the banished Horseman and his steed, pulling them in, erasing him from Time Infinite, and towards the Realm of Earth.

THE SILENCE IS COLD and lonely. Famine steps towards Conquest, curious of what he overheard, It is true, you have seen the end?

Conquest turns and smiles, One end of many, my brother. But only one ends well. We must hope our lost family chooses wisely.

The Four Horsemen turn away from the fading portal and ride away, fading into the darkness to wait and watch.

Chapter 1

The Bleeding of the Burrows

A re you sure he was seen here Atticus? asks a very concerned Ju Long as he rummages through a bush on the opposite roadside of their target.

He might still be here. Elric says the watcher report is accurate. Shadow Wolf has come home, Atticus replies, adjusting his jacket as they both hide from view. He checks that the way is clear before taking any action to begin their investigation. He knows the day is soon to end on this early spring evening. Buds are yet to appear on the bushes that would have perhaps aided in their concealment, so he is conscious of their conspicuous predicament. Two teenagers sneaking around at dusk is not easily explained to any kind of authority, be it magical or not.

The streetlights begin to flicker on, buzzing into life. One of them further down shows signs of its life ending, flashing on and off randomly, desperately trying to ignite its fluorescent bulb in a stable manner. The road is eerily silent, apart from a few birds settling down to rest for the night, chirping and jostling for space in the trees around them.

Atticus closes his eyes to try to sense any other presence around them, then looks to Ju Long, I think it is time; it’s quiet now, we should head inside.

You remember what I taught you. The phasing?

Yes, to be invisible to this plane of existence, I need to move out of phase with this time.

Yes, but don’t overdo it, or you’ll trap yourself in the ground like last time! ribs Ju Long. Are you sure you do not want me to drive this?

Atticus knows he has to learn this ability almost more than any other; however, it doesn’t seem as natural to him as the others and has been the most difficult for him to grasp. He has learnt how to heal and create energy shields from Joyce, has learnt some of the elemental control from Safaya, increased his strength with the help of Khan, and even managed to create some ice cubes by harnessing the power of ice that Olof has so dutifully mastered. But this, this phasing for invisibility, has proven to be much more difficult to understand. This one feels alien, not natural at all. Atticus has wondered many times to ask Ju Long more about his past, but he always dodges it with a trademark quip. Atticus doesn’t even believe that Elric knows the true origins of Ju Long. In time he hopes that his fellow Majjai will trust them all enough to tell of his history.

Atticus closes his eyes and tries to concentrate. Clenches his fists as tight as he can. He takes a deep breath and exhales softly, trying to think about stepping slightly out of time. ‘Slowly’ he thinks to himself, concentrating ever more, focusing on his breathing until he finally senses a tingle wavering over his skin. He opens his eyes as things begin to blur ever so slightly. ‘I’m doing it!’ he thinks to himself. The sensation is odd. Almost as if he is watching everything through a lightly opaque curved glass.

Turning to Ju Long, who he beckons to follow suit. How is that?

Not bad, but let’s hope you can hold it until we get inside the house.

Atticus watches as Ju Long effortlessly phases himself into invisibility. He disappears for a moment but quickly returns to view as he syncs to Atticus’s own existential plane.

They tread very carefully. Atticus is fully aware of how dangerous Shadow Wolf is; despite Joyce’s best efforts, the scars on his back still have not healed fully from their last encounter at the Battle of Aria last winter. He relives that time for a moment, remembering the loss, his inability to save his mother, Sophia. This haunts him daily, he can still feel the moment her life force ebbed away into nothingness. Her death at the hands of the demon king Razakel drives him forward, determined to find a way to end this threat to humanity. He is grateful for his companions, the other members of the Majjai Six, and for his mentors, Elric Griffin, Professor Sprocking, Professor Morgan and of course Mage Callan who has taught him much of his fighting skills. Without these, he knows he would be very much dead.

Then there is Marcellus, the close family friend who turned out to be Atticus’s own protector. It’s not long before his thoughts fall upon his father, Joseph, who feels even more pain than Atticus does over the death of Sophia. It’s changed Joseph immensely. Atticus hopes he can one day help his dad through all of this, but so much work has to be done to protect everyone else. Razakel will never stop until he is either destroyed or victorious. Atticus knows he must not allow this to happen. He has embraced his title of The Chosen One more than ever, and is willing to push himself beyond all capability to protect life, to protect love.

Atticus and Joyce have barely spoken since his mother’s funeral. He knows he had to end their relationship, not only to keep her safer than before, but also so that he can concentrate on increasing his powers and his strength, but it’s been a difficult fifteen months. Maybe one day, when the war is won he can win her heart again. In the meantime, he knowingly fills the void with more knowledge of this new Majjai world. He has soaked in the history books, spell casting chants, and spent much time in the Tomb of Kazmagus library back at Wysardian Manor. He himself is surprised at how much knowledge he is able to soak in like a sponge.

Before his mind can wander further, they reach the door of the Burrow’s house.

It’s a very unassuming home. The door is painted blue, but it certainly needs a retouch of sorts as Atticus notices the cracking in its surface. The curtains are all drawn shut but the lights are off. This strikes our duo as odd considering the low light at this time of day.

Atticus’s arm brushes against the chequered red, maroon, and orange brickwork. As it does so he feels his arm pass through the wall, as they are still phased out of visibility. The sensation continues to startle him; it’s as if, just for a moment, his movement is slowed by a thick liquid like matter, goop for want of a better term.

We need to phase into the house, whispers Ju Long, It’s better if we do this quickly.

Atticus nods, and follows Ju Long through the blue front door. His pace slows as he meets the matter of the wood. He can even smell the paintwork as he passes through, and a distinct odour of mould in the crevices. Not pleasant at all. Atticus is thankful it is over quickly.

Inside things are dark and silent. But the stench is unbearable. Something is not well in this place, Atticus can sense it, This does not look good Ju Long.

Ju Long covers his nose, It doesn’t smell good either!

We should return to normal, it would help our investigation. It doesn’t seem like anyone is home.

Ju Long agrees, he hands Atticus a pair of gloves as he puts on a pair of his own, We do this the old fashioned way, no prints or evidence that we were here.

Atticus dons the gloves, We still need some light, though.

Ju Long agrees and reaches for a light switch. As the entrance hall beams into life, the first thing that startles our pair is the wallpaper. A ghastly cream and red fabric throwback to the seventies. From what Atticus remembers of Bradley’s parents, it is not totally out of contrast with their dress sense.

Atticus succumbs and holds his own nose, Plus now we really need to find the source of that smell! It’s all he can do to stop himself retching. The odour is not pleasant, almost like an unclean slaughterhouse. They walk slowly through the house, opening one door, painted a not-so-garish cream coloured gloss. This must be the living room. Atticus is distracted slightly as the smell of what could only be described as rotting flesh gets ever stronger. He can hear the buzz of some flies shooting around the room, and begins to dread what they are about to find.

Ju Long reaches for the switch and flicks it to the on position. He turns away as soon as the room is lit. Well, that vision is not going to go away easily!

Atticus almost vomits onto the floor. Oh Bradley, what have you done!? Atticus can barely look. There, right in front of him are the half-eaten corpses of Bradley’s parents. Most of their limbs are missing, and the tell-tale claw marks of Shadow Wolf, Bradley’s demonic transformation, are all apparent on their remaining torsos.

Before they can take in much more, Ju Long taps Atticus on the shoulder.

What is it?

Ju Long points to the far wall, If the light is on, why is that shadow still there?

Atticus spins around to check. He looks desperately to locate a possible source, whipping his head left to right. Then slowly, he turns back to Ju Long, He’s here.

Before either can react, Shadow Wolf shoots out from the dark patch on the wall and flings both Atticus and Ju Long to the ground.

Atticus gets up first, Stop Bradley! he shouts as Shadow Wolf makes for the door. Atticus uses his telekinetic ability to slam the door shut. The beast crashes through it anyway, escaping.

The two heroes give chase; but Shadow Wolf is well on his way down the street.

Ju Long holds his arm out to stop Atticus before they exit the house. Wait, he says quietly, this is a trap.

Atticus stops, and tries to look at what Ju Long is staring at. How do you know?

I can hear them. Ju Long touches Atticus’s shoulder, We don’t have time for your invisibility, we will use mine. In an instant both Atticus and Ju Long are hidden from view. They exit the house as the sky begins to get ever darker.

Atticus is still trying to spot the threat before they both take to the air, but it is not until they float silently upwards that he sees it. A massive cage of some sort, and some men dressed in military attire.

General Crawford! shouts one of the men, Over there, near the tree!

The military men are dressed in camouflage clothing, more suited to jungle warfare than an urban street, all apart from one. Atticus guesses that must be General Crawford, his suspicions are confirmed instantly as the man speaks.

Bring out the weaponry! The Taser canons! Now! shouts General Crawford as he adjusts his black trench coat, barking orders to his men. Surround the animal!

Shadow Wolf has fully morphed into his normal form, he stands tall and menacing, with his claws outstretched, ready to send a blow towards this new enemy. One of the soldiers fires a blast of what appears to be electricity towards Shadow Wolf, who moves to the side, dodging the attack. The blast sizzles the hair on his wolf-like snout, but does no damage. Another soldier creeps up from behind and fires a shot straight into the beast’s back. Shadow Wolf roars in pain.

The commotion starts to trigger curtain twitches in the street, some doors start to open as curiosity gets the better of a few more inhabitants. General Crawford is prepared, Stay indoors! he screams, Dangerous animal attack!

The bellow is followed by the sounds of doors and windows slamming shut, but not stopping the curtain twitches.

Atticus turns to Ju Long, Should we help them?

We do not even know which side they are on, are they friend or foe?

Atticus shrugs, I just know that Shadow Wolf will tear them apart. These guys are not using any Majjai powers. Their weapons look like modified human weapons. Before Atticus can continue, Shadow Wolf recovers.

General Crawford joins the fray, and skilfully grabs what looks like an electrified whip. He launches it towards Shadow Wolf and cuts the beast across its arm. Shadow Wolf roars again, but before General Crawford can ready another blow, the monster grabs one of the soldiers and throws him with immense power towards the General. The force sends the General crashing into the cage and knocks him unconscious. Shadow Wolf then launches attacks against the other troops, slicing through them, not caring if they are wounded or dead.

Atticus cannot watch anymore, That’s it, we have to help them!

Ju Long is unable to stop him, so follows Atticus into battle.

Atticus launches a fireball towards Shadow Wolf, knocking the beast to the ground. Ju Long follows through with another.

The beast, knowing that he cannot fight this battle on two fronts, returns to the shadows. Atticus is about to give chase but hears the groans of several of the fallen troops.

What’s going on out there? a shout is heard from one of the houses. Quick! Dora! Phone the police! And the Ambulance!

Ju Long beckons to Atticus, We have to get out of here now!

We need to help these guys, and we need answers. Atticus points to General Crawford, He seems to be their leader; let’s get him to Madame Healsey and Elric.

Ju Long nods in agreement. He turns the three of them invisible and they carry General Crawford into the air and make their journey back to Wysardian Manor.

Chapter 2

The Knight

Atticus curses himself for not being able to help the other soldiers. Why did Ju Long hesitate to help? Atticus knows that the Majjai world needs to be kept secret, but at what cost? The value of every life is surely more important. He tries to shake off the feeling, but he can still hear the screams of those that died, shrieking through his head.

It is not long before they reach the manor. Atticus and Ju Long move towards the inner courtyard. The manor is forever impressive, the four towers at each corner give the entire structure a sense of purpose, and in the centre of the courtyard a statue of a sword and shield stands almost as high as the towers themselves. The shield is adorned with the school crest, a dragon breathing fire. They return to visibility and slowly hover to the ground, so as not to aggravate any of General Crawford’s possible injuries. Elric is already waiting for them.

What happened? There are reports on the news of some sort of animal attack on the Burrow’s street. Is this true Atticus? Ju Long? asks Elric.

Before Atticus can answer, Mage Callan and Professor Morgan rush outside with a stretcher. Their appearances suit the term ‘chalk and cheese’ perfectly. Where Mage Callan is clean shaven, slightly balding but incredibly well balanced in build and muscularity, Professor Morgan has much more facial hair and is far more portly. Atticus has deep down always thought he would make for a superb Santa Claus at a children’s party.

Ju Long helps Atticus lay the General onto the stretcher. We think his name is General Crawford. He and his men were fighting Shadow Wolf. We couldn’t save anyone else for fear of being exposed.

Atticus, still affected by the lives he couldn’t save, shakes his head. Was that the right thing to do? Do we ignore those in trouble to protect our identity, our existence?

Elric straps General Crawford tightly to the stretcher before signalling to Mage Callan and Professor Sprocking to take him away. Atticus notices a tiny nod from Mage Callan to Elric, like an acknowledgement to give the ok for something. Atticus knows all too well that Elric is going to put a ‘for the greater good’ spin on the events. He is almost tired of all this hiding away, seeing it as a hindrance to their mission of keeping the world safe. Surely the world would rather have the knowledge that the Majjai exist than wait and be consumed by the demon realm.

Atticus, Elric says softly as General Crawford is taken away by the others, Mankind of this era is not ready for us. We have tried to engage many times in the past, but all attempts have ended in betrayal or tragedy. Even now, if what I suspect is true, then it appears the human world has discovered us again; but instead of talking to us, they have created weapons to capture or kill.

Atticus pauses. He thinks back and recalls the weaponry the soldiers were using. They were not standard guns, but definitely designed to capture and harm stronger opponents. The breeze distracts Atticus, swirling around as the unique dusk aroma of spring fills his nose. The slight dampness in the air from rain showers earlier in the day add some light humidity, some of it glistens on the shrubbery that never sheds its leaves around the Manor. Maybe, just maybe, Elric is right again. He looks at the man he sees as his guide within this Majjai world and tips his head in agreement, but does it ever so reluctantly.

Come now, Atticus, let us attend to this General Crawford.

Atticus follows as Elric makes his way slowly up the stone steps to the main doors of Wysardian Manor. The dust on the floor has gathered together into small clumps, brought together from the rain. As they enter the doorway, they both wipe their feet to ensure they do not mark the pristine marble floor of the inner halls. The polished stones reflect everything around them, even the doors closing behind Atticus as he scrubs his left foot on the doorway’s grated mat for a final time.

Their steps echo through the empty hall, intertwined with one or two squeaks from the trainers that Elric is wearing. Atticus gawps, as he has never seen such casual attire on his companion. It adds slightly to the swagger of his walk, noticeable with Elric’s long silvery beard waving more than usual with each step as his walking stick helps ease his journey.

Elric notices the stare, My feet aren’t getting any younger dear boy, and Ju Long borrowed my normal shoes for some experiment. They came back with holes. I didn’t ask.

Atticus chuckles, Elric always knows how to lighten his heart. He appreciates this greatly, especially since Sophia’s death. Ju Long, too, is always there to help crack a smile. It makes his burden much easier to carry. Atticus only wishes he could do the same for his father. Joseph has suffered the most from the loss, blaming himself for not getting to Sophia in time, not protecting her as he always promised to do. Atticus senses his father’s pain every day, and worries a great deal about how it is changing him.

Elric and Atticus soon reach the medical room. Madam Healsey has already begun preparing a potion of sorts to help heal the General. Her almost-regal-but-gothic presence is always alluring, and Atticus has noticed Professor Morgan spending much more time around the treatment rooms lately, always trying to get even one word in to catch the attention of Madam Healsey.

Professor Sprocking arrives soon after Madam Healsey has applied the potion as a lotion on the General’s forehead. He pauses and takes a second look at the patient. "What is he doing here?" he says, pointing towards General Crawford.

Ju Long responds first, He was injured in a battle with Shadow Wolf.

Professor Sprocking lowers his hand, I know this man, David Crawford. He used to study here in the non-Majjai classes. They called him ‘The Knight’.

The Knight? asks Atticus, Why?

He was always there to save the girls when they were in trouble, if they were ever harassed, in danger, or even if they needed chocolate. Mr Crawford here was always on hand to be their rescuer. He turned his hand to helping out some of the boys, too; anyone he saw as being bullied. Good lad he was when he was here. Good student as well.

Elric strokes his beard, Ah yes, I thought I recognised this fellow. He was also a curious one, spotted him a few times almost discovering a way through to the Majjai side of the school grounds. Looks like his curiosity has returned him home.

Before another word is uttered, Madam Healsey’s potion appears to start working. A light blue hue starts to glow from General Crawford’s skin. Atticus notices his hands twitching as the glow gets brighter. The light soon dissipates, and ever so slowly the General opens his eyes, squinting at first.

Hello there dear boy! says Elric excitedly, Wonderful to see you again. Now please, tell me, what do you remember?

General Crawford groans as he sits up, his feet swing to the floor from the treatment bed as he rests his palms on the mattress. I’m not sure, there was the cage, then shadows, and then...! The General jumps up and searches for his weapon. Stay away from me!

Atticus and Ju Long step in front of Elric, but Elric moves them away slowly. "Listen dear boy. It is obvious you have seen and know much, but you do not know everything. Elric beckons to the General to sit back down. There are things not of this Earth that walk its very surface. Scalding the ground with hell fire. And it seems you were almost victim of one. We healed you. We are not the enemy."

I know you. Don’t I? asks General Crawford before looking to Professor Sprocking, And you, I definitely know you. I always thought something odd was going on at this school, and now I’m certain of it.

Professor Sprocking slides over a chair,