Catweazle and the Magic Zodiac

thee!’
    Habbleman
looked down. ‘No,’ he said hastily, ‘I th ink I had better go alone.’
    Suddenly
he looked at his watch. ‘Ach! I am forgetting. I am forgetting!’ he cried. T
shall be late... late.’ He panicked and ran out into the hall.
    ‘Get
Touchwood!’ hissed Cedric.
    Catweazle
reached out for him but Habbleman reappeared with a long black box and a small
case. He came swiftly over to the bench and popped Touchwood into a little
wicker-work basket. ‘Nearly forgot him,’ he said.
    ‘But
Professor — ’ Cedric began.
    ‘Thank
you again,’ said Habbleman, shaking them by the hand. ‘Can I give you a lift
anywhere?’
    Cedric
shook his head miserably.
    They
went outside and watched helplessly as Habbleman drove away.
    ‘Heidelberg,’
groaned Cedric.
    ‘Who is
Heidelberg?’ howled Catweazle, distraught at the loss of his familiar.
    ‘Where
is Heidelberg,’ corrected Cedric sadly. ‘It’s a place in Germany.’
    Catweazle
looked at the sky. ‘O that I had the thirteen Signs!’ he cried. ‘I would fly to
Heidelberg! I would conjure the Spirits of the Brazen Vessel! I would unleash
the great Asmoday!’ He shook his fists in impotent fury as one of the roaring
sky-fish of the New Magic passed overhead.
    There
was nothing they could do, so they trudged wearily back to Kings Farthing.
    When
they reached the house people were beginning to arrive for the afternoon’s
lecture, so Cedric went indoors, after attempting to reassure Catweazle. Whom
should he find his parents talking to but Professor Habbleman!
    ‘Ah, my
young friend!’ said Habbleman, very surprised to see him.
    ‘Er...
how do you do,’ said Cedric, his brain racing.
    ‘This
is Professor Habbleman, darling,’ said Lady Collingford.
    ‘My son
Cedric,’ said Lord Collingford.
    ‘After
the lecture, I fly to Heidelberg,’ said Habbleman to Cedric, who had just
noticed the little basket on his chair.
    ‘The
Professor’s discovered a very rare toad, Cedric. Isn’t it... er... exciting?’
said Lady Collingford, but before Habbleman could say anything about Cedric’s
visit, Lord Collingford suggested that if he was going to catch the plane, the
lecture should begin in a few minutes.
    ‘Perhaps
you would show the Society into the lecture room, Cedric,’ suggested his
father.
    Cedric
nodded, anxious to escape, but as he went towards the main hall, Catweazle came
scurrying down the passage towards him, holding Adamcos before him like a
torch.
    ‘What
are you playing at?’ gasped Cedric.
    ‘Touchwood
is here — I feel it!’ said Catweazle fiercely.
    ‘That’s
fantastic!’ said Cedric. ‘You’re right. Habbleman’s the lecturer here this
afternoon.’
    Cedric
bundled him into the darkened lecture room and behind the curtains. But in his
haste to get him out of the window, he knocked over Professor Habbleman’s
slides. While he finished picking them up the members of the Society began to
drift into the room. Catweazle tried vainly to open the shutters.
    He
watched through the curtains as Professor Habble-man came in with Lord and Lady
Collingford, and was introduced to Groome, who had been pressed into service to
operate the projector.
    ‘You
are familiar with this machine?’ asked Habbleman.
    ‘I know
how to work it, if that’s what you mean,’ said Groome, beginning to bridle.
    ‘Start
here,’ said Habbleman, pointing at the slides, ‘they are all in order.’ Cedric
shuddered at that and crossed his fingers. ‘When I tap,’ Habbleman gave the
table a little tap, ‘then change the slide.’
    ‘Slides
in order. One tap, change!’ said Groome, to show Habbleman he’d got it.
    Habbleman
nodded. He put Touchwood’s little basket down on the screen table where it was
only just out of Catweazle’s reach and waited while the President of the
Society introduced him.
    ‘Ladies
and gentlemen,’ he began, ‘the title of my lecture is, Toads of Great Britain,
but before I start, I want you to know that today has been a red letter day for
me. In this little basket,’ he held it up, ‘is the most remarkable discovery
since Darwin. However, first things first.’ He paused and nodded to Cedric, who
was waiting by the door to switch out the lights. Groome turned on the
projector and a large picture of a toad appeared but Catweazle did not see it
as his window faced the edge of the screen.
    ‘The
common toad emerges from hibernation at the end of March and migrates to the
water,’ said Habbleman.