Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King by William Joyce & William Joyce

Author:William Joyce & William Joyce
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published: 2011-10-04T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Wherein Wizard and Apprentice Make Discoveries That prove to Be Momentous

MAKING A MECHANICAL MAN is not an easy task for any wizard, and North was still very much a student. But the construction of his robot djinni had caught the interest of the entire village and further steadied the mood of Santoff Claussen. Plans had to be drawn. Methods and materials were discussed, argued over, agreed upon.

They toiled away in the workroom in Big Root. North consulted ancient scrolls and dusty texts he’d found in the darkest corner of Ombric’s cupboard and then discussed with the villagers the proper tensions of a pulley that would serve as an elbow or knee of the djinni.

“The djinni has to know us—like a good horse knows its rider!” North decided. He based his theory on an old trick for domesticated Siberian tigers, who slept in nests of their masters’ clothes as a safeguard against rebellion. “Get me your lucky penny, your favorite rock, your mother’s comb. I’ll put them in the djinni’s chest.”

The children were in charge of assembling the precious trove. There were many debates over whether a shoe was more personal than a locket, a pocketknife more cherished than a beloved pebble. After days of gathering valuables together, the children rushed to the workroom, treasures in hand. North carefully placed each item in a small hinged box. He was just about to tuck it into the cavity by the djinni’s heart when Katherine dashed up, waving a scrap of paper—a drawing of North himself.

“Will the djinni know us both from this?” she asked. North looked from the childish drawing to the small girl in front of him. He looked to the drawing again—at the detailing Katherine had added. He looked grand, noble, heroic even. Was that how she saw him? He unhinged the box and gently laid the paper on top of the other items, but in truth, he most wanted to fold it into his pocket, to keep it for his own.

He realized with a start that Katherine, in her quiet way, was waiting for a reply. “Indeed it will,” he assured her. “It’ll recognize the portrait, and know whose hand has made it.” At that, the children huddled close as he sealed the box and carefully placed it inside the djinni’s chest.

“Is it finished?” asked Fog.

“Soon enough,” North told him. He looked down proudly at his mechanical creation. At nearly eight feet tall, it was shaped like a man but built entirely of metal gears and clockwork, all in shades of metal—silver, bronze, copper, gold, and darker tones like gunmetal and iron. It was strangely beautiful, like something that hadn’t been made but had been dreamed into being. Around the chest, shoulders, and joints were plates that resembled armor but with intricate, graceful curves. The face and head were simply shaped, yet had a handsomeness that recalled a finely made toy. One slim silver key protruded from the area over the heart—that’s how North intended to wind up the djinni, he’d explained to the children.

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