The Young Magicians and the Thieves' Almanac by Nick Mohammed

Author:Nick Mohammed [Mohammed, Nick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780141377001
Publisher: Penguin Random House Children's UK
Published: 2016-11-29T00:00:00+00:00

SO many questions!

Yeah, tell me about it – and I’m the author! Better get back to it …

18

They reached the great Tower of London just as the sun was starting to go down. Sophie marvelled at the four turrets and ornate stonework; it looked more like a cross between a cardboard cut-out and a boutique hotel than the medieval prison it had been described as in history lessons. Although, saying that, her history teacher seemed to drone on so monotonously and continuously that even if he were talking about skydiving he probably would have given the impression he was talking about some oppressive, medieval prison!

‘Right,’ said Jonny like an official tour guide, waving his membership card in the air so that the others wouldn’t lose him in the half-term crowd. ‘The portcullis comes down at four thirty sharp – and I mean sharp! – so we’d better get a move on.’

Sophie, Zack and Alex tried to keep up with Jonny as he darted through the main entrance, garbling something deliberately quick and inaudible at the Yeomen Warders along the lines of ‘We’ll be right back!’ as they sped on through.

Zack grinned as they coursed against the general tide of tourists heading home, weighed down with expensive, nondescript and wholly unnecessary souvenirs (such as an axe that was also a lute, which was also a tea towel, a bookmark and a sweet). The four paced past the Bloody Tower like they were being persecuted by Henry VIII himself, and across the courtyard towards the entrance to the Crown Jewels.

‘You’d better be quick!’ shouted a greying member of staff, already regretting spending her retirement as a volunteer. ‘The Jewel House closes in five minutes!’

‘We’ll be out in two!’ hollered Jonny.

The four of them dashed into a labyrinth of glass cabinets, empty apart from a couple of American tourists, desperately trying to get a selfie with the Imperial State Crown without using the flash.

‘OK, then.’ Zack lowered his voice and tried to look inconspicuous. ‘If we were here to steal these things, how would we do it?’

It was a good question. The jewels were encased in their thick, alarmed, bulletproof boxes, cameras and lasers trained on them as if they were being watched by a million marksmen.

Crowns encrusted with dazzling diamonds; plump cushions bearing gold necklaces covered in gems that wouldn’t have looked out of place in Accessorize; egg cups and spoons covered in pearls – making them impossible to use – lined up in a row like they were waiting for a bus. Even the display cases were held together with ornate diamond screws.

‘Bit showy, aren’t they?’ Sophie pulled a face at the royal treasures.

‘Probably the most northern you’ve sounded all week!’ said Jonny, giving her a big grin. Sophie shook her head at him, rolling her eyes as she coursed through the jewels, unimpressed.

‘I think that’s the point,’ said the tired volunteer, sighing. ‘But I’m afraid that’s your lot for today. We open again at nine tomorrow morning.’ She pressed a

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