“I’m not going,” I say. “I told him no.”
She pulls her chin back. “You told himno?”
“I… well, I can’t just leave Watford. It’s our last year, isn’t it.”
“I agree—you told himno?”
“I told him I didn’t want to! I don’t want to hide and wait for the Humdrum to find me. That doesn’t feel like a plan.”
“And what did the Mage say?”
“Not much. I got upset and started to—”
“I knew it.Your room smelled like a campfire. Oh my word! Youwent offon the Mage?”
“No. I pulled back.”
“Really?”She looks impressed. “Well done, Simon.”
“I think I scared him, though.”
“It’d scare me, too.”
“Penny, I…”
“What?”
“Do you think he’s right?”
“I just said I didn’t.”
“No. About… me being a danger to Watford. A danger to—” I look over at the first year tables. They’ve all skipped sandwiches and are eating big bowls of jam roly-poly. “—everyone.”
Penny starts tearing at her sandwich again. “Of course not.”
“Penelope.”
She sighs. “You pulled back, didn’t you? This morning? When have you ever hurt anyone but yourself?”
“Smoke and mirrors, Penny—should I make a list? I’ll start with the decapitations. I’ll start withyesterday.”
“Those were battles, and they don’t count.”
“I think they count.”
She folds her arms again. “They countdifferently.”
“It’s not even just that,” I say. “It’s… I’m a target, aren’t I? The Humdrum only attacks me when I’m at Watford, and he only attacks Watford when I’m here.”
“That’s not your fault.”
“So?”
“Well, you can’t help that.”
“I can,” I say. “I could go away.”
“No.”
