Page 60 of The Spellreader and the Phoenix

Peter set the box carefully down on Mr. Jones’s lap.

Mr. Jones turned to look at Rory with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh, I agree, too,” Rory assured him.

Books fell under Max’s domain more than his, and he’d honestly considered their word collectively given when Max had agreed, but he could see why Mr. Jones probably wanted explicit consent.

“Good, good.” Mr. Jones nodded. “You must keep it safe at all costs. Will you?”

At the same time, they both agreed, “I will.”

“It’s yours, then,” Mr. Jones declared, sounding tired. “Leave it here for now if you wish. You can open and close the compartment now. It’s the most secure spot in the house. You’ll know when to look at it. You must take care of it.”

“Of course,” Max agreed. “Taking care of books and spells is something of a specialty of mine.”

Mr. Jones nodded faintly. “Yes, I suppose it is. Take it.”

Max leaned down and carefully lifted the wrapped bundle off of Mr. Jones’s lap.

The fierce kitty’s meowing got louder; she wanted to sit with her witch again now that his lap was available.

Rory pressed a kiss to the top of her head and then leaned closer so that he could gently lay her down in Mr. Jones’s lap.

“Such a good kitty,” he whispered. “Not too much longer now.”

When he looked up, Mr. Jones’s eyes were gazing at him intently. “No?”

“No,” Rory confirmed gently. “But I think you knew that.”

It certainly didn’t take anyone with Rory’s abilities to know that Mr. Jones was not long for this world.

Mr. Jones shrugged. “Well, perhaps I did.” He reached out a hand, and Rory took it. “You took a long time to get here.”

Rory’s smile was rueful. “I go where the Magic directs, but its instructions are often not very clear.”

Wheezing a laugh, Mr. Jones conceded, “No, I don’t suppose they are. Thank you for coming.” He widened the words, looking at Max now, too. “Both of you.”

Max said, “I’m very glad to be here. You have a fantastic collection, and I’d love to get it better catalogued and available for more people.”

“Perhaps you can manage it,” Mr. Jones conceded. “The world has changed in many ways, and perhaps it’s not all bad. Maybe we won’t make all of the same mistakes.”

“People and the world are evolving,” Rory pointed out. “They do adapt, over time. Sometimes they lapse, too, but if we never try, we’ll never succeed.”

Mr. Jones nodded, but all he said was, “I will retire for the night. I may not see you tomorrow. You can look at the books again in the morning, if you wish. You’ll leave after lunch.”

“Thank you,” Max said, sounding surprisingly earnest and very not grumpy. “I appreciate it. Is it alright if I look a little longer tonight, as well?”

Mr. Jones waved his hand dismissively. “Yes, that’s fine. Peter.”

The secretary stepped forward and smoothly wheeled Mr. Jones back out of the room.

Max looked down at the box he was holding. “I am so curious, but since we’re not allowed to look yet, I just want to put it away again.”

Rory nodded, but when Max looked over at him, he realized a real response was required. How nice of Max to really be treating this like it was partly Rory’s.

“I agree,” Rory told him. “If it’s been safe in that hidden area for however long Mr. Jones has had it, then I think we should put it back there. We’ll be able to find out what it is soon enough.”

Max nodded and bent over to look at the secret area. He closed the shelf and made sure he could open it again before he tucked the box back inside and shut the shelf once more. Then he tugged it open, looked at the box, and closed it again.