01_-_The_Alchemyst

languages, his infinite patience—made him a poor sorcerer and a terrible
necromancer. He simply lacked the imaginative spark of pure visualization
that was needed for that work. Perenelle, on the other hand, was one of the
most powerful sorceresses he had ever encountered.
Dee pulled off one of his gray leather gloves and dropped it onto the
seat beside him. Leaning toward Perenelle, he dipped his finger in the puddle
of mud dripping from one of the Golems and traced a curling symbol on the
back of the woman’s left hand. Then he painted a mirror image of the symbol
on her right hand. He dipped his hand in the sticky black mud again and was
inscribing three wavy lines on her forehead when she suddenly opened her
bright green eyes. Dee abruptly sat back in his seat.
“Madame Perenelle, I cannot tell you what a pleasure it is to see you
again.”
Perry opened her mouth to speak, but no words would form. She tried to
move, but not only were the Golems gripping her arms tightly, her muscles
refused to obey.
“Ah, you must excuse me, but I’ve taken the liberty of placing you under
a warding spell. A simple spell, but it will suffice until I can organize
something more permanent.” Dee smiled, but there was nothing humorous in
his expression. His cell phone trilled, playing the theme from The X-Files,
and he flipped it open. “Excuse me,” he said to Perenelle.
“You got the photo?” Dee asked. “Yes, I thought that would amuse you:
the legendary Perenelle Flamel in our hands. Oh, I’m quite sure Nicholas
will come after her. And we’ll be ready. This time he will not escape.”
Perenelle could clearly hear the cackle of laughter on the other end.
“Yes, of course.” Dee reached into an inside pocket and took out the
copper-bound book. “We have the Codex. Finally.” He began to turn the thick
rough-edged pages as he spoke. His voice fell, and it was unclear whether he
was talking to the caller or to himself. “Ten thousand years of arcane
knowledge in one place…”
Then his voice trailed away. The phone dropped from his hand and
bounced across the floor of the car.