Scholastic Canada - Midnight Magic

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Scholastic Canada Ltd.
ISBN 0-590-36035-3
192 pages
Ages 10-14

by Avi

A servant boy who knows more than his master, a mischievous princess, and a magician who doesn't believe in magic team up to confront a mysterious ghost in Avi's most delicious tale yet!


	Midnight Magic


	...check out more Fantasy!

Excerpt from MIDNIGHT MAGIC
by Avi

CHAPTER ONE

In 1491, in the Kingdom of Pergamontio, there lived a twelve-year-old boy by the name of Fabrizio. He was the sole servant of Mangus the Magician.

One sweltering summer eve, near midnight, a violent storm broke over the city where Fabrizio lived. Lightning splintered the inky darkness. Thunder rumbled like siege guns. The falling rain fell with the sound of a million hissing snakes.

Dirty faced, scrawny, and shaggy haired, the boy was sitting in the dry front hall of his master's ancient timbered house, wearing an old, long-sleeved tunic with a belt made from a piece of frayed rope. His cloth boots were hand-me-downs of hand-me-downs.

Close at hand was a lantern that burned a flame no bigger than a button. There was also a cudgel with which he was supposed to beat away anyone who tried to enter the house. But as far as Fabrizio was concerned, the most important thing before him was a tattered pack of tarot cards. These cards, he believed, could fashion the future. Since he could envision no life for himself other than as a servant, it was his master's fate he wished to shape.

When the great cathedral bells rang twelve times, Fabrizio, knowing midnight was the best time to cast the cards, reached for the deck. But now that the hour had come, he was so nervous, his trembling fingers could barely square the pack of cards, much less shuffle them.

When he finally managed to do so, he took a deep breath, brushed the hair back from his eyes, and turned over the first card. It was

THE MAGICIAN

Fabrizio smiled. Who else could the card represent but Mangus?

He turned the second card. It was

THE SERVANT

This time, Fabrizio laughed. No doubt as to who that card represented. That his master's fate included him was exactly his desire.

Quickly, he laid out the next six cards:

THE CASTELLO THE KING THE GHOST
THE PRINCESS THE TUTOR THE QUEEN

Fabrizio frowned. He had hoped for something better.

It all looked too much like Mangus's past life. Nonetheless, the boy readied the last card, the one that would determine his master's ultimate fate.

Eyes shut, praying to see Riches, Fabrizio turned over the ninth and final card. When he opened his eyes and saw that the card was

DEATH

he gasped.

Even as he did, a crash of lightning shook the house. Simultaneously, an explosive pounding erupted on the front door. The summons came so suddenly, and at such an appallingly awful moment, the tarot cards spurted from his hands like a geyser.

Terribly frightened, Fabrizio scooped up the cards, jammed them into his pocket, groped for the cudgel and lantern, and jumped to his feet.

The knocking grew more insistent.

"I'm coming!" he cried as he hurried down the hallway. "I'm coming!"

By the time Fabrizio reached the front door, he decided to be cautious. No telling who - or what - was on the other side. Had he not just cast the Death card?

From Midnight Magic. Copyright © by Avi.

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"Great! Exciting! Amazing!" Jessy P., Age 11, U.S.A., Rating: 10 "I thought it was very wonderful, and I even used for a book report at school!!!" Grace, Age 11, Ontario, Rating: 9 "I thought the book was great!" Kelli H., Age 14, U.S.A., Rating: 8

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