Free Archie Greene and the Magician's Secret by D D Everest Page B

There’s no telling what might pop out of them! Now let’s see what else we’ve got. Pass me that brown book over there.’
    Archie picked up a book that smelled earthy.
    ‘A natural magic book,’ Old Zeb explained. ‘Written by the magician who tended the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.’
    The old man peered at it through a large magnifying glass. ‘Quite straightforward,’ he said. ‘Couple of small rips in the cover – look like they were made by rose thorns. And it’s shedding some of its leaves. Nothing that some manure and a drink of water won’t fix!’
    The old bookbinder picked up a small hole punch and a hammer and made two holes in the book’s spine. Then he took a large needle that looked like a hook for catching very large fish and threaded it with green gardening twine. With surprising speed the old man stitched the loose pages back, carefully knotting the twine before cutting off the end with some garden shears.
    Next, he applied some glue from a small pot on the workbench to the tear in the cover. Then, to Archie’s surprise, he picked up a battered old watering can and liberally sprinkled it with water.
    ‘Nearly done,’ he muttered. ‘Just needs a bit of manure. Stick it in that bucket over there,’ he added, pointing to an old wooden one in a corner of the workshop.
    ‘Yes, that’s it,’ he added when Archie looked unsure. ‘Just bury it deep in the muck. Be good as new in no time.’
    Archie gave him a quizzical glance, but realised that he was completely serious.
    ‘Right,’ said Old Zeb, ‘I’m just nipping out for a moment to see if Marjorie has anything urgent for me. Won’t be long. Finish what you’re doing and have a cup of tea. Don’t touch anything.’
    The old bookbinder opened the workshop door and stepped out, whistling his way along the passageway. Archie picked up the bucket. Heplunged the gardening book into the manure, being careful not to get it on his hands. The book had a sweet smell like magnolia blossom. He smiled to himself. He felt a bit silly burying a book in horse dung.
    When he was finished he collected the teacups from the workbench and was just putting the kettle on the stove to boil, when he caught sight of the poppers.
    Archie felt a little surge of curiosity. He glanced over at the door. What harm could it do to have a quick peek as long as he was careful?
    He turned his head sideways, reading the spines. One in particular caught his eye:
Medieval Magic: Charming Knights.
    Archie opened the book and ran his eye down the table of contents. The names of different knights were listed. Half way down he spotted Sir Bodwin the Bold. His coat of arms was a roaring lion and the reference said he was the bravest knight in all of England. Archie opened the book to the page, expecting a three-dimensional image to pop up.
    Sure enough, out popped a parchment knight in full armour seated on a black horse. Archie couldn’t see anything magic about it. He noticed that instead of sitting up straight on his horse, the parchment was torn so that Sir Bodwin was tilted at an angle as if he was falling out of hissaddle. It made the knight look rather comical.
    Only a small repair was needed and Archie couldn’t resist having a go. He took Old Zeb’s needle and put in a stitch that pulled Sir Bodwin back into an upright position. He stood back and admired his handiwork just as the kettle started to whistle.
    He was taking the kettle off the heat with his back to the popper when he detected a sulphurous smell, like a match being struck. There was a loud popping sound behind him, followed by the whinnying of a horse.
    ‘Steady, girl,’ said a man’s voice.
    For a moment, Archie didn’t trust himself to turn around.
    When he did, he couldn’t believe his eyes. Standing in the workshop, with its tail swishing and its nostrils flaring, was a full-sized black warhorse clad in silver armour. Mounted on the horse was a knight, also in full armour, with a red plume