Septimus seemed unimpressed. "Ullr's a Spirit-Seer cat. He's bound to get spooked sometimes with all the ghosts around here."
Jenna was not to be put off. "But it doesn't feel like ghosts, Sep. Anyway, most of the Palace ghosts Appear to me. I see tons of them." As if to prove her point, Jenna nodded graciously - a real Princess nod, thought Septimus - at what appeared to him to be thin air. "There. I've just seen the three cooks who got poisoned by the jealous housekeeper."
"That was nice for you," said Septimus, speeding up so that Jenna had to trot to keep up with him. They traveled quickly along the Long Walk, moving from the dancing flames of each rushlight into shadows and back into the light of the next.
"So I'd see if it was ghosts," Jenna persisted. "And it's not. In fact, all the ghosts are keeping away from that part of the corridor. Which just goes to show."
"To show what?" Septimus said irritably.
"That there's something bad up there. And I can't ask Marcia to check it out because Mum would throw a fit, but you're almost as good as Marcia now, aren't you? So please, Sep. Please just come and see."
"Can't Dad do it?"
"Dad keeps saying he'll have a look but he doesn't get round to it. He's always off somewhere. You know what he's like."
They had reached the large entrance hall, the light from a forest of candles illuminating its elegant flight of stairs and the thick old doors. Barney Pot had at last gone to bed and the entrance hall was empty. Septimus stopped and turned to Jenna. "Look Jen, I've got to go. There's loads I have to do."
"You don't believe me, do you?" Jenna sounded exasperated.
"Of course I do."
"Huh! Not enough to come and check out what's going on up there."
But Septimus wore the closed expression that Jenna had seen so much of over the previous few months. She hated it. It was as if, when she looked into Septimus's bright green eyes, there was something shielding him from her.
"Bye, Jen," he said. "Must go. Tomorrow's a big day."
Jenna made a big effort to shake off her disappointment. She didn't want Septimus to leave with bad feelings between them.
"I know," she agreed. "Happy birthday, Sep."
Jenna thought Septimus looked slightly surprised.
"Oh . . . yes. Thanks."
"It'll be such fun tomorrow," she said, linking her arm through his reluctant one and walking him toward the Palace doors. "It's great us having birthdays on the same day, don't you think? It's like we're twins. And on the Longest Night too, it's so special with all the Castle lit up. Like it's especially for us."
"Yeah." Septimus looked distracted, and Jenna could tell all he wanted to do was to get out of the door as fast as he could. "I really must go, Jen. I'll see you tomorrow evening."
"I'll walk you to the gates,"
"Oh." Septimus did not sound very enthusiastic.
They made their way down the drive, Septimus hurrying, Jenna trotting along beside.
"Sep . . ." said Jenna, breathless.
"Yeah?" Septimus sounded wary.
"Dad says you're at the same stage in your Apprenticeship as he was when he gave up."
"Mmm. S'pose I am."
"And one of the reasons he gave up, he said, was because he was going to have to do a bunch of Darke stuff and he didn't want to bring it home."
Septimus slowed down. "There were lots of reasons Dad gave up, Jen. Like he'd heard about the Queste too soon, and Mum was finding it tough on her own and he was going to have to work nights. All kinds of stuff."
"It was the Darke, Sep. That's what he told me."