said the wizard. “And you’re that overreaching, jumped-up apprentice I keep hearing about, aren’t you? The one who wants to be a king?” “No,” said Jinx, getting to his feet. “I’m Jinx.” “That’s the chap I mean.” “And I don’t want to be a king!” “Supreme ruler, then. Emperor.” “I don’t—” Jinx began hotly. “What’s become of Simon Magus, eh? We’ve all been wondering.” “So have I,” said Jinx. “And I don’t want to be an emperor.” “Oh, come now.” The wizard made a tut-tut noise. “You’ve obviously done something with him. It must have taken clever spellwork, too, since I’ll wager you had to get around a deathbinding curse.” Jinx clenched his fists. “I would never hurt Simon. He’s one of my favorite people.” “You can’t have met many people, then,” said Angstwurm. “And now you’re trying to set up your own empire, at the age of what—twelve?” “Fourteen and a half,” said Jinx, and immediately wished he’d left off the half.
