The Damn Artefacts

Lana Gilman

Ted Spencer on finishing the school of magic starts to work as an employee at the Department of Magic in the British Museum. Putting Meryl the Magician’s last will into effect, he and his girlfriend Alice Fortescue set off through the Time Portal into the past, to look for the magic artefacts. The first page of the Magic Book delegates them to the 14th century Scotland.

The Damn Artefacts

The Time Portal

Lana Gilman

© Lana Gilman, 2016

© Vlad Zaborov, translation, 2016

Created with intellectual publishing system Ridero

ChapterВ 1

The last day of June happened to be ferociously hot: the weather was quite favorable, suitable for bathing in the river or lying in the sun, especially if you lived in England where rain and fog prevail. Yet, one is forced not to pay attention to such nice weather; – after all, today is the last day of school. Another couple of minutes and the Third Master himself will be able to grant you the school certificate; as well as the portal-ring, through which magicians are able to move from place to place all over Great Britain within seconds.

Ted Spencer was awaiting his turn, stealthily casting glances at a girl who was sitting two rows ahead of him. «Alice…» – Ted whispered his sweetheart’s name. Were they not going to meet any longer, and is he not going to share the most important thing with her, unveiling his heart? Today both of them were finishing their studies at the School of Magic and Enchantment. Tomorrow students would leave this place for somewhere else. Ted was weighing a job offer in London. Actually, Alice is a Londoner. Well, their ways might occasionally get crossed somewhere out there.

«Spencer Ted», – he heard his name, got up and headed for the stage, in order to obtain the long-awaited certificate and the portal-ring.

«Congratulations from the bottom of my heart», – pronounced the Master, a scrawny man of an average height in his early fifties. His black greyish hair was cropped short and his grey eyes looked cold and emotionless. – «Please accept our special thanks for your aid in gaining the upper hand over the Black Wizard».

В«Thank you, MasterВ».

Ted took his certificate, put the ring onto his annular and returned to his seat. On his way back he once again cast a glance at Alice, a tall slim fair-haired and blue-eyed beauty, who was smiling at him and clapping her hands. Well, in fact, not only him, but the rest, too. This is it – he had just turned into an adult magician.

Issuance of certificates was over. Everybody got up in order to disperse to their rooms, pack their belongings and take off home right after lunch. Ted lingered for a while, for Alice to pass by, and then followed her. All of a sudden someone’s hand lay on his shoulder. Ted turned around and saw the Principal.

В«Ted, could you please come toВ my office?В»

В«Sure, Mr. Sunrace. When?В»

В«InВ half an hourВ».

В«All right, sirВ».

Ted looked back, but Alice had already left the assembly hall. He sighed and made up his mind toВ pass the time inВ their school cafeteria. It was almost empty. Ted spotted his friend Jeffrey sitting at one ofВ the tables. They had been friends since Grade 1: Ted, aВ hazelnut-eyed boy with black hair, and Jeff, aВ grey-haired blond lad. Now both ofВ them had turned eighteen and both had become tall, handsome and well-proportioned youths.

«Hi there, Jeff. Aren’t you getting your things packed?»

«I’m going to make it. Got a bad headache in this hall. I must have lost sight of you back there. Why didn’t you wait for me?»

«Sorry, bloke. Hold on, I’ll be right back…»

Ted bought aВ cup ofВ coffee and sat down at the table, right opposite Jeffrey.

В«The Principal detained me. Wants me toВ drop inВ at his office inВ half an hourВ».

В«What for?В»

В«No clueВ».

В«Well, maybe, he is willing toВ offer you some job?В»

В«AВ job? What kind ofВ job?В»

«Don’t you want to stay in here and teach the freshmen?»

Ted raised his e