To make things worse, Chrestomanci himself was extremely interested in Toninos magic. He spent large parts of the next few days with Tonino doing experiments to discover just what the extent of Toninos powers was, while Cat, who was used to being the one with the interesting magic, was left to wrestle with problems of Magic Theory by himself in Chrestomancis study.
Tonino, Chrestomanci said, by way of explanation, can, it seems, not only reinforce other peoples spells,
but also make use of any magic other people do. If its true, its a highly unusual ability. And by the way, he added, turning round in the doorway, looking tall enough to brush the ceiling, you dont seem to have shown Tonino round the castle yet. How come?
I was busy I forgot, Cat muttered sulkily.
Fit it into your crowded schedule soon, please, Chrestomanci said, or I may find myself becoming seriously irritated.
Cat sighed, but nodded. No one disobeyed Chrestomanci when he got like this. But now he had to face the fact that Chrestomanci knew exactly how Cat was feeling and had absolutely no patience with it. Cat sighed again as he got down to his problems.
Magic Theory left him completely bewildered. His trouble was that he could, instinctively, do magic that used very advanced Magic Theory indeed, and he had no idea how he did it. Sometimes he did not even know he was doing magic. Chrestomanci said Cat must learn Theory or he might one day do something quite terrible by mistake. As far as Cat was concerned, the one thing he wanted magic to do was to solve Theory problems, and that seemed to be the one thing you couldnt use it for.
He got six answers he knew were nonsense. Then, feeling very neglected and put-upon, he took Tonino on a tour of the castle. It was not a success. Tonino looked white and tired and timid almost the whole time, and shivered in the long cold passages and on all the dark chilly staircases. Cat could not think of anything to say except utterly obvious things like, This is called the Small Drawing Room, or, This is the schoolroom we have lessons here with Michael Saunders, but hes away in Greenland just now, or, Heres the front hall its made of marble.
The only time Tonino showed the slightest interest was when they came to the big windows that overlooked the velvety green lawn and the great cedars of the gardens. He actually hooked a knee on the windowsill to look down at it.
My mother has told me of this, he said, but I never thought it would be so wet and green.
How does your mother know about the gardens? Cat asked.
She is English. She was brought up here in this castle when Gabriel de Witt, who was Chrestomanci before this one, collected many children with magic talents to be trained here, Tonino replied.
Cat felt annoyed and somehow cheated that Tonino had a connection with the castle anyway. Then youre English too, he said. It came out as if he were accusing Tonino of a crime.
No, I am Italian, Tonino said firmly. He added, with great pride, I belong to the foremost spell-house in Italy.
There did not seem to be any reply to this. Cat did think of saying, And Im going to be the next Chrestomanci Ive got nine lives, you know, but he knew this would be silly and boastful. Tonino had not been boasting really. He had been trying to say why he did not belong in the castle. So Cat simply took Tonino back to the playroom, where Julia was only too ready to teach him card games, and mooched away, feeling he had done his duty. He tried to avoid Tonino after that. He did not like being made to feel the way Tonino made him feel.
Unfortunately, Julia went down with measles the next day, and Roger the day after that. Cat had had measles long before he came to the castle, and so had Tonino. Janet could not remember whether she had had them or not, although she assured them that there was measles in the world she came from, because you could be injected against it. Maybe Ive been injected, she suggested hopefully.
Chrestomancis wife Millie gave Janet a worried look. I think youd better stay away from Roger and Julia all the same, she said.
But youre an enchantress, Janet said. You could stop me getting them.
Magic has almost no effect on measles, Millie told her. I wish it did, but it doesnt. Cat can see Roger and Julia if he wants, but you keep away.
Cat went to Rogers bedroom and then Julias and was shocked at how ill they both were. He could see it was going to be weeks before they were well enough to look after Tonino. He found himself, quite urgently and cold-bloodedly (and in spite of what Millie had said) putting a spell on Janet to make sure she did not go down with measles too. He knew as he did it that it was probably the most selfish thing he had ever done, but he simply could not bear to be the only one left to look after Tonino. By the time he got back to the schoolroom, he was in a very bad mood.
How are they? Janet asked him anxiously.
Awful, Cat said out of his bad mood. Rogers sort of purple and Julias uglier than ever.