«Try picking it up, young man» he said in such a tone that suggested that until now he was quite sure that he was being tricked with this newly-found offspring of the Calhoun kin.
William took his magic feather without any problems and gave Thomas Hill a questioning look. Seeing the feather in Williams hand made him speechless. The pause was so long that William couldnt help glancing at Nymus again. But the mailmage didnt need to intervene this time. The deputy of the Magic Post Office Master came back to his senses and started talking again:
«May I take a look at the name on the magic feather?»
William held the feather out for him, but the Postmaster deputy waved his enormous hands:
«No, no, please! Just hold your feather closer to me, itll be enough!»
Even though this request seemed strange to William, he wasnt surprised much with anything now. Holding his magic feather with both hands, he brought it closer to Thomas Hills face. He slightly leaned forward, then leaned back in his large armchair.
«Mister Calhoun,» he addressed William much more politely than a minute ago, «have you used it a lot all these years?»
«No, not once,» William confessed.
«Thats why the feather is without a handle» he bent over the feather again and examined it quickly, «I advise you to get a handle for the magic feather, Mister Calhoun. If you are going to study magic arts, you will definitely need a handle!»
«Yes, sir, I will!»
«Could you» he gestured for William to put the feather away, «say the Probatos spell to make sure all the formalities are followed, Mister Calhoun?»
It was time to give Nymus a questioning look again. He hurried to assist:
«Its easy, Master Calhoun!» he explained. «Take your magic feather and say loud and clear «Pobatio!
«Probatio!» William said and the spacious office of the Postmaster deputy Thomas Hill was lit with a bright green beam coming from the magic feather.
This lasted for about twenty seconds and everyone was silent. When the beam had disappeared, Thomas Hill stood up, walked around his table and headed to one of the cabinets his office was full of. Nymus and William watched him with no idea what was going on. Hill returned to his table with a piece of paper in his hand. He sat back into his armchair, took a feather from the table drawer and directed it at the paper, releasing the feather after a bit of thinking. For a few seconds, the feather hovered over the paper, then started writing something energetically.
Thomas Hill opened his eyes.
«This is, of course, none of my business, Mister Calhoun, but» he hesitated before asking the question: «tell me, what are your plans for the future?»
William thought that this was a rather odd question, considering the reason they came here for, but it was asked and he had to answer it.
«Well, Im going to study at the Preparatory Course to enter Temp» he broke off, «one of the MUnis.»
«Already aiming at Templedoor!» Thomas Hill smiled and continued without paying attention to Williams embarrassment: «Yes, its the right place for you, Mister Calhoun. Besides, you wont be the first Calhoun in there!» Suddenly he leaned back in his armchair and connected the tips of his fingers right beneath his nose. «I wonder if Fafner already knows about you»
«No, sir,» William replied, «why would he?»
«Quite a number of reasons, Mister Calhoun! Believe me! Well, this isnt my business!»
With that, he leaned forward and took the filled up piece of paper the feather had just stopped writing on and handed it to Nymus. The paper turned out to be a signed document reinstating Nymus as the mailmage of the Calhoun kin. Besides that, the document was a license that gave him the right to receive and transfer correspondence.
Nymus scanned the document and glowed with happiness.
«Right! Time to part, gentlemen! Dont forget to get your uniform, Nymus.»
«Yes, Your Mailness!»
«Good bye!» William said as he headed to the door. He wanted to put his magic feather back into the box, when there was a voice from behind.
«Oh, dont you even think of keeping your magic feather in the box again, Mister Calhoun, its disrespectful towards the creature! It is alive, you know!» his tone wasnt strict, but quite insistent.
«Alright, sir,» with that William put his feather into the pocket of his jeans.
Nymus and he left the office of the Postmaster deputy Thomas Hill.
«See, I told you it would be okay!» William said when they were walking along the corridor. «Im so happy for you!»
«Yes, I should not have worried, Master Calhoun! I need to visit the Equipment Department now. Wait here for me, I shall be right back.»
«Sure, Nymus, go on!»
And William sat on a bench to wait for Nymus. He came out five minutes later wearing a new outfit. He had the pale blue uniform of mailmages, not unlike the one postal workers wore. Nymuss shoulders were adorned with red feathers, almost like epaulettes, carrying words «Calhoun embroidered in gold.
«Would you look at my mailmage!» William made a show of dusting off his feathered shoulders. «You look great, Nymus!»
«Thank you, Master Calhoun!» Nymuss face glowed with happiness.
«Where to now?» William asked him.
«To register your magic feather!»
He took Williams hand and said the next destination clearly:
«Feather Nest!»
Chapter five
Feather Nest
After visiting the enormous hall of the Magic Post Office, completely covered with letters, William couldnt even imagine that he would face something similar. But he was wrong. The hall he and Nymus arrived at was just as huge. And the floor was also covered, but not with letters. William took a closer look. There were countless feathers all around, of different colours and sizes.
Nymus said by his side:
«Here we are!»
«Where are we, Nymus?» William asked.
«We are at the Feather Nest! This is where wizards get their magic feathers! And if there is a place that has the biggest number of all kinds of birds, then this is it!» he pointed at the feathers under their feet.
«And why is there nobody in here?»
«This is the flight room, Master Calhoun! By the end of the day, when the Feather Nest closes down, birds are allowed in here to fly. I shall stay here to wait for you while you are inside,» he pointed at an unremarkable door on the far wall of the hall.
No wonder William hadnt noticed it at first.
«But why should I go there alone?» William asked. He didnt want to part with Nymus. He was used to the mailmage always being by his side, to them doing everything and going everywhere together.
«Those are the rules, Master Calhoun,» Nymus replied. «No wizard may enter the Feather Nest accompanied by another person. This excludes mistakes in the choice the birds make.»
«What choice? What are you talking about?»
«You see, Master Calhoun, when a wizard enters the Feather Nest for the first time, one of the birds flies over and grants him a feather. Before coming here, wizards can only guess which bird will choose them.»
«What happens next?» William asked, thinking that this procedure reminded him of a childs game more and more.
«After one of the birds comes down from its perch and grants its feather to a wizard, Mister Wellington takes the feather, examines it and explains how to treat that exact feather and which personality that feather has. Then he registers the feather in the Feather Tome and gives it to its new owner.»