17
Aunt Hat’s magic handbag was becoming the talk of the town. It wasn’t only children who wanted to see her magic show. Offers began to pour in from around the world: Paris offered her the Opera House to star in; New York, the Met; London, Covent Garden. All were willing to pay amounts of money Aunt Hat had only dreamed of. Aunt Hat was becoming quite a star. Her picture appeared on the front page of the Wizards’ World. The headline read: AUNT HAT—THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY MAGICIAN EVER! OR IS THE SECRET IN THE BAG?
Everyone wanted to know how the magic was done, and more to the point, how had such a hopeless magician as Aunt Hat become an overnight sensation?
But things were getting a little out of control. It was like winning the lottery, only better and a bit more worrying.
Aunt Hat was right to worry that with all this attention, sooner or later, she would come to the notice of a certain somebody, and it wouldn’t take this certain somebody long to work out the secret of the magic bag. When that happened, Aunt Hat knew that Ruby would be in great danger.
Ruby was blissfully unaware of Aunt Hat’s worries or the razzmatazz that was surrounding them. She was enjoying being with Aunt Hat and finding out about the fun in magic. She had never felt happier. She had even stopped worrying about whether the magic was due to her or the bag. Aunt Hat was right, it didn’t matter.
But now that they had been asked to perform in such grand theaters Ruby felt the time had come to see if she could fly. After all, her father and mother both could. She had been practicing for the past week. It was lucky that Aunt Hat was so good at catching, otherwise Ruby might really have come to grief.
She was forever launching herself off the ends of tables, convinced that this time she would defy gravity and fly, but she had no success. She must be doing something wrong. Her father had been able to waft out of his lamp like a true genie should, as well as walking on two legs like everybody else. Her mother had also been good at flying, though she never did it in polite society. Flying, she used to say, is so theatrical and looks out of place in a sitting room. Ruby wondered whether, if she still had her father’s lamp, she would be able to waft or if she had her mother’s wand would she be able to fly?
It wasn’t long before the Great Alfonso saw the pictures of Aunt Hat and her famous bag. At first he took little notice. The rumors he had heard about Aunt Hat were too far-fetched to be believed. He knew for a fact that Aunt Hat was useless at magic. There must be some mistake, of that he was sure. Why, the other day, she had been spotted talking to this bag!
“As mad as a hairbrush,” Alfonso had chuckled to himself. That was before he’d seen the pictures in the newspaper.
Alfonso’s chuckle turned to rage. Why, that was his bag, and that must be Ruby Genie doing the magic. How dare that good-for-nothing little twerp treat him, the Great Alfonso, so badly! He would get her back and this time Ruby would do as she was told. She would make that lamp work if it was the last thing she ever did.
18
Miss Pinkerton was in one of her rare good moods. The Grand Wizard had said he wanted to make another visit to the school. Much to her surprise and relief, it seemed he had been most impressed last time he was there. Miss Pinkerton was positively purring with delight. Thank goodness, she thought to herself, that I got rid of that troublesome Ruby Genie. What on earth possessed me to give that child a scholarship? Miss Fisher was right, it was probably the reading that had ruined her. But now all that was safely behind them. The main thing was that the Grand Wizard was clearly, although somewhat unexpectedly, pleased with the talent displayed by the other pupils. Congratulations were in order, of that she was sure.
But, oh dear me, poor Miss Pinkerton was in for a nasty shock.
The Grand Wizard looked as though he would explode with rage when Miss Pinkerton, in a cheerful voice, told him that Ruby Genie was no longer at the school. He looked so cross, in fact, that for one moment Miss Pinkerton feared she would be turned into a toad.
“You have done what?” he shouted. “I thought you were looking after her! Instead, you let her go off with a man you have never set eyes on before, who claims to be her uncle! What on earth possessed you?”
Miss Pinkerton was taken aback. “He seemed like a very nice man, I thought. Ruby is a lucky girl to have such a caring uncle.”
“Miss Pinkerton,” said the Grand Wizard slowly, trying to contain his anger. “Am I hearing you right? You let a ten-year-old orphan go off with a complete stranger because he told you he was her uncle and he seemed like a nice man?”
Miss Pinkerton looked worried. “I thought it was for the best, her being so bad at magic and always having her nose stuck in a book.”
She had hardly finished speaking when the Grand Wizard let out a growl. “You thought, did you! The stars save us from any more of your ghastly thoughts. Did he take the lamp and the wand too?”
“Yes,” admitted Miss Pinkerton a little sheepishly. “Though I did try to suggest that we keep them as payment for her schooling.”
The Grand Wizard raised his bushy eyebrows in disbelief. “Oh really! Do I make myself clear when I tell you that Ruby has no uncles? He wanted Ruby because he saw something you have woefully failed to see—that Ruby is destined to become one of the great genies of our time.”
“But Grand Wizard,” said Miss Pinkerton feebly, “when you came to our Open Day you seemed rather disappointed with Ruby.”
The Grand Wizard said very slowly, as if talking to a three-year-old, “On the contrary, Miss Pinkerton. I was amazed to see her there. I came today to see how you were managing. But what do I find? No Ruby!”
Miss Pinkerton was lost for words. “Are you sure,” she said, trying to look on the bright side, “that we are talking about the same girl? I mean, you don’t think you’re muddling her up with her friend Lily?”
“No, Miss Pinkerton,” said the Grand Wizard, “I have not muddled her up with anyone. Ruby Genie was the girl I saw trying, if I remember correctly, to pull a rabbit from a hat.”
“Yes,” said Miss Pinkerton, puffing herself up, “and failing.”
“Yes, failing to pull a miserable rabbit from a hat, but doing something far more extraordinary—shrinking.”
Miss Pinkerton turned white and sat down heavily on a chair.
“Oh dear, I didn’t think anything of it, I mean it wasn’t the first time . . .” Her voice trailed off as all the clocks began to chime the hour. The Grand Wizard frowned and raised his hand. The room was silent.
“Quite,” said the Grand Wizard. “Not even her vain and silly parents had seen what a wonderful little genie she would turn out to be. I was impressed that you had spotted a very gifted child. Even Wizodean Academy had failed to see her talent. I thought I had underestimated you as a headmistress. I was delighted that you had given her a scholarship. And when you assured me she was in good hands, I was doubly pleased.”
“Oh dear me,” whimpered Miss Pinkerton. “What have I done?”
“What indeed,” said the Grand Wizard. “Do you have any idea how powerful that lamp is? Once its power is roused, Ruby could be caught in it forever. Due to your woeful stupidity, Ruby Genie is now in great danger.”
19
The plan was so simple that it made the Great Alfonso smile. It would be like stealing candy from a baby.
Aunt Hat had just finished performing her magic show at a house on Market Street. As usual a crowd of people were waiting for autographs. It was then that Alfonso made his move.
“Madam, that is my handbag,” he said loudly.
Aunt Hat took no notice. Alfonso wasn’t the least put out.
“Lady, I was talking to you. That is my bag! You stole it from me.”
The crowd let out a gasp. Aunt Hat looked flustered.
“I want my bag back,” said Alfonso, and he grabbed hold of the bag and to Aunt Hat’s astonishment began to walk away with it, as cool as a cucumber.
“Come back!” she yelled. “You have no right to take my
bag!”
The crowd ran after Alfonso. A large man took the bag from him and handed it to Aunt Hat.
“Oh thank you,” said Aunt Hat, much relieved. Alfonso glared at her.
“I, the Great Alfonso, accuse you of being nothing more than a common thief,” he said.
“That’s absurd!” said Aunt Hat.
“Now look here, my good man, that’s no way to talk to a lady,” said a gentleman in the crowd.
“Quite right,” said another.
“Well!” said the large man who had rescued the bag from Alfonso. “There is a simple way to solve this problem. The judge can sort it out.”
The judge was rather surprised to see her courtroom fill up with so many people. She was even more surprised by Alfonso’s claims that this famous handbag had once belonged to him.
“You have accused Miss Hat of stealing this handbag. Would you please tell the court how it came to be stolen in the first place?”
“With pleasure,” said Alfonso. Here he was, the Great Alfonso, center stage, with everyone looking at him. What bliss!
“That woman,” he said in a theatrical voice, “took my bag from me, just after I’d finished doing a special piece of magic, which involved creating a genie to put inside it.” He paused and sighed. “I was, as you can imagine, exhausted after my exertions. I put the bag on the window-sill. Unfortunately a gust of wind blew it off, and it fell onto the street below. It was caught by that woman there. I asked, nay, I begged her to give it back but she ran off with it down the street. I tried to go after her, but by the time I got downstairs to the street she was gone.” Alfonso blew his nose loudly and dabbed his eyes. “That woman has robbed the Great Alfonso of his fortune and his fame. I assure you that without my magic, that bag is worthless.”
There was silence in the court. “This is a very serious accusation,” said the judge to Aunt Hat. “How do you defend yourself?”
Aunt Hat stood up. “I didn’t steal the bag. I would never do such a thing. It is true that the bag was thrown from Alfonso’s window and that I caught it. I asked him if it is was his and he said ‘No, what would I want with a handbag? ’ Those were his very words. I took it home and the rest is history.”
“The true owner of the bag will know what it contains,” said the judge. “Mr. Alfonso, please tell the court what was in the bag.”
“Nothing,” said Alfonso grandly. “Only a small genie and all my hopes and dreams.”
The magistrate looked in the bag. She could see nothing. She put her hand in the bag. She could feel nothing. She turned the bag upside down. No genie. Ruby was well hidden.
“The bag may well contain all your hopes and dreams, Mr. Alfonso, but it has no genie in it,” said the magistrate. “As far as I can see, it is completely empty. Miss Hat, would you like to tell the court what you had in the bag?”
“Oh, nothing much,” said Aunt Hat. “A hanky, a purse, a hat and of course a hatstand, a table and chair, a teapot, cups and saucers, and don’t forget the plate of cakes. Did I mention the candlesticks? Then of course there’s my umbrella—one is never sure what the weather will do. And oh dear, I nearly forgot the pond and the ducks. I can’t go anywhere without them.”
“This is ridiculous. This woman is making fun of the law,” said Alfonso.
The judge opened the bag for the second time. “There is, as I said, nothing in this bag.”
“There must be some mistake,” said Aunt Hat. “I know for a fact that I put those things in this morning. Well, wait a moment. I might have left my purse at home after all. I do hope not.”
All this time, Ruby had been hiding in her secret compartment, trying not to be seen or felt. She had been quite joggled about when the judge had tipped the bag upside down.
The judge was about to give her verdict when, to her astonishment, a purse came flying out of the bag.
“Oh good,” said Aunt Hat. “I thought I hadn’t left it at home.”
The courtroom soon filled up with a hatstand, a table laid for tea, a plate of cakes, three candlesticks, a pond complete with ducks and weeds, and last of all, a large hanky that flew straight into Aunt Hat’s pocket. A loud cheer went up for Aunt Hat.
The case was about to be dismissed when Miss Pinkerton came charging in.
“Arrest that man!” she shouted at the top of her voice, pointing at Alfonso. Then she marched right into the duckpond.
The judge looked taken aback. “Order in the court!” she said. “Order!”
Miss Pinkerton, her mouth full of pond weeds, cried out again, “Arrest that man! He has abducted a child!”
In the chaos that followed, the Great Alfonso disappeared and so did Aunt Hat’s bag.
20
Aunt Hat had never felt so miserable. She had lost Ruby, the one little person she loved. What was she going to do? And, more importantly, how was she going to get Ruby back? She would have to work out a plan. Alfonso must be stopped before he did anything dreadful.
“No time for lunch. It’s time for action,” said Aunt Hat to an empty kitchen.
“That’s a pity,” came back a small voice. “I was feeling quite hungry.”
Aunt Hat couldn’t believe her eyes. There, standing on the kitchen table, was Ruby. “Oh my petal, it’s you, it really is you! How did you do it?”
“Well,” said Ruby, feeling rather pleased with herself, “I flew. I was so scared of being taken away by Alfonso, I just hid under the hanky, and concentrated very hard, hoping it would work, and thank goodness, it did!”
Never had two people been more pleased to see each other. They sat drinking tea and eating chocolate cake and talking about what to do next.
“Why do you think Miss Pinkerton turned up?” said Ruby.
“I suppose,” said Aunt Hat, “because she felt guilty at having let you go off with Alfonso in the first place.”
“Silly old Miss Pinkerton,” laughed Ruby. “It served her right when she fell into the duckpond, with the weeds and the ducks all flapping around.”
“I had no idea that pond was so deep,” said Aunt Hat. “Now, down to serious business. What are we going to do about Alfonso? As soon as he realizes you aren’t inside the bag, he’s going to come looking for you.”
“Why?” asked Ruby. “I can’t make the lamp work, or the wand either. I don’t know how.”
“I don’t think the lamp and the wand matter anymore,” said Aunt Hat. “He just wants you because you’re so amazing at magic.”
Ruby looked worried. “I don’t think it’s anything to do with me. I think the magic is in the bag.”
“Let’s find out,” said Aunt Hat. “See if you can make some sweets appear without the bag, my petal.”
Ruby tried her hardest, but nothing happened. “It’s no good,” she said, looking very small and sad.
“Well, this will never do. What right has that old buffoon to go around taking things that aren’t his?” said Aunt Hat, putting on her hat and coat. “We’ll just have to go to his apartment and get the bag back, and while we’re about it we’ll get the lamp and the wand too.”
That evening, under cover of darkness, they set out for Alfonso’s magic shop. Ruby traveled in Aunt Hat’s pocket. Fortunately no one was around to see them break in.
The shop was scary, full of jars filled with sinister-looking things and masks that looked like real faces in the darkness. Aunt Hat tripped over something and it made a loud noise, like a clap of thunder.
“Oh pants!” she whispered. “We’re in for it now!”
They waited, half expecting the lights to go on and Alfonso to be standing there, but all was quiet.
“He keeps the lamp and the wand upstairs in a safe,” said Ruby. Aunt Hat shined a flashlight to light the way.
Alfonso’s room looked as if a hurricane had struck it. He had obviously had one of his famous tantrums. Everything in it had been broken or smashed. Aunt Hat picked up the bag. It was quite battered and turned inside out. Then she tripped over the lamp, which
had been thrown carelessly on the floor. Aunt Hat put Ruby and the lamp on the one remaining table for safekeeping, and started looking for the wand.
21
“What a touching scene!” Alfonso’s voice boomed in the quiet room. Aunt Hat nearly jumped out of her skin and dropped the flashlight. Alfonso turned the lights on.
“Don’t move,” he said. “I’ve got you both now.” He made a grab for Ruby. “Well, isn’t this Alfonso’s lucky day?”
“Oh pants,” said Aunt Hat as Alfonso tied her up.
“I can now add housebreaking to your list of crimes,” Alfonso chuckled. “As for you,” he said to Ruby, “we have work to do. This time there is no playing with the Great Alfonso.”
Just then there was a loud banging at the door. “Oh ramblasting!” said Alfonso. “I will not be disturbed!”
Holding Ruby tightly in one sweaty hand, and the lamp in the other, he climbed down the stairs to the basement. Ruby felt very frightened. Alfonso’s footsteps echoed as if the basement went on forever.
Alfonso put Ruby on a workbench with the lamp next to her.
“Now, my dear little genie girl, make that lamp work.”
Ruby closed her eyes and tried her best, but nothing happened.
“It will be the end of you, you miserable child, if you don’t!” yelled Alfonso.
“I can’t do magic without my bag,” said Ruby bravely, though her teeth were chattering.
Alfonso grabbed her and rushed upstairs again, holding her tightly. The banging on the door was getting louder. There was not a minute to lose.
He picked up the bag.