A Hero at the End of the World Read Online Free Page B

going to do with it?”
    It was a worrisome thought. There was only so much magical energy any one person could possess; most people hit a wall as soon as they attempted to take in anything outside of their source of magic. But certain people had a greater capacity for magic than others did, and those people—like Duff Slan, like Oliver—could be properly dangerous if they put their minds to it. It was rumored that the Government had a watch list for people like that.
    “Look,” Sophie said quietly. She nodded over his shoulder.
    One of the officers had lingered behind and was waiting for them to finish their conversation. He shuffled his feet. “Sir? I hope you don’t mind, but can I have your autograph? It’s for me little girl, Grace. She wants to be a hero like you one day.”
    “No problem,” Oliver replied. From the inner pocket of his bomber jacket he pulled out one of the photos he carried around for exactly this sort of thing. “
To Grace
,” he read aloud as he scribbled on the back, “
all the best, Oliver Abrams, slayer
.”
    “I think I’m going to vomit,” said Sophie.
    The officer thanked him and took the picture, all the while glaring at Sophie.
    “They don’t like it when you malign their heroes,” Oliver said. He nudged her shoulder with his.
    She raised an eyebrow at him. “They didn’t watch you eat three hot dogs at the cinema last week.”
    “Well, I’ve seen
you—
”
    Suddenly, a flash of memory struck Oliver.
    “Cor,” he said. He covered his eyes with his hand. “I’ve remembered what Zaubernegativum is.”

Chapter 3
    A bored-looking Archibald Gardener Hobbes was sitting on the front steps of Ewan’s parents’ flat when he arrived home from the shops.
    Ewan had spotted his stupid golden head from down the street, but hadn’t fully grasped who it was until it was too late. Surely, he thought, Archie wouldn’t be so thick as to hound him again after he had told him to piss off. Yet there he was. He looked well out of place among the worn-out red-and-white terraced homes that lined the street; it was doubtful that Archie’s neighbors tossed their rubbish into each other’s gardens or had broken upstairs windows from where the kids had been playfully throwing spells.
    It had not been too long since Ewan had dashed out with the excuse that they didn’t have what he wanted for tea. His parents had just returned from a monthlong holiday in Hong Kong visiting relatives, and Ewan hadn’t been able to take any more shouting about how he hadn’t cleaned up in a month. Seeing Archie now made him hesitate; he was tempted to head off to the park to wait him out.
    But a quick glance through the bay window showed Ewan’s parents in the front room. They were oblivious to the fact that some knob was sitting right outside the door. Something twisted in him, and, furious, he marched up to the idling Archie, gripping his carrier bag tightly enough to turn his knuckles white.
    “How’d you find out where I live?” he demanded.
    “I have my ways,” Archie replied haughtily. This time he was wearing a heavy cabled cardigan with a pale blue scarf wrapped loosely around his neck. His hair shone in the gray afternoon light. Ewan was wearing tracksuit bottoms and a sweatshirt advertising Disneyland Paris.
    Ewan stared him down until he admitted, this time less brashly, “Location spell.”
    “You do know this is unhealthy behavior, right?” Ewan growled. “I should ring the police.”
    Archie held up a finger. “But you won’t. Because you’re curious—”
    Ewan dug out his mobile phone.
    “—And because I’m deeply sorry for this gross violation of privacy?” he continued in a rush, climbing to his feet.
    “I told you I wanted to be left alone,” said Ewan, but he reluctantly slipped his mobile back into his pocket.
    “Mum wants you to come to dinner.”
    Surely Ewan had misheard. “You told your
mum
about me?”
    Archie looked at him as if he had said something