Magenta McPhee by Catherine Bateson Page B

guess.’
    â€˜They’re working. I tell you, Mags, they’re working. Last night I cast a finding spell and Jane found this locket she hasn’t been able to find for the past year. She was overjoyed.’
    â€˜So did you tell her?’
    â€˜That I’m a witch? Are you crazy? Of course not. She’d go bonkers. Jane’s not into the occult. Her deepest mystery is puff pastry.’
    â€˜Surely Marcus would understand?’
    â€˜Marcus is so self-obsessed that he only understands his own ego,’ Polly said. ‘I tell you, he’d better be the genius Jane thinks he is or she’s in for a disappointed old age.’
    â€˜Are things okay?’ I asked hesitantly. Polly could be sharp with her family, but this sounded bitter.
    â€˜Yeah, fine. Witches shouldn’t be thanked for their work, not unless someone approaches them directly. I’m still in the apprentice stage, of course, so no one’slikely to approach me. Except you. And I know you’ll thank me, Magenta.’
    â€˜Yeah, well of course. If Dad gets a job, I’ll credit you. Absolutely.’
    â€˜Thanks, Magenta. Best friends for life?’
    â€˜Best friends for life,’ I said, and we pinky-hugged.
    â€˜We’d better get that email written then,’ Polly said, pulling away and settling her notebook on her knee in a business-like manner.
    That took the rest of the lunch. I’d thought writing fantasy was hard, but that was just making stuff up. Writing Dad’s emails was much more difficult. It had to really sound like him. But a different kind of him. The him that this Lianna might really like.
    â€˜Sort of gentle but manly, supportive but not demanding, interesting but interested,’ Polly said, ‘the perfect listener, but someone who’s not afraid to speak up as well.’
    â€˜How do you know this kind of stuff?’
    â€˜Jane reads magazines and romances. She says they help stop her from cooking in her dreams. But I reckon it’s because Marcus is so removed. From us anyway. He’s there for Jeremy. Jeremy only needs to fart and he’s got Marcus’s complete attention. Jane and I could be on fire and he’d put the finishing touches to whatever he was working on before he’d pick up the bucket of water.’
    â€˜Did you guys have a fight?’
    â€˜Not a fight, exactly. The other person has to be around to have a fight. I’m just not talking to him. Can we get on with the email?’
    â€˜Okay, let’s work on one aspect at a time. Let’s start with answering her questions.’
    I was proud of the return email. We kept it reasonably short – to fit in with Spooky’s expectations. We cut out an awesome that crept in and said grand instead. Grand sounded more grown up. And Polly made me cut most of my questions about Cal. I must admit I was quite intrigued by him. Although my passion for Richard is undying, I could do with some practice in boy/girl stuff.
    â€˜I’ll type it up and send it tonight,’ I said. ‘I hope she takes her time in replying to this one. Doesn’t she know you shouldn’t be too eager? I just don’t want to spend all my lunchtimes writing emails from my dad. It’s hard work, Polly.’
    â€˜I know. Eventually, of course, they’ll have to meet. But wait until they get to know each other better.’
    â€˜You mean wait until she gets to know what we think he’s like with other adults and we get to know her better.’
    â€˜That sounds like Maths,’ Polly said, ‘but I think you’re probably right.’
    â€˜All my creative energy is going into this,’ I said. ‘I’llprobably be too exhausted to write the Chronicles tonight and have to do homework instead.’
    â€˜What about my spells?’
    â€˜They’re just little poems, Polly, not like a whole big book.’
    â€˜Just as hard to write. You have to