Olivia's Enchanted Summer by Lyn Gardner

a number,” the boy was saying. “Any number, maybe a favourite number, but for your own sakes make it a fairly simple one because you are going to do some arithmetic with it.” The boy paused. “Right, are you all thinking of a number?” The crowd nodded. “Don’t tell anyone your number, it’s your own personal secret number, and for you it’s going to be a magic number. Now double your number.” He paused briefly again. “Now add fourteen.” Some people, including Eel, frowned as they did the adding up.
    The boy continued. “What I need you to do now is to divide this new number in two.” Lots of people in the crowd were frowning in concentration. “Almost there,” he said. “I promise, your brains will stop hurting soon. Now take away your original number from your new number, and you will all be left with another number. And I can tell you that the number you are all left with is the number seven.”
    A ripple of amazement ran through the crowd and everyone applauded. The boy bowed several times. As the crowd drifted away, hestarted to pack up his things.
    â€œHello again,” said Olivia. The boy looked up and grinned. Once again, Olivia was struck by how much he looked like Jack.
    â€œThat’s clever but it’s not really magic, is it?” said Georgia shyly.
    The boy smiled again. “You’re right, it’s more maths than magic,” he said. “But most people don’t really want to know how or why it works. They just want to be amazed.” He leaned forward and plucked an apple from behind Georgia’s ear before taking a bite out of it. Georgia looked so astonished that they all laughed.
    â€œSee, it’s a real apple, but you’ve allowed yourself to be deceived into thinking that it was behind your ear. What you saw and what you think you saw are two different things. The eyes and the brain play tricks on each other.”
    â€œYou’re the best magician I’ve ever seen,” said Aeysha.
    â€œAre you in a show?” asked Olivia.
    The boy shook his head and looked sad. “I wish,” he said bitterly, and he continued packing up his things.
    â€œYou could be in ours. You’d fit right in,”said Olivia, carried away by her enthusiasm, and she shoved a leaflet for a free ticket in his hand.
    Aeysha and Georgia glanced at each other. They thought Olivia was being overhasty in offering the boy a chance to be part of the Swan Circus. “Livy…” said Aeysha uncertainly.
    The boy looked at the leaflet and a strange look flitted across his face. He whispered, “A circus? You’re part of a circus?”
    Olivia nodded eagerly.
    â€œI’ve never even been allowed to see a circus,” he said, “so I can guarantee I’d never be allowed to actually be in one,” and he strode away without even saying goodbye.
    They stared after him.
    â€œThat was a bit odd,” said Georgia. “He seemed really upset, almost angry.”
    Olivia shrugged. “Does he remind you of anyone?” she asked, her voice casual.
    â€œUm, not really,” said Georgia. “Oh, maybe – that bloke who does magic on the telly? But that boy’s better. He should have his own TV show.”
    Aeysha was still watching the boy as he disappeared through the crowd. “I know whohe looked like just then,” she said. “It was the same body language. He looked exactly like Eel when she’s in a terrible strop.”
    Eel gasped indignantly. “Strop? Me? Never!” Everyone burst out laughing, except Olivia, who studied her little sister thoughtfully.

Chapter Seven
    That afternoon, they had almost fifty people in the audience and agreed it was a great deal better than nine. Lots of children had signed up for the free circus-skills workshop the following morning, which was encouraging, too. But Olivia could see from the grown-ups’ worried