The Great and Secret Knowledge
James Lark is back and we're talking music teaching, conducting, the trials of poor Nathaniel, and the struggles of being a budding wizard with a cowardly master.
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Jeff's podcasts
Everything is Awesome with Jeff and ?
Omniversal Escapades (Jeff’s livestreaming RPG show)
James's podcast
Music
James Lark (composer, podcaster) wrote the theme song for the show Licensed for show use, copyright 2024
Here’s James website for all his activities:
Possible show titles
An Untidy Sheaf
Spread That Wadge
Everyone Can Be an Alexander
Recommendations
Coda: The Final Conflict (Big Finish Audio)
Social Media
Jeff Richardson
@eljefetacoma on Facebook, Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram, and Mastadon
James Lark
@James Lark on Twitter, @worksoflark on Instagram
Links
blind waiters in dark restaurant
Stenhammer's 2nd Piano Concerto
music before the age of mechanical reproduction
is Milton speculative fiction?
Ministers Questions thing from UK Parliament
Oxford and Cambridge debating societies
The Twilight Zone "To Serve Man"
Homosexuality decriminalized in Isle of Man in 1992
Just War (A Bernice Summerfield book)
Extended Notes
Chapter 7
9
B leaves the square looking for a good alley. he really wants to toss the amulet but he cant without putting himself more in Ns power
10
2 footnote - because a master forcing his djinn to attack another resulted in a massive explosion in Baghdad, now magicians choose not to pit djinn directly against each other
"Cities get me down, almost as if I am underground. London is particularly bad—cold, gray, heavy with odors and rain.
It makes me long for the south, for the deserts and the blank blue sky."
he finds a dry alcove and takes a seat
11
he ponders the situation
"At dawn I would hand over the Amulet and escape this sorry mess for good.
Except for my business with the boy. He’d pay for it, big time. You didn’t reduce Bartimaeus of Uruk to dossing in a West End back alley and expect to get away with it. First I’d find out his name, then—"
booted feet show up at the end of the alley. who is it? he wonders if the police sniffed him out or the orbs found him
12
the kids from t square
five boys, one commanding girl
black leather jacket and flared pants
13
one of the boys senses B
girl orders them to subdue him
three big boys go to town on him
B tries a mini-detonation but it doesnt hurt anyone
he tries another and it sets off a bunch of car alarms
"I repeated the effect with greater emphasis. Car alarms in the next street started ringing. This time, I confess, I expected to be left in the charcoally grip of three charred corpses."
boys keep holding on, unharmed
14
girl says she wants the amulet
B guesses she's thirteen, with a strong authoritative voice
she calls him a cretin and he doesnt clap back
"You don’t really know who I am, do you?” I made it sound damn casual, with a side helping of menace. “You’re not a magician.”
“Too right I’m not.”
He starts to flex his mighty voice
15
"Would a magician do so well against your wickedness?”
She had a point there."
magicians would stay away, and if they didnt theyd need imps and djinn to defeat him
he's too tired to do a full demo
he offers to assist her (Jesus tempted by the devil)
16
"To my disappointment, the girl clamped her hands over her ears. “Don’t give me your weasel words, demon!” she said. “I won’t be tempted.”
he explains that he could bring the night police down on them
"Don’t be naïve,” I said. “Think about it. You’re trying to rob me of a very powerful object. It belongs to a terrible magician. If you so much as touch it, he’ll find you and nail your skin to his door.""
he was getting to her, making her reconsider
17
she reaches for the chain
he turns into a Nile crocodile and scares off the boys, then wacks the boys with his tail
18
right as a boy throws a silver object, B turns into a fox and slips away. the sphere buries itself into the wall
B runs and jumps into a bin, narrowly avoiding the police
19
some commotion happens and the fox waits, listening
Chapter 8
1
We learn about Ns master Arthur Underwood and his wife
tall Georgian house in Highgate
Underwood didnt want an apprentice but apparently its mandatory
one day the ministry of employment assigns him one
2
this place has a real Brazil feel to it
Arthur comes to the clerks desk, finds out he'll be signing forns and meeting the boy
boy is 5, very bright
"a wodge of paper"?
3
turns out his parents bolted, barely said anything
his birth records will destroyed
our first glimpse of Nathaniel
"He passed down a series of silent corridors and through a heavy, paneled door to a brightly painted room that had been filled with toys for the entertainment of unhappy children. There, between a grimacing rocking horse and a plastic wizard doll wearing a comedy conical hat, he found a small pale-faced boy. It had been crying in the recent past, but had now fortunately desisted."
4
Underwood tells him who he is then takes him to his car
he tried to talk to N but no dice
we meet Mrs Martha Underwood. shes amazing, so sweet and kind
5
Martha puts her arm around N and convinces him to share the secret of his birth name
6
Martha expresses her concern for Nathaniel and disapproval of the system of apprenticeship
"think it’s disgraceful, ripping a child from his home so young.”
“That’s how it’s always been done, Martha. Apprentices have to come from somewhere.”
Underwood is very frank about the reasons for the rules
"His birth name must be forgotten, or else future enemies will use it to harm him. How can it be forgotten if his family keeps in contact? Besides, no one has forced his parents to part with their brat."
if apprentices make it they get to work for the government
7
Martha wishes they could have a child
something happened in Italy when they let magicians have kids
N's bedroom is in the attic
he can see London out the window
he can see the crystal palace radio mast on a good day
is the crystal palace radio mast a real thing?
8
M puts fresh flowers on his desk every week
she often uses Ns birth name, despite Arthurs disapproval
she refuses to be moved, despite the risk
"Who’s going to notice?” she protested. “No one. It gives the poor lad comfort.”"
other people call him Underwood and Arthur
calls him boy.
Nathaniel is devoted to her
she gave him a painting of boats
the woman is extraordinary
9
"You’re to be a magician, Nathaniel,” she said, “and that is the greatest privilege that any boy or girl could have. Your parents have made the ultimate sacrifice by giving you up for this noble destiny. No, don’t cry, dear. So in turn you must be strong, strive as hard as you can, and learn everything your tutors ask of you. By doing that you will honor both your parents and yourself."
10
most magicians work at Whitehall and she expects he will too.
he determines to make her proud and make it to the government
he eventually stopped thinking of his parents and accepted life with the Underwoods
11
the "mouth not toes" story
he keeps himself looking neat and tidy
pale face
Martha helps him with his homework
12
hes learning geography
she explains why its important
she tells him about the djinn
13
Walter Purcell, Ns non magical teacher
horrible ties
twitchy, honest, snippy
14
Purcell explains why we need a government
protection in a time of war
tho it sounds like theyre whipping czechs butt
if magicians werent in charge it would be commoners
"All that stands between us and anarchy is our leaders. This is what you should aspire to, boy. To be a part of the Government and rule honorably. Remember that.”"
15
"Honor is the most important quality for a magician,” Mr. Purcell went on. “He or she has great power, and must use it with discretion. In the past, rogue magicians have attempted to overthrow the State: they have always been defeated. Why? Because true magicians fight with virtue and justice on their side.”
16
he learns to swim
at eight hes avoided and left alone
he has a music teacher, Mr Sindra
Sindra gets super angry
apparently music is used in summoning
17
N is hopeless at music
his drawing teacher mrs lutyens is great tho
she asks for his name and he gives it
18
he wishes he could draw fun stuff instead
of symbols and diagrams
she explains that he needs to do this extremely well to be amagician
19
hes made mistakes
she explains that in magic he cant afford to make a single mistake
Nathaniel goes out to the garden
20
theres a cool statue of a guy in the garden
he asks Martha who it is
"Ask your master,” she said. “He knows everything.”
But Nathaniel had not dared ask."
N comes here to compose himself
Chapter 9
1
nathaniel would be summoned to the master office
he sits on a cushion
2
Underwood would quiz him on all he was learning
sometimes he would talk about magic
he explains that magicians can be bad or good, but what they must not be is incompetent. Loss of control is unacceptable.
"Providing the magician remains in control of the forces he has set to work, he remains—what does he remain?”
3
Safe, secret, strong
the great secret - that demons (or spirits) are very wicked and will hurt you if they can
he explains that you cant mispronounce anything
demons will exploit any failure
hes almost nine
4
magic lessons begin twice a week
he loved being telling about his day with Martha, then dreaming about going to the government
5
master takes N to his office
he shows him a case of books he must learn before his 12th birthday
he asks if then he'll be a magician
6
Master points at bookcase with hundreds of books
he wont be allowed to look at those till 13
next they go to a creepy workroom
6
M has him put on the spectacles
Master show him his contact lenses
7
when hes 12 he'll get a new name
8
M explains the need for secrecy
demons and also bed magicians can use him name to pull shenanigans
N gets to wear spectacles but not outside the workroom
explains that there are different layers to reality
9
Master pulls down a dead rat
tells N to look at it closely
puts on specs
sees an imp
a "Scarlet Vexation"
10
its a spreader of pestilence
he shows N a box full of tiny lil demon guys
simplest minded demons
orange stings beneath their tails
11
these mites will mess up your enemies
""We have dangerous tools that we must control. We shall now begin learning how to protect ourselves.”"
he learned all the skills necessary to do magic
12
not once does Underwood summon anything
he does as much extra work as he can
he wants those spectacles damnit
he tells Lutyens
"'Patience,” she told him. “Patience is the prime virtue. If you hurry, you will fail. And failure is painful. You must always relax and concentrate on the task in hand.'"
Underwood summons a creature but wont let N see it
13
the master and he stand in circles and the demon should be appearing in the other one
a wind knocks over candles, starting a fire
N goes to extinguish him but Master shouts him down
Master says seven words of dismissal
burning papers vanish, candles are back upright
14
Master admonishes him for falling for the demons trick
some demons adopt cute animal guises
some make nasty smells
one made a shower of apple blossom
some had nice perfume
some were scary sounds
15
he kept it together
a year later he was able to wear the specs and see the demons
he was kicking ass at all his studies
just before age 11, something terrible happens
Chapter 10
1
Bartimaeus complains about his terrible ordeal, camped out on the roof of Westminster Abbey waiting for the summons
amulet flashes in the sunlight
2
the spheres didnt find him because of the artifacts in the graves
the boy still hasnt woken up
he restates his belief that N is being exploited by a more powerful magician
3
clearly several magicians took part in the search, suggesting the amulet was necessary to some larger plan
Simon Lovelace is powerful
"The fact that he was able to employ (and restrain) both Faquarl and Jabor proved as much. I did not relish the urchin’s chances when the magician caught up with him."
its been several centuries since B has run into humans that are immune to magic
the kids dont seem to grasp the implications
B cant figure how the girl is related
the summons feels super painful
4
B is annoyed by N
"I order you, Bartimaeus, to reveal whether you have diligently and wholly carried out your charge—”
“Of course I have—what do you think this is, costume jewelry?”"
"The Amulet of Samarkand. It was Simon Lovelace’s. Now it is yours. Soon it will be Simon Lovelace’s again."
the kid has drawn Adelbrand's Pentacle
kids shouldnt be able to smirk
5
As P is trouble
B pretends that N has done the circle wrong trying to spook him
"The kid’s face went an interesting mix of white and red; his lower lip wobbled; his eyes bulged from their sockets. He looked very much like he wanted to run for it, but he didn’t, so my plan was foiled."
N calls him Recreant demon
B admits he lied
N says put the amulet in the bowl
6
instead N uses a stick
N has a smart way to transfer the amulet from one circle to another
this isnt like the dresden files where crossing the boundary of a circle breaks the spell
N doesnt like how it smells
B explains what he had to do to avoid capture
"You were pursued?” He sounded almost eager. Wrong emotion, kid—try fear.
“By half the demonic hordes of London.”"
B warns N that they are coming for him
He tries to trick N into releasing him again
N doesnt bite
"Do you take me for a fool?”
“The amulet in your hands answers that."
7
Nathan tries to banish B but B resists
"You cannot depart! I have other work for thee.” More than the renewed captivity, it was these occasional archaisms that annoyed me so much. Thee, recreant demon—I ask you! No one used language like that anymore, and hadn’t for two hundred years. Anyone would think he had learned his trade entirely out of some old book."
haha! dramatic irony
As P lets you hold on to a demon and continue their service
"It was a complex magical formula that required adult stamina and concentration, and this gave me ammunition for my next attack."
8
B asks where Ns master is
N seems stung by this
B says its a sort of prank
N laughs, then puts amulet back in the bowl
9
He sends amulet back to B
B says he'll give amulet to Simon Lovelace
the boys coat is three sizes too large
"It had evidently once belonged to a very careless magician, since, although heavily patched, it still displayed the unmistakable ravages of fire, blood, and talon. I wished the boy similar fortune."
the kid has a scrying glass
he starts to cast a spell
10
the boy uses the glass
B looks around the room
he wants a clue as to the boys official name
(which is funny because N doesnt have one yet)
a cracked glass vase with fresh flowers
somebody liked him
Kid orders B to hide the amulet in Underwoods office
"Very well. Where does this unfortunate magician reside?”
The boy smiled thinly. “Downstairs.”"