He aims. There’s going to be a fuss.

No!

The teacher frowns. She has a strange look in her eyes.

And she just says: “Antek, please! Stop it! Out of the classroom, all of you.”

Kaytek goes red and grits his teeth. He stops and waits.

The two of them are left behind.

“Thank you, Antek,” says the teacher.

“Why do they tease me? Why did they keep interrupting?”

“Think about it. You’re an intelligent person.”

He was amazed that she said: “person.”

Then she says: “You wanted to go on listening after the bell, and they didn’t. They had the right not to want to. And don’t you ever interrupt? You don’t have to be so impulsive.”

The teacher called him: “impulsive,” not rude. Grandpa was impulsive too.

Then the teacher leaves, and Kaytek is alone in the classroom.

That’s it! Now he knows. That boy was right!

Now he knows entirely for sure.

He wants to be a wizard!

Not a royal page, not a knight, not a circus performer, and not a cowboy. Not a magician, who does tricks. Or Ali Baba, or a detective.

But a sorcerer.

Now he knows definitely. And he sensed it ages ago.

Even when he was small, in the days when Mom used to read him fairy tales, when Dad went on about ancient history, and Grandma told him about the wild vine, the rats, and the old clock.

He doesn’t even want to be a strongman like Hercules, or a movie star. Or a boxer, or a pilot.

He wants to, and has to, know every single spell.

He wants to be powerful . . .

That boy was right . . .

The teacher says there are no spells or charms, but it’s not true. There have to be. There are. The teacher just doesn’t know them. Because school books are one thing, and occult science is quite another.

The great Polish poet Mickiewicz wrote about Master Twardowski, who knew magic. And the kings believed in him. So it must be true.

An astrologer must have read the stars the same way Kaytek can read letters in books. There has to be an elixir to cure all diseases, it’s just that the regular doctors don’t know about it.

Kaytek was wrong when he thought he’d find everything out at school and that he’d discover it all by reading books.

No. He’ll have to do it all by himself.

It’s going to be hard. But never mind.

He just has to make a start. Once he gets started, he’ll finish.

Yes!

He wants a Cap of Invisibility and a pair of seven-league boots. And a magic carpet, and a bag, and a lamp, and a hen that lays golden eggs. Not regular ones, golden ones. He’ll be able to cast spells on whomever he wants, anyone who’s disobedient. He’ll be the most powerful ruler of all, so they’ll have to obey him.

He must practice his magic gaze. Somehow he’ll discover his first spell – just one magic phrase, in Indian or Greek.

He has made a decision. He has made a vow.

He has started, so he’ll finish.

From then on Kaytek has two different lives.

One is regular: at home, at school, and in the street.

The other life is different: his private, secret, inner life.

It’s as if nothing has changed.

He still plays games, chases about, makes bets, wins and loses them, teases, lives life, and clowns around.

But in fact he also thinks hard about magic spells and tries to make them work. He tries various ways, and waits to see what will happen.

He practices his magic gaze and thoughts.