“Yes, you,” said the voice, a little wearily. “You are the one being initiated after all.”

“No, I don’t think so,” said Terrence.

“I’m fairly sure,” said the voice, “that it is you.”

“I mean I don’t understand Rosian,” said Terrence. “Sorry.”

“Latin?”

“No.”

“You will need to learn at least one magical language as part of your apprenticeship. For now, we will conduct the rest of the ceremony in English.”

“Thank you.”

Terrence felt something wet, cold and a little slimy touch his forehead. He tried not to think about what this might be.

“Do you choose to take the Diberi as your new family, forsaking all others, and loving only us?”

It sounded a bit creepy put like that. But Terrence felt that in this position he probably couldn’t say no.

“Yes,” said Terrence. “I do.”

“And do you give your soul over to magic, and the legacy of the four great magi?”

“I suppose so,” said Terrence. “I mean, yes.”

“And do you vow not to rest until the world of the galloglass is free from the yoke of the Otherworld?”

Terrence had literally no idea what this meant.

“Yes,” he said.

“Do you renounce selfless service?”

Was that some kind of cafeteria where you helped yourself? Terrence didn’t know.

“Yes,” he promised, anyway.

“And agree to champion the rights of the individual?”

“Yes.”

“And to abhor the Flow?”

The what? Terrence frowned. How was he going to remember all the things he had to abhor and renounce? What if he championed one of them by accident?

“Yes,” he replied anyway. “If you say so.”

“And to obey me in everything?”

“Um . . .”

“TO OBEY ME IN EVERYTHING?”

“I can’t actually see who you are,” admitted Terrence.

“Does it matter who I am?”

Terrence thought about this. He was currently blindfolded and taking part in an initiation ceremony to join an evil secret organization that planned to take over the universe. He had already agreed to all sorts of things he didn’t understand. Why not also agree to obey someone he couldn’t see? Well, because even to Terrence this didn’t actually make sense. And Terrence could occasionally—usually in the worst circumstances—become quite rational, and then very stubborn.

“Maybe,” he said. “Actually, yes. It does matter.”

“Well, you’ll find out who I am in a moment,” said the voice. “Although surely you recognize my voice?”

“Well . . .”

“Do you vow to obey me in everything?” the voice said again, irritably.

“What happens if I don’t?” asked Terrence.

“Then we will probably kill you.”

“All right, well in that case, yes, I suppose so,” said Terrence.

It was going to be more complicated than he’d thought, being a Diberi.

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