"I want to use it. Do you mind?"
"I don't mind. It's my uncle's, but I can always cut another one. Only it won't work without the hat, and I took that from my uncle too. He's an Authority," the urchin added proudly. Hugh thought of Goethe's Sorcerer's Apprentice and grinned.
"How come you didn't shake your head and knock it off when you got tired?"
"Oh, the hat only starts it. After that it goes by itself. I just didn't want to lose my uncle's hat, that's all."
"Good for you. Then suppose I borrow the hat for just a minute, and you grab it when the stick starts. I want to find a cat."
The boy shook his head doubtfully. "I wouldn't want to do it myself, but it's your business. What kind of cat? I have to make up a spell."
Hugh anticipated some difficulty in explaining what it was he wanted, but to his relief the boy had already recognized him as a transportee and understood at once.
