Alex couldn’t stop a wide grin from spreading across his face. “Thanks. That was cool how you sent me the verbal component.” He blushed as his friends punched him in the shoulder or patted him on the back, and he bowed his head when Ms. Octavia gave him a very pleased nod.

“It was a new idea born from the urgency of the moment,” Mr. Today said. “I rather liked it too.”

He turned to the group. “As for the patients, they are alive and being treated,” he went on. “But not responding to anything yet. Our hope is that they regain consciousness so that we might at least know from whence they’ve come.” He lowered his voice. “The metal thorns around their necks are quite worrisome. I’ve seen it once before, when a ship landed on our shore. The dead men inside wore something similar around their necks. I admit I don’t know what it means.”

Alex remembered Mr. Today saying something about that in the Museum of Large.

“It sounds like it could be a rite of passage,” Ms. Morning said. “Perhaps a sign of achievement.”

“I’m glad we don’t do that here when we achieve something,” Meghan whispered.

“Me too,” Lani said.

Alex and Samheed looked at each other and nodded.

“Whatever the case,” Mr. Today went on, “we want to help these castaways find their way back home once they’re quite well enough.”

“What island do you think they’re from?” Samheed asked.

“I can’t begin to imagine. Warbler, the nearest one, was quite a paradise when we left it, and they did nothing of the sort back when I knew it. I can’t fathom they’d have come from there.” Mr. Today turned to Florence. “How goes the training?”

Florence smiled a rare smile. “My advanced students are excelling, but the beginners . . . well, the young ones are doing well, but the older folks just aren’t making the connection between mind and magic. We’ll keep trying.”

“What about my old friend Eva?”

“She’s the exception. She’s doing very well. Her childhood magical abilities have come back quite naturally in our environment and she’s very interested in learning. She’s quite a delight. I’ll probably move her up soon to work with her daughter Carina, who, by the way, would make an excellent group leader. She’s quite skilled.”

“Wonderful,” Mr. Today said. He conjured up a pad and scribbled a few notes to himself. “And what do you and our resident experts have to show us today?”

“Well, Marcus, I invited these four because they have really taken spells to a new level. Their combined abilities are quite beyond anything I’ve seen before’though of course we’ve never had a focus as big as this on creating new spells, since we’ve obviously never needed to. Still, alone they are each excellent fighters, but together they are a team of innovators.” As she was speaking, Florence waved the four to their feet. “Why don’t you show us what you’ve got? Explain first, then demonstrate.”

Alex, who had been to many meetings with leaders, went first at the others’ urging, as they were understandably nervous. Alex pulled a heart-shaped piece of clay from his vest and held it up.

“This is something I call ‘heart attack.’ With those words as the verbal component, the clay heart immediately grows wings and sails to your intended opponent’s chest. Upon impact, it causes the enemy to collapse. Because of the wings, the spell has great distance and accuracy, and it’s quite potent, rendering the attackee useless in less than half a minute, and quite dead-looking until the spell is released.” Alex smiled and stepped back into the line. He looked at Samheed.

Samheed focused on Florence, which was easier than facing Mr. Today, since Florence was the instructor he was most used to talking to. He fished around in his vest and pulled out a small ball of rubber that looked like a tiny brain. “I just created this the other day,” he said. “This is called ‘dementia.’ It renders the target completely confused and unable to cope with what’s happening around him.” He stepped back in line rather stiffly and turned to Meghan.

Meghan stepped forward with her component, a tiny aluminum spring. “This is what I call ‘backward bobbly head.’ It causes your opponent’s head to turn a hundred and eighty degrees and bounce around, leaving him unable to command his body properly and unable to focus his eyes on anything.” She moved back in line and grinned shakily.

Lani looked up, smooth and confident. “Hello,” she said. “This is called ‘pin cushion.’ ” She held up a ladybug-size piece of stuffed fabric with a tiny pin sticking from it. “The opponent will feel as though a thousand needles are sinking into his skin, and any movement he makes from that point on will only worsen the effects, until the spell is released.” She smiled pleasantly.

The instructors were very impressed and applauded for the students.

When they grew quiet again, Florence invited Ms. Morning, Ms. Octavia, and Mr. Today to volunteer as targets. They all agreed as if it were a wondrous adventure, for they rarely got the chance to attend Magical Warrior Training. Mr. Today stood opposite Alex, Florence took on Samheed, Ms. Octavia faced Meghan, and Ms. Morning stood across from Lani.

Florence confirmed all were ready to begin, and then she counted down. “Fire!” she cried.

The four attacked, and almost instantly Mr. Today collapsed to the ground, Florence started groaning and acting completely confused, wandering around. Ms. Octavia’s head spun around and her great alligator snout bobbled about uselessly. Ms. Morning let out a bloodcurdling scream as magical pins pierced into her.