"I never - " What on earth - What is he on about? Demons lie - even helpful, decent demons like Bartimaeus, who'd prodded her into saving Mandrake's life - they lie constantly. But this is simply bizarre. She cannot see the reason or logic in this lie. What's the point in him pretending she's some - magician? She could maybe see the use of it if there were someone else present, if he wanted to slander her, but the Marquis certainly doesn't care. So why - ?

"I never summoned you. We've only ever spoken once, when you kidnapped me, quite rudely may I add, and Jakob, too, and I've obviously forgiven all of that 'cause you were just following orders but if you keep waving those claws in my face I might get angry again. If someone summoned you looking like me, then it was obviously some dirty trick, and you apparently fell for it. Bartimaeus, I'm not a magician. I've never made a - pentacle in my life, wobbly or otherwise."