Charlie Bone and The Blue Boa (Children Of The Red King, Book 3) (3 page)

"Perhaps he's been locked in some other gruesome room like this one." As Charlie turned to the door it suddenly slammed shut. Charlie lifted the latch and pulled. Nothing happened. The door appeared to have jammed. "Must have been a draft," muttered Charlie.

"There isn't any draft," said Emma.

"But what else could it have been? No one came in. We'd have seen them."

"Maybe they were invisible."

"Hey!" called Charlie. "Is anyone there?"

No reply

"What on earth are we going to do?" cried Emma. She looked at her watch. "We've only got twenty minutes."

"This is stupid." Charlie rattled the door while Emma pulled the latch.

"It must be Ollie," said Emma. "Ollie! Ollie Sparks, are you there?"

Silence.

"Ollie, we've come to help," Charlie explained. "If you're there, open this door, please!"

Emma and Charlie waited. There was a soft creak. A key turned in the lock. Charlie pulled the door and it swung inward. There was no one in the passage outside.

The two children stepped out. They squinted down the shadowy passage, searching for a door, a recess, any place where someone could be hiding. Emma's foot touched an empty jar and it rolled away filling the passage with a loud rumble. When the jar finally came to rest, faint footfalls could be heard receding into the distance.

"He's running away" Emma whispered.

They chased the footfalls down the passage, up a rickety set of steps, and into a long room with a narrow skylight. The floor was littered with empty jam jars and comic books. At the far end of the room there was a bed with a pillow and a patchwork cover. An oil lamp sat on a small bedside table and a huge cabinet stood just inside the door. There was nothing else in the room except a spindly chair and a battered desk that had been placed beneath the skylight.

"Ollie," Emma said softly "Ollie Sparks, are you here?"

"What if I am?" said a rather mournful voice.

"Why can't we see you?" asked Charlie.

There was a pause before the voice replied," 'Cause I'm invisible, aren't I?"

"What happened to you?" asked Emma.

"The blue boa got me."

"Boa?" said Charlie and Emma.

"Snake," went on the mournful voice. “Awful thing. I saw it, see. No one's meant to see it. It's a secret. A secret weapon." There was a croaky laugh. "Once I'd seen it, they weren't going to let me tell about it, so they brought me back here, and it — well, I was like a guinea pig — they let the boa squeeze me, only I didn't die, I just got invisible."

"Yikes!" gasped Charlie.

"It didn't get all of me." A breathless sort of giggle shivered on the air. "It missed my big toe."

In horrified fascination, Charlie's eyes were drawn toward the floor. Emma couldn't help screaming. She had already seen it: a small pink blob lying just a few steps away from them.

"Sorry" said the voice. "It used to have a bit of sock and shoe on it, but the shoe got too small, and the sock wore out. A toe's a bit disgusting on its own, isn't it?"

"Not at all," said Charlie cheerfully

"They tried to get all of me back," said the voice. "They made me drink revolting potions and threw smelly liquid over me, and once they covered my bed in spiderwebs while I was asleep."

"That is so gruesome," said Emma.

Charlie said, "Ollie, why don't you escape? The door's not locked. You could easily run away No one would see you."

"You try it." The voice sounded very aggrieved. "I came out once. People walked into me, knocked me down — some of them screamed. 1 couldn't get out of the main doors; no one can. I didn't feel safe, so I came back here."

"It must be so horrible, all alone," said Emma. "What do you eat?" She was actually wondering how Ollie ate but was too polite to ask.

"The food's mostly disgusting, but Manfred gives me nice jam. I suppose he does it to keep me quiet. And, in case you're wondering, I eat just like anyone else. Only you can't see the food once it's inside me."

Emma hoped Ollie couldn't see her blush.

Charlie had an idea. "If you come down to the dining hall at dinnertime, we'd all be sitting still. No one would bump into you, and I could make room for you between me and my friend Fidelio. The food's not so bad on the first day of school."

Silence. Perhaps Ollie was thinking.

Emma remembered the most important thing of all. "Ollie, your brother's here," she said. "He's come to look for you."

"What? Samuel? I can't believe it. Wow!" Suddenly the pink toe jumped into the air and there was a small thud as two feet landed back on the floor.

"So, if you come down to dinner, you can see him," said Charlie.

"Yes. Oh, yes . . . " A pause. "But I won't know the time. I haven't got a watch."

Charlie took off his watch and held it out. "You can borrow this."

It was disturbing to see a watch gradually disappear into thin air.

"Don't worry it'll come back when I take it off. Everything I wear becomes invisible," Ollie explained. "Everything I eat or hold or put on."

Emma glanced at her own watch and cried, "We've only got five minutes. We'll never make it."

She dashed out of the room and down the steps while Charlie followed, calling, "Sorry Ollie. Got to get back to class. Hope to see — er — hear you later!"

Emma and Charlie tore down the empty passages, often taking the wrong turn or the wrong staircase but ending up, at last, on the landing above the entrance hall. Their relief was short-lived. Approaching them from the other side of the landing was Dr. Bloor.

The big man strode toward the children. "Why aren't you two in class?" he boomed.

Emma and Charlie froze. They couldn't think of an explanation.

Dr. Bloor stared down at them with cold, pale eyes. Suspicion was written all over his big face with its dull, gray skin and thick, bluish lips. "Well, I'm waiting."

"We — er . . . " Charlie floundered.

“Ah, there you are," said a voice, and Mr. Boldova appeared behind the headmaster. "I've been looking for these two," said the art teacher. "Did you find it?"

Charlie swallowed. "Um . . .”

"That rat's such a rascal." Mr. Boldova turned to the headmaster. "I brought it along for the children to draw, but it keeps escaping. When I saw these two idling away I asked them to look for it. Any luck, Charlie?"

"No, sir."

“And now we're late for our next lesson," said Emma meaningfully

"Dear, oh dear," said Mr. Boldova. "I'd better explain to your teachers. All my fault. Come along, kids. Sorry about this, Dr. Bloor."

Mr. Boldova propelled the two children past Dr. Bloor toward the corridor that led to the classrooms.

Dr. Bloor swiveled around to watch them go. "That rat must be found," he shouted. "See to it, Mr. Boldova."

"Of course, Headmaster."

As soon as they were out of earshot, Charlie whispered, "Thanks, sir. I guess we were heading for detention."

"Keep walking," the art teacher said quietly

But Emma couldn't remain silent any longer. "We found Ollie," she said softly

Mr. Boldova almost tripped. He gripped the children's shoulders and said, "What? Tell me how — where?"

As they hurried to their classrooms, Charlie and Emma took turns telling the teacher about poor Ollie and his invisibility

"Ollie's going to try and get down to dinner tonight, sir," said Charlie. "So you might . . . well, he might be able to talk to you."

"I can hardly believe it," murmured Mr. Boldova. "Invisible or not, Ollie's here, and he's alive. I thought they'd taken him to one of those awful castles of theirs. I've spent almost a year trying to find out which one."

"Do they have many sir?" asked Charlie.

“At least five," said Mr. Boldova. "This is so incredible. I will take Ollie home at the first opportunity We'll find a way to cure him when we get home."

They had reached Madame Tessier and Mr. Pope, who stood fuming outside their classrooms. Mr. Boldova quickly explained that he had borrowed Emma and Charlie to search for his rat, Rembrandt, who had escaped from his cage. The two teachers grudgingly accepted his apologies and told the children to hurry along to lunch.

"I'll see you two at dinnertime," said Mr. Boldova, giving the children a big smile. And he walked away whistling merrily

Would Charlie's plan for Ollie work? He was sure it wouldn't be as easy as Mr. Boldova seemed to think.

CHAPTER 3

RUNNER BEAN IS DISCOVERED

On his way to the dining hall, Charlie had to pass the portraits. They hung on either side of the long, softly lit passage: haughty-looking women in lace and silk, men in dark robes or wearing velvet coats and white pants. You might think that Charlie would be curious to know what they had to say but to tell the truth, he was beginning to find their bad-tempered whispering, rude demands, and boring jokes rather tiring. He was also afraid that one of them might come leaping out at him. So he usually tried to avoid looking at them.

Except for today Something had jogged his memory

“Ah, there it is." He stopped before a portrait of a bold-looking woman in red velvet. She had dark ringlets, and a necklace of rose-colored jewels sparkled at her throat.
SELENA SPARKS
read a small bronze plaque at the bottom of the frame.

"Selena Sparks," Charlie murmured.

"What about her?" Fidelio said over Charlie's shoulder.

"Shh!" hissed Charlie. He waited for a voice, but Selena had nothing to say to him. Perhaps she was shy "I knew I'd seen that name," Charlie muttered. “All these people are descended from the Red King. So maybe Ollie is, too."

"Ollie who?" asked Fidelio. "I wish you'd talk sense, Charlie."

"Emma and me . . . " Charlie began.

He was interrupted by a shout from Manfred, the head boy "Move on, you two, you're cluttering up the passage."

The boys hurried on, but Charlie, glancing back, saw Manfred stop and stare at Selena Sparks. Charlie hoped Manfred wouldn't guess why he was so interested in the portrait.

As they took their places in the long underground dining hall, Charlie whispered, "Can you leave a gap, Fido? Someone might want to sit between us. Someone invisible who's hungrier than we are."

"Really?" Fidelio raised his eyebrows. "It didn't take you long to get tangled up in something, did it?" He moved closer to his neighbor, leaving a small space between Charlie and himself.

It happened to be one of the best meals Charlie had eaten at Bloor's: morsels of chicken and bacon floated in a creamy sauce, and he was tempted to eat every scrap, but he pushed a few pieces to the side of his plate, in case Ollie turned up.

"He can have all of mine," said Fidelio, who was a vegetarian.

"I'll have it," said his neighbor, a large boy called Morris who played the bassoon.

"No, you won't," said Fidelio. "It's for Cook's dog. He hasn't been well."

Morris gave him a funny look, then ran his thumb around his own almost-empty plate and licked it. This was against the rules.

Charlie wondered if Ollie had gotten lost. He scanned the three long tables, looking for signs of a disturbance. He couldn't see Emma, who sat somewhere at the art table. The drama table was in the middle, and it was by far the noisiest, even though Manfred sat at the head. Apart from Asa and Zelda, who sat on either side of Manfred, everyone in drama faced away from the head of the table. They perched rather crookedly on the benches, with the shoulder nearest to Manfred slightly raised. No one wanted to be caught by the head boy's hypnotizing stare when they were halfway through a meal.

Aside from these strange postures, Charlie couldn't detect anything out of the ordinary among the purple capes, so he turned his attention to the far end of the room, where the teachers sat at a table on a raised platform. From here they could keep an eye on the children below them.

"Who are you looking for?" Billy Raven stared at Charlie through a fringe of thin white hair. He was sitting on the other side of the table, a few places away from Charlie. His spectacles made his red eyes look far too large for his head.

"I'm not looking for anyone," said Charlie. "I thought I saw a bat."

This wasn't so unlikely Hundreds of bats lived in the old building.

As Billy looked away Charlie felt something push against his side. Fidelio gave him a surprised look, and then a piece of chicken disappeared from the side of his plate.

"Thanks," came a disembodied whisper. "Delicious."

Several more pieces disappeared, and no one seemed to notice, until Gwyneth Howells, sitting opposite Charlie, gulped, "Uh! Your meat just . . . " and the fork that was halfway to her mouth dropped to the floor, laden with peas.

Gwyneth bobbed under the table to retrieve her fork and let out an earsplitting scream. She came up for air, her round, brown eyes popping out of her head. "I saw . . . I saw . . . ," she cried. "There's a . . . there's a . . . under the table, there's a . . .”

"There's a what?" said her neighbor, Rosie Stubbs.

"There's a TOE!" cried Gwyneth, and she fainted backward over the bench, landing in an untidy heap on the floor.

Several girls and even boys screamed and a husky voice gasped, "Yikes" in Charlie's ear. His plate went flying and his glass rolled to the floor, water spilling all over the table.

"I'd better get out of here," whispered the voice, while Rosie Stubbs shouted, "Gwyneth's fainted."

Dr. Bloor stared out from his seat at the head of the high table. Matron Yewbeam and Miss Chrystal came down the steps into the main hall and ran up to Gwyneth. The matron shook Gwyneth's shoulder, but since the poor girl was obviously unconscious, she lifted her up and, helped by Miss Chrystal, carried her out of the dining hall.

Mr. Boldova had come to the edge of the platform and Charlie caught his eye. The art teacher gave a slight shrug and Charlie shook his head.

Ollie had fled and Charlie knew it would be hard to coax him back again. In fact, this time he might even be locked in. From the end of the drama table, Manfred was watching Charlie suspiciously He had seen him looking at Selena Sparks, and he knew Ollie's toe was still visible. Perhaps he had put two and two together.

After dinner Charlie gave Fidelio a better explanation about what had happened to Ollie Sparks. He spoke in an undertone as they hurried up the long passage leading from the dining hall. This time he didn't even glance at Selena, in case Manfred was watching.

"Here we go again," said Fidelio. “Another problem for you, Charlie." They had reached the blue coat-room, and here the two friends parted. Fidelio was taking books and pens to his classroom, while Charlie had to carry his homework upstairs to the King's room.

How did he manage always to be late, even when he thought he'd been hurrying? All the other endowed children had gotten to the room before him. As Charlie bounded through the tall black doors, Manfred was making an announcement.

"Two of the endowed have left the school. "Manfred glared at Charlie as he dropped his books on the round table. "Quiet, Bone!"

“As I was saying, Beth and Bindi have left us, but we have a new member."

It had been such an extraordinary day Charlie had almost forgotten Belle. But here she was, sitting between Asa and Dorcas. Asa's weasely features were screwed into an odd smirk and his scraggly red hair stuck out in oily spikes. If it hadn't been for his yellow eyes, you would have found it hard to believe he could turn into a beast.

"Her name's Belle," Manfred continued.

"Belle what?" said Tancred, his pale hair bristling with electricity

"It's not important." Manfred waved his hand.

"It is to me," Tancred persisted. "I like to know a person's whole name."

Charlie wished Tancred would look away before Manfred did something nasty The head boy had an angry hypnotizing stare coming on.

Tancred's friend, Lysander, gave him a warning nudge. "Leave it, Tane."

But Tancred was like a dog with a bone. "My name's Torsson," he said, looking at Belle, "and what . . .”

"Donner," Belle said suddenly

"Belledonner? That's deadly nightshade," said Gabriel Silk. "It can kill you."

“Actually that's belladonna," said Belle. "In small quantities it dilates the pupils. Eyes become shinier, more lustrous and beautiful." All at once, her own round blue eyes flashed with purple lights.

The effect was so startling that even Tancred was speechless. All around the table, books were opened and pens clutched. Homework began in silence.

Above the door the Red King stared out from his portrait. The cracked and ancient painting always raised Charlie's spirits. But he'd never managed to hear the King's voice. Sometimes he caught a low muttering, sometimes a creak and the swish of a cloak, but then a shadow would fall behind the King, like a dark stain on the canvas: a hooded figure that chilled the blood just to look at it. And Charlie knew that the sinister shadow was blocking his contact with the King.

Eleven of us now, thought Charlie. Last semester there had been twelve endowed children. What would happen if there were ten, like the original ten children of the Red King? Would the pattern be repeated, five on one side, five on the other? And this time, who would win?

"Get on with your homework, Bone!" Manfred's voice made Charlie jump.

"Yes, Manfred." Charlie looked down at his open book.

After homework, Emma caught up with Charlie as he made his way to the dormitories. "It was Ollie, wasn't it?" she said breathlessly "The toe under the table?"

Charlie nodded. "I don't think we'll be able to get him back again," he whispered. "He was terrified. And I've got a nasty feeling Manfred knows."

"I'll tell Mr. Boldova," said Emma.

As they approached Emma's dormitory they saw two girls standing outside the door. Their heads were close together and their furtive giggling seemed to imply that they were sharing an unpleasant secret.

"Belle and Dorcas," Emma observed. "It's as if Belle has put Dorcas under a spell. They go everywhere together."

"Good luck, Em," Charlie muttered as Emma slipped into the dormitory

"Trying to ignore me, Charlie Bone?" said Belle as Charlie walked past.

"Not at all," Charlie called without looking back. "I can see that you're busy"

"You ignore me at your peril, Charlie!"

Was it Belle who had spoken? Charlie couldn't be sure. The voice belonged to someone much older, someone whom it would be foolish to disobey.

Charlie hurried on.

Belle and Dorcas were seldom seen apart after that day Charlie became convinced that Belle wasn't what she pretended to be. And then there was Ollie Sparks. The summer term was proving to be more than a little interesting.

"You'd better watch it, Charlie," said Fidelio one day "If you go up in the attics again, you're bound to get detention."

"Or worse," muttered Olivia. '

"Hypnotized for life," said Emma meaningfully "Like Manfred tried to do to me."

They were sitting on a log pile in blazing sunshine. It promised to be a brilliant summer, which was just as well because the school play would be performed in the open air.

"What's Belle like as an artist?" Charlie asked Emma. "I mean, can she draw?"

Emma shrugged. "Who knows? She makes things. We've been asked to design clothes for the play and the set."

The hunting horn sounded and the four children slid off the logs and headed toward the academy

"I wish we could do something about Ollie," said Emma as they reached the garden door. "Maybe if we got detention and stayed in school till Saturday . . . What about you, Charlie?"

Charlie was tempted but he had other responsibilities. "Runner Bean," he said. "I've got to get home to look after him."

It had just been decided that they would all meet on Sunday to discuss Ollie's problem, when Fidelio suddenly announced, "I can't. I've got to play in a concert."

Charlie was sorry to hear this. Fidelio was such a good person to have around in a crisis. He had excellent ideas, and he never gave up. But Fidelio was also a brilliant musician. Charlie was afraid he would be seeing less and less of his friend this semester.

When Charlie got home on Friday evening, so many things went wrong he forgot all about Ollie. He had expected to see his great-uncle, but Paton hadn't returned and there was not even a word from him.

"I'm a bit concerned," said Maisie. "It's not like Paton. And I'm afraid it gets worse, Charlie. I've got to leave here tomorrow"

"What!" Charlie was really worried. His mother had to work on Saturday and the thought of spending a day alone with Grandma Bone was unpleasant to say the least. "Where are you going? Can't I come with you?"

"No chance, Charlie."

Maisie's sister, Doris, had taken ill. Maisie would have to go and look after her. There was no one else. But something would have to be done about Runner Bean. While Charlie was at school, there'd be no one in the house to feed him and look after him.

"You'd better take him for a run now,” said Maisie. "I haven't had time. You can't keep him hidden much longer, Charlie; a lively dog like that is bound to be found out."

As Charlie ran up to his room he could hear Runner Bean whining and scratching the door.

"Shhhh!" Charlie leaped into the room and slammed the door behind him.

Runner Bean put his paws on Charlie's shoulders and licked his face.

"Thanks, but yuck!" whispered Charlie.

There was a creak on the landing and a voice called, "Is that you, Charlie, slamming doors?"

"It's me, Grandma," Charlie sang out. "I'm changing out of my school stuff."

When Charlie put his head out of the door. Grandma Bone had gone back to her room.

"Come on, Runner," Charlie said softly

He ran downstairs with the dog bounding behind him. They left by the back door and slipped into the narrow street that led to the park. An hour later, Charlie and the dog arrived back at number nine, exhausted and hungry

His mother was getting anxious and Charlie explained that he didn't know the time because he'd sort of lost his watch. Mrs. Bone sighed, "Honestly Charlie. I suppose you'd better wear mine until you find yours." She handed him her watch, which was fortunately not too feminine. "I'm just going to help Maisie with her packing," she said. "Back in a minute."

Charlie searched for the cans of dog food Maisie had hidden. He'd just spotted a can of Bonio in the pantry when there was a loud scream and then a growl.

Charlie looked around to see Grandma Bone rooted to the spot, just inside the door. "WHAT'S THAT DOING IN HERE?" she screeched, pointing at Runner Bean.