Inkspell

Read Inkspell Online

Authors: Cornelia Funke

Tags: #Juvenile Fiction, #Fantasy & Magic, #Action & Adventure, #General, #Books & Libraries

BOOK: Inkspell
2.39Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

Inkheart 02

Inkspell
By Cornelia Funke
1

To Brendan Fraser, whose voice is the heart of this book. Thanks for inspiration and enchantment. Mo wouldn’t have stepped into my writing room without you, and this story would never have been told.

To Rainer Strecker, who is both Silvertongue and Dustfinger.

Every word in this book is just waiting for him to read it. And of course, as almost always, last but for sure not least, for Anna, wonderful, wonderful Anna, who had this story told to her on many walks, encouraged and advised me, and let me know what was good and what could still be improved. (I very much hope that the story of Meggie and Farid has its fair share of the book now?)

2
Table of Contents

Map of Inkworld ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 6

Cast of Characters ………………………………………………………………………………………… 7

Characters in Inkworld ………………………………………………………………………………………… 7

Characters in Inkspell ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8

In the Inkworld …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8

In Lombrica ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 9

At the Castle of Ombra ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9

At Roxane’s Farm ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 9

In Argenta ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 10

In the Castle of Night ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 10

Chapter 1 – Words Made to Measure…………………………………………………….. 11

Chapter 2 – Fool’s Gold ……………………………………………………………………………… 16

Chapter 3 – Dustfinger Comes Home …………………………………………………….. 19

Chapter 4 – Silvertongue’s Daughter …………………………………………………….. 24

Chapter 5 – Farid ………………………………………………………………………………………… 32

Chapter 6 – The Inn of the Strolling Players ……………………………………….. 40

Chapter 7 – Meggie’s Decision …………………………………………………………………. 48

Chapter 8 – The Minstrel Woman…………………………………………………………… 53

Chapter 9 – Meggie Reads ………………………………………………………………………… 60

Chapter 10 – The Inkworld ………………………………………………………………………. 65

Chapter 11 – Gone ………………………………………………………………………………………. 70

Chapter 12 – Uninvited Guests ………………………………………………………………… 73

Chapter 13 - Fenoglio ………………………………………………………………………………… 79

Chapter 14 – The Black Prince ………………………………………………………………… 84

Chapter 15 – Strange Sounds on a Strange Night ……………………………… 90

Chapter 16 – Only a Lie……………………………………………………………………………… 94

Chapter 17 – A Present for Capricorn……………………………………………………. 98

Chapter 18 – Mortola’s Revenge ………………………………………………………….. 103

Chapter 19 – Birthday Morning …………………………………………………………… 108

Chapter 20 – Visitors from the Wrong Side of the Forest ……………… 116

Chapter 21 – The Prince of Sighs …………………………………………………………. 120

Chapter 22 – Ten Years ………………………………………………………………………….. 124

Chapter 23 – Cold and White ………………………………………………………………… 131

Chapter 24 – In Elinor’s Cellar ……………………………………………………………… 132

3

Chapter 25 – A Camp in the Forest ……………………………………………………… 135

Chapter 26 – Fenoglio’s Plan ………………………………………………………………… 141

Chapter 27 - Violante ………………………………………………………………………………. 146

Chapter 28 – The Wrong Words …………………………………………………………… 154

Chapter 29 – New Masters …………………………………………………………………….. 157

Chapter 30 - Cosimo ………………………………………………………………………………… 160

Chapter 31 – Elinor …………………………………………………………………………………. 166

Chapter 32 – The Wrong Man ………………………………………………………………. 171

Chapter 33 - Fairydeath …………………………………………………………………………. 176

Chapter 34 – CloudDancers Message ………………………………………………… 179

Chapter 35 – Ink-Medicine …………………………………………………………………….. 183

Chapter 36 – Screams ……………………………………………………………………………… 187

Chapter 37 – Bloodstained Straw ………………………………………………………… 189

Chapter 38 – An Audience for Fenoglio ……………………………………………… 196

Chapter 39 – Another Messenger …………………………………………………………. 205

Chapter 40 – No Hope …………………………………………………………………………….. 213

Chapter 41 – The Captives …………………………………………………………………….. 215

Chapter 42 – A Familiar Face ……………………………………………………………….. 222

Chapter 43 – Paper and Fire …………………………………………………………………. 224

Chapter 44 – The Burning Tree ……………………………………………………………. 229

Chapter 45 – Poor Maggie …………………………………………………………………….. 232

Chapter 46 – A Knock on the Door ………………………………………………………. 234

Chapter 47 - Roxane ………………………………………………………………………………… 238

Chapter 48 – The Castle by the Sea ……………………………………………………… 243

Chapter 49 – The Mill ……………………………………………………………………………… 245

Chapter 50 – The Best of All Nights …………………………………………………….. 251

Chapter 51 – The Right Words ……………………………………………………………… 255

Chapter 52 – Angry Orpheus …………………………………………………………………. 262

Chapter 53 – The Barn Owl …………………………………………………………………… 264

Chapter 54 – In the Dungeon of the Castle of Night ……………………….. 270

Chapter 55 – A Letter from Fenoglio ………………………………………………….. 273

Chapter 56 – The Wrong Ears ………………………………………………………………. 276

Chapter 57 – Fire and Water ………………………………………………………………… 281

Chapter 58 – Invisible as the Wind ……………………………………………………… 284

4

Chapter 59 – The Adderhead ………………………………………………………………… 287

Chapter 60 – Fire on the Wall ………………………………………………………………. 293

Chapter 61 – In the Tower of the Castle of Night …………………………….. 298

Chapter 62 – Where To? …………………………………………………………………………. 302

Chapter 63 – The Badger’s Earth ………………………………………………………… 304

Chapter 64 – All Is Lost …………………………………………………………………………… 309

Chapter 65 – Lord of the Story ……………………………………………………………… 311

Chapter 66 – Blank Paper ……………………………………………………………………… 314

Chapter 67 – Kindness and Mercy ……………………………………………………….. 323

Chapter 68 – A Visit …………………………………………………………………………………. 328

Chapter 69 – The Night Before …………………………………………………………….. 330

Chapter 70 – The Pen and The Sword ………………………………………………… 332

Chapter 71 – Only A Dream …………………………………………………………………… 341

Chapter 72 – An Exchange …………………………………………………………………….. 345

Chapter 73 – The Bluejay ………………………………………………………………………. 353

Chapter 74 – Farid’s Hope ……………………………………………………………………… 357

Chapter 75 – Alone Again ………………………………………………………………………. 359

Chapter 76 – A New Poet ……………………………………………………………………….. 361

Chapter 77 – Where Now? …………………………………………………………………….. 365

Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………………………………….. 368

About the Author ……………………………………………………………………………………… 371

5

Map of Inkworld
6

Cast of Characters

Characters in Inkworld

Meggie

The daughter of Mo and Resa, now living with her parents and her mother’s aunt, Elinor. Like her father, Meggie has the rare magical ability to read characters out of books — to bring them into this world by reading the words aloud. But since meeting Fenoglio, the author of the original book of
Inkheart,
she now dreams of being able to write as well as she can read so that she can not only bring characters out of books but also send them back again.

Mortimer Folchart, known as Mo or Silvertongue

A bookbinder — or, as his daughter calls him, a “book doctor.” Meggie says he can “paint pictures in the air with-his voice.” Since experiencing the awful consequences of reading Dustfinger, Capricorn, and Basta out of their story and almost losing his wife forever, he has avoided reading aloud. Mo is now troubled by his daughter’s dangerous fascination with the world of
Inkheart.

Resa (Theresa)

Mo’s wife, Meggie’s mother, and Elinor’s favourite niece. Resa is now safely back with her family but has still to recover from the years she spent trapped in the Inkworld, her time in service to the evil Mortola, and losing her voice. She tells Meggie of her life on the other side of the pages, scribbling down her memories on paper.

Elinor Loredan

Resa’s aunt, a book-collector, also known as “the bookworm.” Elinor once preferred her books to human company but is now happy to have Meggie, Mo, and Resa living with her. Darius, the book-loving but stammering storyteller, is also now a part of her household.

Darius

Formerly Capricorn’s reader in the first book of
Inkheart,
Darius, like Mo and Meggie, possesses the ability to read characters out of stories — but damages them if he stutters over the words.

He now helps Elinor in her library. Basta calls him Stumbletongue.

 

Fenoglio, also known as “Inkweaver”

Author of the original book
Inkheart,
from which Basta, Dustfinger, and Capricorn came — and, with Meggie and Mo’s help, the writer of the words used to get rid of Capricorn. He disappeared into his own story that same night.

Dustfinger

A fire-eater whom Mo accidentally read out of the pages of
Inkheart.
He is also known as “the fire-dancer.” Plucked from his story, Dustfinger has lived in our world for ten years and would risk anything to go home to the Inkworld. At the end of the first book he stole from Mo the last remaining copy of
Inkheart.
He owes the three scars on his face to Basta’s knife and is never without Gwin, his tame marten, or his young apprentice, Farid.

7
Farid

A boy read by Mo out of
Tales of the Arabian Nights,
he is devoted to Dustfinger. Nimble and quick-witted, he has a talent for stealing and other robbers’ arts, developed in his previous life.

He also has a soft spot for Meggie.

Gwin

Dustfinger’s pet, a horned marten intended by Fenoglio to play a deadly part in his original tale of
Inkheart.

Capricorn

The brutal leader of a gang of mercenary fire-raisers, he was read out of the pages of
Inkheart.

Unlike Dustfinger, Capricorn enjoyed his time in this world. He made it his business to burn every remaining copy of
Inkheart
in an attempt to avoid ever returning to the story. But eventually, with the help of Meggie and Fenoglio, he is destroyed by Mo.

Basta

One of Capricorn’s most devoted henchmen. Superstitious and m love with his knife, he once slashed Dustfinger’s face. At the end of the first book he made his escape, followed by Capricorn’s housekeeper and mother, Mortola.

Mortola

Capricorn’s mother, also known as “the Magpie.” A poisoner, she kept Resa enslaved for many years as her servant. Her greatest wish is to see Mo punished for what he has done to her son.

Characters in Inkspell

Orpheus,
also called “Cheeseface” by Farid

Discovered in our world by Dustfinger, he claims to have the ability to both read and write characters in and out of books. He is an ardent but unreliable admirer of the original story of
lnkheart
.

Other books

Undercover Genius by Rice, Patricia
The Kremlin Letter by Behn, Noel;
Private Heat by Robert E. Bailey
Silent Night by Barbour Publishing, Inc.
The First Cut by Dianne Emley
The Seven Good Years by Etgar Keret