Charlie Bone and the Shadow (The Children of the Red King, Book 7) Part 2 potx

clever Tolemeo. It is an awful place. There is the eternal wind, 26 and then in winter there is a deluge. Water fills the land between the mountains, a fathom deep." "It IS a boat, then." Charlie nodded at the wooden boat shape hanging on the wall. "Indeed, a boat. There is no other place to live but in a tower." "And where does the enchanter live?" "In a dark fortress, a scar on the mountain. I'll show you." Dropping the meat into an iron pot, Otus wiped his hands on a rag tucked into his belt and, before Charlie could protest, lifted him up to the high window. Night was falling fast, but the mountains were sharply outlined against a ribbon of pale green sky. Close to the top of the tallest mountain, flickering red lights could be seen 57/557 and, behind them, a black shape capped with steep turrets. "He is seldom there," said the giant, "but the fires burn constantly to remind his subjects that he is watching them." Charlie shuddered. It had only just occurred to 27 him that he might be trapped in this hostile world forever. He was about to be lowered to the ground when he shouted, "Stop. I see something." A few feet away from the base of the giant's tower stood a large yellow dog. It was staring up at the window. When the dog caught Charlie's eye, it began to bark. "Runner Bean!" cried Charlie. How had his best friend's dog followed him into a painting? It couldn't happen. But he had. 58/557 28 CHAPTER 2 THE MELTING DOG minutes after Charlie had traveled into Bad- lock, his best friend, Benjamin Brown, a small, tow-haired, anxious-looking boy, left his house at number twelve Filbert Street and crossed the road to number nine. His dog, Runner Bean, trotted behind him. When Benjamin rang the bell at number nine, the door was immediately opened by Charlie's grandmother Maisie. "Benjamin, love," cried Maisie, drawing him into the hall. "I hope you can do something. Charlie's gone." "Gone, Mrs. Jones? Gone where?" Benjamin dutifully wiped his shoes on the doormat. "If I knew that, I wouldn't be standing here asking you to do something, would I?" Mais- ie closed her eyes and scratched the back of 59/557 her neck. "Whatever am I going to tell his parents?" 29 "I don't expect you'll have to tell them any- thing," said Benjamin. "Perhaps my mom and dad can help, being detectives." Benjamin instantly regretted saying this. His parents were working on a very important case. They had just left the house; Mrs. Brown disguised as a man, and Mr. Brown disguised as a woman. Benjamin didn't much like it when his parents dressed like this; they hadn't even explained the circum- stances that demanded the fake mustache (for Mrs. Brown) and the blond wig (for Mr. Brown), they had just told Benjamin to go over to Charlie's house, where Maisie would give him lunch. "Actually, I'm sorry, I don't think my parents can help," Benjamin apologized. 60/557 "I'm pretty sure they can't." Maisie turned away and led Benjamin down a dim hallway. "This is one of those disappearances that normal people couldn't hope to solve." "But I'm normal," Benjamin reminded her. 30 Maisie sighed. "Well, I know. But you're a friend, and you could get one of the others. The endowed ones - or whatever they call themselves." "Children of the Red King," Benjamin said quietly. They had reached the cellar door, which stood wide open. Maisie beckoned to Ben- jamin and pointed into the cellar. Benjamin looked down into the murky underground room. Maisie nodded encouragingly. Ben- jamin didn't like cellars, nor did Runner Bean. The big dog began to whine. "Do I have to?" Benjamin asked. 61/557 "It's down there," said Maisie in a hushed voice. "What is?" "The painting, dear." Benjamin uttered a very slow "Ohhh" as he realized that Charlie must be traveling. "He hasn't really disappeared, then." "This time he has," said Maisie solemnly. Benjamin stared into the cellar. He descen- ded three or four steps until he could see the whole room. A dim light hanging from the ceiling showed 31 him a unused cabinet, broken chairs, curtain rods, piles of newspapers and magazines, and large black plastic bags filled with bul- ging objects. And then he saw the painting. It was standing against one of the walls, beside an old rolled-up mattress. 62/557 A small shadow flickered over it, and Ben- jamin saw that a white moth was hovering around the lightbulb. All at once the moth swung away and vanished. Benjamin went to the bottom of the steps and walked over to the painting. Runner Bean scrabbled down after him. He was panting very heavily and occasionally emitted a nervous whine. The painting gave Benjamin the shivers. He was, as Maisie had admitted, a normal boy, so he experienced none of the insistent tugs that Charlie had felt, nor did he feel or hear the moaning Badlock winds. He did, however, get the impression that the almost photographic reality of the painting showed a place that had not been imagined but copied faithfully. It existed. Or did, once. With its dark towers, sunless sky, 32 63/557 and looming mountains, it was certainly a hostile, sinister country. There was a green scrawl in the bottom right-hand corner of the painting, badlock. If Badlock really was a place, it was not some- where that Benjamin would have wanted to visit. So why did Charlie go in? It was deser- ted, and as far as Benjamin could remember, Charlie had always needed first to hear a voice, and then to focus on a face, before he entered a picture. And in all the time Ben- jamin had known about his friend's endow- ment, Charlie had never actually disap- peared. His physical presence had always re- mained in the present, while his mind roamed the world behind the pictures. "What d'you think's going on, Ben?" asked Maisie, from the top of the steps. Benjamin shook his head. "Don't know, Mrs. Jones. Where's Charlie's uncle?" 64/557 "Paton? At the bookstore," said Maisie. "Where else?" 33 "Think I'll go over there. Mr. Yewbeam will know what to do." Benjamin turned toward the steps. Runner Bean didn't follow his master but stood before the painting in an odd stance, his head to one side, as though he were listening to something. He gave a low, mournful howl. And then, before Benjamin's very eyes, the yellow dog became a smaller, paler version of himself. "Runner?" Benjamin leaped toward his dog. He touched the tip of Runner Bean's tail, which was standing out as stiff as a broom, but in less than a second the tail had melted away and with it the whole of Benjamin's be- loved dog. 65/557 "RUNNER!" Benjamin shrieked, just as the front door slammed. "Oh my goodness!" Maisie clapped a hand over her mouth. She was roughly pushed aside by Grandma Bone, who had suddenly appeared beside her. "What on earth is going on?" demanded Grandma Bone. 34 Benjamin stared up at the two women. Mais- ie was shaking her head, her eyes were very wide, and her eyebrows were working furi- ously up and down. She seemed to be warn- ing him. Distraught as he was, Benjamin began to think, fast. It was always under- stood by Charlie and himself that Grandma Bone must know absolutely nothing about what went on, especially if it had anything at all to do with Charlie's traveling. 66/557 [...]... "Hmm," Benjamin grunted The boys were now entering the narrow cobble-stoned street that led to the cathedral On either side of them Tudor houses with ancient, crooked roofs leaned over the cobblestones at dangerous angles The bookstore stood directly opposite the great domed cathedral; a sign above the door read Ingledew's, in old-world script, and in the window two large leather-bound books were displayed... against a curtain of dark red velvet Miss Ingledew sold rare and precious books If the boys had paid attention to the gleaming 44 79/557 black car that stood outside the store, they might have had second thoughts, but they were in such a hurry they rushed straight in A small bell, attached to the inside of the door, tinkled pleasantly as they entered the store The sight that met their eyes, however,... Ezekiel began to whine about the small print as they stepped through the curtains and entered Miss Ingledew's back room Here, there were even more books than in the store itself Shelves covered the walls from floor to ceiling, filled with old, faded, yellow books, large on the bottom shelves and very small at the top They gave the 85/557 room a musty, leathery smell that was rather comforting But it was,... to peer at them over the top of his half-moon glasses "Vanished?" "Yes, Mr Yewbeam Completely gone," said Benjamin, on the verge of tears "There was this painting in your cellar, and Charlie' s grandma, the nice one, asked me to go down and help because Charlie had disappeared So I went down and 50 87/557 Runner Bean followed me, and then he went in, too." Uncle Paton frowned "What sort of painting... hundred." Mr Ezekiel slammed a mottled hand onto the valuable book, causing Miss Ingledew to wince "I only want to know a bit about marquetry Mother -of- pearl inlaid boxes in particular, dates 48 and sizes, et cetera." He began to flip the pages over with his long, bony fingers "Help me, Weedon." While the old man was occupied with the book, the two boys moved swiftly across the store and around the. .. that read Gunn House The rest of the board was filled with music notes: crochets, quavers, minims, and semibreves, though one hardly needed the musical notation to know that a family of musicians lived here The noise coming from within the house made it obvious The walls shook with the sound of drums, violins, flutes, cellos, and singing voices  72/ 557 Benjamin pressed the doorbell, and a deep recorded... hungry, he picked up a piece of dry toast and took a bite out of it "Pudding has just licked that," Mimi informed him Benjamin eyed the gray cat and sadly replaced the toast Fidelio took a chair beside him and leaned forward, his elbows on the table Mimi stopped plucking at her violin and perched on the other side of the table Mrs Gunn hummed softly while she scraped at something in the sink "What's happened,... room, so there were several tiny tables, a sofa, two armchairs, an upright leather chair, and a desk Hunched over the desk was a black-haired man who, even sitting down, seemed exceptionally tall The man paid no attention to the boys, but continued to pore over the papers in front of him Fidelio cleared his throat 49 Without looking up, the man said, "If you want Emma and Olivia, they've gone to the Pets'... nose with its high knobbly ridge or the sharp cheekbones and long chin Mr Ezekiel's eyes, however, were another matter They glittered beneath the protruding 80/557 forehead, as black and lively as the eyes of a devious ten-year-old Behind the ancient man's wheelchair stood a burly, bald-headed man - Mr Weedon, the school 45 janitor, chauffeur, handyman, and gardener There was nothing he would not have... seen them, Benjamin walked nonchalantly on, but from the corner 70/557 of his eye he saw Dagbert nudge Joshua and point across the road 37 Benjamin lost his nerve Instead of continuing up the road, he darted down a side street For a few minutes he stood in the shadows, watching the two boys He was being silly, he told himself Why should he be afraid of two boys from Charlie' s school? He hardly knew them . a friend, and you could get one of the others. The endowed ones - or whatever they call themselves." " ;Children of the Red King,& quot; Benjamin said quietly. They had reached the cellar. place. There is the eternal wind, 26 and then in winter there is a deluge. Water fills the land between the mountains, a fathom deep." "It IS a boat, then." Charlie nodded at the wooden. In the center of the square stood an old single-fam- ily house. It was surrounded by a low wall and a weedy garden. Nailed to the gate was a weathered board that read Gunn House. The rest of the