Charlie Bone and the Blue Boa

by Jenny Nimmo

  "Charlie Bone — at last." The old man held out a stringy mottled hand.

  Charlie looked at the hand, wondering if it ate things. He decided he'd better shake it but, before he knew it, his fingers were being pulverized by something that felt like a nutcracker. He retrieved his hand with a gasp of pain, and Mr. Weedon, who was sitting in an upright chair beside the old man, gave a malicious grin.

  "We know Billy," said Ezekiel. "In fact, we know each other very well, don't we, Billy?" He picked up a cane propped against his chair and tapped the floor by Billy's feet.

  Billy gave a silent nod.

  "Sit down, boys!" Ezekiel's voice sounded rather like a rusty saw.

  Charlie and Billy made for the nearest chair and shared it, both perching on the edge. Grandma Bone sat beside Lucretia on the sofa, and Lucretia said, "Well, isn't this nice?"

  Charlie thought, Hardly.

  "Now." Ezekiel rubbed his hands together. "To begin with, I'm very pleased to see you two boys have made friends. We've all got to work together, haven't we? The more of us the better. Isn't that so?"

  Charlie said, "It depends."

  Ezekiel frowned, and Grandma Bone and her sister muttered, "Insolence! Behave yourself."

  "You're not going to be like your father, are you?" said Ezekiel, raising his voice and glaring at Charlie. "I expect you've noticed I can't walk. Do you know who's responsible? Your father, darn him. He did this to me. He deserved to die."

  Charlie gritted his teeth. He was so angry he was afraid he might do something violent. Instead he muttered, "He isn't dead."

  "What?" cried the old man. "What did you say?"

  "I said my father isn't dead!" Charlie shouted.

  The old man's black eyes flashed. He stared at Charlie for several seconds and then he gave a shrill cackle. "Prove it," he snickered.

  Charlie said nothing.

  "No, you can't, can you?" said Ezekiel. He was suddenly overcome by a bout of coughing, and Grandma Bone rushed out to fetch him a cup of tea. While she was gone, Aunt Lucretia snarled, "You're a very stupid boy Charlie Bone. Why can't you see sense? Why can't you do the right thing?"

  Charlie remained silent and Billy squashed himself farther back into the chair.

  Grandma Bone returned with three cups of tea and a plate of cookies. She handed the tea and cookies to Ezekiel, Lucretia, and Mr. Weedon, but when Charlie put a hand toward the plate, Lucretia gave him a hard slap.

  "Ouch!" Charlie withdrew his stinging hand.

  Ezekiel said, “Aw, we mustn't hit Charlie. We want him on our side, don't we?"

  "I sometimes wonder if he's worth the trouble," sniffed Grandma Bone.

  Charlie couldn't stop himself. "If you want me on your side, you've got a funny way of going about it."

  Grandma Bone raised her eyebrows. Ezekiel slurped his tea. Lucretia stirred hers. At last the old man said, "We never meant to do you any harm, Charlie. Not permanent harm. We just had to teach you a lesson, now and again. You have to be shown the way"

  "And what way is that?" asked Charlie.

  Ezekiel shook his head. "I want us all to be on the same side, Charlie. Think how powerful we could be. All you bright, gifted children — children of the Red King. Think what you could do. Billy understands, don't you, Billy?"

  Billy squirmed in his seat.

  "Billy's a good boy" said Grandma Bone. "Billy does what he's told. He doesn't break the rules."

  "Rules," said Charlie. "My father broke your rules and you did something horrible to him. And my uncle Paton went where you didn't want him to go, and now he's all — ruined. That's not fair!"

  Mr. Weedon leaned forward. “All's fair in love and war," he announced in a commanding voice.

  The other three adults looked at him in surprise, and Charlie had an odd feeling that, of all the people in the room, Mr. Weedon was the one he should fear most.

  Ezekiel gave an exasperated sigh. "I'm tired of this. I don't like arguing with little boys. Just behave yourself Charlie Bone. You know what I can do to people who don't."

  Charlie was trying to think of a clever reply when a mouse suddenly appeared on the mantelpiece. Everyone watched it scuttling around the candlesticks and china ornaments. And then it stood on its hind legs beside the clock and began to squeak.

  Grandma Bone and Aunt Lucretia had already begun to shriek when Ezekiel shouted, "What's it saying, Billy? Tell us."

  "It says it's lost," said Billy although the mouse was actually saying, "I'm going out of my mind with worry. Where am I? I don't understand how I got here!"

  Billy was about to say something reassuring to the little creature when Mr. Weedon brought his hat down, bang, over the mouse. "Got the little creep," he said.

  Billy and Charlie watched in dismay as the big man turned his hat over and put his hand on top of the mouse. But then he gave a grunt of fury and dropped both hat and mouse. "He bit me!" he yelled.

  Charlie whispered to Billy "With any luck he'll get the plague."

  The mouse leaped out of the hat and raced under the sofa.

  "Get me out of here!" shrieked Ezekiel. "Weedon, leave the darn mouse. Billy fetch your bag, you're coming home with me!"

  "But I'm staying with Charlie," said Billy "for the weekend. I don't want to go back to Bloor's."

  "Don't argue," shouted Ezekiel. "He's a bad influence. Go and get your stuff"

  Billy wriggled out of the chair and left the room with a look of despair.

  "It's not fair," said Charlie. "Billy's alone every weekend."

  "Not fair! Not fair!" mimicked Grandma Bone. "Nothing's fair with you, is it?"

  "No." Charlie was so disgusted with everyone, he walked out of the room, growling softly “And it's not fair to keep invisible boys locked up."

  "What did you say you insolent boy?" his grandmother shouted.

  Billy came downstairs with his bag and Rembrandt in the box. Charlie was about to advise him to hide the box when Mr. Weedon burst out of the living room carrying the old man.

  "What's in there?" said Ezekiel, tapping the box with his cane.

  “A — a rat!" said Billy too frightened to lie.

  "What? Get rid of it."

  "But it's a friend," said Billy faintly

  "It's not coming into my house," declared Ezekiel.

  "But it belonged to Mr. Boldova," said Billy making things worse for himself. “And now that he's gone, there's no one else to look after it."

  Grandma Bone and Aunt Lucretia had come into the hall and both began shouting at once, "In the house? A rat?" "Someone kill it!"

  Billy's eyes began to fill with tears. "You c-can't . . . " he sobbed.

  "I'll look after it," cried Charlie, seizing the box. "Don't worry Billy"

  "You will not!" roared Grandma Bone. "I won't have it in the house. Weedon, bang it on the head!"

  But Weedon had his hands full with Ezekiel and before anyone else could make a move, Charlie had opened the front door.

  " 'Bye, Billy" he shouted, as he raced down the steps. "I'm taking Rembrandt somewhere where he'll be safe."

  "Come back!" called Grandma Bone.

  "That boy's out of control," bellowed Aunt Lucretia.

  "Not for long!" said Ezekiel.

  Charlie didn't hear this. He ran up Filbert Street and on into the city stopping only once to look into the box. Rembrandt stared out fearfully his nose twitching at least a hundred times a second.

  "Sorry Rem," Charlie panted. "I hate to do this to you, but you didn't stand a chance back there." He raced up Frog Street and sped down the alley to the Pets' Café.

  "Hello, Charlie. You look winded," said Norton, the bouncer, as Charlie leaped through the door.

  "I've got to see Mr. Onimous," said Charlie. "Is he around?" He held up the box. "Rat," he said. "In a bit of trouble."

  "Orvil's in the kitchen," said Norton. "Just go around the counter."

  Leaping over a birdcage and two dachsunds, Charlie hastily made his way around the counter and t
hrough the door at the back. Mr. and Mrs. Onimous were having a cup of tea at the long kitchen table. Several large saucepans were bubbling away on the stove, and they both looked very flushed.

  "Well, if it isn't Charlie," said Mr. Onimous, dabbing his face with a red handkerchief. "Sit down my friend, and have a cup of tea."

  "Thanks, but I'm in a bit of a rush," said Charlie.

  There was a joyful bark and Runner Bean erupted from under the table. Charlie put his box on the table and allowed his face to be licked while he rubbed the big dog's rough hair. When he looked around Rembrandt was sitting beside Mrs. OnimOus' cup of tea.

  "Well, this is a nice surprise," she said. “A very pretty rat indeed."

  Runner Bean growled and Charlie asked him if he would please be quiet because the rat was already in quite a state.

  "I brought him here because Grandma Bone would have killed him," Charlie explained. "I thought he'd be safe with you. Can you look after him, Mrs. Onimous, please?"

  "You'd better tell us what all this is about, young Charlie," said Mr. Onimous.

  “And have some cake while you do it," said Mrs. Onimous. "Sit down, Charlie, and make yourself at home."

  Charlie hadn't intended to stay He was worried that his mother would get home from work and find Grandma Bone in a fury But the smell of freshly baked cakes, and the Onimouses' welcoming smiles, were too hard to resist. So he sat between them at the table and munched his way through an enormous slice of chocolate cake, while he told his friends everything, about Ollie Sparks, the blue boa, and the terrible loneliness of Ollie's invisibility. And then the final dreadful scene with Ezekiel and poor Billy

  "Billy wanted to keep the rat," said Charlie, feeding Rembrandt a crumb. "It's a friend, you see. It can understand what Billy says. But that revolting old man said he couldn't have it, and Grandma Bone told Mr. Weedon to bang it on the head."

  "The poor, dear creature." Mrs. Onimous clutched her chest. "Come to me, my love!"

  Rembrandt leaped over a plate and landed in Mrs. Onimous' lap. Obviously Billy wasn't the only person he could understand.

  "You say your uncle has a mystery illness," said Mr. Onimous, who had great respect for Paton Yewbeam. “And you have no idea what caused this strange affliction?"

  “All I know is that he met someone in Yewbeam Castle," said Charlie. “And this person did something to him."

  The Onimouses stared at Charlie, equally horrified.

  "That's a terrible place," said Mr. Onimous at last.

  "Have you been there?" asked Charlie.

  "Never." Mr. Onimous shook his head. "Wild horses couldn't drag me there. It's an evil place, Charlie. Your uncle was lucky to get out alive."

  "But maybe he won't stay alive," said Charlie fearfully

  "We must live in hope, dear," said Mrs. Onimous, Who looked anything but hopeful.

  CHAPTER 10

  THE WAND

  On his way home, Charlie called in at the bookshop. Emma was on duty at the counter, while her aunt wrapped books in the back room.

  "Tell Miss Ingledew that my uncle's home," said Charlie. "But he's not very well."

  "What's the matter with him?" asked Emma.

  "It's hard to explain. But it's scary Em. I'm afraid he might not get better — ever."

  "Why?" asked Emma with a worried frown. "How did it happen? Is it a mystery bug or something?"

  "Can't really say Got to go now Em. There was a bit of trouble before I left." Charlie hurried off leaving Emma looking baffled.

  There was a not-quite-peaceful silence inside number nine.

  Billy had obviously been taken back to Bloor's and there was no sign of Grandma Bone. It was lunchtime so Charlie began to help himself from the fridge: cheese, cucumber, salami, and peanut butter all sandwiched between two thick slices of bread. He was about to sit at the table when he remembered his uncle. He made another identical sandwich and put them both on a tray with a glass of water.

  Paton called, "Come in! Come in!" immediately after Charlie knocked.

  "Praise be, refreshments," said Uncle Paton when he saw the tray He heaved himself up on his pillows and patted the bed.

  Charlie put the tray in front of his uncle. He was glad to see that Paton had managed to change into his pajamas. Hopefully this meant that he'd had a bath, though there was still a funny smell in the room.

  "Scorched socks!" said Paton, who had noticed Charlie's discreet sniff.

  "Uncle, what happened?" asked Charlie. "Can you talk about it now?"

  Paton took a long drink of water, cleared his throat rather loudly and said, "Ahem. You'll have to know something of our past, Charlie. It all began when I was seven. You'll remember I discovered my gift on my seventh birthday"

  Charlie nodded. "The lights exploded and all the other children went home, and you ate all their ice cream and were sick."

  "Good memory," Paton remarked. "Well, shortly after this we all went to visit my great-aunt, Yolanda, at Yewbeam Castle."

  Charlie waited breathlessly while his uncle massaged his throat.

  "My mother was French," Paton went on. "A very beautiful woman. She'd been an actress, but when she married my father she found that she loved children. So she had five and gave up the stage. She was very proud of my gift. There'd been a few 'unusual talents' in her own family

  "She told Yolanda about me on our very first night there. We were having dinner in a long, dark room on the ground floor. There were eight of us, and Lyell, your father, who was two. His own father, a pilot, had already been killed — crashed his plane in the desert. Well, my mother said, 'Guess what, Aunt Yolanda, Paton is endowed.' I can see Yolanda's face now The way her eyes lit up." Paton bit into his sandwich.

  “And then my sister, Venetia, who was twelve, said, 'Like me. And like Eustacia, she's a clairvoyant. But Lucretia and Grizelda aren't endowed, poor things.' The two eldest were very put out, as you can imagine, but then Grizelda said, 'Who knows? Baby Lyell may have a gift one day'

  "Yolanda gazed around at us. She looked so hungry A real predator." Paton paused and took another bite of his sandwich. "This is uncommonly good, Charlie," he said. "What's in it?"

  "I've forgotten. Please go on, Uncle Paton," begged Charlie.

  His uncle looked suddenly very grave. "Yewbeam Castle is a terrible place. It's built of a rock that seems to attract the night. It's a sooty gray inside and out. And they still haven't put in electricity The stairs are narrow; steep, and dark. On our second day my mother fell and broke her neck." Paton gave a frown of pain and touched his throat again.

  "We were all in the garden, if you can call it that. It's just a field of wild grass that grows right up to the castle walls. I heard my mother cry out, but my father reached her first — I was just two steps behind him. She was lying at the bottom of a treacherous stairway leading out of the hall. I heard her say 'Don't let her . . . ' And then she was gone." Paton pulled a handkerchief from under his pillow and vigorously blew his nose.

  "Yolanda pushed her, didn't she?" Charlie said grimly

  Paton gave a huge sigh. "I'm sure she did. But who could prove it? Besides, my sisters were already under her spell. They wouldn't hear a word against her. In fact, they wouldn't even leave the castle after my mother died. Yolanda tried to keep me, too. She begged and wheedled, she screamed and threw things. She turned into a wild dog, a bat, a serpent — she's a shape-shifter, you know. She tried to hypnotize my father, but he escaped with me and he never let me out of his sight until he was sure I could take care of myself."

  "You went to Yewbeam Castle to stop Yolanda from coming here, didn't you?" said Charlie.

  Paton nodded. "I heard my sisters plotting the night before I left. So I decided to pay Yolanda a visit. But I was too late. She wasn't there —"

  "Uncle Paton," Charlie interrupted, "she's here."

  "What?" Paton sagged against the pillows. "I was afraid of that. Is she . . .? What shape has she taken?"

  "She's a girl, quite a pretty
one. But her eyes keep changing, as if they can't remember what color they're supposed to be. I knew right away there was something wrong. She's living with the aunts in Darkly Wynd. But why has she come here, Uncle, after all this time?"

  "I only caught snatches of my sisters' conversation," said Paton. "I was in the kitchen having a midnight snack when they arrived. I don't care for their chatter, so I hid in the pantry Very undignified, but luckily they only had a cup of tea. They discussedYolanda and then moved off, into the living room. From what I could gather, Yolanda was called in to help the old man — Ezekiel — in some nefarious plan to disappear."

  Charlie gasped. "The boa!" he exclaimed. "Ezekiel's got a blue boa that can make things invisible. He's done it to a boy named Ollie Sparks."

  “Ah, well, it seems it's just a one-way ticket at the moment. You can go, but you can't come back, if you take my meaning. Ezekiel wants it both ways, naturally But as he's an incompetent magician, he can't do it."

  "So he's practicing on Ollie," Charlie murmured. "He's kept in the attics."

  "Dear lord, whatever next?" sighed Paton.

  Charlie was still desperate to know about his uncle's visit to the castle. "Uncle, what happened?" he said gently "Why have you lost your power?"

  Paton closed his eyes. His face had a closed look, shuttered and blank. It seemed that he couldn't speak of his ordeal just yet. It had been too terrible.

  The doorbell rang.

  Grandma Bone must have been in the house all the time, because the front door opened and Charlie could hear her voice.

  "You're not welcome here. Please leave!"

  Charlie opened the window and looked down at the steps. "It's Miss Ingledew,” he told his uncle. “And Emma. Hi, Emma!" he called.

  "Julia?" Patron's eyes flew open. "She wants to see me then!"

  "Hi!" said Emma, waving a bunch of roses at Charlie.

  Miss Ingledew looked up. "Hello, Charlie, I've come to —"

  She was cut short by Grandma Bone, who stepped out of the house and growled, "I asked you to leave."

  "But I've come to see Mr. Yewbeam. I heard he wasn't well." Miss Ingledew held up a yellow paper bag. "We've brought flowers and bananas, they're so good for . . .”