Children of the Red King Book 07 Charlie Bone and the Shadow of Badlock

by Jenny Nimmo

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  a small silver catapult, she shot a stone straight at the giant's forehead. He crashed to the floor with a groan.

  "Oh, Otus, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I brought you here," cried Charlie, falling to his knees beside the giant. The distressed boa wrapped himself around Charlie as though to comfort him. Too late, Charlie realized that he was becoming visible. He waited for Mrs. Tilpin's sharp fingers to grab him by the neck. But nothing touched him.

  Charlie looked up. The crowd was backing away, men and women falling over one another in their haste to leave the stage. Even Mrs. Tilpin was moving down the steps. Her eyes were fixed on the wall behind Charlie, her face contorted with fear. Following her gaze, Charlie looked behind him and saw a line of ghostly forms, half hidden in a swirling mist. Their faces were undefined, but their brown arms were all too clear. Each one held a long, gleaming spear.

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  "Lysander!" said Charlie.

  "You bet!" Lysander came striding through the stage door. He swept his arm in an arc above his head and pointed at the crowd.

  Lysander's spirit ancestors, their weapons held aloft, advanced on Mrs. Tilpin and her sinister followers. Many of them held their hands over their ears, the drumbeats were now so loud. They jostled and moaned as they pushed their way to the door that opened onto Piminy Street. And then they were through, and above the drumming, their heavy feet could be heard pounding down the street.

  The still-invisible giant groaned.

  "Whatever was that?" Lysander stared at the floor.

  "A giant," said Charlie. "And he's alive. Thanks, Sander. Thank you, thank you. You saved our lives."

  "A giant," said Lysander. "I expected Billy."

  "Billy," sighed Charlie. "He wouldn't come."

  Lysander stared at Charlie in disbelief, and then, studying the floor where the groaning was coming from,

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  he said, "We'd better get that giant out of here. I'm sure they'll be able to see him, even if I can't." He beckoned his spirit ancestors.

  The tall, wraithlike forms lowered their spears and rested them against glittering belts. Charlie got to his feet as they came toward him. There were seven of them, their dark features appearing briefly and then receding into the mist that seemed to accompany them. They bent down and lifted the giant onto their shoulders, as easily as if he'd been an empty sack. At least Charlie assumed that's where the giant was, because his groaning voice was now coming from somewhere just above their heads.

  Lysander led the way through the door and around the back of the chapel. Charlie came last with the blue boa hanging about his neck. He took a quick look into the chapel before he closed the door. The painting of Badlock was lying on its back, facing the ivy-clad ceiling. Charlie was tempted to destroy it, knowing what it could do. And then he remembered Billy.

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  Charlie slammed the door of the chapel and raced around into the alley. He could hardly believe his eyes. Uncle Paton's camper van was parked in a space no camper van should occupy. Luckily, the back doors were right beside the opening in the chapel wall, and the ancestors had no trouble in depositing the giant on the floor. When this was done, the tall figures slowly melted away. Lysander made a bow in their direction and closed the van doors.

  "Uncle Paton, when did you get here?" Charlie clambered in beside his uncle, who shied away from the boa and started the engine.

  "An hour ago," said Uncle Paton. "You don't need to tell me where you've been."

  Lysander leaped in beside Charlie and said, "Let's go, Mr. Yewbeam."

  They sped up to the top of the alley and turned onto a road that would eventually take them to Filbert Street.

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  "Is young Billy hurt?" asked Uncle Paton as he drove, rather too fast, along Park Road. "He's making a devil of a noise."

  "It isn't Billy," said Charlie.

  "No?" Uncle Paton glanced at Charlie. "Who then?"

  Charlie hesitated and Lysander said, "Mr. Yewbeam, you have a very large man in the back of your van."

  "WHAT?" Uncle Paton's foot slipped onto the brake and everyone lurched forward rather sickeningly.

  A dreadful groan came from the back, and a melancholy voice called, "For pity's sake, what monstrous machine is eating me?"

  "How large is this very large man?" asked Paton in a low voice. "Are we talking of giants?"

  "He's not strictly a giant," said Charlie. "He's only about eight or nine feet tall."

  Uncle Paton sighed. "May I ask why he is here?"

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  "He's from Badlock," Charlie told his uncle. "He's my ancestor, and yours. I HAD to rescue him, Uncle P."

  "Of course you did," Uncle Paton said wearily. "And may I ask what you propose to do with such a very tall person, nine hundred years out of his own time?"

  Charlie grimaced. He couldn't bring himself to tell his uncle that he planned to take Otus to the Castle of Mirrors. He knew it would sound ridiculous.

  Lysander leaned forward and said quietly, "The giant is at present invisible, Mr. Yewbeam."

  "Oh, great." Paton glanced at the blue boa. "I suppose that makes everything all right, doesn't it?" He put his foot down hard on the accelerator and they whizzed up Filbert Street, coming to a screeching halt outside number nine.

  Charlie wasn't quite sure what to do next. His uncle sat in the driving seat, scratching his head and looking stressed.

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  "I'll get the Browns." Charlie raced over to number twelve to explain the situation to the Browns.

  Uncle Paton eventually roused himself and joined Lysander, who had opened the van doors. The giant had fallen silent.

  Mr. and Mrs. Brown came running across the road followed by Benjamin, Charlie, and Runner Bean. They all crowded around the back of the camper van, Runner Bean barking with excitement.

  "How interesting!" Mr. Brown peered into the van, accidentally resting his hand on one of the giant's feet. "Oops! There he is."

  "Charlie, open the front door. Quickly," ordered Uncle Paton.

  Charlie leaped up the steps and opened the door, calling, "Hi, Grandmas! We're just bringing in a carpet." When he looked around, Lysander, Uncle Paton, and the Browns were carrying the giant, wrapped in the van's carpet, toward the house.

  With much huffing and puffing, the carpet was

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  lifted up the steps and into the hall, where it was lowered, rather fast, onto the floor. There was a bump and a voice from the floor cried, "Mercy! Let it end now, I beseech you."

  Charlie quickly shut the front door and let the boa slide inside the carpet. Maisie appeared in the kitchen doorway and said, "There you are, Charlie. I see your uncle found you. I wondered what on earth had happened."

  Charlie gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry, Maisie. Got held up."

  "That's a very shabby carpet," she said, and before anyone could stop her, she gave it a little kick.

  The deep groan from the carpet sent her reeling back into the kitchen. "There's someone in there," she cried.

  They all followed her into the kitchen. Charlie made her sit down and Uncle Paton put on the kettle. Runner Bean slid under the table and everyone gathered around Maisie. No one knew quite what to tell her, so Charlie sat beside his grandmother and

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  began at the beginning. When he had finished, Maisie took a very deep breath and said, "Well, you'd better do something about that poor man. Grandma Bone will be back from lunch in a minute."

  It was decided that Charlie should talk to Otus. The giant would not be so alarmed if someone he knew explained things to him.

  "It would be a great advantage if the fellow could be
seen," said Mr. Brown.

  "Not with my sister around," Paton told him.

  They didn't realize that the blue boa had made his own decision until they opened the door. There stood the giant, every hair, every whisker completely visible. The boa had wrapped itself comfortably around his neck.

  "Charlie," cried Otus. "What manner of place is this?"

  Charlie was relieved to see Otus on his feet, but a little concerned about the huge bruise on the giant's forehead. "Shall we go upstairs?" he asked.

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  "I have things to tell you and we might not be safe here."

  The giant gazed at the framed photos on the wall and at the hall light in its stained-glass shade hanging beside his head. "Yes, yes," he murmured. "It is very strange here, Charlie."

  And then Runner Bean ran out of the kitchen wagging his tail and the giant beamed with pleasure. "We meet again, dog," he said, bending to pet Runner Bean. "Good dog. Best of all dogs."

  Runner Bean licked the big hand and barked delightedly.

  Mrs. Brown poked her head around the door and said, "We'll be going now, Charlie. I'm sure you've got a lot to take care of. It's been nice meeting you, Mr. Yewbeam."

  The giant inclined his head.

  "Nice to meet you," said Mr. Brown, tiptoeing, for some reason, toward the door. "Come on, Ben."

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  Benjamin stared up at the giant's smiling face. "Hi," he said.

  "Hi!" the giant repeated.

  "I'd better be going, too," said Lysander, holding his hand out to the giant. "It's been a pleasure to meet you, sir."

  Otus solemnly took Lysander's hand. "You are a powerful boy," said the giant. "I know this. And I thank you."

  When Lysander and the Browns had gone, Charlie led the giant upstairs. Uncle Paton suggested his room would be safer than Charlie's, as it was strictly out of bounds to Grandma Bone.

  Otus ducked beneath the door frame and sank onto Uncle Paton's bed, which was covered in papers. Otus didn't seem to notice, nor did he pay any heed to the loud twangs the bed made, as though several springs had broken.

  "You've made a mistake, haven't you, Charlie boy?" said the giant.

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  "Sorry." Charlie moved some of the papers and sat next to his ancestor.

  "Shall I never see my wife?" asked the giant in a forlorn voice.

  "I hope you will." Charlie smiled encouragingly. "The thing is, I had to come back here first because the painting of Badlock was here, and it's what I do: travel into paintings."

  "There is no painting of my wife," said Otus.

  "No - but - I think I have seen her."

  "You... !" The giant's face came very close to Charlie. His large hand clutched Charlie's shoulder. "How is that possible?"

  "The castle where she died still stands, but the walls turned to glass."

  "I heard that snow fell," Otus murmured, almost to himself. "Snow sent by a magician, but it came too late."

  "Too late to save them," Charlie agreed. "But it was a wonderful spell in its way, because now the

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  walls are like glass, but they are also mirrors." He pointed to the mirror on Uncle Paton's dresser, and the giant, seeing himself reflected there, smiled.

  "When I went to the castle," Charlie continued, "there was a wall that showed me a time picture, not a painting but, well, it was like a memory, like the walls had kept the memory of the people who lived there. I saw a family: Amadis and his wife and children, and a beautiful woman with black hair ..."

  "Yes, yes!" Otus exclaimed.

  "And they called her Amoret."

  "And you saw her... truly?"

  "She talked to me." Charlie looked into the giant's incredulous face. "I went in."

  "You went... in?" Otus lifted his head and stared at the ceiling. He looked at the shelves of books, the pictures, and the calendar. He looked at Uncle Paton's desk with its jars of pens and pencils, and he didn't seem surprised by any of it. "So you could take me?" he said.

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  "I think I could, with Claerwen's help. After all, she was a magician's wand. The magician that sent the snow, I think."

  The giant stood up, and the bedsprings twanged into place again. "When do we travel?" he asked.

  "Urn ... I haven't told my uncle yet," said Charlie. "It'll be up to him."

  Uncle Paton opened the door just then, and said, "We've got a visitor."

  Mrs. Kettle, carrying a large basket, pushed past him into the room. She gave a little start when she saw the giant's face so very far above her, and the giant, obligingly, sat down again.

  "I'm so very thrilled to meet you, Mr. Yewbeam." She held out her hand. The giant took it and leaned forward, bending his head as though he would have made a bow, if he'd been standing up.

  "My name is Mrs. Kettle," the blacksmith went on, "and I've been caring for... ah, there he is." She spied the blue boa, curled up on a pile of Uncle Paton's clothes.

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  "Come on, Solomon darling, time to go home."

  "A wondrous snake," Otus remarked as Mrs. Kettle approached the boa with her basket.

  "I wouldn't like him to get into the wrong hands," said Mrs. Kettle, helping the snake to curl himself into the basket. "There." She closed the lid and smiled around at everyone. "Well, this is a most incredible event, and I am very happy to be part of it. There is some good news that I don't suppose Lysander told you, Charlie."

  Charlie shrugged.

  "No, I thought not. I imagine it's been very busy here." She glanced at the giant. "Anyway, Gabriel Silk has obtained so many signatures on his petition for reopening the Pets' Cafe, it is likely that the Onimouses will be successful."

  Instead of giving her a happy smile, Charlie suddenly leaped up, clapping his hand to his head. "Oh, no!" he cried. "I've remembered."

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  "What have you remembered?" Paton came farther into the room and closed the door.

  The giant stared anxiously at Charlie as he paced toward the window. "Norton Cross, the doorman at the Pets' Cafe," he said. "I saw him in the Chapel. He must be one of the shadow's followers. Perhaps he even caused the Onimouses' accident."

  "We'll just make sure he doesn't go back there, my dear," said Mrs. Kettle calmly.

  "You don't understand" - Charlie clutched his tangled hair - "I told Mr. Bittermouse to contact Norton, to help with repairing his door. And now I've put him in danger."

  "He was in danger already, Charlie," said Mrs. Kettle. "But we'll make sure that he's safe. Don't you worry about it. You've got enough on your plate." She smiled at the giant who was sitting very still with a faraway look in his eyes. "I mean no offense, Mr. Yewbeam, but I'm sure Charlie's been making plans for you."

  "Er, yes," Charlie muttered.

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  "And what are they, my dear? Will you let me into your secrets?"

  "Urn... ," began Charlie.

  The giant said, "He is taking me to my wife."

  Not by a single twitch did Mrs. Kettle show her surprise. "How wonderful," she said. "I'll be off now and let you get on with things. Good luck all." She slipped out, closing the door very quietly behind her.

  Unfortunately, Uncle Paton was so flabbergasted, he staggered to a chair and sat down rather heavily. "Can I believe my ears, Charlie? Did you tell Mr. Yewbeam here that you were taking him to see his wife?"

  "I'm sorry I didn't mention it before," said Charlie.

  "But..." Paton looked at the giant and shook his head.

  Charlie felt deflated and helpless. It was several seconds before he realized that the giant was speaking. Otus Yewbeam's deep v
oice stole so softly into

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  the room, Charlie and his uncle felt they were listening to a voice from another world.

  "I know what awaits me, sir. I know the fire was fierce and that Amoret died most horribly. I have known this for many years. I have thought of it every day since I learned the nature of my wife's passing; every day that I spent in that prison, for Badlock is a prison, my friends. And I thank you, most fervently, Charlie, for bringing me out of it. I would not have wished to die there. I know what my end will be if I am with my wife, but one day, one hour, one minute spent with her would, at a stroke, wipe away the memory of all those bitter years. So I beg you, Paton, uncle of Charlie, sir, please help Charlie take me to my wife."

  Uncle Paton had been looking at the giant, as though struck by an amazing revelation. "It will be a pleasure," he said.

  There was a crash from below as the front door was flung open, and a voice called, "WHERE IS IT,

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  THEN? I've heard from my friends on Piminy Street that there is a giant in my house."

  "Grandma Bone!" Charlie whispered.

  "An ill-disposed voice," remarked the giant.

  "Exceedingly ill-disposed," Paton agreed. "But don't let it worry you. Stay here with Charlie. I'll deal with this."

  Uncle Paton left the room, calling, "Good afternoon, Grizelda. Are you grumbling again?"

  "I most certainly am." She stared up at her brother, her features twisted with spite. "Where is it?"

  "IT? IT?" shouted Paton, descending the stairs. "There is no IT here, unless you mean your sorry self."

  Grandma Bone stamped her foot. "Don't try and be clever, Paton. I won't have it in my house."

  "YOUR house, Grizelda?" Paton poked her in the chest. "YOUR house? It's half mine, and I won't have you poking your nose into my business."

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  "Don't do that!" Grandma Bone found herself backing down the hallway as Paton poked and poked at her.

  "Stop it," she shrieked.

  They had reached the cellar, and in one swift movement, Paton opened the door and pushed her in. She slipped down the first two steps, steadied herself and screamed, "HELP!"