by Chris Ward
‘She’s the secretary at my secondary school,’ Benjamin said, feeling like a mystery had been solved yet another door to freedom had been slammed shut. ‘She looks like you. She looks exactly like you.’
Mrs. Martin smiled. ‘Even our parents couldn’t tell us apart.’ She started to get up, then paused. ‘If you ever find a way … back … I’d be interested in knowing about it.’
Benjamin, Miranda, and Wilhelm looked at each other as she retreated into the office. ‘Doesn’t explain the phone line,’ Benjamin said. When he saw their blank stares, he realised he hadn’t mentioned it to the others.
He was about to explain, when Snout came running up the hall, stopping just short of them. He gave a curt nod, wiped his sniffling nose with the back of his sleeve, and then said, ‘Ms. Ito will see you now.’
Wilhelm was like a tittering bird as they followed Snout toward the teachers’ apartments. ‘She’s going to murder us,’ he said, gaze unsure where to rest. ‘Captain Roche might look scary, but he’s a pussycat compared to her. I’ve heard rumours, you know. She doesn’t get tired. She can scream until your eardrums pop, even if it takes days.’
Miranda and Benjamin shared a glance. Miranda looked flustered, but Benjamin took a certain level of comfort in being balled out by an angry teacher.
Ms. Ito waited in the library with Professor Loane. With a sweep of her hand, she dismissed Snout, who was running almost before he’d turned around. Professor Loane closed the door, then stepped off to the side and stood patiently like a butler while Ms. Ito stumped back and forth. Stump, stump, stump in one direction, a long, lazy sweep as her cast swung around, and then stump, stump, stump back in the other direction, eyes holding them with a cruel stare.
After the ninth lap, she finally stopped and turned to face them. ‘Should we get the scolding out of the way first, or should we save that for later?’
None dared to speak. Benjamin started to open his mouth, though his tongue felt thick and useless, so he closed it again with a sharp snap.
‘Unfortunately,’ Ms. Ito continued, ‘we are unable to select pupils in the same way that a regular school does. Ours are delivered to us; we do not get a choice. And quite often, we end up with all manner of riffraff gracing our rather divine corridors. Do you have anything to say?’
All three stayed silent. Ms. Ito nodded. ‘Good, good. I should hope not. Foolish is the upstart who believes they can talk over the wise. Isn’t that right, Loane?’
By the door, Professor Loane snapped to attention like a pupil caught napping. ‘Yes, of course, Ms. Ito. Quite right.’
Ms. Ito narrowed her eyes. Benjamin waited for a curl of her lips, a wink, or perhaps even a slight wrinkling of the nose, anything to suggest an element of humour, but none came. She turned back to the others.
‘Certain things I am about to talk about will never leave this room, is that clear? Not even in the event of capture and torture.’
Three heads shook vehemently.
‘No.’
‘Nope.’
‘Of course not.’
‘Good.’ Ms. Ito spun on her cast, then did a couple more laps of the room. ‘More years ago than you could count—and we’re not quite sure how many, so don’t ask; the tomes of Endinfinium’s history are slow to reveal their secrets—Endinfinium was created out of some kind of evolutionary disturbance, and like any common parasite, began to grow and spread. East—or what became considered east—to the edge of the world, west to the High Mountains and beyond, south and north to regions yet unexplored. Like fleas on the back of a diseased horse, people began appearing all over the place. While no one is quite sure, one can assume those days were terribly dangerous, with one’s chances of survival slight in the least. None of you, with your cavalier attitude and remarkable disrespect for rules, would have stood a chance.’
Benjamin risked a glance across the top of Wilhelm’s head at Miranda, who stared at Ms. Ito like she was some kind of sorceress.
‘Then,’ Ms. Ito continued, ‘a group of those early settlers decided to found a school to help others like them, since there seemed to be no likelihood of an end for these strange appearances. They created the building you now stand inside, designed everything you see, and created all of the rules that keep those ghastly phantoms and other hideous things at bay. It is likely this process took many hundreds of years to complete, and even now, those among us who choose at our triangulation to stay, continue to keep and respect those traditions. Am I clear so far?’
Benjamin nodded along with the others. He really wanted to ask what a triangulation was, but Ms. Ito’s tone was not inviting questions.
‘So you see, this school is quite something to be treasured. Every one of those poor, mindless fools you see wandering the corridors—the cleaners, I mean, not the pupils; although at times there appears to be little difference—came here from someplace else, but didn’t have the knowledge or the knowhow to survive.’ Ms. Ito tapped the side of her head hard enough to make a sound. ‘So … think. Think about how lucky you are to have this support network. And yes, we are fully aware that some of you have realised you have the ability to do certain unusual things—everyone who comes here does, that’s a prerequisite of attendance, it seems—but we have taken steps to reduce their effectiveness until you are ready for proper instruction.’
Ms. Ito paused, slowly looking from one to the other, holding each gaze for several seconds. ‘And that is why you are in trouble. Not just for sneaking around, failing to show up to classes, running off with certain … outsiders, and putting your lives into incredible danger, but the presumption that, when it comes to this ability you like to call magic, you know best.’
Ms. Ito began to pace up and down again. They watched her in silence for several minutes, until the tension was so great Benjamin wanted to scream. Finally, Ms. Ito stopped.
‘However. I am sure it has been noted by all of you, that myself, Professor Loane, and Captain Roche, and a number of others, are teachers’—finally, a tiny smirk suggested Ms. Ito had a sense of humour after all—‘and that makes us less human than pretty much anything kids of your age can imagine. We are also human beings, however, and the human part of me—the non-teacher part—says to all three of you with as much feeling as my black, black, black heart can muster … thank you.’
Benjamin started, certain he had misheard.
‘What you did was incredibly stupid, but it might have given us a chance to save the school. Some days ago, Grand Lord Bastien, the most powerful among us and the least influenced by the Dark Man’s eternal taint, decided to journey to the High Mountains to seek an audience with the Dark Man. He has yet to return. Captain Roche told us what you told him, but I think it would be best if you started from the beginning and told it all again.’ She turned and executed an ankle sweep on a metal chair behind her. It flipped over, then landed directly behind Ms. Ito, who sat down with a soft thud.
‘I’m waiting,’ she said. ‘Leave nothing out.’
41
THE CAVERN
All three were allowed back to the dorms to sleep. Benjamin couldn’t believe how happy he was just to see Gubbledon, and he gave the reanimated horse a big hug when he met them at the door after their dash across the precipice. The school and the dorms, Gubbledon said, had been on indefinite lockdown due to the poor weather. Benjamin didn’t know whether Gubbledon knew more or not, but he honoured what he had promised Ms. Ito and said nothing.
The other pupils had already eaten their evening meal, so Gubbledon prepared them something from the kitchens, and the three of them, together with the reanimated horse, sat at a corner table of the common room while a few other groups played or studied around them.
‘We were all quite worried,’ Gubbledon said. ‘The official word was that you’d gone out on an orientation trip and had gotten lost. It must have been terribly dark out on those hills at night. Did you run into any ghouls?’
Wilhelm nodded. ‘Millions of them,’ he said. ‘Mira
nda gave them one look, though, and they just melted away.’
As Miranda glowered, Gubbledon snorted with amusement. ‘If it was anything like that, I’m not surprised.’
After dinner, they retired to their rooms. Benjamin was delighted to change his clothes after so long, even if only into a pair of school pajamas that looked like a less complicated version of his school uniform. As he climbed up onto his bunk and lay down, he suddenly realised how tired he was.
‘What do you think they’re going to do?’ Wilhelm said. After listening to everything Benjamin and the others had told them about what happened in the High Mountains, the teachers had called an emergency meeting. They were at turns thrilled, angered, and upset over the deaths of Edgar and Lawrence, the monstrous Baggers with their captured “fuel,” and the huge army approaching the school. Godfrey’s apparent defection to the Dark Man’s forces disappointed them, while they were fascinated by the mention of Fallenwood, at which point Ms. Ito’s eyes went starry and faraway as if she had known the reanimated stump some time long ago.
An assembly had been called for the morning, and Benjamin felt sure he was so tired he would sleep right through it unless someone dragged him awake.
He was just wishing Wilhelm goodnight when a knock came on the door and, without waiting to be asked, Snout entered. Like before, he looked sheepish, face downcast as he stood in the doorway, as though awaiting further instruction.
‘I wanted to say … sorry,’ he muttered.
‘What for?’
‘For being part of Godfrey’s crew when they tried to sell you to the Dark Man. I was just going along with, you know, the ride.’
From the top bunk, Benjamin couldn’t tell what Wilhelm, sitting on the bottom, thought, so he just said, ‘We all make mistakes, Snout. It’s all good.’
‘And one other thing,’ Snout continued. ‘Godfrey … I don’t think he was himself. I think he was … possessed.’
‘By the Dark Man?’
‘Yeah. Something like that.’
Snout didn’t wait for another comment; he nodded reverentially, then went out.
‘Do you think he was right?’ Benjamin said. He sat up in bed, waiting for Wilhelm to answer, and he was just about to ask the question again, when he heard soft snoring from the lower bunk.
With a sigh, he figured it was about time to catch up on some of his own sleep.
The next morning, before breakfast, everyone in the school assembled in the Great Hall, and it was only when he could see everyone together did Benjamin realise how few of the building’s residents were actually members of the school.
Perhaps eighty pupils stood in ordered lines, faced by ten teachers on the stage. Professor Loane stood at a podium in the centre, with Ms. Ito, Captain Roche and Professor Eaves behind him. Six others stood at the rear, while three more teachers patrolled behind the pupils. Off to the side stood Mrs. Martin beside Gubbledon, the sin keeper, and the gatekeeper, as well as a couple of the human staff from the kitchens. At a rate of fifteen graduates per year, Benjamin wondered where they’d all gone, though he wasn’t sure he wanted to find out.
‘I have some bad news,’ Professor Loane said. ‘A very bad storm is coming and with it, a grave threat to our school. In the continued absence of the wise Grand Lord Bastien, those of us on the teachers’ council have decided the best course of action is for all pupils to be moved out of the school until the threat has passed. Fifteen miles north lies an old study centre affiliated with our school. It is still maintained by a housemaster, Doctor Bernard Cage, who has promised us you will be well looked after.’ Professor Loane glanced behind him. ‘Professor Eaves has volunteered to lead this expedition, and he will be accompanied by housemaster Gubbledon.’
‘It’s a trap!’ Benjamin hissed to Miranda louder than he had anticipated. A couple of other pupils around them told him to shut up.
‘Do you have something to say, Master Forrest?’
Benjamin’s cheeks flushed. ‘No, sir. I just … sneezed.’
‘Good. Professor Eaves, if you please.’
Professor Eaves lumbered up to the podium. ‘Today, we will eat breakfast in the Dining Hall together, and we will leave right after,’ he said. ‘Everyone is permitted one small bag. Be sure you take only essential items. We will be going on foot, and it is imperative we reach the study centre by nightfall. Is that clear?’
There were mutters of agreement, and a couple of pupils gave military salutes that brought sniggers. From the smiles around him, Benjamin could tell that Loane’s proffered threat hadn’t been taken seriously. For most pupils, the trip was a day or two off regular classes.
‘What are we going to do?’ Benjamin said to Wilhelm and Miranda as they filed out of the hall. ‘You can’t tell me there’s no connection with Eaves locking us outside for the ghouls and now volunteering to take the pupils out of the school. He’s up to something. Do you think he’s working for the Dark Man?’
Wilhelm glared. ‘Dusty? No way. He’s not bright enough. He probably volunteered because he’s scared.’
Benjamin nodded, still unconvinced that Dusty Eaves didn’t have it in for him. The old professor, however, didn’t come across as the type who might be a spy. Either way, no chance was he getting dragged off to some out-of-the-way study camp if his brother was trapped in one of those machines.
‘I’ll meet you in the Dining Hall,’ he said. ‘I left something in the dorm.’
Without giving them a chance to reply, Benjamin ran off, but as soon as he was out of sight, he doubled back toward the teachers’ apartments. Outside the entrance, he bumped into Professor Loane, arms laden with books from the library.
‘Sir … I want permission to stay behind,’ he said. ‘I told you my brother might be a prisoner of the Dark Man. I can’t leave him.’
Loane sighed. ‘You know, Benjamin, what’s in that machine might not be your brother at all. You said you didn’t see him, you just heard his voice? No one doubts what you heard, but Endinfinium doesn’t follow the rules of the world you knew before.’
‘People keep telling me that.’
‘It’s true. What you might have heard could have just been a memory.’
Benjamin shook his head. ‘No, my brother is in that machine, I’m sure of it.’
‘Let’s just say it is your brother. We will do everything we can for him, as we will for the Grand Lord, but our priority is to destroy this army. Each of us has sworn to protect this school and everything it stands for. Without it, there is no hope for people like yourself who arrive in Endinfinium with no knowledge of how to survive. You understand that, don’t you?’
Benjamin sighed and nodded. ‘But … he’s my brother.’
Professor Loane patted Benjamin’s shoulder. ‘We will do everything we can. Grand Lord Bastien is the wisest and most powerful of all of us, and if we can save him, we will. But this school meant everything to him. He would rather die than see it destroyed, and we will honour that if need be.’
Benjamin lifted a hand to protest, but Professor Loane shook his head. ‘No, Benjamin. You will go with Professor Eaves to the study camp where you will be safe. We can handle this, but not with interference.’
‘I can help. I’m a summoner!’
He stared at one of Professor Loane’s books and concentrated, trying to make it do something—burst into flame or break into pieces. All the cuts and scars on his body began to ache at once, in particular the scratch on the back of his hand, yet nothing happened.
Professor Loane sighed. ‘You are the recipient of one of Edgar Caspian’s labels,’ he said. ‘Little more than that. I can feel you have great power, though no understanding of it. You’re like a river surging blindly ahead. What do you do when you come up against a sinkhole? How do you cross it?’
Benjamin gave a confused shake of his head.
‘We’ll talk when this is done,’ Professor Loane said. ‘We will teach you everything we can, but at the moment, you are as good as blind.’
‘I created that sinkhole. Knowledge is the greatest power, and I have far more than you.’ The professor’s expression was almost smug. ‘Run along now. You’ll need a decent breakfast for the journey. And don’t even think about trying to sneak off. If need be, we can bind you to a little cart and have it trail along after Professor Eaves like an obedient puppy.’
When Benjamin got to the Dining Hall, he was seething. The back of his hand still ached as he slumped down into a seat between Wilhelm and Miranda.
‘I got you extra pineapple,’ Wilhelm said, passing over a bowl. ‘Looks like they happened upon a tin of fruit somewhere.’
‘Thanks.’
‘He won’t let you stay?’
‘How did you…?’
Wilhelm lifted an eyebrow, then turned to Miranda and smirked. ‘I didn’t, but I do now. You owe me a slice of apple.’
Miranda stabbed a slice of apple and dumped it into Wilhelm’s bowl hard enough to splash custard over the tabletop. When he scraped it up with his finger, she punched him on the arm. ‘Disgusting boy.’ Turning back to Benjamin, she said, ‘What are you going to do?’
‘I don’t care what anyone thinks. The Dark Man has my brother, I’m sure of it. I have to save him somehow. Once we get to this study place, I’m going to run away. Professor Loane has put some kind of blocker on me so I can’t use my power, but perhaps if I can get outside, it’ll work again.’ He gave a hopeless shrug. ‘To be honest, I have no idea.’
‘Professor Loane has covered the whole school,’ Miranda said. ‘Nothing I try works, either. If you run off, though, I’m coming with you. So is Wilhelm.’
‘What? I’ve had quite enough of—’
‘—boring school life,’ Miranda finished for him. ‘Don’t you want to be a hero?’
‘Well, make sure that after I’m torn apart by the Dark Man’s wraith-hounds, they build a statue for me out front there.’
