Charlie Bone and the Wilderness Wolf (Children of the Red King, Book 6) (6 page)

Charlie thought of visiting Benjamin after tea, but the view from the kitchen window wasn't encouraging. The houses across the street were buried in darkness and fog. All that could be seen were tiny pinpricks of light from the cars making their way slowly down the street.

Billy peered wistfully through the window. He longed to fetch his pet rat but didn't dare to suggest it on such an unfriendly night.

"We'll get Rembrandt first thing tomorrow," Charlie promised. "And we'll take Benjamin and Runner Bean with us."

Sometime during the night, the fog slowly rolled away. A full moon appeared high in the sky, and a hard frost covered the city. Every roof glittered as though it were dusted with silver. In the wilderness across the river, a captive creature began its melancholy howl.

Sunday morning greeted the boys with bright sunshine and an icy blue sky. They made their own breakfast - cereal, toast, and milk - before anyone else was up. But Maisie struggled downstairs in her curlers and pink bathrobe, just as they were finishing.

"You make sure you're back by lunchtime or I'll come after you," she said. "Piminy Street is right behind the cathedral, near Ingledew's bookstore. If you want to stop at the shop for lunch, give me a ring."

"We won't be going there," Charlie said awkwardly.

Maisie tilted her head to one side. "Had a fight with one of your girlfriends?"

"I don't have a girlfriend," Charlie said heatedly, "and I haven't had a fight with anyone."

On their way out, the boys noticed a very large, colorful hat sitting on the hall chair. It did look like a fruit salad. The sight gave Billy a fit of the giggles, and Charlie immediately felt better.

Benjamin was always ready for an expedition, and Runner Bean was beside himself with joy when his leash was taken from its hook in the hall.

Benjamin's parents were already hard at work * when the three boys left number twelve. Being private detectives meant that weekends could be just as busy as weekdays. Today they weren't actually out on a case, they were in the kitchen devising yet another set of cunning disguises. They had to renew their disguises frequently when they were "shadowing a subject," as they put it. Sometimes, even Benjamin failed to recognize them. They were always very pleased when this happened, although Benjamin wasn't.

"Can I have lunch at your place?" Benjamin asked as they headed toward the cathedral.

Charlie was aware that Mr. and Mrs. Brown relied on Maisie to give their son good, wholesome meals on the weekends. Course you can," he said.

"And shall we go to the Pets' Cafe for a snack when Billy's got Rembrandt?" Benjamin said eagerly.

"No," said Charlie rather quickly.

Benjamin came to a halt. "Why not?"

"Let's just say that Emma and Olivia might be there, and they might not be too happy to see me."

"Why?" asked Benjamin.

Charlie told him about Dagbert.

"But you've got to put it right between you," Benjamin insisted. "You can tell them it was all a terrible mistake."

"It's not that easy," said Billy as Charlie strode ahead. "You see, Dagbert has made us all on edge. He called me a freak."

Runner Bean dragged Benjamin after Charlie. Benjamin panted, "I think you should make up with them."

"Well, I don't." Charlie walked even faster. "And that's that."

It wasn't true. Charlie did want to make it up with Emma and Olivia. He just couldn't think of a way to do it. He hadn't realized that he would have to pass the end of Cathedral Close on the way to Piminy Street.

Ingledew's bookstore lay in Cathedral Close. It stood in a row of old half-timbered houses in the shadow of the great cathedral. Charlie glanced up the cobblestone alley that led to the bookstore and "hurried on to Piminy Street. He wondered if Olivia was in the bookstore with Emma. What would they be doing? Helping Emma's aunt, Miss Ingledew, no doubt. They would be sorting books, brushing the soft leather bindings, and dusting the gold leaf that edged the delicate pages. Or would they be dreaming up some scheme to punish him for words he'd never uttered?

Charlie was correct in one respect. Emma and Olivia were in the bookstore, dreaming up a scheme, or rather Olivia was. But it had nothing to do with Charlie. It was more in the way of an experiment.

Olivia's endowment had been kept secret from the Bloors. Only her closest friends knew that she was an illusionist. Some of these friends, Charlie included, thought that it was only a matter of time before her talent was discovered, for Olivia was an actress. She loved to entertain, and the temptation to use her talent for fun sometimes got the better of her.

It was Emma's obsession with birds that led Olivia to have one of her more dangerous ideas. Emma could fly, but first she had to become a bird. She drew birds, she collected feathers, she pored over illustrations of birds that had long become extinct. Only that morning she had come upon a bird that she had never heard of. It was in one of her aunt's oldest and most precious books.

Emma took the book into the back room and laid it open on her knees. "Just imagine, Liv! To be a bird like that, your beak so long and your feet so big, but your wings so small they can hardly get you off the ground."

Olivia lay sprawled on Miss Ingledew's comfy sofa. She folded her arms behind her head and closed her eyes. "I can see a fabulous bird," she said with a smile.

"How about I create a bird for you, Em? And you become that bird. So then there'd be two, and we could get your aunt to make a guess. Which is Emma and which is the illusion?" She opened her eyes and sat up, clapping her hands. "Yes. Let's do it."

Emma regarded her friend with an anxious frown. "I don't think so, Liv. It wouldn't be right."

"Why not? Oh, come on, Em!"

"We shouldn't - you know - use our endowments just for fun."

"Why? Who says?"

"It's something one just knows," Emma said firmly.

Olivia flung herself back onto the cushions. "Well, I'm going to do it."

"NO, Liv. Please don't. You might..."

But the fabulous bird was already taking shape. As Olivia looked over her shoulder, a cloud of multicolored feathers materialized in the air behind her head. And Emma watched helplessly as the feathers began to find their places within the form of a beautiful creature. It had wide wings, a graceful sweeping fan for a tail, eyes like bright jewels, and a sharp orange beak.

Not content with the shape of the bird, Olivia made it utter a long cooing sound as it swept through the curtained doorway and into the shop beyond.

At the very same moment the shop bell tinkled, the door opened, and a tall woman appeared on the threshold.

Miss Ingledew, labeling books on the counter, looked up from her task in confusion. Two things struck her. One, that she had forgotten to lock the shop door on a Sunday and two, that an extraordinary bird had escaped from the zoo and found its way into her shop. The situation was made even more confusing when Emma ran into the room, crying, "Oh, no!" Upon which, the bird vanished into thin air.

"Ah," said the stranger. "An illusion. How very interesting."

There was no mistaking the unwelcome visitor. With her jet-black hair and high, arched eyebrows, Emma would have known Charlie's great-aunt Venetia anywhere. But what a change had come over her. Gone were the dirty skirt and ill-fitting coat that she'd been wearing recently. This woman was dressed in a smart lilac-colored suit with a fur collar and matching fur-cuffed boots.

"I am recently married," said the woman, descending the three steps into the shop. "I am now Mrs. Venetia Shellhorn. I am about to take a honeymoon."

"Yes?" said Miss Ingledew, not in the least enlightened.

Yes. And I have brought my..." Venetia looked over her shoulder. "Where are they?" she said irritably.

The door opened very slowly.

"My children." Venetia waved her gloved hand at the door.

Standing on the top step were two of the most pathetic-looking children Emma had ever seen.

6

FEROMEL'S KETTLE

Venetia beckoned the children and they shuffled forward, the girl leading the way, the boy hardly moving at all.

"This is Miranda." Venetia grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her to her side. "She's small for seven, isn't she? But Eric, well, my goodness, look at him. You'd never think he was six, would you?" She lunged at the boy and tried to grasp his hand, but he backed away and stood against the bookshelves.

"Have it your way, silly boy," Venetia said testily. She turned to Miss Ingledew. "I'm told that my great-nephew calls here on Sundays."

Miss Ingledew said sharply, "Not always."

"No matter." Venetia looked at Emma. "I expect you'll be seeing him today, won't you, Ella - or whatever your name is?"

"Well... ," Emma began.

You can pass them over when you see him," Venetia told her.

"Pass them ..." Emma hesitated. "Do you mean your children?"

"Well, of course. Who do you think?" Venetia gave Miranda a little push toward Emma.

"You can't leave them here," Miss Ingledew said indignantly.

Venetia marched up the steps, the tap of her high-heeled boots resounding like gunshots. "There was no one at number nine. Paton was probably in, but he never answers the door. So I'll have to leave the children here. My sister Eustacia will pick them up at five. I'm told you make very good sandwiches, Miss Ingledew."

"This is a bookstore, not a nursery." Miss Ingledew was so annoyed she slammed a very valuable book onto the counter.

"I can't take them on my honeymoon, can I?" Venetia sang as she sailed out into the street. "Toodle-oo kids, be good."

The door tinkled shut, leaving Miss Ingledew with a stunned expression, staring over Miranda's head at Emma.

"Well!" Miss Ingledew said at last. She would like to have said a great deal more, but the two children looked so woebegone, she realized it would only make things worse if she were to complain. Venetia had relied on her good nature.

The two children had moved together now. They stood holding hands in the center of the shop, staring helplessly, first at Emma, then at Miss Ingledew. They were, indeed, very small for their ages. Miranda had long, mouse-brown hair and gray eyes. She wore jeans and a red coat that appeared to have shrunk several sizes. The cuffs didn't even cover her bird-thin wrists. Eric's tangled hair was darker. It obviously hadn't been cut for some time and straggled to his shoulders in untidy wisps. He wore green corduroy trousers, very dirty at the knees, and a black jacket missing several buttons.

Emma's heart went out to them. She couldn't bear to see anything small in distress. "Come and meet my friend." She held out her hand. "We're drawing birds. Do you like drawing? I'm Emma, by the way."

Miranda said, "Can we get our dog?"

"Dog?" Miss Ingledew frowned. "Where is it?"

"We had to leave her in the house. She's all alone. She hates being alone." Miranda's eyes began to fill with tears.

Olivia chose that moment to pop her head around the curtain. "Oh!" she squeaked, seeing the children. "I didn't know anyone was here. I was lying low, in case someone saw the bird."

"What bird?" Eric brightened up.

"Oh, just a bird," Olivia said casually. "Who are you?"

The children stared at Olivia, saying nothing.

"This is Miranda and Eric," Emma said in an overly cheerful voice. "They're Charlie Bone's new, er, step-cousins, I suppose."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "You poor things. I wouldn't like to be connected to THAT family. I'm Olivia."

"Olivia!" Miss Ingledew said sharply. "Please don't speak of Charlie's family like that."

"Oops." Olivia withdrew her head.

"Please can we get our dog?" Miranda persisted.

Miss Ingledew rubbed her head. "I don't know, dear. I mean, how will you get into the house. Did your stepmother leave you a key?"

Miranda shook her head.

Miss Ingledew sighed. "Give me a moment. I'll have to call a friend for advice." She took her phone from a pocket and began to dial a number.

Emma coaxed the two children into the back room while her aunt phoned Paton Yewbeam. Miranda and Eric gazed doubtfully around the book-filled room and eventually chose to sit, side by side, on the sofa.

"Will your aunt be long?" asked Miranda. "Chattypatra will whine and whine until we get back to her."

"Great name," Olivia remarked. "Where did it come from?"

"It was really Cleopatra," Miranda told her. "But she chats so much. You know, barks and growls and stuff. So Mom ..." She stopped and looked at Eric. He drew in his lower lip but didn't cry. "So Mom," Miranda continued, "Mom called her Chattypatra."

"Brilliant," Olivia said approvingly.

Miss Ingledew looked into the room and told them that when Mr. Yewbeam had found a key to Venetia's house, he would send Charlie over to the bookstore with it.

"Will it take a long time?" Miranda's red-rimmed eyes looked imploringly at Miss Ingledew.

"I shouldn't think so, dear. Now, would you like to help Emma make some sandwiches?"

"Of course you would," said Olivia. "Come on, let's make some honey and banana, or how about cheese and raisins, or grapefruit and peanut butter, or we could do sausage and orange?"

To Miss Ingledew's relief, Mranda, wearing a dazed expression, followed Olivia into the kitchen, with Eric only a few steps behind.

As soon as Miss Ingledew had returned to the shop, Paton Yewbeam called with the news that Grandma Bone had gone out, locking her door behind her, and now there was no possibility of searching her room for a key.

"Oh, Paton, I don't know what I'm going to do," said Miss Ingledew. "Those poor children. They look so miserable. I thought the dog might cheer them up."

"What was my ghastly sister thinking of," said Paton, "leaving them in your shop? Look, Julia, I don't know if it will help, but I'm pretty sure Venetia leaves her door key under a gruesome-looking troll on her top step."

"A troll?" said Miss Ingledew, never having visited Venetia's house.

"Awful-looking creature. Stone. Big ears. Long nose. Beard. Squat thing. Huge feet."

"I know what a troll is," Miss Ingledew said quickly. "I was just questioning the wisdom of leaving one's door key underneath one."

"It's not alive, Julia, dearest."

"I know it's not alive." Julia gave a huge sigh.

Sometimes it seemed that Paton didn't live in the same world as everyone else. "I just mean that someone could find the key and break in."

"Who on earth would want to break in?" said Paton. "Venetia's only valuables consist of large amounts of bewitching ingredients that only she would know how to use."

Miss Ingledew gave up. "Thank you, Paton. We'll think about it."

For his part, Paton wondered what Julia was going to think about. He loved her dearly but there were times when they just didn't seem to be on the same wavelength. As soon as Charlie and his friends got home, he would tell them to run up to Venetia's house to see if there was a key under the troll. "No, on second thought, I'd better let them have their lunch first," Paton said to himself.

Charlie, Billy, and Benjamin were walking slowly down Piminy Street. They still hadn't found the Kettle Shop and were beginning to think it didn't exist. Piminy

Street was full of odd little shops, all closed, of course, it being Sunday. There were cheesemakers, candle-makers, shoemakers, carpenters, several bakeries, flower shops, and even a stone shop.

"The Stone Shop," murmured Charlie, peering into the dark window. "What does THAT mean?"

"They sell things made of stone?" Benjamin suggested.

Charlie suddenly became aware of a tall figure, just inside the window. He looked closer. "A statue," he said. As his eyes grew accustomed to the dark, the interior of the shop gradually came into focus. Now he could see other figures: There was a group of life-size statues of Roman soldiers; beside them stood three fierce-looking women carrying clubs and axes and, farther back, a man that looked more ogre than human. At the far end, beneath a skylight, there was a mounted knight, wielding a lance. The knight's horse wore a feathered headdress, and beneath the saddle its body was covered in a kind of blanket patterned with leaves.

"He's jousting," said Benjamin knowledgeably.

"Imagine if they were alive," Billy said, almost in a whisper.

Charlie took a step back from the window. It was quite possible that there were people in the city who could bring statues to life.

"I smell fish," said Benjamin. "So does Runner."

Runner Bean had reached a shop farther down the road. He was standing in the middle of the sidewalk, barking furiously.

"Is he doing that because he likes fish?" asked Charlie, as they ran toward the yellow dog.

"Hates it," panted Benjamin, grabbing Runner Bean's collar.

But the window his dog was barking at was completely empty. A sign above the window said, "FISH." It had been printed on a white background in untidy blue letters and looked as if it had been hurriedly painted over something else. In fact, if you looked closer, you could just make out the word "BUTCHER" beneath the white paint.

"Do you know what it smells like to me?" said Billy.

"Dagbert," said Charlie.

They stared at the empty shop and then at the window above it, wondering if it could be the very place where Dagbert was staying. And if it was, what sort of people owned a shop that was empty and hurriedly painted?

"Very odd people, indeed," said someone who seemed to have read their minds.

They turned to see a woman standing outside a house three doors away. Her copper-colored hair was so smooth it looked like a helmet, and her padded black coat so shiny it could have been made of steel. She was very wide and her broad shoulders gave the impression of immense strength.

"I've been waiting for you, my dears," said the woman. "I'm Mrs. Kettle, Cook's friend. Got a little animal just dying to see you."

"Rembrandt!" cried Billy, rushing up to her.

"You're Billy, aren't you?" said Mrs. Kettle. "And you must be Benjamin, because of the dog, and you're Charlie. Come in my dears, it's perishing cold out here." Mrs. Kettle went into her shop, which couldn't have been more different from the deserted fish shop down the road.

Everything in Mrs. Kettle's shop appeared to shine. It was only when Charlie's eyes had become accustomed to the bright twinkling all about him that he realized every item was a kettle. They came in all shapes and sizes and every color. They jostled together on shelves, displayed themselves on tables, or sat singly and proudly on pedestals. The pride of the place was the biggest copper kettle Charlie had ever seen. It stood in the center of the window, surrounded by other, lesser kettles, and you could see a strange, slanting copper-tinted version of the whole shop reflected in its bright, shiny side.

"That's just for show, my dear," said Mrs. Kettle, following Charlie's gaze. "My best kettle is behind the scenes. Come with me." She went through an archway at the back of the shop and beckoned them into yet another kettle-filled room, only this one had a few more spaces in it. Four chairs with cushions, not kettles, on their seats, clustered around a small table.

Billy wasn't interested in any of it. Unable to contain his impatience, he burst out, "Where is he? Where's my rat?"

"Well, now, I wonder," teased Mrs. Kettle. "Did you think I'd forgotten, my dear?"

"No. Yes," Billy blurted. "No. Please, is he here?"

"Of course he is!" Mrs. Kettle plunged her hand into one of her kettles and brought out a glossy black rat.

Billy snatched the rat from her, crying, "Rembrandt!"

Rembrandt, equally pleased to see Billy, squeaked delightedly.

"He loves that kettle," said Mrs. Kettle. "He's tried them all, but that's his favorite."

Benjamin looked worried. "Urn, do you sell your kettles?"

"Don't worry, my dear," said Mrs. Kettle. "I wash them inside out. Rats can be untidy creatures, can't they?"

Charlie became aware of a drumming sound coming from somewhere behind him. Runner Bean was so excited to see Rembrandt, his big, happy tail was beating a rhythm on two enamel kettles.

"Rembrandt doesn't want to play," said Billy, boldly ing his rat very close.

At a command from Benjamin, Runner Bean reluctantly stopped wagging, but the drumming was immediately replaced by a fierce whistle that came from a kettle on the stove.

Mrs. Kettle took off her coat and told the boys to do the same. The temperature seemed to have risen by twenty degrees at least, and Charlie took off his sweater as well as his jacket.

The boys sat down and Mrs. Kettle poured four cups of rather strong tea. Benjamin didn't like tea but he realized that he was unlikely to get anything else in a place full of kettles. As a matter of fact it was very good tea indeed and, after a few sips, they felt very buoyant, even Benjamin. It was like gulping down air that made you feel exceptionally lightweight and bouncy.

While they drank their tea Mrs. Kettle told them about the fish shop up the street, even though they hadn't gotten around to asking her.

"There was a butcher there," said Mrs. Kettle. "A very nice man - gave me lots of free cuts. Well, he just upped and went, overnight. Never said a thing about moving."

"Perhaps he had an offer he couldn't refuse," Charlie suggested.

"Must've," agreed Mrs. Kettle. "But you'd think someone who'd paid over the odds for a place would put something in it. And I've never seen so much as a fin in that window."

"But there is a smell of fish," Benjamin pointed out.

"Exactly." Mrs. Kettle leaned forward. "And do you know what? I think they wrote 'FISH' over the shop window, just to explain the smell of it, if you get me. And not because they're selling the stuff."

"Oh," said Charlie, when he'd grasped what Mrs. Kettle had implied. "If you mean that someone in there smells of fish, we might know who it is."

"Really?" Mrs. Kettle's coppery eyes became as round as oranges.

"He's called Dagbert Endless," Charlie told her. "Wherever he goes, the smell of fish follows him. He says he drowns people. His father is Lord Grimwald, and..."