by Jenny Nimmo
"What if it is?"
"Don't be silly It was just a question." Charlie turned on his flashlight.
Billy Raven blinked up at him. He had a large blob of chocolate on his chin. "Where've you been?" he asked Charlie.
"Where've you been?" said Charlie, lowering Cook's flashlight.
Billy didn't answer.
"I just popped out to the toilet," said Charlie. "I can see you've been to see someone who had a bit of chocolate to spare."
"It's cocoa, actually" said Billy. “And the toilet isn’t down there, it's the other way"
"I just missed it in the dark," said Charlie.
Billy stared at him suspiciously then he pushed past Charlie and went into the dormitory Charlie followed and crept over to his bed. He heard a soft rustling as Billy burrowed under the covers and then there was silence.
Charlie wondered who had been giving Billy cocoa in the middle of the night. Was it a reward for spying? Blessed had seen Henry in Cook's room and Billy could understand the old dog's language. So before long the person who was supplying Billy with cocoa would know about Henry Charlie was too tired to wrestle with the problem anymore Somehow he would have to find a way to warn Cook.
* * *
The next morning, something extraordinary happened. and Charlie's worries about Henry were temporarily forgotten.
Breakfast was almost over when a violent gust of wind came howling down the passage to the dining hall. The doors flew open and the wind roared into the room, sending cups and plates, spoons and knives, spinning off the tables. There were shrieks of terror as sharp pieces of cutlery came zooming through the air. Most of the children pulled their hoods over their heads and ducked under the tables.
Charlie and Fidelio met Olivia crawling behind one of the benches.
“What's going on?" cried Charlie.
“I reckon it's one of Tancred's storms," shouted Olivia. "I heard he had a terrible argument with Lysander last night."
"Tancred? I'd better try and get to him," said Charlie.
"Why? What can you do? It's happened before, you know." Fidelio tugged Charlie's sleeve. "Just leave him to calm down."
"No. I must see him." Charlie couldn't explain why he suddenly had an overpowering need to reach Tancred. Tancred had helped to save him when he was trapped in the ruin and Charlie felt he must at least try to calm him down.
Holding his hood firmly over his head, Charlie crawled to the open door, and then out into the windy passage. The force of Tancred's anger was amazing. Charlie guessed a ninety mile an hour gale was blowing toward him. His nose and mouth were soon full of dust, and the portraits that had been hanging on the walls kept flying off and whirling into his path. Occasionally the sharp corner of a frame whacked his head, or caught the hand that was shielding his face.
Charlie gritted his teeth and kept going. He saw two figures crawling in front of him. Their capes billowed above them like angry purple clouds.
Manfred and Asa, thought Charlie.
The race to reach Tancred was now even more critical. He was likely to be hypnotized if Manfred got to him first, and not just for a few minutes. Tancred might be taken by surprise. Before he knew it, he would be lost — put to sleep, like Emma Tolly had been. Her sleep had lasted for eight years.
As Charlie emerged into the hall he could see Manfred and Asa clinging to pieces of furniture. The handle of an oak chest suddenly came off in Asa's hand, and he slid across the floor with a howl of surprise. Manfred had been more successful. His arms were wrapped around the newel post at the bottom of the stairs.
Charlie didn't know how he could stop himself from being blown into the wall. Tancred's furious energy filled every space in the hall. Chairs were tumbling about like matchsticks. As he raised his head, he saw Tancred standing in front of the huge doors leading to the outside world. His blond hair was standing up like a stiff, sparkling brush. A few meters behind him, Dr. Bloor, bent double, was shouting into the wind.
"Tancred Torsson, calm down. Come away from those doors. Immediately!"
Tancred took not the slightest notice. Indeed, Dr. Bloor's voice was almost drowned by the noise.
All at once, Manfred let go of the newel post and began to crawl across the floor toward Tancred.
Charlie knew it was no use shouting a warning. Tancred would never have heard him.
Manfred had almost reached the stormy boy when Tancred wheeled around and, seeing Manfred, let loose such a fierce bolt of electricity the head boy was sent sprawling away from him. At the same time, the massive doors cracked down the middle and, with a loud splintering sound, they flew open.
Tancred turned and marched out, taking his stormy power with him.
Dr. Bloor rushed to close the doors, but they were so badly cracked it was impossible to lock them. The big key Dr. Bloor always carried with him clicked uselessly in the lock.
"Bring the chest," he ordered, waving at Manfred and Asa.
As the two boys pushed the heavy chest across the hall, Charlie got to his feet. The floor was littered with debris. It was incredible how much hidden garbage Tancred's storm had drawn out of the shadowy corners in the hall.
Lying at Charlie's feet was a black leather glove and, almost without thinking, he picked it up and put it in his pocket.
Manfred and Asa gave the big chest a final shove, and it came to rest in front of the doors.
"That'll do for now," said Dr. Bloor. "I'll have to get Weedon to fix it. We don't want anyone else escaping."
It makes this place sound like a prison, thought Charlie.
Some of the other children were peering cautiously into the hall, but it was Charlie whom Manfred saw first.
"Charlie Bone, what are you doing here?" shouted the head boy.
"I'm trying to get to assembly," said Charlie.
Manfred could hardly quarrel with that. "Get moving then," he said irritably.
Fidelio rushed across the hall and caught up with Charlie just as he was going into the blue coatroom.
"What about that?" whispered Fidelio. "It was practically a hurricane."
In all the excitement many of the children behind them had forgotten the rule of silence.
They were immediately given detention and then dispatched to the kitchen to fetch brooms and dustpans.
"Olivia won't be lonely on Saturday" said Fidelio. "I heard at least six people get detention."
Charlie sat on one of the benches and began to pick off the bits of dust and garbage that clung to his cloak. A great weariness stole over him, and he slumped back against the wall.
"What's up, Charlie?" said Fidelio. "You look done in."
“I wish Tancred hadn't gone," Charlie murmured. “We’ve got to get him back."
“Why?"
“I can't explain. He helped me once, and now he's gone. Suppose he's expelled?"
"He won't be," said Fidelio confidently "The endowed are never expelled. Sooner or later he'll calm down and come back."
"I hope it's sooner," muttered Charlie. He wasn't mistaken. Without Tancred there was something definitely amiss.
That night Charlie was the first to reach the King's room with his homework. Gabriel came in a few seconds later. He looked ill at ease. Carefully placing his books beside Charlie's, he said, "Something's wrong."
"It's Tancred, isn't it?" said Charlie. "I feel sort of unbalanced."
"Me, too," said Gabriel. "We've got to get him back. Will you come with me over the weekend, Charlie?"
"To Tancred's house?"
Gabriel nodded. "It's not far from where I live. But it's a pretty stormy place. They call it Thunder House.”
"Does anyone else in his family have an — er — weather talent?" asked Charlie.
"I'll say His dad's really turbulent."
"Oh." Charlie wasn't sure if he was looking forward to this mission.
"Where on earth is everyone else?" muttered Gabriel. "They're ten minutes late. Manfred's nearly always here first."
L
ysander walked into the King's room clutching a pile of sketches. His usually cheerful face looked troubled and confused. "I thought I was late," he said "Where's everyone else?"
Charlie shrugged. "They've all disappeared — like Tancred." He immediately regretted his words because Lysander looked even more depressed.
"What went on between you two?" Gabriel asked Lysander.
"It was a misunderstanding," muttered Lysander. "Manfred's fault. He asked if Tancred had made it warmer just for me. Tancred shouted that it was nothing to do with him, and I said, ' Don't get upset, Tanc, I’m really grateful.'"
"But Tancred doesn't do temperature, right?" said Gabriel.
"Too right." Lysander slumped in his chair. “And he's so touchy about things like that, he hit the roof. I forgot, you see. He's my best friend and I forgot. You know I think Manfred made me forget. He didn't exactly hypnotize me, but he was staring at me in a funny way I was sort of disabled."
"We're going up to the Thunder House on Saturday," said Gabriel. "Come with us. He's more likely to listen to you."
"Don't know about that," said Lysander glumly "But sure, I'll come."
The three boys sat in gloomy silence for a while, and then, because there didn't seem anything better to do, Charlie brought the black glove out of his pocket. He laid it on the table saying, "I found this in the hall, when Tancred had gone."
"It's not Tanc's," said Lysander. "Probably some old thing that's been lying under a closet for years."
The glove was made of very soft leather. The fingers were long and narrow and there was an opening at the wrist, with four small leather buttons on one side, and four neat holes on the other.
Gabriel frowned at the glove. He stretched out his hand. Charlie found himself crying, "Don't, Gabriel!"
But it was too late. Gabriel had pulled the glove on to his left hand. His face suddenly creased with pain and he let out a terrible moan.
Charlie reached out to pull off the glove, but Gabriel fell forward, his head crashing onto the table.
"He's fainted," cried Lysander. "What's going on?"
"It's the glove. You know Gabriel's gift. He can feel what happened to the people who wore things before him."
"The owner of that glove must've been hurt pretty badly," said Lysander. He touched Gabriel's head. "He's gone cold."
"Gabriel! Gabriel, wake up!" cried Charlie. He tried to pull the glove off Gabriel's hand but it was stuck fast.
Gabriel turned his head. "My hand! Oooo, my hand," he groaned.
"Il's the glove," Charlie told him. "I can't get it off you."
" Oooow!" Gabriel sat up and began to tear at the glove with his right hand. "My fingers are broken. Help! Help, someone!"
Charlie tugged the fingers of the glove while Lysander tried to peel it away from Gabriel's wrist. It was no use. Gabriel was now panting heavily. Between small grunts of pain, he said, "She put her fingers on the door and he slammed it."
"Who?" asked Charlie. "Who slammed it?"
"A woman, I think. Yes, a woman. She was trying to get out, and she was shaking her head like she wouldn't do what they wanted." Gabriel gave another moan. "But the boy 1 think it was Manfred, he slammed the door and pushed and pushed until he crushed her fingers. Oooow. Oooh! Manfred it is but he's smaller. Ooow!" Gabriel's head fell forward again.
At that moment there was a tap on the door and Olivia looked in. "There you are," she said. "Fidelio sent me to look for you. He couldn't get away because he's in the front row"
"Front row?" said Charlie.
"Don't tell me you all forgot," said Olivia. "There's a concert in the theater tonight. What's wrong with Gabriel?"
"He's not well," said Lysander.
"I can see that, but you'd better get him to the theater quickly if you don't want detention."
"Gabriel, can you walk?" Lysander asked gently.
Gabriel moaned. "If I have to."
"Come on, then. Charlie, help me!"
Lysander pulled the stricken boy upright, and putting Gabriel's arm around his shoulders, clutched him by the waist. Charlie did the same. He got the arm with the glove on it, and it worried him to see how limp and crushed Gabriel's left hand looked.
"I'd better go ahead and make sure there are three seats in the back for you." Olivia rushed off.
By the time the three boys had staggered into the dark theater, the concert had begun.
"You'll have to manage on your own for a bit," Lysander whispered to Gabriel.
"Uh!" Gabriel grunted.
Olivia had been as good as her word and there were three empty seats waiting for them at the back of the auditorium. Charlie pulled the sleeve of Gabriel's cape over the black glove, and helped Lysander maneuver him into a seat.
Unfortunately Dr. Saltweather saw the boys come in late. He frowned at them and shook his head, then turned his attention back to the stage. Dr. Bloor was making a speech about music, and it soon became clear that he was describing the life and work of the other man on the stage: Mr. Albert Tuccini.
Behind Dr. Bloor a man with a deep tan sat at a grand piano. He had brown curly hair and a rather morose expression. His arms were folded across his chest and he occasionally glanced at the red velvet curtains at the back of the stage.
Dr. Bloor came to the end of his speech. The audience clapped enthusiastically Albert Tuccini swiveled around to face the piano and his long fingers pounced on the keys.
Gabriel was a pianist himself and he listened intently to the complicated chords that Albert Tuccini rung out of the piano. Gradually his hard breathing eased, he forgot the pain in his fingers and managed to enjoy the music.
The pianist's second piece seemed familiar to Charlie. But he couldn't remember where he had heard it before. A memory was buried at the back of his mind. Far, far back. Could it have been the music his father played? He began to nod off. And then he was asleep and dreaming. He dreamed of a room Grandma Bone had described to him. A white room, with pale curtains at the long windows. A room empty of everything except Lyell, his father, and a grand piano. But he couldn't see his father's face. He didn't even know what he looked like. Grandma Bone had hidden or destroyed every photo of her only son.
“Charlie, wake up!" Gabriel was nudging his arm.
Charlie opened his eyes. The lights were on in the auditorium and children were moving up the aisles toward the exit doors. The stage was empty.
"How long have you been asleep?" asked Gabriel.
"Don't know," Charlie murmured. "Most of the time, 1 think." He dragged himself out of his seat.
Lysander left the theater with them, but then he had to get to his own dormitory "Are you going to be OK?" he asked Gabriel before he parted from them on the landing.
"I'll live," said Gabriel, grinning.
"We'll have another try at getting that glove off," said Charlie, who was feeling more awake.
In the dormitory Charlie told Fidelio what had happened and they spent several minutes trying to tug the glove off Gabriel's hand. It was impossible, Gabriel went to the bathroom and tried soap and water but the glove clung even tighter. He came back and sat on the edge of his bed. "Poor woman," he murmured. "She must have broken all her fingers."
"Do you know who she was?" asked Charlie.
"Is," said Gabriel. "She's still here. I've seen her. It's the dark lady from the tower. I used to think she was a ghost, but she isn't. She's just sort of useless and alone."
Billy Raven had crept up behind them. He stared at the black glove on Gabriel's hand. "What's that?" he asked.
"What does it look like?" said Fidelio.
“A glove. Why are you wearing one glove, Gabriel?'
Gabriel sighed. "Because I can't get it off that's why"
Billy frowned. He didn't ask any more questions, but wandered back to his bed with a thoughtful expression.
Charlie and Fidelio made one more attempt to pry the glove off Gabriel's hand, but the water had made it cling like a second skin.
; "It's no use, guys," sighed Gabriel. "I'll just have to sleep with it on. Maybe it'll come off when it's dried out.” He yawned. "I'm so tired, nothing will keep me awake tonight."
Gabriel was right. He fell asleep almost as soon as he got into bed. But while he slept his dreams became nightmares, and he moaned with pain as he tossed and turned in his bed.
Gabriel made so much noise Charlie couldn't sleep a wink. The other boys woke up, too. Damian. Smerk threw his pillow at the moaning boy but it didn't wake him. He was buried deep in his troubled sleep.
The next night, Charlie and Fidelio tried, once again, to pull off the clinging black glove, but now it had shrunk. It wouldn't even peel away at the wrist. Gabriel's hand hung uselessly at his side. He couldn't even feel his fingers, he said.
They didn't know what to do. Telling Matron was out of the question. Charlie had an idea. After lights out he leaned close to Gabriel's bed and whispered, "I know someone who can help."
"Who?"
"Someone who lives behind the kitchens. We’ll have to wait till after midnight, though."
"Wake me up when it's time to go," said Gabriel.
"OK."
Charlie had promised Cook that he wouldn't tell anyone where Henry was hiding. But that wasn't quite the same as taking someone to her secret room. Be sides, this was an emergency.
CHAPTER 7
"YOU CAN'T GO BACK!"
At five minutes past midnight, Billy Raven Left the dormitory Charlie wondered if he could get Gabriel down to Cook's room and back before Billy returned.
"Gabriel," he whispered, shaking Gabriel's shoulder. "Wake up! It's time to go!"
Gabriel dragged himself out of bed and fumbled with his pajamas. "Ready!" he murmured.
Charlie grabbed his arm and led him out of the dormitory Only then did he turn on Cook's flashlight. Its soft light illuminated every tiny detail of the long corridor.
"Wow;" said Gabriel. "That's impressive."
"Follow me," Charlie whispered.
He began to jog, as quietly as he could, while behind him Gabriel floundered and tripped in his badly fitting slippers.
By the time Charlie had found his way to Cook's closet entrance, Gabriel looked exhausted. The fingers on his left hand had begun to throb again, and the pain made him ache all over.