by Jenny Nimmo
"Show it to me outside," said Gabriel, interested by an object that wasn't usual.
The object turned out to be a button. Billy pulled it out of his pocket, muttering, "It's not as if I'm telling you anything, is it? I mean I'm not talking about home, am I?"
'"Course not," said Gabriel, taking the button.
The four boys were sitting on the grass at the edge of the grounds, with the red walls of the ruined castle behind them.
"Where did you find it, Billy? And what's so unusual about it?" asked Fidelio.
"Can’t say." Billy clamped his mouth shut.
The button was quite ordinary It was large and black, the sort of button that might come from a suit or a coat.
"I need to know a bit more about it," said Gabriel. "Did you find it in your new home? In a wardrobe? On t he floor? Do you know who wore the clothes it ca me from?"
Billy gave two nods and then shook his head twice.
"OK, so we're a bit closer." Gabriel turned the button over. "I guess I'll have to work with what I've got." He placed the button in different positions down the middle of his body and then on each side. It’s difficult," he said. "You see, I can't actually put it on, so I don't think it's going to work . . . ugh!" Gabriel's long thin body jerked backward, and he looked down at the button, which he held over the left pocket of his shirt. A quiet, rhythmic beating could be heard when he pressed the button closer to his heart.
Billy gazed with round eyes at Gabriel's face, as the older boy uttered a series of shocked gasps.
"It's amazing." Gabriel closed his eyes, and the other three listened in absolute silence as he said, "There's glass everywhere. Walls of glass. No, it's mirrors . . . mirrors with . . . with a dark man looking into them. And there's music, piano music, but I can't see a piano. I think the man is trapped . . . inside the mirrors."
All at once, the silence was broken by an inhuman scream. Hoofbeats thundered around the circle of boys, and they cowered down, bowing their heads, terrified they'd be crushed by angry hooves. Only Fidelio remained upright, completely unaware of the sounds that were frightening his friends.
Gabriel, his face drained of color, flung the button into the long grass by the ruin, and the invisible animal seemed to follow it. Charlie looked up quickly and an image flashed across his vision: a white horse with a flying tail. And then it was gone. Whether it went into the ruin or just vanished into thin an, he couldn't be sure.
"What's going on?" asked Fidelio.
Before anyone could reply Billy Raven groaned and clutched his stomach. Doubled up in agony he rolled over and lay moaning in the grass.
"What's up, Billy?" Charlie gingerly touched his shoulder.
"I didn't tell," moaned Billy "I didn't tell about the Passing House . . . ow . . . ooo . . . did I? The button wasn't telling, was it? 1 didn't break my oath. I didn't. Mmmm . . . aaah . . . I think I'm dying."
Charlie rushed over to Miss Chrystal, who was on break duty "It's Billy Raven," he cried, grabbing her arm. "He says he's dying."
Miss Chrystal sprinted across the grounds faster than Charlie would have thought possible. Bending over Billy she said, "Oh, poor boy What is it, love? Your tum? Oh, dear, dear. Can you get up, Billy?"
By now, Billy was in so much pain he couldn't speak. Helped by the other boys, Miss Chrystal managed to get Billy to his feet, but he was still doubled up in pain. Very carefully they helped support him across the grounds and into the hall.
Mr. Weedon, sitting by the door, looked up from his newspaper and asked, "What's wrong with the kid?"
"He's not at all well, Mr. Weedon," said Miss Chrystal. "Can you help me get him to the infirmary?"
"No problem," grunted the janitor. He swung Billy off his feet and carted him off.
That evening, Charlie asked the matron if he could visit Billy
"Out of the question," said Lucretia Yewbeam. "He's far too ill."
"But what is it?" asked Charlie. "Did he eat something?"
The matron gave him a cold smile. "He's not strong. Things can get him down. Now, go to bed and don't interfere."
Charlie wasn't going to give up that easily The next day while he was in the lunch line, he leaned over t he counter and asked Cook if she'd seen Billy
"Took the poor boy some broth, Charlie. But he couldn't eat it," she replied.
"What's wrong with him, Cook?"
"No idea. He wouldn't say a word. Just lay there, looking terrified."
"Well, I know where he lives now. Cook. Somewhere called the Passing House."
"The Passing House?" Cook's eyebrows arched, but before she could say any more, Gwyneth Howells, standing behind Charlie, gave his ankle a kick.
"Get a move on," Gwyneth whined. "I want my fries."
Charlie was obliged to move on.
No one saw Billy for the rest of the week, and Charlie had a sickening feeling that he'd been taken back to the unpleasant parents who had no love for him. And what did he mean about breaking his oath.' Did the de Greys have some mysterious hold over Billy? Were they aware of everything he said and did ?
Charlie resolved to find out more about the black button. During every break for the rest of the week, he walked down to the long grass surrounding the castle. Fidelio joined him whenever he could get away from his music practice, and sometimes Gabriel came to help, kicking the grass from side to side and mumbling, "I'd rather we didn't find it, actually It's trouble — really it is." And he would look over his shoulder, half expecting a wild stallion to leap out of nowhere and crush him to death.
One afternoon, when Charlie was searching alone, he sensed someone watching him, and looking up, he saw Olivia, her gaze fixed on the ground by his feet.
"What are you doing?" she asked sullenly She looked even worse than usual. Her hair was greasy her shirt was dirty and the white sneakers she'd taken to wearing were now a grayish brown.
"Liv, why don't you do your hair anymore?" asked Charlie. “You know, like you used to. All those great colors."
“It's none of your business," Olivia retorted, "I asked you what you were doing."
Charlie sighed. "Looking for a button," he said. "Want to help?"
Olivia began to push at the undergrowth with the toe of her sneaker. "Why do you want it? Can't you get another one?"
"No. Billy found it in his new home, and Gabriel, you know . . . found its story But I want to know more."
“All that psychic nonsense," said Olivia sulkily "You guys never give up, do you?"
Charlie was shocked. "Liv you used to help us. You liked to be involved. What on earth is the matter with you?"
"If you really want to know, I can't peel apples, and I'm sick of all this endowment . . .." She stopped and stared at the ruin. "What was that?"
"What was what?"
"I thought I heard a sort of grunt, like a horse!"
"You heard it? Liv, that means . . ."
"I don't want to know what it means," cried Olivia. She ran off leaving Charlie with a lot to think about.
When the hunting horn blared, Charlie was reluctant to give up the search. Finding the black button had become enormously important to him. Gabriel had described a dark man trapped within mirrors, with piano music in the background. Could the dark man be his father, Lyell Bone? Gabriel had already seen Lyell before, that time when Charlie had given him his father's tie. So he desperately needed Gabriel to "look" again and tell him if the two images matched.
Charlie trudged across the grass, the last one to leave the grounds. As he stepped into the hall, Manfred Bloor came out of the prefects' room.
"Ah, the very person," said Manfred. "I want a word with you, Charlie Bone."
"It's bedtime," Charlie objected. "I'll be late and get detention."
"This is more important." Manfred walked over to the door of the Music Tower and beckoned Charlie. "Don't worry, I'll give you a note for Matron."
Charlie grudgingly followed Manfred down the passage to his office. When they reached the dusty
bookcase, Manfred said, "I suppose you know my secret entrance, by now:" He pushed his finger on the wood between two books on the top shelf, and the bookcase swung inward.
"After you, Charlie." Manfred ushered Charlie into the room, and the bookcase swung into position behind them.
Charlie felt trapped. What awful surprise did Manfred have in store for him? Looking around the office, he noticed a pile of ash in the grate. The smell of burned paper still lingered in the room, and Charlie wondered why Manfred needed a fire in such warm weather. Something made him say "I believe you've got something of mine, Man — sir."
“And what would that be?"
“A white cane. Billy Raven gave it to you."
"Oh, you mean your wand. Don't be coy Charlie. Everyone knows it's a wand. Well, it's been confiscated."
"You can't do that!" cried Charlie.
"Don't be stupid. Of course, I can. Wands are forbidden. It's a new rule."
Charlie was speechless. A string of rude words sprang to his mind, but he knew that if he used them, it would only give Manfred an excuse to punish him.
The new teaching assistant motioned Charlie to sit at the desk while he paced the room, self-consciously stroking the meager growth of beard on his chin. Eventually he took a breath and said, "There is a portrait of our illustrious ancestor in the King's room."
"Yes." Charlie felt nervous with Manfred moving behind him, just out of sight.
"I've noticed you looking at it," Manfred went on.
"Have you?"
"Don't play innocent," said Manfred curtly "Of course, you look at it. We all do from time to time. But you, Charlie Bone, you have a motive, don't you?"
"Do I?"
"Come off it, Bone," snapped Manfred. "You want to “o in,' don't you? And you probably could if it weren't for something in that picture blocking you."
"Oh?" Charlie was intrigued. So Manfred knew about the dark shadow behind the king's shoulder, the person, or thing, who was preventing Charlie from entering the painting.
"Have you ever heard anything from that picture, Charlie?" Manfred's tone became soft and persuasive, and Charlie found himself responding to the sudden gentleness in that normally cold voice.
"Yes, I've heard trees rustling, horses, the clink of a harness. Sometimes steel clashing, and rain."
"Never the king's voice?"
"No, never."
Manfred came and stood on the other side of his desk. Placing his hands on the edge, he leaned close to Charlie and asked, "Do you know why you can't hear the king, Charlie?"
“It's the shadow," Charlie replied quietly.
"More than a shadow, Charlie. That dark form is my ancestor Borlath, the elder son of the king. And, Charlie, he's come back!"
"What?" Charlie sat up. "What do you mean?" A wave of fear washed over him.
"My great-grandfather conducted a most interesting experiment. He was helped by your great-aunts and, of course, me. We found the bones of Borlath's horse, you see, and most important of all, his heart."
"Borlath's heart?" breathed Charlie.
"His heart." Manfred brought his face so close, Charlie could see the deep-blue veins that threaded the hypnotist's eyelids. "It was in a casket, beneath a gravestone marked with a ‘B.’ To tell the truth, it was Asa who found it. He likes to do a bit of digging when he's — not himself — if you get my meaning."
"I do." Charlie looked away from Manfred's looming face.
"The horse came to life," Manfred continued, "in my great-grandfather's attic laboratory And so did the heart. They became fused, as it were, and crashed through the wall — you can see the hole from outside if you look up. So now there's a horse on the grounds, with a savage heart, and it's after you."
"Me?" Charlie jumped to his feet, and his chair crashed onto the floor.
"I just thought you ought to know." Manfred spread his hands. "Because if you step out of line, the horse will be only too willing to punish you. By that, I mean that hooves can inflict very nasty injuries."
Charlie refused to give Manfred the satisfaction of seeing how scared he was. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "I think I ought to go to bed now"
"Of course." Manfred swung the bookcase open and Charlie hurriedly left the room. He could still feel Manfred's mocking gaze as he stepped into the hall and hastened up to the dormitories without once looking behind him.
* * *
Up on the fourth floor, Billy Raven lay on a narrow white bed at the end of the infirmary It was a very long room, and not one of the other fifteen beds was occupied. The awful stomach cramps had receded, but Billy was left with no doubt that they would return if he so much as whispered about his new home. Had he really broken an oath by giving the black button to Gabriel? And how did the oaths know?
Matron looked in and told Billy that tomorrow he would be returning to the Passing House. “A little break from your friends is desirable," she said in her chilly voice. "It'll help you to sort things out, Billy" She left without giving him a word of comfort or even a soothing glass of milk.
Billy stared into the gathering darkness, unable to sleep. A full moon sailed into the sky its brilliance falling through the uncurtained window Billy heard nails clicking across the floorboards toward him. A familiar voice said, "Billy sick?"
"Blessed." Billy put his hand down and stroked the dog's wrinkled head. Did it count, he wondered, if you told a dog the things you could tell no one else?
"Horse," grunted Blessed. "In garden."
"Horse?" Billy sat up.
"Ghost horse," said Blessed.
Billy got out of bed and ran to the window The horse stood right below him, not a disappearing, shadowy creature this time, but very real. Its coat was a dazzling white in the moonlight, and every hair of its thick mane and tail shimmered like threads of silver.
Billy opened the window and looked down at the horse. It met his gaze and spoke. "Child," it said. "My child."
"Help me," said Billy
THE JAILBIRD
Charlie found the black button on Friday at the end of lunch break. Gabriel had thrown it farther than they had thought, because it was lying between two stones paving the inside of the great arch into the castle.
As Charlie thrust the button into his pocket, a voice said, "What's that, Bone?" Asa Pike was peering around the side of the arch.
"What's what?" asked Charlie innocently
"You picked something up."
"Oh, that!" Charlie put his hand in his pocket and found that by a stroke of luck he'd left a marble in it. "It's just a marble." He pulled it out and held it up to the light. "See! We were playing here yesterday and it rolled into a crack. I thought I'd never get it out."
Asa eyed the marble suspiciously "Where did you get it?"
"Can't remember. I've had it for ages. It's a kind of mascot."
''Hmmm." Asa turned away The prefect's strange stride always gave Charlie the creeps, and he had an unpleasant vision of Asa's beast shape digging away in the ruins. Where did he find the heart? Charlie wondered. And did they know for certain that it was Borlath's?
Charlie gave an involuntary shiver and left the ruin. As he slipped the marble into his pocket, his fingers touched the black button, and it brought him a surge of hope. Maybe, at last, he was getting close to finding his father.
While they were standing in line for the school bus that afternoon, Charlie asked Gabriel to meet him at the Pets' Café on Saturday "I've found the button," whispered Charlie. "Can you try it again, Gabriel?"
Gabriel gave one of his enigmatic shrugs. "I'm not sure I want to meet that horse again."
"The button's got nothing to do with the horse," said Charlie. "Trust me. I'll explain tomorrow."
"You 'd better," said Fidelio. “And you still haven't told us why you were late for bed last night."
All will he revealed," Charlie promised.
* * *
Uncle Paton had lately acquired the habit of ordering delicious food from a fancy store in t
he city An inheritance from one of his mother's wealthy French relatives had made this possible, but he made sure that everyone at number nine should benefit from his good fortune.
Of course, it only gave the Yewbeam sisters yet another reason to hate their brother. But while Grandma Bone privately seethed, she couldn't help enjoying the delicacies. Grizelda Bone loved good food, especially foie gras and caviar. Today, while Paton, Maisie, and Julia Ingledew sat in the kitchen, eating venison pie, Grandma Bone reclined in the living room with her own jar of caviar, a plate of melba toast, and a glass of port. She didn't like eating with visitors, especially Miss Ingledew, whom she imagined was chasing her brother, though anyone could have told her that it was the other way around.
"Wow!" exclaimed Charlie when he entered the kitchen. "What a fantastic smell. Can I have some of whatever it is that's making it?"
Uncle Paton cut him a large slice of pie, and Maisie pushed a pot of chutney in his direction.
"Try some. It beats the usual stuff," said Maisie with a wink. "It's got rum in it."
Charlie noticed that his uncle was wearing a new jacket. “Are you going somewhere special?" he asked.
Paton put a finger to his lips. "Shhh! We don't want a certain person to know about it."
"Actually we planned to take you with us," said Julia under her breath.
No more was said on the subject, and although Charlie was burning with curiosity he realized that everyone was waiting for Grandma Bone to fall asleep. A few minutes later, Amy Bone got back from work and joined everyone in the kitchen. Charlie was asked to take the bottle of port into the living room.
"Charlie — how nice — s'more port?"
Charlie found it hard not to smile at Grandma Bone's slurred speech. She had clearly drunk more than one glass of port already He carefully refilled her glass and asked if she'd like some venison pie.
"Pie — mmm — nice." Grandma Bone smacked her lips and lifted her feet onto the sofa.
Charlie returned to the kitchen, put a slice of pie on a plate, and covered it with lots of rum and apricot chutney. "She's nodding off" he said softly
Ten minutes later, they heard loud snores coming from the living room.