by Jenny Nimmo
"Is it worth it?" asked Charlie. "It's just a medal."
"The winner gets a whole year free of detention - unless they do something really bad. They also get days off, and free stuff like new instruments, or paint boxes or dressing-up clothes. Plus, it just makes you feel good."
"Oh." Charlie had a sinking feeling. He told himself he was silly There would be a hundred children in the ruin. How could anyone get lost? And yet people had disappeared in there. And someone could turn into a wild beast and go in to find prey.
"Don't look so grim, Charlie," said Fidelio. "Tonight, we'll watch from the gallery in the art department. It overlooks the garden. You'll enjoy it, I promise you."
After supper that night, the children from the drama department filed into the hall and collected their lanterns. The gallery overlooking the garden began to fill up with spectators as, one by one, the children with purple capes emerged into the garden. Charlie was glad that Olivia had decided to wear sensible shoes-the sort of shoes she could run in, if anything chased her.
The single file of flickering lanterns moved across the grass like a long glittering snake. And then, gradually the head of the snake began to disappear, as children were swallowed by the dark walls of the ruin.
"Now what?" said Charlie breathlessly.
"We wait," said Fidelio.
They didn't have to wait long. Some of the younger children began to run out of the ruin very soon after going in. They were either scared of the dark or of getting lost. Their names were ticked off as they ran back into the hall. Lanterns were nervously returned and sheepish children went eagerly to bed.
Olivia was one of the last to come back. Fidelio and Charlie were waiting on the stairs that led to her dormitory.
"I didn't like it out there tonight," she said. "There was something behind those walls that gave me the creeps. I kept seeing this shadow - it was there one minute and then it was gone."
"What sort of shadow?" asked Fidelio.
“An animal," said Olivia. "Maybe a dog -I don't know I didn't get to the center, no one did."
"Well, I'm glad you got out," said Charlie, glancing at Olivia's sensible shoes.
"I kept close to Bindi," said Olivia. "I feel safe with her because she's endowed. Manfred gave me such a nasty look when he was handing out the lanterns, I thought I'd had it."
"Not you, Olivia," said Charlie.
The next night it was the art department's turn to play the ruin game. Fidelio and Charlie were joined by Olivia in the gallery Charlie was relieved to know that Emma Tolly wouldn't be among the medal hunters. He wondered if she was still with Miss Ingledew If his uncle had anything to do with it, she would be. Uncle Paton was a very powerful person, in his way.
Nothing eventful happened in the second ruin game. No one found the medal. And everyone came out safely.
And then it was Wednesday night. As the line of children in blue collected their lanterns, an icy wind swept across the hall. It was going to be freezing outside and Charlie was glad of his warm cape. This time it was Dr. Bloor himself who stood by the table, handing out the lanterns. He gave Charlie a grim nod as their hands touched, and with sudden insight, Charlie guessed that it wasn't Dr. Bloor he had to fear. In fact, the big man seemed almost wary of him. The door into the garden was opened and the first children stepped out into the night. There was no moon or even any stars, and they looked up into a sky that was entirely black. The ground, however, had a pale glow, and lifting his lantern Charlie saw that snow had settled and frozen into a thin crust. It crunched beneath their feet like broken glass.
"I'm right behind you, Charlie," Fidelio whispered. "Keep going." Charlie turned and saw Fidelio's cheerful face illumined in the lantern light.
"Good luck!" Charlie whispered. "Hope you find the medal."
"Silence," said a stern voice. "Talking or whispering will be punished." They had reached the entrance of the ruin. Manfred stood to one side, ticking off names on a long scroll as children passed him. Above his head swung a large lantern, and Charlie saw that Zelda Dobinski was standing behind Manfred, holding the pole that supported the lantern. She gave Charlie a chilly stare as he stepped through the stone arch. He found himself in a paved courtyard surrounded by tall, thick hedges. Facing him were five stone arches, separated by four stone seats. Fidelio nudged Charlie and nodded to the middle arch. They set off. At first it appeared that they were the only ones to have chosen the middle arch, but gradually they began to find little groups of children, hurrying across their path or scurrying beside them. Some of the children were even running in the opposite direction.
"Do you think we're going the right way?" Charlie whispered.
"Who knows?" replied Fidelio.
They turned a sharp corner and made their way through a passage so narrow that the walls brushed their elbows as they passed. Now and again they would emerge into a glade where a fountain splashed into an icy pool. A great stone fish was Charlie's favorite and Fidelio had to pull at his cape to get him away from it. Sometimes they would stumble against a crumbling statue or a mildewed urn, and as time went on, a deep silence began to fall about them. They could no longer hear the swish and patter of hurrying feet, or the hushed muttering of other children.
"How do we know we've reached the center?" Charlie whispered.
"There's a tomb," said Fidelio. "That's all I know"
“A tomb? I wonder whose?"
"Charlie!" Fidelio said out loud. "Stand still. There's something wrong with your cape."
"What?" Charlie swung around and stared at his cape. It was glowing. Tiny brilliant threads ran everywhere through the fabric, giving it the appearance of a strange, sparkling cloud.
"My aunt made it," said Charlie. "But why did she do this?"
"Maybe so someone could follow you in the dark," said Fidelio, "or hunt you."
Charlie pulled off the cape and flung it to the ground. "Well, they're not going to get me," he declared. "I might freeze to death but I'm not going to be caught."
"You can share mine if it gets too cold," said Fidelio. The next passage they chose was more like a tunnel. They had to almost bend in half to avoid bumping their heads on the low-beamed ceiling. Charlie began to feel breathless in such a confined space. He hurried forward and emerged into a circular glade. Three statues stood in the center, though by now Charlie could hardly make out what they were. He realized his candle had nearly burned through.
Expecting his friend to come out of the tunnel behind him, he called, "Hey Fidelio, look at this."
There was no answer. Charlie peered into the tunnel. There was no light, no Fidelio.
"Hey come on. Stop fooling around!" Charlie dashed back into the tunnel. With his free hand he groped at the walls and at the dark space in front of him. Had his friend fallen or slipped into another passage?
"Fidelio! Fidelio!" called Charlie, not caring about punishments. His calls were met by silence. And then his candle went out. Charlie realized that he had known, all along, this would happen. He had broken the rules, like his father before him. He had rescued Emma Tolly and now he was to be punished. But he wasn't going to give in without a fight. Flinging down his useless lantern, Charlie began to feel his way back through the tunnel. At some stage it must have branched off into another open passage because he could smell fresh air again, though it wasn't exactly fresh, but more a mixture of leaf-mold and damp stone. Turning a sharp corner, he caught sight of a light and, hardly able to believe his luck, he ran toward it. The lantern was standing on a great stone tomb.
Someone bobbed up from behind it, and Charlie saw Billy Raven's white head. The round frames in his spectacles glowed like tiny moons.
"I found it," cried Billy He held up a shiny gold disk on a chain.
"Well done," said Charlie. "I've lost my lantern, Billy. “Can I come with you?"
"It's mine," said Billy He grabbed his lantern and leaped away.
"It's OK. I won't take it, Billy!"
Charlie watched the
light bob away from him, and then it vanished. He had no idea which way Billy had gone. It was impossible to guess. There wasn't even a sound to guide him.
And then there was a sound, the soft tread of hurrying feet, four of them. And there was the low breath of a panting animal. Charlie leaped forward. Stumbling and reeling he ran from the soft footfalls and the sour smell of a beast.
Fidelio had given up looking for Charlie. He thought perhaps his friend had found his way out of the ruin already Something strange had happened in that narrow tunnel. He'd been pushed through a gap into another passage, but he couldn't see who had pushed him. He asked several children if they'd seen Charlie. They hadn't. "Billy Raven found the medal," someone said. Hmm, thought Fidelio. I wonder how?
He seemed to be the last one to leave the ruin. "Has Charlie Bone come out?" he asked Manfred, who was now crossing names off the scroll.
“Ages ago," said Manfred.
“Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure," Manfred snarled.
Fidelio ran indoors. He asked everyone he met if they'd seen Charlie Bone. Everyone who knew Charlie by sight swore they hadn't seen him.
"What's up?" asked Olivia when she saw Fidelio's grim expression.
"Charlie's still in the ruin," he told her.
"No. But it's been ages. They said everyone was out."
"Not true," said Fidelio. He ran up to the dormitory Billy Raven was sitting on his bed. Several boys stood around him, admiring the medal that hung from a chain around his neck.
"Have you seen Charlie Bone?" Fidelio asked them.
"No," they all replied.
Billy Raven just shook his head.
"Congratulations," said Fidelio. "I see that you won." He sank onto his bed. He didn't know what to do.
Half an hour later, a voice called, "Lights out in five minutes." Fidelio dashed into the passage. "Matron," he said. "Charlie Bone hasn't come in."
The tall woman in her starched blue uniform didn't even turn around. "Oh dear," she said and marched on.
Fidelio clutched his hair. "Don't you care?" he shouted. She ignored him. "You're late," she said as Gabriel Silk came hurrying down the passage.
"Sorry Matron," he muttered. "I ask you," he said to Fidelio, "even after tramping around that dingy ruin for hours, they made me finish my homework." He noticed Fidelio's distraught face.
"What's going on?"
"Charlie's still in the ruin," Fidelio told him.
"What?" A change came over Gabriel Silk. There was a determined glint in his gray eyes, and he appeared taller and more upright than before.
"We'll see about that," he said gravely and he began to march back down the passage.
Fidelio followed, wondering what Gabriel was going to do. At the top of the stairs Gabriel turned and said, "Fidelio, go back to the dormitory You can't help now"
"I want to come with you," said Fidelio. "Charlie's my friend."
"No," said Gabriel solemnly. “It's not your place. It would be dangerous. You must leave it to us."
Gabriel seemed to have acquired a very compelling stare. Fidelio stepped back. "Who do you mean by 'us'?" he asked.
"The children of the Red King," said Gabriel, and he ran down the stairs.
CHAPTER 20
THE BATTLE OF THE ENDOWED
Where do you think you're going?" called Mr. Paltry as Gabriel walked across the hall. "You should be in your dormitory." Gabriel ignored him. He ran through a doorway up a staircase, and along the hallway leading to the King's room. There were only two people in the room when Gabriel burst in: Lysander and Tancred. They were both reading.
"Charlie Bone's still in the ruin!" Gabriel announced. Lysander and Tancred looked up.
"Manfred and Zelda are there," said Gabriel.
“And Asa?" asked Lysander.
"I think he's changed already," said Gabriel. "He must have gone in."
"Then it's time," said Lysander.
They made a strange trio: the African, the boy with yellow electrified hair, and the skinny one with the long, solemn face. Shoulder to shoulder they walked past Dr. Bloor locking his office, past Dr. Saltweather carrying a music stand, and past Mr. Paltry tidying up the lanterns. None of the teachers could stop the three boys.
They stepped out into the cold night and walked across the frozen ground toward the ruin.
Behind them, children had gathered at the long windows of the gallery Disobedience was rife that night. Olivia Vertigo had spread the word: A boy was lost in the ruin. Ignoring rules and Matron's commands, children slipped out of bed and ran down the dark passages, whispering anxiously Fidelio found himself standing next to Olivia by the windows. "Can you feel it?" she asked.
A wind was stirring. It swirled around the three figures marching toward the tall stone walls, lifting their capes into great billowing shadows. None of the three carried a lantern, and Fidelio saw that the black clouds had blown away and a full moon now filled the garden with silver light.
"It's Tancred," Olivia murmured. "I've been asking around. Tancred can bring the wind, they say and storms, too."
"What about Lysander?" asked Fidelio.
"No one's quite sure," said Olivia. "But he's powerful. Someone said he can summon spirits. Everyone agrees on one thing though. Asa Pike can change his shape, but only after dark."
"So that's who it was," said Fidelio. He already knew what Manfred could do, and he had heard that Zelda Dobinski could move things with her mind. But what sort of things, he wondered. Could she move people? Deep in the ruin, Charlie was crouching beside a wall. He thought he had escaped the beast but it was getting close again. He could hear the rattle of loose stones as it leaped around the crumbling courtyards. Charlie dragged himself upright. He took a few steps forward and something crashed into his path. He bent down and felt the rough contours of a statue. It had almost killed him. He crawled over the statue and crept forward. There was a crack and a mighty splash as a fountain toppled into its pool. A great wave of water knocked Charlie to the ground and stones from the broken fountain rained down on him.
He rolled onto his stomach, shielding his head with his hands. "I won't give up, I won't! I won't!" he muttered. But how long could he last? His enemies were very powerful. Was there no one strong enough to help him? Like an answer, a breeze whistled through the undergrowth. It grew stronger and became a mighty wind howling around the ancient stones and roaring through the sky It rocked the great cathedral bell so that it rang continuously across the town, like a warning of some imminent catastrophe. Looking up, Charlie saw the full moon emerging from the clouds. Its brilliant light filled the ruin so that all the dangers could be clearly seen. Some of the huge stones began to tumble out of the walls and now Charlie could walk straight through them. But which way should he go?
The beast, too, could see its way It was getting angrier. Its snarl seemed to come from everywhere and, suddenly there it was, standing only a few meters in front of Charlie. Its eyes were a glowing, luminous yellow and its bristling snout was drawn back to reveal long, shining fangs. Charlie stood motionless, waiting for the beast to leap, but, all at once, something pale and ghostly slipped between them. Charlie could make out a spear and a shield. Another figure emerged, and then another. They surrounded the beast and the cornered animal gave a howl of fear. As Charlie backed away from the ghostly figures, his foot caught on a grass-covered stone and he fell sideways, landing in a bed of thorns. Seeing its victim lying helpless, the beast lunged forward, but two bright spears came down, barring its way and almost slicing through the black snout. The beast growled and its furious eyes glared at Charlie, unable to reach him; it was afraid of those glittering spears and dared not pass them.
Charlie got to his feet and stumbled away The thorns had torn into his face and hands and he could taste blood on his lips and feel it trickling over his fingers. He found that he was shivering violently His feet were growing numb and he felt so light-headed he could hardly think. "I've got to get out before
I freeze to death," he muttered, his jaw shaking with cold. Something warm brushed against his legs and, looking down, he saw the copper-colored cat, Aries. Sagittarius appeared on his other side, and then Leo slipped from behind a statue just ahead of him. Nose to tail the cats began to circle Charlie, and the heat from their glowing fur seeped through his body right into his aching bones.
As he increased his pace, the cats stepped in front of him and, like a single bright flame, began to lead the way through the ruined castle. Gradually Charlie became aware that he was passing statues he recognized; many of them had fallen to the ground, but he was glad to see that the stone fish fountain was still standing.
At last they reached the courtyard with the five entrances. The wind died and the distant bells stopped ringing. The three cats jumped onto a stone seat and began to wash themselves.
“Aren't you coming out with me?" asked Charlie.
They looked at him and purred.
"Thank you, anyway,” said Charlie.
He could see the sweep of white, frozen grass beyond the last arch. But who, or what, was out there? Was he really free? Charlie hesitated, took a breath, and walked through the arch.
Someone stepped up beside him.
"Hi there, Charlie," said Gabriel Silk. "You're safe." Charlie's relief was so enormous he thought he was going to faint. But before he could fall, strong arms lifted him upright, and Tancred and Lysander peered anxiously into his face.
"Whoa!" said Tancred.
"You OK?" asked Lysander.
"Yes," said Charlie. "Thanks." He noticed that twigs and branches littered the ground and that frozen snow had been swept into great icy banks.
"There's been a storm," he said.
"Among other things," said Lysander with a laugh.