Charlie Bone and the Time Twister Part 3

"Close the door," said Asa Asa , as Charlie stepped outside. , as Charlie stepped outside.

Charlie pulled the door shut behind him. The pa.s.sage outside was deserted. Charlie decided to try the hall.

As he descended the wide staircase a blast of arctic air almost rocked him off his feet. He stepped down into the stone-slated hall and stood very still. Something was happening to his eyes. He was seeing things that should not be there. A cloud of sparkling particles swirled in the very center of the long room. Was it an ice storm?

Gradually the pale fragments grew more vivid. Now they were forming a blurred shape, blue with a touch ot ot black beneath it. Before Charlie's astonished gaze, a figure in a blue hooded cape was materializing. black beneath it. Before Charlie's astonished gaze, a figure in a blue hooded cape was materializing.

Charlie had no doubt that he was seeing a ghost. But when the figure turned to face him, he found, to his horror, that he was looking at. at. . . himself. . . himself.

HIDING HENRY.

It was the other Charlie who spoke first.

"What a joke," said the boy. "I haven't traveled very far at all."

He had such a normal sort of voice Charlie was rea.s.sured. This wasn't a ghost. But if not a ghost, what was it? Clearing his throat, he asked, "Where have you come from, exactly?"

"Here," said the boy "Just now I was here, but," he shaded his eyes with his hand and gazed up at the row of electric lights illuminating the hall. "It wasn't like this. How did it get so bright?"

"Electricity" said Charlie. He was beginning to recognize the boy "Are you . . . ?" he began. "I mean have you . . . well, the thing is, I've seen you in a photo. Are you Henry Yewbeam Yewbeam ?" ?"

"That's me," said Henry beaming. "I think I've seen you, too. Somewhere. Somewhere. Who are you?" Who are you?"

"I'm your . . . erm erm . . . sort of cousin, Charlie Bone." . . . sort of cousin, Charlie Bone."

"No! This is very good news. A cousin, well, well." Henry marched over and shook Charlie's hand. "Very glad to meet you, Charlie Bone." "Very glad to meet you, Charlie Bone."

"The news isn't that good," said Charlie. "What was the date when you . . . just now?" "What was the date when you . . . just now?"

"January 12, 1916," said Henry "I always know the date."

"I'm afraid it isn't that now"

"No?" Henry's smile began to fade. "So . . .?"

"You're almost ninety years ahead of where you were," said Charlie.

Henry's mouth opened but no words came out. Instead there was a sharp ping as something dropped out of his hand and hit the floor.

Charlie saw a large gla.s.s marble rolling across the hall. "Wow!" he exclaimed, but before he could pick it up, Henry shouted, "Careful, Charlie. Don't look at it."

"Why?"

"It's what brought me here."

Charlie stood back from the s.h.i.+ning gla.s.s marble. "You mean it brought you through time?"

Henry nodded. "It's a Time Twister. My mom told me about it, but I'd never seen it until just now 1 should have guessed what it was. I knew Zeke would try and punish me."

"Zeke?"

"My cousin, Ezekiel Bloor." Henry suddenly grinned. "I say he's probably dead by now." And then a sad and solemn expression crossed his face. "They're probably all dead: Mother, Father, even my brother, James. There's no one left." Henry suddenly grinned. "I say he's probably dead by now." And then a sad and solemn expression crossed his face. "They're probably all dead: Mother, Father, even my brother, James. There's no one left."

"There's me," said Charlie, "and I think your brother is . . ."

At that moment a dreadful howl came from the stairs above them. The boys looked up to see a squat, ugly-looking dog standing at the top of the stairs. 11 howled again, raising its long nose toward the roof while folds of almost hairless skin shook beneath its whiskery chin.

"What an ugly beast," Henry whispered.

"It's Cook's dog, Blessed Blessed ." Charlie didn't wait for the dog to howl again. "Quick," he said, grabbing ." Charlie didn't wait for the dog to howl again. "Quick," he said, grabbing Henry's arm. "You've got to hide. This isn't a good place for you to be right now There are people "You've got to hide. This isn't a good place for you to be right now There are people here who here who might - do something nasty if they find out who you are." might - do something nasty if they find out who you are."

"Why?" asked Henry his eyes widening.

"Just a feeling," said Charlie. "Come on." He dragged Henry toward the door into the west wing.

"Where are we going?" said Henry scooping up the Time Twister and slipping it into his pocket.

For a moment Charlie had no idea why he was taking Henry into the west wing. He turned the heavy bra.s.s ring in the door and pushed his new friend into the dark pa.s.sage beyond.

"I know this place," whispered Henry "I never liked it."

"Nor me," said Charlie. "But we have to go this way to find somewhere safe." He closed the door behind him just as Blessed gave another mournful howl.

The two boys made their way along the pa.s.sage until they reached an empty circular room. A dim light hanging from the ceiling showed an ancient wooden door and, opposite the door, a flight of stone steps.

"The tower?" Henry looked at the steps and made a face. Henry looked at the steps and made a face.

It was then that Charlie realized why he had brought Henry to this place. "You'll be safe at the top," he said.

"Will I?" Henry looked doubtful.

"Trust me," said Charlie.

As Henry began to mount the steps, Charlie noticed his peculiar tweed pants. They reached only to the knee, where a b.u.t.ton held them in place over loose gray socks.

Henry's boots looked distinctly feminine: black and s.h.i.+ny they were neatly laced just above the ankle.

"We'd better find you some new clothes," Charlie muttered as they reached a second circular room. A door led off this room into the west wing, but Charlie urged Henry up a second flight of steps. "The Bloors Bloors live through there," he said. live through there," he said.

"Interesting," said Henry "Some things haven't changed, then."

They kept climbing upward but long before they reached the top of the tower, the sound of a piano could be heard, echoing down the narrow stairwell.

Henry stopped. "There's someone up there."

"It's the piano teacher, Mr. Pilgrim," said Charlie. "No one else comes up here, and Mr. Pilgrim doesn't really notice things. He won't be a problem, promise!"

Another two sets of stairs brought them to the small room at the top of the tower. Sheets of music lay scattered on the floor and the shelves that ran from floor to ceiling were crammed with huge leather-bound alb.u.ms, and thick dog-eared scores.

"It'll be warm here," said Charlie, moving several piles away from the bookcase. "You see, if we put some paper on the floor like this," he spread several sheets of music between the bookcase and a wall of plied scores. "It'll make a sort of bed, and you can hide here till morning."

"And then what?" asked Henry "Well. . ." Charlie scratched his head. "Then I'll find a way to get you some breakfast, breakfast, and maybe some new clothes." and maybe some new clothes."

"What's wrong with my clothes?" Henry gave an anxious frown.

"They're just different. We don't wear that kind of stuff now"

Henry glanced at Charlie's long gray trousers and thick-soled shoes. "No. So I see," he said.

"I'd better be getting back," said Charlie. "The head boy Manfred Bloor, Bloor, will be after me, and I don't want to get on the wrong side of him. He hypnotizes." will be after me, and I don't want to get on the wrong side of him. He hypnotizes."

"Oh. One of those." One of those." Henry had heard about the hypnotizers in his family "Are you one of them?" he asked Charlie. Henry had heard about the hypnotizers in his family "Are you one of them?" he asked Charlie. "The endowed?" "The endowed?"

'" Fraid Fraid so," said Charlie. "That's how I knew you." so," said Charlie. "That's how I knew you."

"What about him?" Henry pointed to the door behind which the rich piano music flowed on.

"He won't bother you," said Charlie. '"Bye, now." He gave a gave a wave and backed out of the small room, feeling inexplicably guilty wave and backed out of the small room, feeling inexplicably guilty In the King's room a boy with a long, sad face glanced anxiously at Charlie's empty seat. The boy's name was Gabriel Silk, and he worried about Charlie. He should have gone after Tancred, not let Charlie go. Charlie was younger and likely to land in some sort of trouble. He was the kind of boy unfortunate things happened to.

And then the howling began. At first they all tried to ignore it, but in the end Manfred flung down his pen and exclaimed, "b.l.o.o.d.y dog! Billy and exclaimed, "b.l.o.o.d.y dog! Billy go go and shut it up." and shut it up."

"I'll go," Gabriel offered.

"I said Billy," Manfred gave Gabriel one of his horrible stares and then turned his piercing black gaze on Billy "Go on," he said. "You can talk to the wretched thing. Ask it if it's got a bellyache."

"Yes, Manfred." Billy scurried to the door. Billy scurried to the door.

As he ran down the chilly stairwells and dark corridors he talked to himself. He hated it when everyone else was shut away doing homework. He was afraid of meeting the ghosts. He knew they were there - gliding about in the dark. Billy never went home. He had no home to go to. Sometimes, he stayed with an aunt. But not often. But not often.

He had reached the wide landing where a grand staircase led down into the hall. Blessed was sitting at the top of the stairs, still howling.

Billy sat beside the dog and put one hand on its plump back. "What's the matter, Blessed Blessed ?" The words came out in a series of little grunts and sniffs. A language that ?" The words came out in a series of little grunts and sniffs. A language that Blessed Blessed could understand. could understand.

The old dog stopped howling. "Boy came," he said. "Bad thing. "Bad thing. Wrong." Wrong."

"What boy? Why was it wrong?" asked Billy Blessed considered this question. He seemed to be having some difficulty with his reply At At last he grunted, "Boy came from nowhere. last he grunted, "Boy came from nowhere. With ball, very small. With ball, very small. s.h.i.+ny s.h.i.+ny Blessed Blessed not like this ball. not like this ball. It bad magic." It bad magic."

Billy was perplexed. "Was it Tancred?" he asked. Boy with lots of yellow hair?"

"No. Boy was like that one." Blessed stared down the hall.

Following the dog's gaze, Billy was surprised to see Charlie Bone quietly closing the door into the west wing.

"Where've you been?" Billy called.

Charlie looked up, startled. "Nowhere," he said, l.u.s.t looking for Tancred."

"Blessed said another boy was here; a boy like you."

" Blessed's Blessed's got a vivid imagination." Charlie began to cross the hall. got a vivid imagination." Charlie began to cross the hall.

"He says there was a ball. It was small and s.h.i.+ny and he didn't like it."

"I think Blessed was dreaming," said Charlie, climbing the stairs toward Billy Billy looked at the old dog. "Blessed doesn't lie," he said. "Dogs can't."

"They can dream, can't they? Come on, Billy We'd better get back to our homework or we'll get detention."

"Go back to Cook," Billy told the dog. "Go on, Blessed. No more howling."

Blessed gave a sullen grunt and began to flop down the stairs, while Billy and Charlie ran back to the King's room.

When homework was over, Charlie had half a mind to go and visit Henry He didn't like leaving him alone in the tower, nearly a hundred years from where he was supposed to be. Of course, he wasn't quite alone, but Mr. Pilgrim hardly counted. Charlie badly needed to confide in someone.

When he reached the dormitory he found Fidelio filling his closet with the clothes from his bag. There were two boys from the drama department in the room and Charlie couldn't risk being overheard. "I want to ask you something," he whispered to his friend. "Can we go somewhere else?"

"The art room," Fidelio said softly As they came out of the dormitory they walked straight into Billy Raven.

"Be careful what you say" Fidelio whispered as they sped down the corridor. "I used to feel sorry for Billy Billy ,m ,m but I don't like the way he watches people." but I don't like the way he watches people."

"Someone's got to him," said Charlie. "I don't know who it is, but they're making him spy for them. I don't think Billy can help it."

They had reached the art room.

"Light's still on," Charlie commented. "But no one's here."

"Mr. Boldova Boldova might come back," warned Fidelio. "We'd better hide over there." might come back," warned Fidelio. "We'd better hide over there."

A large painting of trees had been propped against two easels near the wall, and the boys managed to squeeze behind it and squat on the floor. In a hushed voice, Charlie began to tell his friend about the sudden appearance of Henry the boy with the Time Twister, who vanished nearly a hundred years ago. However, as soon as he mentioned the voices in the photograph, Fidelio clutched his arm.

"Hold on," he said. " D'you D'you mean mean you can hear what's going on in photos?" you can hear what's going on in photos?"

Charlie nodded. He had never told Fidelio about his peculiar talent. "I don't like people to know" he muttered.

"I don't think I would, either," said Fidelio. "Don't worry I won't tell a soul. Go on about Henry Where Where is he now?" is he now?"

"I took him up to the top of the music tower. I couldn't think of anywhere else."

"What about Mr. Pilgrim?"

"He won't even notice Henry and if he does . . ." Charlie hesitated. "I don't think he'll harm him."

"Hmm. I wonder! You can't tell with Mr. Pilgrim," murmured Fidelio. "So, what are you going to do with this long-lost great-great-uncle?" I wonder! You can't tell with Mr. Pilgrim," murmured Fidelio. "So, what are you going to do with this long-lost great-great-uncle?"

"1 thought I'd try and smuggle him home at the weekend. But first I've got to get some food to him."

"Lunch break would be best," said Fidelio. "He can have my meat - if it's not mince; and you can sneak up to the tower, while I I . . ." He broke off suddenly as a face appeared at the top of the tree painting. . . ." He broke off suddenly as a face appeared at the top of the tree painting.

"What are you doing?" asked Emma Tolly Tolly Charlie was tempted to tell her; she was, after all, a friend, as well as endowed, but something held him back. "We're just talking," he said. "Can't get any peace in the dorm." "Can't get any peace in the dorm."