Charlie Bone And The Red Knight (Children Of The Red King, Book 8) by Jenny Nimmo Page A
Authors: Jenny Nimmo
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have to tell you?"
"The Red Knight's identity. We believe he must be my grandfather, Bartholomew Bloor, black sheep of the family."
"Why do you believe this?" Lord Grimwald asked curtly.
"Because he turned his back on us, went abroad. Became an explorer, wouldn't have anything to do with the family."
Lord Grimwald sighed impatiently. "No. Why do you believe the Red Knight is this Bartholomew person?"
"Oh, he was in Charlie's mind."
"Proves nothing. The boy doesn't know. He's guessing."
"Well, it's a start," said Manfred indignantly. "Eustacia's in top form lately. I bet she could tell me what was in your mind."
"I doubt it," muttered Lord Grimwald.
"What about this unknown endowed child that's on the loose?"
Manfred grimaced. "Charlie got away before we could ask. His friend's dog came barking through the mailbox. It broke our concentration."
"Teh!" Lord Grimwald thrust his hands into his pockets. "Not that I'm bothered, but Kapaldi wants to know. He's always in such a state, it's unsettling."
"We did find out about one of the other kids," Manfred said, a touch smugly. "One of the girls, Olivia Vertigo. Turns out she's an illusionist, quite a good one. We had no idea. So it's a bit of a coup."
"Indeed," agreed Lord Grimwald. "Get her under control and she could be useful."
One of the great ballroom doors was suddenly pushed open and Mrs. Tilpin shuffled in, dragging Joshua behind her.
"Weedon said you wanted us," she grumbled. "I was taking a nap. Can't get a wink of sleep at night. Place is haunted."
"What's that?" cried Joshua, pointing at the Sea Globe.
Lord Grimwald stared at the puny boy disdainfully. Joshua's thin hair was covered in bits of paper, crumbs and pencil shavings clung to his sweater, and his shoes were coated with dead leaves and mud.
"I can see that you're magnetic," Lord Grimwald observed.
"But what is THAT?" Joshua demanded, his eyes never leaving the Sea Globe.
Lord Grimwald wrinkled his nose. "I suppose you'll do," he murmured.
"If you want him to do something for you, you'd better be a bit nicer," said Mrs. Tilpin, hobbling toward the globe. "Tell him what it is."
"That is a Sea Globe." Lord Grimwald tossed the words out as though the Tilpins hardly deserved an answer.
"WOW!" Joshua ran to the globe, his arms outstretched.
"DON'T TOUCH!" shouted the globe's owner.
Joshua halted within inches of the glass. "It's all wrong," he declared, staring up at the gigantic sphere. "It's impossible. The waves are going up. How does the water do that? And how can the earth stand on water?" He pointed at the base of the globe. "Why doesn't it all fall down?"
"Because it doesn't," Lord Grimwald said crisply.
Joshua fell silent. He gazed up at the water tumbling far above him in the Arctic Ocean. His pale face was bathed in the shifting blue-green light of the great sphere, and his paper-covered hair was dappled with rainbow colors from the crystals in the chandelier. He looked at his mother and decided she was almost beautiful in sea light, and it certainly improved Manfred's appearance.
At last Joshua turned his head and stared up at Lord Grimwald. "Who are you?" he asked.
The man beside him looked down as from a great height, and Joshua noted the crinkled, almost green hair, the chilly arctic eyes, and the grayish glimmering skin. "You look like a fish," he said.
His mother dug him in the ribs. "Behave yourself, Josh," she said. "This man controls the sea. He's like Dagbert, only more clever." She glanced at the Lord of the Oceans. "He wants you to do something for him."
"What?" Joshua stared at the stern features.
Lord Grimwald dug his hands into his pockets. "You are acquainted with Dagbert Endless?"
"He's a year above me, but I know him," said Joshua. "He's almost my best friend."
"Ah. Is he? Well, Joshua, Dagbert is my son, and you may not believe this, but he has stolen something from me."
"I believe you. Dagbert and me often steal things." Joshua gave the man a crooked
"The Red Knight's identity. We believe he must be my grandfather, Bartholomew Bloor, black sheep of the family."
"Why do you believe this?" Lord Grimwald asked curtly.
"Because he turned his back on us, went abroad. Became an explorer, wouldn't have anything to do with the family."
Lord Grimwald sighed impatiently. "No. Why do you believe the Red Knight is this Bartholomew person?"
"Oh, he was in Charlie's mind."
"Proves nothing. The boy doesn't know. He's guessing."
"Well, it's a start," said Manfred indignantly. "Eustacia's in top form lately. I bet she could tell me what was in your mind."
"I doubt it," muttered Lord Grimwald.
"What about this unknown endowed child that's on the loose?"
Manfred grimaced. "Charlie got away before we could ask. His friend's dog came barking through the mailbox. It broke our concentration."
"Teh!" Lord Grimwald thrust his hands into his pockets. "Not that I'm bothered, but Kapaldi wants to know. He's always in such a state, it's unsettling."
"We did find out about one of the other kids," Manfred said, a touch smugly. "One of the girls, Olivia Vertigo. Turns out she's an illusionist, quite a good one. We had no idea. So it's a bit of a coup."
"Indeed," agreed Lord Grimwald. "Get her under control and she could be useful."
One of the great ballroom doors was suddenly pushed open and Mrs. Tilpin shuffled in, dragging Joshua behind her.
"Weedon said you wanted us," she grumbled. "I was taking a nap. Can't get a wink of sleep at night. Place is haunted."
"What's that?" cried Joshua, pointing at the Sea Globe.
Lord Grimwald stared at the puny boy disdainfully. Joshua's thin hair was covered in bits of paper, crumbs and pencil shavings clung to his sweater, and his shoes were coated with dead leaves and mud.
"I can see that you're magnetic," Lord Grimwald observed.
"But what is THAT?" Joshua demanded, his eyes never leaving the Sea Globe.
Lord Grimwald wrinkled his nose. "I suppose you'll do," he murmured.
"If you want him to do something for you, you'd better be a bit nicer," said Mrs. Tilpin, hobbling toward the globe. "Tell him what it is."
"That is a Sea Globe." Lord Grimwald tossed the words out as though the Tilpins hardly deserved an answer.
"WOW!" Joshua ran to the globe, his arms outstretched.
"DON'T TOUCH!" shouted the globe's owner.
Joshua halted within inches of the glass. "It's all wrong," he declared, staring up at the gigantic sphere. "It's impossible. The waves are going up. How does the water do that? And how can the earth stand on water?" He pointed at the base of the globe. "Why doesn't it all fall down?"
"Because it doesn't," Lord Grimwald said crisply.
Joshua fell silent. He gazed up at the water tumbling far above him in the Arctic Ocean. His pale face was bathed in the shifting blue-green light of the great sphere, and his paper-covered hair was dappled with rainbow colors from the crystals in the chandelier. He looked at his mother and decided she was almost beautiful in sea light, and it certainly improved Manfred's appearance.
At last Joshua turned his head and stared up at Lord Grimwald. "Who are you?" he asked.
The man beside him looked down as from a great height, and Joshua noted the crinkled, almost green hair, the chilly arctic eyes, and the grayish glimmering skin. "You look like a fish," he said.
His mother dug him in the ribs. "Behave yourself, Josh," she said. "This man controls the sea. He's like Dagbert, only more clever." She glanced at the Lord of the Oceans. "He wants you to do something for him."
"What?" Joshua stared at the stern features.
Lord Grimwald dug his hands into his pockets. "You are acquainted with Dagbert Endless?"
"He's a year above me, but I know him," said Joshua. "He's almost my best friend."
"Ah. Is he? Well, Joshua, Dagbert is my son, and you may not believe this, but he has stolen something from me."
"I believe you. Dagbert and me often steal things." Joshua gave the man a crooked
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