smiled. ‘No clue,’ he said.
Alex studied him, her eyes narrowing. ‘How do you even know Spanish, anyway?’
He shrugged. ‘I don’t know. I used to watch a lot of international game shows when I was little, at least, that’s what my dad told me, so I guess I picked up a few things.’ ‘That explains how you aced last month’s French test.’ ‘I told you that was a fluke. Someone else’s paper obviously got mixed up with mine.’ No matter how many times Charlie told himself that, the truth was that he had understood every part of that test. ‘Sometimes people just get lucky.’ ‘An A plus,’ Alex mused. ‘Wow. Can I borrow some of your luck?’ She smiled, which Charlie returned. ‘Here’s me thinking Derkein was the weirdo.’
It was then Charlie remembered why he was there. ‘You’ll never guess who I found.’
The inquisitive look on Alex’s face lasted only a fraction of a second before she exclaimed, ‘Shut up!’ She jumped up.
‘You found Thomas Wakeman?’
Charlie nodded.
‘Where?’ Alex enquired.
‘This is going to sound a little strange, but, um … He’s Jacob’s father-in-law.’
Alex’s jaw dropped, and she blinked. ‘What!’
‘I know. What are the odds, right?’
‘What did he say?’
‘He seriously believes Arcadia exists.’
‘You mean …’ Alex pointed at the floor.
Charlie nodded. ‘I’m taking Derkein to see him ...’ His voice trailed off. Alex had a faraway look in her eyes. He got up. ‘Are you even listening?’
‘It’s strange,’ she said, as if he hadn’t spoken. ‘You dreamt about Derkein, and now you’ve found Thomas, who just happens to be Jacob’s father-in-law.’
Charlie wasn’t sure if she was referring to the situation being strange, or him. ‘What’s your point?’ he asked. ‘It’s just … What are the odds?’
Charlie sat on the windowsill watching Tom, who was gawping at Derkein’s face. Tom’s expression was half-intrigued and half-anxious. ‘Remarkable,’ he breathed. ‘And you say it happened after the attack?’
‘Yes,’ replied Derkein, who was sitting in the armchair on the opposite side of the bed to Charlie, his back to the room door. ‘I’m sure this change is attributable to the talisman my father gave me.’ He removed the talisman from around his neck and handed it to Tom.
‘The four elements,’ Tom muttered. ‘The root of all existing matter. Many cultures regard these elements as powerful forces, keeping balance in the world. Many people, though, associate them with witchcraft.’ He paused, thinking. ‘If this talisman holds magical qualities, then it must have been what they were after. You said George found it in Brazil?’
‘He and a friend did, yes.’ A sad expression crept across Derkein’s face.
‘I take it that something happened to this friend?’ ‘He died. Doctors said it was a heart attack, but my father thought otherwise.’
‘Hmm … After what happened to you, it’s very likely your friend didn’t die of a heart attack. If whoever attacked him was after the talisman, then they’re still looking for it.’ ‘By they you mean the people of Arcadia.’
‘You don’t believe it exists.’ Tom sounded disappointed. ‘I don’t know what I believe anymore. All I know is that my father spent years searching for this place because he had a crazy idea that he could bring my mother back from the dead. An idea he got from you.’ Charlie detected a hint of accusation in Derkein’s tone.
‘And I suppose you’re wondering how that’s possible?’ Tom leaned back in his bed. ‘My great-grandfather, Arthur Hill, was working in the Mammoth Cave in Kentucky in the 1840’s.
One day, he disappeared while exploring new regions of the cave. Almost two months later, he reappeared inside the cave, having no idea of how he arrived there. He told folks that something had attacked him and had taken him to another world.’ Tom paused, as if waiting for them to say something,
Alex studied him, her eyes narrowing. ‘How do you even know Spanish, anyway?’
He shrugged. ‘I don’t know. I used to watch a lot of international game shows when I was little, at least, that’s what my dad told me, so I guess I picked up a few things.’ ‘That explains how you aced last month’s French test.’ ‘I told you that was a fluke. Someone else’s paper obviously got mixed up with mine.’ No matter how many times Charlie told himself that, the truth was that he had understood every part of that test. ‘Sometimes people just get lucky.’ ‘An A plus,’ Alex mused. ‘Wow. Can I borrow some of your luck?’ She smiled, which Charlie returned. ‘Here’s me thinking Derkein was the weirdo.’
It was then Charlie remembered why he was there. ‘You’ll never guess who I found.’
The inquisitive look on Alex’s face lasted only a fraction of a second before she exclaimed, ‘Shut up!’ She jumped up.
‘You found Thomas Wakeman?’
Charlie nodded.
‘Where?’ Alex enquired.
‘This is going to sound a little strange, but, um … He’s Jacob’s father-in-law.’
Alex’s jaw dropped, and she blinked. ‘What!’
‘I know. What are the odds, right?’
‘What did he say?’
‘He seriously believes Arcadia exists.’
‘You mean …’ Alex pointed at the floor.
Charlie nodded. ‘I’m taking Derkein to see him ...’ His voice trailed off. Alex had a faraway look in her eyes. He got up. ‘Are you even listening?’
‘It’s strange,’ she said, as if he hadn’t spoken. ‘You dreamt about Derkein, and now you’ve found Thomas, who just happens to be Jacob’s father-in-law.’
Charlie wasn’t sure if she was referring to the situation being strange, or him. ‘What’s your point?’ he asked. ‘It’s just … What are the odds?’
Charlie sat on the windowsill watching Tom, who was gawping at Derkein’s face. Tom’s expression was half-intrigued and half-anxious. ‘Remarkable,’ he breathed. ‘And you say it happened after the attack?’
‘Yes,’ replied Derkein, who was sitting in the armchair on the opposite side of the bed to Charlie, his back to the room door. ‘I’m sure this change is attributable to the talisman my father gave me.’ He removed the talisman from around his neck and handed it to Tom.
‘The four elements,’ Tom muttered. ‘The root of all existing matter. Many cultures regard these elements as powerful forces, keeping balance in the world. Many people, though, associate them with witchcraft.’ He paused, thinking. ‘If this talisman holds magical qualities, then it must have been what they were after. You said George found it in Brazil?’
‘He and a friend did, yes.’ A sad expression crept across Derkein’s face.
‘I take it that something happened to this friend?’ ‘He died. Doctors said it was a heart attack, but my father thought otherwise.’
‘Hmm … After what happened to you, it’s very likely your friend didn’t die of a heart attack. If whoever attacked him was after the talisman, then they’re still looking for it.’ ‘By they you mean the people of Arcadia.’
‘You don’t believe it exists.’ Tom sounded disappointed. ‘I don’t know what I believe anymore. All I know is that my father spent years searching for this place because he had a crazy idea that he could bring my mother back from the dead. An idea he got from you.’ Charlie detected a hint of accusation in Derkein’s tone.
‘And I suppose you’re wondering how that’s possible?’ Tom leaned back in his bed. ‘My great-grandfather, Arthur Hill, was working in the Mammoth Cave in Kentucky in the 1840’s.
One day, he disappeared while exploring new regions of the cave. Almost two months later, he reappeared inside the cave, having no idea of how he arrived there. He told folks that something had attacked him and had taken him to another world.’ Tom paused, as if waiting for them to say something,
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