Read Online Charlie Bone and The Blue Boa (Children Of The Red King, Book 3) by Jenny Nimmo - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jenny Nimmo
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called Rembrandt."
Mr. Boldova began to move, but he clearly wasn't himself He turned and walked in the opposite direction. "Take it away!" he shouted. "Trash it!"
If rats could pass out, Rembrandt would have done just that. As it was, he went quite limp. Billy tucked him under his sweater and ran up to his dormitory
"Gone," muttered the rat as Billy sank onto his bed.
"What's gone?" said Billy "Do you mean Mr. B?"
"Dead," said Rembrandt. "Light gone out."
Billy realized what the rat meant. "You mean his real self, don't you? His soul?"
Rembrandt sighed.
Billy was so shaken by what he had seen, he couldn't stop shivering. Belle wasn't a girl at all but an old, old woman. She had changed her shape, but she had also done something terrible to Mr. Boldova. Belle was a hypnotist, like Manfred Bloor.
"Two endowments," Billy murmured. He lay back on his bed and closed his eyes. He wished he could go home and talk to someone. But there was no home to go to. Mr. Ezekiel had promised he would be adopted, but the kind parents he mentioned had never turned up.
"Tell Cook," said a voice.
Billy opened his eyes. The rat was sitting on his chest, staring at him.
"Tell Cook," the rat repeated. "Cook knows many things."
At the mention of Cook's name, Billy realized he was very hungry He slipped off the bed and, tucking Rembrandt under his sweater, he left the dormitory and made his way downstairs.
When he reached the hall, he found that the lights had come on and the burning embers had been removed. It was hard to believe that, only an hour ago, a battle of shifting shapes and flying sparks had taken place. Billy hurried on toward the dining hall. But as he passed the prefects' room, Manfred Bloor emerged.
“Ah, there you are, Billy" said the head boy "You look startled. Anything been happening?"
Billy hesitated. He felt that Belle's shape-shifting was something he shouldn't have seen. "N-no, Manfred."
"Nothing to tell me, then?"
Billy wanted to talk about Belle and Mr. Boldova, but he'd have to mention the rat. And he desperately wanted to keep him. He shook his head. "No."
"Nothing? No tidbits about Charlie Bone?" Manfred's coal-black eyes glittered.
Billy couldn't be hypnotized. He had found this out soon after he had arrived at Bloor's. Manfred had tried to practice his horrible skills on him, but it had never worked. Perhaps it was because of his dark-red eyes. "Nothing to report," he said.
Manfred looked disappointed. "What's that under your sweater?"
"My gloves. I was feeling cold."
"Aww!" said Manfred in a mocking voice.
"It's my birthday today" said Billy
"Too bad. I haven't got anything for you. Now, if you'd got some news for me, well, I might be able to find a bit of chocolate."
Billy loved chocolate. And it was his birthday All he had to do was to tell Manfred what he'd seen and hand over the rat. But what would Manfred do to Rembrandt? Billy gave a small shudder and said, “As a matter of fact I've had a very boring day"
"You're a hopeless case. Did you know that, Billy?" said Manfred scornfully
"Sorry Manfred." Billy scuttled away from the head boy.
"I'm afraid I can't come to your birthday party" Manfred shouted after him.
"What birthday party?" Billy muttered as he sped past the portraits, past three cafeterias, and down and down into the underground dining hall.
And there he found that someone had remembered his birthday A large iced cake sat at the end of the music table. It had Billy's name on it, surrounded by eight flaming candles.
Billy gasped and took a seat beside the cake. Rembrandt poked his head out of the top of Billy's sweater and said, "Oh, my! Cake and candles." And then Cook appeared, singing, "Happy Birthday" in a high, trembly voice.
"Thanks, Cook." Billy blew out the candles, made a secret wish, and cut himself a large slice of cake.
"You've brought a guest, I see." Cook nodded at Rembrandt. "Where did you find him?"
Billy looked at Cook's kind, rosy face and suddenly it
Mr. Boldova began to move, but he clearly wasn't himself He turned and walked in the opposite direction. "Take it away!" he shouted. "Trash it!"
If rats could pass out, Rembrandt would have done just that. As it was, he went quite limp. Billy tucked him under his sweater and ran up to his dormitory
"Gone," muttered the rat as Billy sank onto his bed.
"What's gone?" said Billy "Do you mean Mr. B?"
"Dead," said Rembrandt. "Light gone out."
Billy realized what the rat meant. "You mean his real self, don't you? His soul?"
Rembrandt sighed.
Billy was so shaken by what he had seen, he couldn't stop shivering. Belle wasn't a girl at all but an old, old woman. She had changed her shape, but she had also done something terrible to Mr. Boldova. Belle was a hypnotist, like Manfred Bloor.
"Two endowments," Billy murmured. He lay back on his bed and closed his eyes. He wished he could go home and talk to someone. But there was no home to go to. Mr. Ezekiel had promised he would be adopted, but the kind parents he mentioned had never turned up.
"Tell Cook," said a voice.
Billy opened his eyes. The rat was sitting on his chest, staring at him.
"Tell Cook," the rat repeated. "Cook knows many things."
At the mention of Cook's name, Billy realized he was very hungry He slipped off the bed and, tucking Rembrandt under his sweater, he left the dormitory and made his way downstairs.
When he reached the hall, he found that the lights had come on and the burning embers had been removed. It was hard to believe that, only an hour ago, a battle of shifting shapes and flying sparks had taken place. Billy hurried on toward the dining hall. But as he passed the prefects' room, Manfred Bloor emerged.
“Ah, there you are, Billy" said the head boy "You look startled. Anything been happening?"
Billy hesitated. He felt that Belle's shape-shifting was something he shouldn't have seen. "N-no, Manfred."
"Nothing to tell me, then?"
Billy wanted to talk about Belle and Mr. Boldova, but he'd have to mention the rat. And he desperately wanted to keep him. He shook his head. "No."
"Nothing? No tidbits about Charlie Bone?" Manfred's coal-black eyes glittered.
Billy couldn't be hypnotized. He had found this out soon after he had arrived at Bloor's. Manfred had tried to practice his horrible skills on him, but it had never worked. Perhaps it was because of his dark-red eyes. "Nothing to report," he said.
Manfred looked disappointed. "What's that under your sweater?"
"My gloves. I was feeling cold."
"Aww!" said Manfred in a mocking voice.
"It's my birthday today" said Billy
"Too bad. I haven't got anything for you. Now, if you'd got some news for me, well, I might be able to find a bit of chocolate."
Billy loved chocolate. And it was his birthday All he had to do was to tell Manfred what he'd seen and hand over the rat. But what would Manfred do to Rembrandt? Billy gave a small shudder and said, “As a matter of fact I've had a very boring day"
"You're a hopeless case. Did you know that, Billy?" said Manfred scornfully
"Sorry Manfred." Billy scuttled away from the head boy.
"I'm afraid I can't come to your birthday party" Manfred shouted after him.
"What birthday party?" Billy muttered as he sped past the portraits, past three cafeterias, and down and down into the underground dining hall.
And there he found that someone had remembered his birthday A large iced cake sat at the end of the music table. It had Billy's name on it, surrounded by eight flaming candles.
Billy gasped and took a seat beside the cake. Rembrandt poked his head out of the top of Billy's sweater and said, "Oh, my! Cake and candles." And then Cook appeared, singing, "Happy Birthday" in a high, trembly voice.
"Thanks, Cook." Billy blew out the candles, made a secret wish, and cut himself a large slice of cake.
"You've brought a guest, I see." Cook nodded at Rembrandt. "Where did you find him?"
Billy looked at Cook's kind, rosy face and suddenly it
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