Read Online Charlie Bone And The Red Knight (Children Of The Red King, Book 8) by Jenny Nimmo - Free Book Online
Authors: Jenny Nimmo
Ads: Link
think you need to see Charlie," she said. "He's gone to see Mr. Onimous."
"The Pets' Cafe!" cried Benjamin. "That's where I should be." He jumped down to the sidewalk and tore up the street with his long-legged dog racing in front of him.
Maisie watched them for a moment, shook her head, and closed the door.
"Who was that?" a voice called from the sitting room. "Was it the mail? I'm expecting something."
"It wasn't the mail, Grizelda," said Maisie.
"Who, then?" Grandma Bone came into the hall. "I hate mysteries."
"It's not a mystery," Maisie told her. "It was just Benjamin Brown. He was rambling on about a cafe that wasn't for pets."
To Maisie's surprise, Grandma Bone began to laugh. "Ha-ha-ha," she cackled. "That'll teach them."
It always worried Maisie when Grandma Bone's laughter turned spiteful. Perhaps Benjamin wasn't so deluded after all.
Benjamin and Runner Bean were now racing, side by side, along High Street. It was still early and there were only a few shoppers around. They turned the corner onto Frog Street and came upon a dreadful scene. The Silks' old van was parked halfway down the narrow alley, and Charlie, Gabriel, and Mr. Silk were piling boxes and furniture into it. The small yard in front of the cafe was crammed with chairs, cupboards, tables, boxes, and a large iron bedstead. Two woebegone figures sat on the bed: Mr. and Mrs. Onimous. Mrs. Onimous was weeping copiously, while her husband held one of her hands and stared stonily ahead.
"What's happened?" cried Benjamin.
"Landlord," shouted Charlie as he and Gabriel lifted a roll of carpet into the van.
"Landlord? But I thought..." Benjamin looked at the Onimouses.
"Yes, Ben," Mr. Onimous said bitterly. "The landlords kick you out if you haven't paid your rent. But we own the Pets' Cafe and we've paid our rent. We've done nothing to deserve this. Nothing."
"So why?" Benjamin approached Charlie and Gabriel.
"The council," said Charlie. "They said the cafe wasn't safe for the public. And the Onimouses can't live here anymore because the wall at the back is crumbling."
"It isn't crumbling," muttered Mr. Silk, throwing an angry glance at the hired mover, a sickly-looking creature with thin, sepia-colored hair. He was throwing bags from the doorway onto the muddy cobblestones. One of the bags burst open and a pile of socks and stockings rolled out.
Mr. Onimous jumped up from the bed and ran across to the mover, shouting, "Be careful! Those are our belongings."
The mover snickered and backed into the darkness of the empty cafe.
"He doesn't look like a mover, does he?" Benjamin remarked.
Charlie had to agree. He had never seen a mover before, but he was sure that men who spent their lives moving other people's furniture should be a bit more robust than the skinny individual who was flinging bags into the alley. His assistant, however, was built like a heavyweight boxer. He wore only a white undershirt and camouflage pants, and his shoulders were as wide as the table he was now maneuvering through the door.
"I've got something awful to tell you," Benjamin said to Charlie.
"This is awful," said Charlie.
Mr. Silk closed the doors at the back of the van and said, "I'm sorry, Orvil, we can't get any more in. I'll run this load up to the Heights and come back for the rest."
"Oh, let me come." Mrs. Onimous slid from the bed and ran over to the van. "Please, Cyrus. I want to make sure there's a place for everything in your barn. Are you sure we won't be an inconvenience?"
"Not at all, Onoria. Hop in!" Mr. Silk opened the passenger door. "And you, too, Orvil. There's room for three at the front. The boys'll watch your stuff, won't you, boys?"
"Of course!" said the boys.
"It's very good of you, Cyrus," cried Mr. Onimous, hurrying over to the van. "I don't know how we'll ever --"
"Only too glad, Orvil." Mr. Silk got into the driver's seat and slammed the door while Mr. Onimous climbed in beside his wife.
All at once, the little man jumped out again
"The Pets' Cafe!" cried Benjamin. "That's where I should be." He jumped down to the sidewalk and tore up the street with his long-legged dog racing in front of him.
Maisie watched them for a moment, shook her head, and closed the door.
"Who was that?" a voice called from the sitting room. "Was it the mail? I'm expecting something."
"It wasn't the mail, Grizelda," said Maisie.
"Who, then?" Grandma Bone came into the hall. "I hate mysteries."
"It's not a mystery," Maisie told her. "It was just Benjamin Brown. He was rambling on about a cafe that wasn't for pets."
To Maisie's surprise, Grandma Bone began to laugh. "Ha-ha-ha," she cackled. "That'll teach them."
It always worried Maisie when Grandma Bone's laughter turned spiteful. Perhaps Benjamin wasn't so deluded after all.
Benjamin and Runner Bean were now racing, side by side, along High Street. It was still early and there were only a few shoppers around. They turned the corner onto Frog Street and came upon a dreadful scene. The Silks' old van was parked halfway down the narrow alley, and Charlie, Gabriel, and Mr. Silk were piling boxes and furniture into it. The small yard in front of the cafe was crammed with chairs, cupboards, tables, boxes, and a large iron bedstead. Two woebegone figures sat on the bed: Mr. and Mrs. Onimous. Mrs. Onimous was weeping copiously, while her husband held one of her hands and stared stonily ahead.
"What's happened?" cried Benjamin.
"Landlord," shouted Charlie as he and Gabriel lifted a roll of carpet into the van.
"Landlord? But I thought..." Benjamin looked at the Onimouses.
"Yes, Ben," Mr. Onimous said bitterly. "The landlords kick you out if you haven't paid your rent. But we own the Pets' Cafe and we've paid our rent. We've done nothing to deserve this. Nothing."
"So why?" Benjamin approached Charlie and Gabriel.
"The council," said Charlie. "They said the cafe wasn't safe for the public. And the Onimouses can't live here anymore because the wall at the back is crumbling."
"It isn't crumbling," muttered Mr. Silk, throwing an angry glance at the hired mover, a sickly-looking creature with thin, sepia-colored hair. He was throwing bags from the doorway onto the muddy cobblestones. One of the bags burst open and a pile of socks and stockings rolled out.
Mr. Onimous jumped up from the bed and ran across to the mover, shouting, "Be careful! Those are our belongings."
The mover snickered and backed into the darkness of the empty cafe.
"He doesn't look like a mover, does he?" Benjamin remarked.
Charlie had to agree. He had never seen a mover before, but he was sure that men who spent their lives moving other people's furniture should be a bit more robust than the skinny individual who was flinging bags into the alley. His assistant, however, was built like a heavyweight boxer. He wore only a white undershirt and camouflage pants, and his shoulders were as wide as the table he was now maneuvering through the door.
"I've got something awful to tell you," Benjamin said to Charlie.
"This is awful," said Charlie.
Mr. Silk closed the doors at the back of the van and said, "I'm sorry, Orvil, we can't get any more in. I'll run this load up to the Heights and come back for the rest."
"Oh, let me come." Mrs. Onimous slid from the bed and ran over to the van. "Please, Cyrus. I want to make sure there's a place for everything in your barn. Are you sure we won't be an inconvenience?"
"Not at all, Onoria. Hop in!" Mr. Silk opened the passenger door. "And you, too, Orvil. There's room for three at the front. The boys'll watch your stuff, won't you, boys?"
"Of course!" said the boys.
"It's very good of you, Cyrus," cried Mr. Onimous, hurrying over to the van. "I don't know how we'll ever --"
"Only too glad, Orvil." Mr. Silk got into the driver's seat and slammed the door while Mr. Onimous climbed in beside his wife.
All at once, the little man jumped out again
Similar Books
