Read Online Charlie Bone And The Red Knight (Children Of The Red King, Book 8) by Jenny Nimmo - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jenny Nimmo
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and ran over to Charlie. "Keep this for me," he said, pressing a small gold key into Charlie's palm. "You know what it's for." He winked at Charlie and ran back to the car. Mr. Silk honked once and the van rattled down the alley and onto High Street.
"What was that all about?" asked Gabriel as Charlie tucked the key into his pocket.
"It's for the door into the castle tunnel," Charlie said quietly.
Gabriel and Benjamin looked at him as though they expected him to say more.
"It might come in handy," Charlie said with a shrug.
"Are the Onimouses coming to live with you?" Benjamin asked Gabriel.
Gabriel nodded. "It's going to be a bit of a squash, and my sisters aren't too happy about it because they've all got to sleep together. But where else can the poor Onimouses go? We've got a nice dry barn for their stuff, and some of it can go in my gerbil house, in a pinch. But we couldn't take the cafe chairs and tables. They've already been taken away."
"I wish I could have the Onimouses living with me," Benjamin said wistfully. "Mrs. Onimous makes great pet food."
Just then the movers walked out of the cafe, slamming the door behind them. One of them produced a bunch of keys and, carefully selecting one, locked the door. He rubbed his hands together and declared, "All done!"
As the two men passed the boys, the one in the white undershirt said, "Looks like rain, boys. Hope this stuff doesn't get wet!" He jerked a thumb at the bed. "Could be ruined."
The boys glared at him and then, as the men walked down the alley, Charlie muttered, "Thinks he's so macho, but I can see goose bumps."
The undershirt man came to a halt and looked back with a snarl on his face. Runner Bean gave one of his famous throaty growls and the man hurried after his companion.
"This is an awful, awful day," moaned Benjamin as soon as the men were out of sight.
"You can say that again," agreed Charlie.
"I mean worse than awful," cried Benjamin, and he told them about the Not the Pets' Cafe, the peculiar twins, and the floating ladder.
"The Brankos!" Charlie exclaimed. "So that's where they live."
"Brankos?" Benjamin looked puzzled.
"They're telekinetic," Charlie explained. "I'm sure
I've told you about them. They're forever moving stuff when we're trying to do homework: books, pencils, and things. They knocked a wall down once and nearly buried me. They're Manfred's slaves."
Benjamin was even more glad that he didn't have to go to Charlie's school.
"I bet Manfred put those Brankos up to it," Gabriel grunted. "I mean, it's like a slap in the face, isn't it, calling it Not the Pets' Cafe when he knows the Pets' Cafe was our favorite place?"
"Look!" Charlie suddenly pointed to the sloping roof of the cafe. Three bright cats had appeared at the very top; Leo, the orange cat, stood on the apex, the other two perched on either side of him.
"They've lost their home," Gabriel said sadly.
"No, they're wanderers," Charlie told him. "Their home is everywhere and nowhere. I think they're guarding the place."
"There's nothing left to guard," said Gabriel.
"There's the secret tunnel that leads under the wall to the castle," Charlie reminded him. "And I bet those movers are going to come back later and look for it. The Bloors have always wanted to find it, and now's their chance. My dad hid something very, very precious that old Ezekiel wants, and now I'm wondering if Dad hid it at the end of that tunnel."
Gabriel and Benjamin were now regarding Charlie with very puzzled frowns, and Charlie realized he would have to tell them a bit more. "There's a box," he went on. "My uncle told me about it. He thinks there's a will in it, a will that proves Billy Raven should have inherited Bloor's Academy and all the money the Bloors have stashed away."
"Wow!" Benjamin collapsed onto the iron bedstead, causing a great rattling of springs.
Gabriel, however, continued to stare at Charlie with a frown that grew deeper every second.
"What?" said Charlie. "Don't you
"What was that all about?" asked Gabriel as Charlie tucked the key into his pocket.
"It's for the door into the castle tunnel," Charlie said quietly.
Gabriel and Benjamin looked at him as though they expected him to say more.
"It might come in handy," Charlie said with a shrug.
"Are the Onimouses coming to live with you?" Benjamin asked Gabriel.
Gabriel nodded. "It's going to be a bit of a squash, and my sisters aren't too happy about it because they've all got to sleep together. But where else can the poor Onimouses go? We've got a nice dry barn for their stuff, and some of it can go in my gerbil house, in a pinch. But we couldn't take the cafe chairs and tables. They've already been taken away."
"I wish I could have the Onimouses living with me," Benjamin said wistfully. "Mrs. Onimous makes great pet food."
Just then the movers walked out of the cafe, slamming the door behind them. One of them produced a bunch of keys and, carefully selecting one, locked the door. He rubbed his hands together and declared, "All done!"
As the two men passed the boys, the one in the white undershirt said, "Looks like rain, boys. Hope this stuff doesn't get wet!" He jerked a thumb at the bed. "Could be ruined."
The boys glared at him and then, as the men walked down the alley, Charlie muttered, "Thinks he's so macho, but I can see goose bumps."
The undershirt man came to a halt and looked back with a snarl on his face. Runner Bean gave one of his famous throaty growls and the man hurried after his companion.
"This is an awful, awful day," moaned Benjamin as soon as the men were out of sight.
"You can say that again," agreed Charlie.
"I mean worse than awful," cried Benjamin, and he told them about the Not the Pets' Cafe, the peculiar twins, and the floating ladder.
"The Brankos!" Charlie exclaimed. "So that's where they live."
"Brankos?" Benjamin looked puzzled.
"They're telekinetic," Charlie explained. "I'm sure
I've told you about them. They're forever moving stuff when we're trying to do homework: books, pencils, and things. They knocked a wall down once and nearly buried me. They're Manfred's slaves."
Benjamin was even more glad that he didn't have to go to Charlie's school.
"I bet Manfred put those Brankos up to it," Gabriel grunted. "I mean, it's like a slap in the face, isn't it, calling it Not the Pets' Cafe when he knows the Pets' Cafe was our favorite place?"
"Look!" Charlie suddenly pointed to the sloping roof of the cafe. Three bright cats had appeared at the very top; Leo, the orange cat, stood on the apex, the other two perched on either side of him.
"They've lost their home," Gabriel said sadly.
"No, they're wanderers," Charlie told him. "Their home is everywhere and nowhere. I think they're guarding the place."
"There's nothing left to guard," said Gabriel.
"There's the secret tunnel that leads under the wall to the castle," Charlie reminded him. "And I bet those movers are going to come back later and look for it. The Bloors have always wanted to find it, and now's their chance. My dad hid something very, very precious that old Ezekiel wants, and now I'm wondering if Dad hid it at the end of that tunnel."
Gabriel and Benjamin were now regarding Charlie with very puzzled frowns, and Charlie realized he would have to tell them a bit more. "There's a box," he went on. "My uncle told me about it. He thinks there's a will in it, a will that proves Billy Raven should have inherited Bloor's Academy and all the money the Bloors have stashed away."
"Wow!" Benjamin collapsed onto the iron bedstead, causing a great rattling of springs.
Gabriel, however, continued to stare at Charlie with a frown that grew deeper every second.
"What?" said Charlie. "Don't you
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