Read Online Charlie Bone and the Time Twister (Children of the Red King, Book 2) by Jenny Nimmo - Free Book Online
Authors: Jenny Nimmo
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lights here were left burning all night and, with a soft whoop of relief, Charlie ran down the stairs and on into the long passage that led to the cafeterias.
Stumbling against chairs and tables, Charlie made his way through the blue cafeteria and into the kitchen. Here, counters covered in saucepans blocked his way. Machines jutted out at odd angles, mops and buckets were hidden beside cupboards. A heavy pan crashed to the floor as Charlie felt his way along a shelf. He froze for a second, and then became aware of a low light coming from the frosted glass at the top of a door beside him. Very slowly Charlie opened the door.
He looked into a small room with walls of tall white fridges and freezers. Henry Yewbeam stood in front of the tallest.
"Henry" breathed Charlie. "What are you doing?"
"Hello, Charlie," said Henry. "It's good to see you."
"It's freezing in here," said Charlie whose teeth had begun to chatter.
"I know" Henry smiled mysteriously "It's just what I want."
"What are you talking about? Please come out of there. I think we could die of cold."
"I don't want to die," said Henry "But I think I will if I don't get home." He stepped out of the freezing room and closed the door.
Charlie relaxed. It was warm in the kitchen and he found it easier to think. He perched himself on a counter and Henry jumped up beside him.
"I looked for you at lunch break," Charlie said. "I sneaked some food up to the music room, where were you?"
"There was a lady very small, all in black. She took me to her room. I was a bit frightened of her, but she gave me a cup of tea and some sweets." Henry held out a candy wrapped in silver paper. "Have one! She gave me a handful."
Charlie took the sweet. It was chocolate with a strawberry center. One of his favorites. "Yummy" he said. "I bumped into that woman. 1 thought she was a ghost."
Henry shook his head. "Not quite a ghost. She used to play the violin, but now her left hand doesn't work and that makes her very very sad. You could say she was in mourning for her fingers."
Henry had an odd way of putting things. Charlie was intrigued. "Who is she?"
"I didn't like to ask. Mama said it was rude to pry. The lady told me to go to the kitchens at night. So here I am. But, Charlie," Henry's face lit up. "I have found a wonderful thing."
"What?"
"In there," Henry pointed to the cold room, "a closet that's full of ice."
“A freezer," said Charlie.
“A freezer?" Henry repeated. "Well, I never. It hums in a very comforting way Charlie, I think it will take me home."
"What d'you mean?" said Charlie anxiously.
"I have come to the conclusion that I arrived in this new century because the weather was right. When I left 1916, it was the coldest day for many many years. And when I got here, it was exactly the same. But now it's getting warmer and if I use the Time Twister, I could end up anywhere."
"You'd be crazy to use it," Charlie agreed.
"Not if I go into the freezer," said Henry earnestly.
"What? You'd freeze to death."
"You could help me, Charlie. Just open the freezer door, now and again, to make sure I'm breathing. Once I hit the right temperature, I'll be gone." Henry leaned forward. "Please help me. I want to go home so much. I want to get back to 1916 and see my family I'll never survive in this new world. I don't belong."
Charlie had only known his new relation for a day but already he had begun to like him a lot. He would miss him, he realized. "It's a bit chancy" he said evasively "I mean you could end up back in the Ice Age, with mammoths and things."
"I've considered that, but I want to take a chance. If I think hard about Mama and Papa, and my brother and sister, I'm sure I'll get back." He grinned encouragingly at Charlie, "What do you say?"
"OK," said Charlie reluctantly "Let's give it a go. But if you turn blue, I'm pulling you out of there." "Thank you, Charlie."
The two boys swung themselves off the counter and went into the cold room. For a moment Henry stood
Stumbling against chairs and tables, Charlie made his way through the blue cafeteria and into the kitchen. Here, counters covered in saucepans blocked his way. Machines jutted out at odd angles, mops and buckets were hidden beside cupboards. A heavy pan crashed to the floor as Charlie felt his way along a shelf. He froze for a second, and then became aware of a low light coming from the frosted glass at the top of a door beside him. Very slowly Charlie opened the door.
He looked into a small room with walls of tall white fridges and freezers. Henry Yewbeam stood in front of the tallest.
"Henry" breathed Charlie. "What are you doing?"
"Hello, Charlie," said Henry. "It's good to see you."
"It's freezing in here," said Charlie whose teeth had begun to chatter.
"I know" Henry smiled mysteriously "It's just what I want."
"What are you talking about? Please come out of there. I think we could die of cold."
"I don't want to die," said Henry "But I think I will if I don't get home." He stepped out of the freezing room and closed the door.
Charlie relaxed. It was warm in the kitchen and he found it easier to think. He perched himself on a counter and Henry jumped up beside him.
"I looked for you at lunch break," Charlie said. "I sneaked some food up to the music room, where were you?"
"There was a lady very small, all in black. She took me to her room. I was a bit frightened of her, but she gave me a cup of tea and some sweets." Henry held out a candy wrapped in silver paper. "Have one! She gave me a handful."
Charlie took the sweet. It was chocolate with a strawberry center. One of his favorites. "Yummy" he said. "I bumped into that woman. 1 thought she was a ghost."
Henry shook his head. "Not quite a ghost. She used to play the violin, but now her left hand doesn't work and that makes her very very sad. You could say she was in mourning for her fingers."
Henry had an odd way of putting things. Charlie was intrigued. "Who is she?"
"I didn't like to ask. Mama said it was rude to pry. The lady told me to go to the kitchens at night. So here I am. But, Charlie," Henry's face lit up. "I have found a wonderful thing."
"What?"
"In there," Henry pointed to the cold room, "a closet that's full of ice."
“A freezer," said Charlie.
“A freezer?" Henry repeated. "Well, I never. It hums in a very comforting way Charlie, I think it will take me home."
"What d'you mean?" said Charlie anxiously.
"I have come to the conclusion that I arrived in this new century because the weather was right. When I left 1916, it was the coldest day for many many years. And when I got here, it was exactly the same. But now it's getting warmer and if I use the Time Twister, I could end up anywhere."
"You'd be crazy to use it," Charlie agreed.
"Not if I go into the freezer," said Henry earnestly.
"What? You'd freeze to death."
"You could help me, Charlie. Just open the freezer door, now and again, to make sure I'm breathing. Once I hit the right temperature, I'll be gone." Henry leaned forward. "Please help me. I want to go home so much. I want to get back to 1916 and see my family I'll never survive in this new world. I don't belong."
Charlie had only known his new relation for a day but already he had begun to like him a lot. He would miss him, he realized. "It's a bit chancy" he said evasively "I mean you could end up back in the Ice Age, with mammoths and things."
"I've considered that, but I want to take a chance. If I think hard about Mama and Papa, and my brother and sister, I'm sure I'll get back." He grinned encouragingly at Charlie, "What do you say?"
"OK," said Charlie reluctantly "Let's give it a go. But if you turn blue, I'm pulling you out of there." "Thank you, Charlie."
The two boys swung themselves off the counter and went into the cold room. For a moment Henry stood
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