Read Online Charlie Bone and the Time Twister (Children of the Red King, Book 2) by Jenny Nimmo - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jenny Nimmo
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were you thinking of?"
"I was trying to help," whispered Charlie.
"Help? Help? Murder more like," Cook said coldly.
"No, no, I didn't . . ."
"Who is this boy?"
It took Charlie a few seconds to remember his exact relationship to Henry Very slowly he said, "He's my great-great uncle Henry I think. But I just call him cousin. He came from 1916."
“And the Time Twister's responsible, I presume."
"Yes, poor Henry's come a long way I mean he's come from a long time away"
"I'll say" said Cook. "Get my bathrobe." She nodded at a large red garment lying over a chair.
Charlie brought it to her.
"Now; take off this poor boy's cape."
Cook gently lifted Henry out of the chair, while Charlie took off the frost-covered cape. On Cook's instructions he wrapped his cousin in the big red bathrobe, but still Henry showed no sign of life.
Cook felt the frozen boy's pulse, shook her head, and then put her ear to his heart. "Something," she murmured. "Something there."
Charlie felt terrible. He sank into a chair and covered his face with his hands.
“All's not lost," said Cook. "They're here."
Charlie heard a faint meowing above his head. He looked up to see a skylight of small green glass panes. Peering through the glass were three cats with glowing yellow eyes.
"The flames," breathed Charlie.
"Yes, the flames. Look out, Charlie."
Charlie jumped out of the chair as Cook came toward him. She climbed on the chair and opened the skylight. A blast of cold air and a shower of snow brought one of the cats sliding down onto the back of the chair. He was a handsome creature with deep copper-colored fur.
“Aries!" said Charlie.
The cat gave a long, welcoming meow.
"You know these creatures, then?" said Cook, as an orange cat, and then a yellow followed Aries. They landed either side of him and greeted Charlie with loud purring voices.
"Leo and Sagittarius," said Charlie. "Yes, I know the flames. And I think I know what they're going to do."
The three cats leaped down from the chair and ran over to Henry Charlie could hear the crackle of tiny flames as the cats rubbed their heads against the red bathrobe. They began to circle the chair where Henry's blue-tinged face rested on a faded cushion. Cook closed the skylight and stepped off the chair.
"They saved my friend's dog," Charlie told Cook. “And I think they've saved a lot of people. But I can't understand how they know when they're needed."
"Sixth sense," said Cook. "Now hush. Let them do their work."
Charlie sank into a chair opposite Henry. Already he could feel the heat from the cats as they ran around the frozen boy Soon all Charlie could see was a bright golden red streak circling Henry's chair.
Charlie yawned. His head drooped and his eyes closed. In a few minutes he had drifted off to sleep.
When he woke up, Henry still wearing the red bathrobe, was sitting up and smiling at him. He held a mug of something steamy and sweet smelling.
"Hello again, Charlie!" said Henry.
Charlie blinked and rubbed his eyes. "I'm sorry Henry" he said. "It didn't work, did it? I tried to get you out but something, I don't know what, it seemed to be fighting me."
Henry nodded. "I'm going to stay here with Cook," he said. "No one knows about this room, so I'll be safe until we can decide what to do next."
Cook was bustling around the stove. She took a hay of small cakes out of the oven and shook them onto a plate. "Take one of these," she said, offering the cakes to Charlie, "and then I think you'd better creep off back to bed."
"Thanks!" Charlie took a cake and bit into it. It was delicious. "Very good," he said quietly.
"It wasn't your fault, Charlie," said Cook, guessing Charlie's thoughts. "I shouldn't have been so quick to blame you. You of all people."
"Why d'you keep saying that?" asked Charlie. "Me of all people. What d'you mean?"
"I'll tell you another time."
Charlie looked up at Cook. For a moment he glimpsed another face behind Cook's lined, worn features; a face that
"I was trying to help," whispered Charlie.
"Help? Help? Murder more like," Cook said coldly.
"No, no, I didn't . . ."
"Who is this boy?"
It took Charlie a few seconds to remember his exact relationship to Henry Very slowly he said, "He's my great-great uncle Henry I think. But I just call him cousin. He came from 1916."
“And the Time Twister's responsible, I presume."
"Yes, poor Henry's come a long way I mean he's come from a long time away"
"I'll say" said Cook. "Get my bathrobe." She nodded at a large red garment lying over a chair.
Charlie brought it to her.
"Now; take off this poor boy's cape."
Cook gently lifted Henry out of the chair, while Charlie took off the frost-covered cape. On Cook's instructions he wrapped his cousin in the big red bathrobe, but still Henry showed no sign of life.
Cook felt the frozen boy's pulse, shook her head, and then put her ear to his heart. "Something," she murmured. "Something there."
Charlie felt terrible. He sank into a chair and covered his face with his hands.
“All's not lost," said Cook. "They're here."
Charlie heard a faint meowing above his head. He looked up to see a skylight of small green glass panes. Peering through the glass were three cats with glowing yellow eyes.
"The flames," breathed Charlie.
"Yes, the flames. Look out, Charlie."
Charlie jumped out of the chair as Cook came toward him. She climbed on the chair and opened the skylight. A blast of cold air and a shower of snow brought one of the cats sliding down onto the back of the chair. He was a handsome creature with deep copper-colored fur.
“Aries!" said Charlie.
The cat gave a long, welcoming meow.
"You know these creatures, then?" said Cook, as an orange cat, and then a yellow followed Aries. They landed either side of him and greeted Charlie with loud purring voices.
"Leo and Sagittarius," said Charlie. "Yes, I know the flames. And I think I know what they're going to do."
The three cats leaped down from the chair and ran over to Henry Charlie could hear the crackle of tiny flames as the cats rubbed their heads against the red bathrobe. They began to circle the chair where Henry's blue-tinged face rested on a faded cushion. Cook closed the skylight and stepped off the chair.
"They saved my friend's dog," Charlie told Cook. “And I think they've saved a lot of people. But I can't understand how they know when they're needed."
"Sixth sense," said Cook. "Now hush. Let them do their work."
Charlie sank into a chair opposite Henry. Already he could feel the heat from the cats as they ran around the frozen boy Soon all Charlie could see was a bright golden red streak circling Henry's chair.
Charlie yawned. His head drooped and his eyes closed. In a few minutes he had drifted off to sleep.
When he woke up, Henry still wearing the red bathrobe, was sitting up and smiling at him. He held a mug of something steamy and sweet smelling.
"Hello again, Charlie!" said Henry.
Charlie blinked and rubbed his eyes. "I'm sorry Henry" he said. "It didn't work, did it? I tried to get you out but something, I don't know what, it seemed to be fighting me."
Henry nodded. "I'm going to stay here with Cook," he said. "No one knows about this room, so I'll be safe until we can decide what to do next."
Cook was bustling around the stove. She took a hay of small cakes out of the oven and shook them onto a plate. "Take one of these," she said, offering the cakes to Charlie, "and then I think you'd better creep off back to bed."
"Thanks!" Charlie took a cake and bit into it. It was delicious. "Very good," he said quietly.
"It wasn't your fault, Charlie," said Cook, guessing Charlie's thoughts. "I shouldn't have been so quick to blame you. You of all people."
"Why d'you keep saying that?" asked Charlie. "Me of all people. What d'you mean?"
"I'll tell you another time."
Charlie looked up at Cook. For a moment he glimpsed another face behind Cook's lined, worn features; a face that
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