Read Online Creeping Shadow (The Rise of Isaac, Book One) by Caroline Peckham - Free Book Online
Authors: Caroline Peckham
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expressions.
"Hawking," Ely revealed.
"But why did he hide evidence of Mum's disappearance?" Oliver asked angrily.
Ely frowned. "There are very few people on Earth who know about the other worlds and the society has a list of every single one. Alison is, of course, on that list. So if anything mysterious happens to someone involved with the other worlds the society will step in to ensure that nothing compromises their secret. It would appear that Alison's room was destroyed by magic and, as she seems to have disappeared off the face of the Earth, they have concluded that she actually has."
"What? So Mum's in one of the other worlds?" May asked incredulously.
Ely nodded, looking grave. "All the evidence points in that direction."
"But doesn't that mean she would have had to come here to go through the Gateway?" Oliver asked.
Ely continued to nod and a sparkle of light caught in his eyes. "Yes," he breathed. "She would have passed right under my nose."
"Are you even allowed to tell us all this, about the other worlds?" May asked, looking around like Hawking might burst into the room at any moment.
"Yes, those permitted to know are the families that learn about them because of their ancestry, like mine. So I have every right to tell you. It's just..." Ely trailed off.
"Just what?" Oliver asked, frowning.
"Your mother didn't want either of you to know. That's why I never met you before. When the police tracked me down and asked me to take you in I couldn't say no, but I had to honour her wishes. That's why I've been so distant and why I hid my children's belongings. I'm sorry, I just didn't see any other way."
Oliver suddenly felt furious. Not only had his mum inexplicably disappeared, but now it turned out that she had lied to him his whole life and kept them from meeting their family.
A lump formed in his throat which he forced down before looking Ely in the eye.
"Why didn't she want us to know?" Oliver asked through gritted teeth.
"I'm sure she was just trying to protect you."
"Protect us from what?" May asked, a crease forming between her eyes.
"Perhaps." Ely hesitated a moment. "Perhaps she was protecting you from the truth about your father, Oliver."
"My father? He died when I was a baby." He felt the blood rising in his face, the heat of it burning his cheeks.
"Yes he died, but not in the way you've been told. And not when you were a baby."
"What do you mean?" Oliver asked, fighting to keep his voice level.
"Your father was an explorer from Aleva. He set out to gain the keys to all seven worlds."
"And what's wrong with that?" Oliver asked, his curiosity overriding his anger.
"Nothing, not the first six keys anyway. But the seventh world is Vale," Ely said, the tone of his voice darkening.
"Why's that bad?" May asked, her voice hushed.
"Only two people have ever entered the seventh world. The first returned just a shell of a man, he was weak and wasted. The second was never seen again. Vale isn't a human world, you see? These creatures live there, varks we call them, they're vicious and alien."
"Why would someone go there, then?" May asked.
"The first man didn't know what he'd find," Ely said. "He was an incredibly powerful mage and highly skilled scientist named Dorian Ganderfield. His experiments led to the discovery of the other worlds and, eventually, Ganderfield found a way to tear holes between them. It was only later that he realised he couldn't repair the rifts."
"Why did it matter?" May asked.
Ely shook his head gravely. "The worlds have evolved separately from each other for millions of years. Without restricting access between them, what is to stop one world from waging war on another? The more advanced worlds would conquer those that are weaker."
Oliver nodded.
"So Ganderfield created Gateways between the worlds and set up the Council of Heptus to maintain intraverse-wide laws. He planned to lock the Gateway to Vale so that no one would ever be tempted to go there. But, alas, it was
"Hawking," Ely revealed.
"But why did he hide evidence of Mum's disappearance?" Oliver asked angrily.
Ely frowned. "There are very few people on Earth who know about the other worlds and the society has a list of every single one. Alison is, of course, on that list. So if anything mysterious happens to someone involved with the other worlds the society will step in to ensure that nothing compromises their secret. It would appear that Alison's room was destroyed by magic and, as she seems to have disappeared off the face of the Earth, they have concluded that she actually has."
"What? So Mum's in one of the other worlds?" May asked incredulously.
Ely nodded, looking grave. "All the evidence points in that direction."
"But doesn't that mean she would have had to come here to go through the Gateway?" Oliver asked.
Ely continued to nod and a sparkle of light caught in his eyes. "Yes," he breathed. "She would have passed right under my nose."
"Are you even allowed to tell us all this, about the other worlds?" May asked, looking around like Hawking might burst into the room at any moment.
"Yes, those permitted to know are the families that learn about them because of their ancestry, like mine. So I have every right to tell you. It's just..." Ely trailed off.
"Just what?" Oliver asked, frowning.
"Your mother didn't want either of you to know. That's why I never met you before. When the police tracked me down and asked me to take you in I couldn't say no, but I had to honour her wishes. That's why I've been so distant and why I hid my children's belongings. I'm sorry, I just didn't see any other way."
Oliver suddenly felt furious. Not only had his mum inexplicably disappeared, but now it turned out that she had lied to him his whole life and kept them from meeting their family.
A lump formed in his throat which he forced down before looking Ely in the eye.
"Why didn't she want us to know?" Oliver asked through gritted teeth.
"I'm sure she was just trying to protect you."
"Protect us from what?" May asked, a crease forming between her eyes.
"Perhaps." Ely hesitated a moment. "Perhaps she was protecting you from the truth about your father, Oliver."
"My father? He died when I was a baby." He felt the blood rising in his face, the heat of it burning his cheeks.
"Yes he died, but not in the way you've been told. And not when you were a baby."
"What do you mean?" Oliver asked, fighting to keep his voice level.
"Your father was an explorer from Aleva. He set out to gain the keys to all seven worlds."
"And what's wrong with that?" Oliver asked, his curiosity overriding his anger.
"Nothing, not the first six keys anyway. But the seventh world is Vale," Ely said, the tone of his voice darkening.
"Why's that bad?" May asked, her voice hushed.
"Only two people have ever entered the seventh world. The first returned just a shell of a man, he was weak and wasted. The second was never seen again. Vale isn't a human world, you see? These creatures live there, varks we call them, they're vicious and alien."
"Why would someone go there, then?" May asked.
"The first man didn't know what he'd find," Ely said. "He was an incredibly powerful mage and highly skilled scientist named Dorian Ganderfield. His experiments led to the discovery of the other worlds and, eventually, Ganderfield found a way to tear holes between them. It was only later that he realised he couldn't repair the rifts."
"Why did it matter?" May asked.
Ely shook his head gravely. "The worlds have evolved separately from each other for millions of years. Without restricting access between them, what is to stop one world from waging war on another? The more advanced worlds would conquer those that are weaker."
Oliver nodded.
"So Ganderfield created Gateways between the worlds and set up the Council of Heptus to maintain intraverse-wide laws. He planned to lock the Gateway to Vale so that no one would ever be tempted to go there. But, alas, it was
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