Read Online The Dark Secret of Weatherend by John Bellairs - Free Book Online
Authors: John Bellairs
Tags: montag f451 needs edit
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at the same time. Remember the day when Anders Bork man came to the library and had a talk with us in my office? Well, I have the darnedest odd feeling about that talk. I can't remember one little tiny thing," she said. "It's as if the whole time we spent in the office has been erased from my mind."
Anthony nodded. "Yeah. It's... it's like it was all part of a dream or something like that."
Miss Eells took the muffin off her fork, put it on a plate, and started buttering it. She added a big dollop of marmalade, spreading around with the back of the spoon, and handed the plate to Anthony.
"A dream, eh?" she said thoughtfully as she put another muffin on the fork. "Yes... Borkman's visit was a bit like that, I suppose. And then, right afterward, you felt you'd been someplace in the middle of the night, only you couldn't remember where, and then whammo! Old Borkman's journal was gone! And speaking of disappearing books, the weird black book that he returned has totally vanished."
Anthony was startled.
"Yup, it's gone!" Miss Eells said solemnly. "I used my passkey to sneak back into the library the night before last, and there's just a gap on the shelf where I put it. Anthony, I am sure the dust Borkman put on that weird book made me do all those strange things at Mrs. Oxenstern's party. And you know what else I'm sure of?"
As Miss Eells turned dramatically, pointing the toasting fork straight at Anthony, she discovered that there was a flaming muffin on the end of it. With a yell she jumped up, shook the muffin off onto the floor, and stomped on it with her foot. That done, she quickly dropped to her knees, picked up the charred muffin gingerly, and flipped it into the fire. But she was too late. There was a big ugly scorch mark on the rug.
Miss Eells looked at Anthony helplessly. Then she laughed silently until the tears were running down her face. "Oh, dear!" she said, shaking her head and dabbing at her eyes with her handkerchief. "What next, Tony? I ask you." Finally getting control of herself, she stood up and brushed crumbs off her kimono. "As I was saying when the Great Fire broke out, I think Anders Borkman is dabbling in sorcery. The idea sounds incredible, I know, but I can't think of any other explanation for the insane things that have been happening to us lately." Miss Eells folded her arms. She turned and gave Anthony a long, searching look. And when she spoke again, there was a genuine tremor of fear in her voice.
"Anthony, I'm worried. If Borkman—young Borkman—is using magic on us then... maybe the threats in old Borkman's diary were not just a lot of lunatic nonsense." She paused. "I know, I know! You tried to tell me this before, and I wouldn't listen. But now I think it is possible that the son has come back to finish the evil work that his father began. Remember when you read me that passage out of Borkman's diary? Well, there's a phrase that sticks in my mind: Let one who comes after me set the wheels in motion. Maybe..." Miss Eells's voice trailed off. She looked despondent. "Oh, Lord, Lord!" she exclaimed, shaking her head in despair. "If only he hadn't swiped the diary. Why didn't we have the sense to make a copy?"
Anthony brightened up and grinned. "We did... er, I mean, I did! I made one at the library with the new Thermofax machine. I just wanted to see how the machine worked. And—"
He never got to finish his sentence. With a joyous whoop Miss Eells rushed across the room and threw her arms around the boy, knocking his cap off in the process. "You wonderful, bright, clever, charming person!" she crowed delightedly. "You're a genius, you really, truly are! Where is it? Where did you put it? Did you bring it with you?"
As soon as he could get a word in edgewise, Anthony explained that the Thermofax copy of Borkman's diary was tucked away in the bottom of one of his desk drawers at home.
Miss Eells looked worried. "Are you sure it didn't disappear with the original? Have you
Anthony nodded. "Yeah. It's... it's like it was all part of a dream or something like that."
Miss Eells took the muffin off her fork, put it on a plate, and started buttering it. She added a big dollop of marmalade, spreading around with the back of the spoon, and handed the plate to Anthony.
"A dream, eh?" she said thoughtfully as she put another muffin on the fork. "Yes... Borkman's visit was a bit like that, I suppose. And then, right afterward, you felt you'd been someplace in the middle of the night, only you couldn't remember where, and then whammo! Old Borkman's journal was gone! And speaking of disappearing books, the weird black book that he returned has totally vanished."
Anthony was startled.
"Yup, it's gone!" Miss Eells said solemnly. "I used my passkey to sneak back into the library the night before last, and there's just a gap on the shelf where I put it. Anthony, I am sure the dust Borkman put on that weird book made me do all those strange things at Mrs. Oxenstern's party. And you know what else I'm sure of?"
As Miss Eells turned dramatically, pointing the toasting fork straight at Anthony, she discovered that there was a flaming muffin on the end of it. With a yell she jumped up, shook the muffin off onto the floor, and stomped on it with her foot. That done, she quickly dropped to her knees, picked up the charred muffin gingerly, and flipped it into the fire. But she was too late. There was a big ugly scorch mark on the rug.
Miss Eells looked at Anthony helplessly. Then she laughed silently until the tears were running down her face. "Oh, dear!" she said, shaking her head and dabbing at her eyes with her handkerchief. "What next, Tony? I ask you." Finally getting control of herself, she stood up and brushed crumbs off her kimono. "As I was saying when the Great Fire broke out, I think Anders Borkman is dabbling in sorcery. The idea sounds incredible, I know, but I can't think of any other explanation for the insane things that have been happening to us lately." Miss Eells folded her arms. She turned and gave Anthony a long, searching look. And when she spoke again, there was a genuine tremor of fear in her voice.
"Anthony, I'm worried. If Borkman—young Borkman—is using magic on us then... maybe the threats in old Borkman's diary were not just a lot of lunatic nonsense." She paused. "I know, I know! You tried to tell me this before, and I wouldn't listen. But now I think it is possible that the son has come back to finish the evil work that his father began. Remember when you read me that passage out of Borkman's diary? Well, there's a phrase that sticks in my mind: Let one who comes after me set the wheels in motion. Maybe..." Miss Eells's voice trailed off. She looked despondent. "Oh, Lord, Lord!" she exclaimed, shaking her head in despair. "If only he hadn't swiped the diary. Why didn't we have the sense to make a copy?"
Anthony brightened up and grinned. "We did... er, I mean, I did! I made one at the library with the new Thermofax machine. I just wanted to see how the machine worked. And—"
He never got to finish his sentence. With a joyous whoop Miss Eells rushed across the room and threw her arms around the boy, knocking his cap off in the process. "You wonderful, bright, clever, charming person!" she crowed delightedly. "You're a genius, you really, truly are! Where is it? Where did you put it? Did you bring it with you?"
As soon as he could get a word in edgewise, Anthony explained that the Thermofax copy of Borkman's diary was tucked away in the bottom of one of his desk drawers at home.
Miss Eells looked worried. "Are you sure it didn't disappear with the original? Have you
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