unnoticed and pretend they had been around for some time. In theory it was a good plan, but when theyâd climbed in they could hear the adults in the kitchen. It was twice as hard to avoid detection now that Mrs. Carelli had Victor back.
Stanley and Daisy could hear the Carellis in full discussion about their whereabouts. And then, a stroke of luck: it sounded as if they were putting on their coats and heading out to find them.
Good. Time to move through the house.
In they sneaked, like bilge rats slinking over
the ballast of the ship, lurking and snooping, then darting through the winding corridors until they arrived safely in the comfort of Stanleyâs room.
With bated breath, they placed the silver casket on the chest under the window. Stanley fumbled in his pocket for the cloth-covered Ibis. She did not bear any scars, despite her long journey since she left the comfort of the pikeâs belly.
Stanley flicked out the two prongs at the back of the Ibis. His great-uncle, Admiral Swift, had explained this part to him, though he never thought he would see the day when the Ibis and the casket were reunited. Then Stanley lined her up with the empty space in the lock. He gently pushed it inward and waited until a neat click sounded.
Daisy looked at Stanley and Stanley looked
at Daisy. He turned the small horizontal bar until it was in a vertical position and it clicked again. Stanley felt the lid release its age-old grip, and they peered inside.
âCandles?â they both asked.
Stanley counted them. â ⦠Four, five, six candles. Mmmmm.â
He and Daisy took them out and stared at them for a good while. There was nothing special about them, or at least it didnât seem as though there was. After all, they were only wax. No sign or special mark about them except for a small â³Câ³ stamped in the base of each one.
The casket alone was enough to set their hearts alight, but the candles were a mystery.
âPerhaps there was nothing in particular inside it, so someone thought it was a good
place to store things?â suggested Daisy.
âMaybe,â said Stanley. It didnât matter. To see the casket complete was more than they could have hoped for. Who cared what lay inside.
Later, he found the perfect place for the silver casket. He put it behind the false panel in his cupboard, and it was safely out of sight. After all, he did not know when sinister company would next throw a shadow across his door.
16
Beyond the Candlelight
The children were foolish to think they could avoid the adults forever, and that night Stanley had to endure a dreadful argument. He was in serious trouble, confined to his room.
Disappearing for days at a time! Nowhere to be seen! No messages left! Nothing! Mrs. Carelli couldnât cope with it. It would have to stop.
Daisy was sent home and suffered equally when she returned to her aunt and uncle.
Stanley knew he would have to weather the storm and wait until Mrs. Carelliâs anger had blown over.
He spent hours looking over the intricacies of the silver casket. However closely he looked, there was always something new to see. Strange patterns and shapes; little heads of lions; the claws and tails of slinking lizards, each of them like a tiny silver gargoyle, winding their way around the casket almost as if they were alive.
The good thing about his confinement to the house was that he could closely watch over this ancient treasure. Besides, there were always adventures to be had inside. He could live there forever and still occasionally find a new doorway.
It was a perfect day. The sun broke across the harbor, and it was low tide. For once Crampton Rock really was peaceful.
Victor had taken up his new role in the
house marvelously. He was out pruning the trees and clipping the lawn while Mrs. Carelli was busy creating something in the kitchen.
âItâs a nice day!â said Stanley, with his eyes gazing expectantly at Mrs.
Stanley and Daisy could hear the Carellis in full discussion about their whereabouts. And then, a stroke of luck: it sounded as if they were putting on their coats and heading out to find them.
Good. Time to move through the house.
In they sneaked, like bilge rats slinking over
the ballast of the ship, lurking and snooping, then darting through the winding corridors until they arrived safely in the comfort of Stanleyâs room.
With bated breath, they placed the silver casket on the chest under the window. Stanley fumbled in his pocket for the cloth-covered Ibis. She did not bear any scars, despite her long journey since she left the comfort of the pikeâs belly.
Stanley flicked out the two prongs at the back of the Ibis. His great-uncle, Admiral Swift, had explained this part to him, though he never thought he would see the day when the Ibis and the casket were reunited. Then Stanley lined her up with the empty space in the lock. He gently pushed it inward and waited until a neat click sounded.
Daisy looked at Stanley and Stanley looked
at Daisy. He turned the small horizontal bar until it was in a vertical position and it clicked again. Stanley felt the lid release its age-old grip, and they peered inside.
âCandles?â they both asked.
Stanley counted them. â ⦠Four, five, six candles. Mmmmm.â
He and Daisy took them out and stared at them for a good while. There was nothing special about them, or at least it didnât seem as though there was. After all, they were only wax. No sign or special mark about them except for a small â³Câ³ stamped in the base of each one.
The casket alone was enough to set their hearts alight, but the candles were a mystery.
âPerhaps there was nothing in particular inside it, so someone thought it was a good
place to store things?â suggested Daisy.
âMaybe,â said Stanley. It didnât matter. To see the casket complete was more than they could have hoped for. Who cared what lay inside.
Later, he found the perfect place for the silver casket. He put it behind the false panel in his cupboard, and it was safely out of sight. After all, he did not know when sinister company would next throw a shadow across his door.
16
Beyond the Candlelight
The children were foolish to think they could avoid the adults forever, and that night Stanley had to endure a dreadful argument. He was in serious trouble, confined to his room.
Disappearing for days at a time! Nowhere to be seen! No messages left! Nothing! Mrs. Carelli couldnât cope with it. It would have to stop.
Daisy was sent home and suffered equally when she returned to her aunt and uncle.
Stanley knew he would have to weather the storm and wait until Mrs. Carelliâs anger had blown over.
He spent hours looking over the intricacies of the silver casket. However closely he looked, there was always something new to see. Strange patterns and shapes; little heads of lions; the claws and tails of slinking lizards, each of them like a tiny silver gargoyle, winding their way around the casket almost as if they were alive.
The good thing about his confinement to the house was that he could closely watch over this ancient treasure. Besides, there were always adventures to be had inside. He could live there forever and still occasionally find a new doorway.
It was a perfect day. The sun broke across the harbor, and it was low tide. For once Crampton Rock really was peaceful.
Victor had taken up his new role in the
house marvelously. He was out pruning the trees and clipping the lawn while Mrs. Carelli was busy creating something in the kitchen.
âItâs a nice day!â said Stanley, with his eyes gazing expectantly at Mrs.
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