Read Online Trolley to Yesterday by John Bellairs - Free Book Online
Authors: John Bellairs
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the spells of the Evil One." He took off the binoculars that hung from a strap about his neck, and with a polite smile he held them out for Baltoghlu to take. "Here," he said hopefully. "This is a powerful and magical seeing device. Take it and peer at the stars through it, and you will have wonderful visions."
Angrily Baltoghlu flung the binoculars into a far corner of the room. "I have no need of your magic rubbish!" he snarled. "And I don't believe anything that you have said. You three are my prisoners now, and you will come with me to see the Sultan. He will know whether you are lying or not!"
Baltoghlu barked a command, and two soldiers in chain mail stomped up the stairs. One soldier grabbed the valise and the sword and carried them away. The other one tied the hands of the three prisoners and hustled them down the narrow staircase till they came out into the open at a stone landing dock. There, bobbing on the waves, lay a long, narrow wooden ship. Two rows of oars sprouted from each side, and four stubby bronze cannon stood on the deck. A single mast rose from the middle of the ship, and a sail was tightly furled around one long yardarm. On the prow of the ship was a wicked-looking bronze beak that could be used for ramming other ships. This was a war galleyâJohnny and Fergie had seen pictures of them in old books. And they knew that the oars were pulled by slaves who were chained in place, slaves who had to row endlessly until they died of exhaustion and were thrown overboard. Johnny shuddered. Would the Sultan condemn them to a punishment like that?
The three prisoners were shoved rudely onto the galley, and they were forced to sit down on the deck near one of the cannon. Anchors were hauled up, and the large, triangular sail was spread. The rhythmic hammering of a drum began, and the long oars began to move in rhythm. For a while the prisoners sat in silence. They watched the sailors as they moved to and fro on the deck, and they felt the ship surging along under them. Johnny felt sick, and he kept glancing at the professor, but it was so dark that he could not see the expression on the old man's face. Presently Johnny heard a twanging sound, and he turned to find Brewster sitting on the rail above their heads.
"So it's you!" muttered the professor sourly. "About time too! Is there anything you can do to get us out of this jam?"
"You really want a lot, don't you, whiskers?" said Brewster sarcastically. "I'm only a god of Upper and Lower Egypt, and my powers are somewhat limited. So I'm afraid you're going to have to take your chances with the Sultan. By the way, I hear that he's a thoroughly heartless man who would pull out his own grandmother's teeth if heâ"
"I know all about the Sultan," snapped the professor irritably, "and I'll thank you to keep quiet about him for the time being. But look, isn't there anything you can do? I'm not asking you to turn pink and stand on your head. But can't you do something... well, scary and grand and super-colossal? Something that would frighten these wretches out of their underwear?"
Brewster was silent a moment. "There is something that I could do," he said slowly, "but I'm allowed to do it only once every thousand years. And if it doesn't work, believe me, you'll be on your own. Do you want me to do it now?"
The professor thought a bit. They were in a jam, but they were not in the worst jam that he could imagine. Maybe he could sweet-talk the Sultan into letting them go. If the three of them were about to have their heads chopped off, then that would be a time for drastic action by Brewster. In the meantime it might be better to keep his powers in reserve. "No," said the professor at last, "I guess I don't want you to do your big fancy routine just now. I'll try to outwit the Sultan when we are brought before him."
"Good thinking," said Brewster. "By the way, I can offer you a small bit of cheery news. There is a ship headed this way, and it may belong to
Angrily Baltoghlu flung the binoculars into a far corner of the room. "I have no need of your magic rubbish!" he snarled. "And I don't believe anything that you have said. You three are my prisoners now, and you will come with me to see the Sultan. He will know whether you are lying or not!"
Baltoghlu barked a command, and two soldiers in chain mail stomped up the stairs. One soldier grabbed the valise and the sword and carried them away. The other one tied the hands of the three prisoners and hustled them down the narrow staircase till they came out into the open at a stone landing dock. There, bobbing on the waves, lay a long, narrow wooden ship. Two rows of oars sprouted from each side, and four stubby bronze cannon stood on the deck. A single mast rose from the middle of the ship, and a sail was tightly furled around one long yardarm. On the prow of the ship was a wicked-looking bronze beak that could be used for ramming other ships. This was a war galleyâJohnny and Fergie had seen pictures of them in old books. And they knew that the oars were pulled by slaves who were chained in place, slaves who had to row endlessly until they died of exhaustion and were thrown overboard. Johnny shuddered. Would the Sultan condemn them to a punishment like that?
The three prisoners were shoved rudely onto the galley, and they were forced to sit down on the deck near one of the cannon. Anchors were hauled up, and the large, triangular sail was spread. The rhythmic hammering of a drum began, and the long oars began to move in rhythm. For a while the prisoners sat in silence. They watched the sailors as they moved to and fro on the deck, and they felt the ship surging along under them. Johnny felt sick, and he kept glancing at the professor, but it was so dark that he could not see the expression on the old man's face. Presently Johnny heard a twanging sound, and he turned to find Brewster sitting on the rail above their heads.
"So it's you!" muttered the professor sourly. "About time too! Is there anything you can do to get us out of this jam?"
"You really want a lot, don't you, whiskers?" said Brewster sarcastically. "I'm only a god of Upper and Lower Egypt, and my powers are somewhat limited. So I'm afraid you're going to have to take your chances with the Sultan. By the way, I hear that he's a thoroughly heartless man who would pull out his own grandmother's teeth if heâ"
"I know all about the Sultan," snapped the professor irritably, "and I'll thank you to keep quiet about him for the time being. But look, isn't there anything you can do? I'm not asking you to turn pink and stand on your head. But can't you do something... well, scary and grand and super-colossal? Something that would frighten these wretches out of their underwear?"
Brewster was silent a moment. "There is something that I could do," he said slowly, "but I'm allowed to do it only once every thousand years. And if it doesn't work, believe me, you'll be on your own. Do you want me to do it now?"
The professor thought a bit. They were in a jam, but they were not in the worst jam that he could imagine. Maybe he could sweet-talk the Sultan into letting them go. If the three of them were about to have their heads chopped off, then that would be a time for drastic action by Brewster. In the meantime it might be better to keep his powers in reserve. "No," said the professor at last, "I guess I don't want you to do your big fancy routine just now. I'll try to outwit the Sultan when we are brought before him."
"Good thinking," said Brewster. "By the way, I can offer you a small bit of cheery news. There is a ship headed this way, and it may belong to
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