It wasn't until the homework hours began that Charlie discovered what he was really up against.
After dinner, Charlie climbed the back stairs up to the King's Room, where the endowed children had to do their homework. He was halfway up when a voice behind him whispered, "Charlie." He turned around and saw Emma's pale, distraught face. Her eyes were red from crying.
"What's up, Em?" Charlie asked.
The Branko twins came up behind them and tried to push pass. Idith (or was it Inez?) hissed, "You're in the way, morons."
Charlie's fist itched. He would have liked to land a punch on Idith's doll-like face, but reluctantly he stepped aside and let them pass. When the twins were out of earshot, Emma said, "Something's wrong with Liv. She hasn't spoken to me all day."
"THEY'VE got her," Charlie whispered.
"What?" Emma's blue eyes widened in disbelief. "They can't have."
"She betrayed herself, Em. Once they knew, they were bound to try and change her."
"No." Emma vigorously shook her head. "They couldn't. Not Liv. I won't believe it."
Dorcas Loom trudged past them, breathing heavily. "What's wrong with you two?" she mumbled, without looking back.
Charlie and Emma didn't bother to reply.
"It's true," Charlie said in a low voice as Dorcas disappeared around a bend in the stairs. "Alice Angel has come back. Olivia wouldn't see her."
Emma's mouth fell open.
"We'd better go, Em," said Charlie. "We're late."
They began to hurry up the stairs, but hearing slow footsteps at the bottom of the staircase, Charlie glanced back. Dagbert Endless stood brushing the shoulders of his blue cape. His hair was like wet seaweed and the bottoms of his pants were soaked with snow. Feeling Charlie's eyes on him, Dagbert looked up.
Charlie couldn't stop himself from asking, "Have you hidden your charms?"
Dagbert gave a silent nod.
"Good." Charlie didn't want to know where they were. But he was glad they were out of Lord Grimwald's reach. He ran up the stairs with Dagbert plodding after him.
The King's Room was almost circular. Its curved walls were lined with books, and in the center stood a large, round table. The endowed children sat at the table to do their homework, watched over by the Talents Master.
When Charlie walked into the room that night, he was surprised to see that Olivia had already made herself at home. She had never worked in the King's Room before, but here she was, sitting between Dorcas and one of the twins, with her books laid out neatly before her. She had been accepted as one of the endowed and quickly taken her place among them.
There were always two distinct groups at the table. Manfred sat with Dorcas, Joshua, and the twins while on the other side of the table, Lysander, Gabriel, Emma, and Charlie sat close together. Dagbert was always alone in the gap between the groups, never on one side or the other.
Lysander and Gabriel were already immersed in their work. Charlie took a chair beside Gabriel, with Emma on his other side. When Charlie put his books on the table, Gabriel looked up and rolled his eyes, inclining his head toward Olivia. Charlie grimaced and shrugged. Gabriel frowned. Charlie grinned.
"Stop making faces, you two," said Manfred. "If you want to welcome our new member, do it sensibly."
Gabriel and Charlie stared at him. Neither said a word.
Manfred sighed. "For your benefit and everybody else's, I might as well formally announce that Olivia Vertigo has joined our elite company. Olivia is an illusionist, something that she has been keeping to herself for quite a while, but now that her endowment is out in the open, we expect her to use it only when Bloor's Academy requires her to."
Everyone stared at Olivia, who took absolutely no notice. She was bent over her exercise book, writing feverishly.
"Do you think," said Joshua, in his eager whine, "that Olivia could show us, just once, what an illusionist can do?"
Manfred pondered this before replying, "I don't see why not." He turned to Olivia. "Olivia, show them."
Olivia's head came up. She looked slightly confused.
"An illusion please, Olivia," said Manfred, enunciating every word as though Olivia were deaf.
Olivia blinked and then looked up at the ceiling. When she brought her gaze back to the table, all at once a miniature safari park appeared. Sand covered the table's polished surface, while scrub and acacia trees bloomed from books and pencil cases. Charlie had seen Olivia's larger-than-life illusions, but today she had chosen to captivate rather than terrify.
Among the trees, tiny animals could be seen: elephants, giraffes, lions, zebras, and many others. Faint howls, growls, and shrieks were heard as lions chased their prey and minute birds fluttered out of the branches.
Everyone gazed at the scene in silent wonder. And yet Charlie could not feel enthralled, for there was a coldness in Olivia's blank face, a chilling emptiness. He could see something sparkling in the opening of her purple cape. Olivia often wore sequined scarves or vests, but this was different somehow. Now and again she would twitch her shoulders, as though her clothes were too heavy for her.
"That's enough," Manfred commanded.
The marvelous scene disappeared and Dorcas and the twins stared at Olivia in admiration. Joshua said, "Well done!"
"Get on with your work," said Manfred.
Books were opened and heads bent over them. Pens and pencils set to work, but Charlie couldn't concentrate.
He found himself staring at the gilt-framed painting on the wall. It was an ancient portrait of the Red King, cracked and darkened with age. The king's features were blurred, but his red cloak was still bright and a slim gold crown was just visible in his black hair.
So often Charlie had tried to travel into the past to meet his ancestor, but every attempt had been blocked by the shadow that stood behind the king.
Count Harken was an enchanter whose shadow had found its way even into a painting. And it was the shadow that Charlie focused on today. It was the shadow that held Billy Raven captive in Badlock.
"How many times have I told you to stop staring at that portrait?" Manfred's cold voice broke into Charlie's thoughts.
"I haven't counted," said Charlie.
Before Manfred could make another withering remark, Lysander said, "Why is the portrait there if we're not supposed to look at it?"
Taken off guard, Manfred glared speechlessly at Lysander.
Seizing his advantage, Lysander went on, "We are sitting in the Red King's room; he is our ancestor; without the king we would not be here. Does it not strike you as ridiculous, sir, that we should be commanded never to gaze on his portrait?"
What a joy it was to see Manfred's angry, incredulous face. Of all the endowed children, it was only Lysander whom Manfred feared. Lysander could conjure up his spirit ancestors, no mere illusions but ghostly warriors who could throw a spear straight at your heart.
Everyone waited to see what Manfred would do. Eventually the Talents Master made a contemptible remark. "I hope you don't find yourself in the same predicament as your friend," he said, glancing at Dagbert the drowner.
It was obvious that Manfred was referring to Tancred, but Dagbert didn't appear to have heard him. His eyes had a glazed look, and Charlie guessed that he was thinking of his sea-gold charms.
Frowning at Dagbert, Manfred told everyone to get on with their work.
The minutes ticked by. After almost two silent hours the endowed children packed up their homework and made their way to bed.
In the girls' dormitory, Olivia took off her purple cape, revealing a velvet vest covered with shimmering mirrored circles.
"That's very beautiful," Emma remarked.
Olivia gave her a half smile and sauntered off to the bathroom. Emma threw on her bathrobe and began to follow her. Dorcas Loom was sitting on her bed just inside the door. She was wearing a frilly pink nightgown and trying to straighten her crimpy fair hair. When Emma passed her bed, Dorcas said quietly, "Something wrong with your friend?"