"Nothing, sir." Gabriel looked away from the narrow black eyes. Beneath his black cape, Manfred was wearing a bright green vest. Surprising for one who was usually so soberly dressed.
"Nothing?" The talents master glared at Gabriel, forcing him to look up.
"Nothing?"
Gabriel felt dizzy. "Going to a music lesson, sir," he said faintly.
"Go, then! And stop hanging about!"
Gabriel was about to turn away when he saw two figures coming down the hall behind Manfred. One of them was limping, the other lurching. Gabriel's eyes widened in surprise, for the limping man bore a strong resemblance to the man in the portrait: Ashkelan Kapaldi.
The surprise in Gabriel's eyes caused Manfred to whirl around. "Go!" he shouted at Gabriel. "This instant!"
Gabriel walked away quickly, but not so quickly that he didn't hear the talents master say, "It's not wise, sir, for you to leave the west wing during the day. Pupils will recognize you... and wonder."
"Let them wonder." The stranger's voice had a foreign lilt. "Let them be amazed."
"It's not the time, Ashkelan." This second voice had a cavernous, echoing sound. Something in the ebb and flow of it reminded Gabriel of Dagbert Endless.
He hastened into the hall, which was full of children on their way to different classrooms. Occasionally someone would whisper to a companion, while glancing anxiously about in case a prefect was watching. Silence in the hall was the rule.
Gabriel spotted Charlie's wild mop of hair. He wore a slight frown and his thoughts were obviously miles away. Gabriel waved, trying to get Charlie's attention, but Charlie didn't see him. And then Dagbert Endless walked between them. He followed Charlie doggedly across the hall and into another one that led to Senor Alvaro's music room. Gabriel pursued them.
Safely out of the main hall, Gabriel called, "Charlie!"
Dagbert swung around and snapped, "What do you want?"
Gabriel was momentarily taken aback by Dagbert's sharp tone. "I want to speak to Charlie," he said.
"Hi, Gabe!" Charlie had noticed Gabriel at last. "What is it?"
Gabriel saw that Dagbert wasn't going to leave them. "It's nothing," he murmured. "I'll catch you later."
Charlie watched Gabriel slouch away, his shoulders hunched and his hands in his pockets. Obviously he didn't want Dagbert to hear what he had to tell Charlie.
"Why do you keep following me?" Charlie demanded. "Shouldn't you be in a lesson?"
Dagbert shrugged. "I've lost my flute. I thought Senor Alvaro might have it."
"Why? Mr. Paltry teaches flute." Charlie walked faster, trying to shake Dagbert off.
Dagbert caught up with him. "OK. The truth is... my father's here."
"I know," said Charlie irritably. "We've been through that. What do you want me to do about it?"
"I want you to keep my sea-gold creatures for a while."
"What?" Charlie stopped dead in his tracks. He could hardly believe his ears.
"Are you seriously asking me to keep something that you almost k—" He quickly corrected himself, "Something that you drowned Tancred for taking."
"I've told you," Dagbert said desperately, "I didn't mean to drown him. It was an accident." He dug into his pocket and brought out a handful of tiny charms: five golden crabs, a fish, and a miniature sea urchin. "Please, keep them safe for me." He held the charms out to Charlie. "My father's looking for them."
"Why?"
"I can't explain right now." Dagbert pushed the charms at Charlie.
Charlie stepped back. "Why me?"
"You're the only person I can trust."
Charlie found this hard to believe. "What about your friends: Joshua, Dorcas, the twins? What about Manfred?"
Dagbert vigorously shook his head. "No, no, no." He grabbed Charlie's wrist and attempted to press the charms into his hand. "PLEASE!"
"No." Charlie snatched his hand away and the sea-gold creatures spilled onto the floor. The sea urchin rolled toward Sehor Alvaro's door, which at that very instant began to open.
Sehor Alvaro stood in the doorway regarding the sea urchin at his feet. He gave it a small kick.
"No!" Dagbert pounced on the charm as it rolled across the floor. "You could have broken it." He hastily gathered up the five crabs and the golden fish as well and shoved them into his pocket.
"What's going on?" Senor Alvaro frowned at the wall behind the boys. It was now a rippling bluish-green; silvery bubbles rose from a shell that floated just behind Charlie's ear; and fronds of seaweed waved gently from the baseboard.
Charlie glanced at the scowling Dagbert. "It's what happens, sir," he told the music teacher. "He can't help it."
"Can't help it?" Senor Alvaro raised a neat black eyebrow. He was young for a teacher, and his clothes were always interesting and colorful. He had permanently smiling brown eyes, a sharp nose, and shiny black hair. He didn't appear to be too surprised by the watery shapes on the wall.
As Dagbert shuffled away, the weeds and shells and bubbles gradually faded and the wall took on its usual grayish color.
"Come in, Charlie," said Senor Alvaro.
Charlie always enjoyed his music lessons now. He knew he wasn't talented, but Senor Alvaro had convinced him that music could be fun as long as you blew with conviction and hit the right notes, more or less. Charlie had even managed half an hour's practice the previous evening, and Senor Alvaro was pleasantly surprised.
"Excelente, Charlie!" The music teacher's Spanish accent was soft and compelling. "I am astounded by your improvement. A little more practice and that piece will be perfect."
The lesson was at an end, but Charlie was reluctant to leave. Senor Alvaro was one of the few teachers at Bloor's whom Charlie felt he could trust. He had an overwhelming urge to confide in him.
"Do you know about Dagbert?" he asked as he put his trumpet in its case.
"I know about the boy's father, if that's what you mean, Charlie. I'm aware of the curse placed upon the Grimwald dynasty and I know that Dagbert believes the charms his mother made can protect him." Sehor Alvaro's tone was very matter-of-fact. Charlie was surprised he knew so much.
"Do you know about... about... my talent?" Charlie was unsure of how to put this question and found himself stuttering.
"Of course!" Senor Alvaro gave one of his heartwarming smiles. "I'll see you on Friday, Charlie. Usual time."
"Yes, sir." Charlie left the room.
When he closed Sehor Alvaro's door, he felt slightly dizzy. Perhaps it was the darkness of the hallway coming so soon after the bright lights in the music room. He closed his eyes for a moment and a rushing, foggy gray seeped behind his lids. It was the sea, and in the churning gray waves, there was a small boat bobbing among the foam. Charlie saw this boat in his mind's eye whenever he thought of his parents, somewhere on the ocean, watching whales.
But today he could just make out a name on the side of the boat: Greywing.
Charlie opened his eyes. Why had the name come to him so suddenly? Did anyone else know about it? His grandmother Maisie? Uncle Paton? The company that arranged his parents' whale-watching vacation?
"Charlie!"
Gabriel came running down the hallway just as the bell rang for lunch. "Can we talk outside, Charlie, after lunch?"
"Why not now?" asked Charlie.
"I can't explain. It's too complicated," said Gabriel.
"Give us a clue!"
"It's about the Red Knight."
"Now I'm really interested." Charlie hurried into the hall where the usual crowd of children was rushing to the coatrooms: blue for music students, purple for the actors, and green for the artists. Gabriel hovered beside Charlie while he washed his hands and then they walked together across the hall and down the corridor of portraits toward the blue cafeteria. As they passed Ashkelan Kapaldi, Gabriel nodded at the portrait and whispered, "I saw him today."
"I think I saw him last night," Charlie whispered back.
Gabriel rolled his eyes. "What's going on?"
Charlie shrugged.
Fidelio had kept two places for them at a corner table. While they ate their macaroni and cheese, Charlie bent close to his friend and, as quietly as he could, described the swordsman both he and Gabriel had seen outside his portrait.