Charlie trudged back to the front door. He had hardly turned the handle when a small brown-haired woman in a man's tweed suit and cap burst into the hall. Charlie just about recognized Benjamin's mother, Mrs. Brown.
"Charlie, where's your uncle?" Mrs. Brown demanded.
"He's busy." Charlie knew that Uncle Paton hated to be disturbed at dusk, when all the lights came on. "If it's about Runner ..."
"Of COURSE it is!" cried Mrs. Brown. "What have you done? Benjamin's distraught, inconsolable..."
"I know ... ," Charlie began.
"You don't know, Charlie Bone, or you wouldn't have done it."
"But I..."
"Paton!" Mrs. Brown called up the stairs. "I know you're there. I saw your candle in the window. I MUST speak to you."100A door opened and Uncle Paton appeared at the top of the stairs. "What is it, Patricia?" he said brusquely.
""What is it?" You know very well," said Mrs. Brown. "You've got Benjamin's dog in here, and we want him back."
"He's not exactly in... ," Charlie tried to tell her.
Apparently, Mrs. Brown would rather Charlie didn't exist. "Be quiet," she said. "I'm talking to your uncle. Where is Runner Bean? I want to see him."
"If you insist." Uncle Paton went back to his room and reappeared with a candle. "Kindly refrain from switching on the lights," he said as he descended the staircase.
"I wouldn't dream of it," said Mrs. Brown.
Uncle Paton led her down into the cellar, while Charlie followed a few steps behind.
When Mrs. Brown saw Runner Bean's painted image, howling silently out of the nightmarish landscape, she gave a shriek and clasped her face in her hands.
"What happened?" she gasped. 101"Benjamin was incoherent. I couldn't make sense of what he told me."
Charlie began to explain, and this time Mrs. Brown allowed him to tell the whole story, or at least Runner Bean's part in it. Charlie omitted most of the details about Badlock and didn't disclose that the man who rescued him was a giant.
"What are you going to do?" asked Mrs. Brown at last. "How are you going to get our dog out of there?"
"I was hoping you'd help, Patricia," Uncle Paton said wryly. "You being a detective."
"Don't be flippant, Paton," she snapped. "I can't deal with... with all this magic stuff. Oh, sometimes I wish Benjamin and Charlie had never become friends. I shouldn't have let it go on, once I knew that Charlie was... different."
Paton glared at her. "You let their friendship continue because Maisie looks after your son while you're gallivanting around the country disguised as Sherlock Holmes." He walked away from the102painting and began to climb the steps. "Come on, Charlie."
Charlie dumbly followed.
"I'm sorry," called Mrs. Brown, scrambling after them. "I shouldn't have said those things. I'm just so worried about Ben."
Maisie popped out of the kitchen. "Would you like some coffee, Irish?" she asked gently.
Mrs. Brown glanced at Paton's stern face. "I... well, yes. That would be nice. If we could discuss things a little more calmly ..."
Maisie had already lit several candles, and the kitchen counters twinkled with a friendly light. A plate of chocolate cookies sat invitingly on the table, and Uncle Paton was persuaded to join Mrs. Brown and Maisie. "Though I prefer cocoa to coffee," he said.
"Me too," Charlie agreed.
The tense atmosphere improved a little, but Mrs. Brown could not seem to rid herself of the worried frown that creased her forehead. "I should be used to it,"103she said. "I know this city is different from others. I know our houses are built on ancient battlefields, and in places where magic spills out when it's dark. I know things happen that no one can explain, mysteries the police don't even try to solve, evils they dare not acknowledge.
And it's daunting sometimes for normal people like Mr. Brown and me - and Benjamin.
But something keeps us in this city. I suppose it's because, in spite of everything, we feel there is a great goodness here."
"The Red King," Charlie said quickly. He felt their eyes on him, and self-consciously, he added, "He's still here."
"His spirit, you mean, Charlie," said Uncle Paton.
Charlie shook his head. "No, more than that. I've seen him. I told you, Uncle P. - a knight with red feathers on a silver helmet, who wears a red cloak and rides a white horse. He saved me. Twice."
For a while no one spoke. Even Uncle Paton couldn't find words to explain the Red Knight,104but at last he said, "It might not be the king, Charlie."
"Then who?" asked Maisie. "Who would dress up like that and ride around at night on a white horse?"
Paton shrugged. "That, I do not know."
Mrs. Brown got up and put on her tweed cap. "I came here about Runner. And now I'm more confused than ever."
"Charlie thinks that Billy Raven might be able to help," said Maisie.
"Billy Raven?" Mrs. Brown said crossly. "How can he...oh, of course, he communicates..."
"With animals," finished Charlie. "I just thought he might be able to understand what Runner Bean is trying to tell us. But we'll have to wait till next weekend."
Mrs. Brown sighed. "He's our only hope, then. So be it. I'd better get back. I don't think Benjamin will go to school tomorrow." She cast a last angry look at Charlie and, before anyone could say another word, marched out.105"I forgot to ask her why she was wearing a man's suit," said Paton.
"Just as well," said Maisie.
Charlie went upstairs to pack his bag for school. Being a weekly boarder meant that he had to take pajamas, a laundry bag, and a set of clean clothes. Good luck to any pupil who forgot their toothbrush. The matron, Charlie's great-aunt Lucretia, gave detention for the slightest oversight.
On Monday morning a blue school bus picked Charlie up from the top of Filbert Street.
He was wearing a blue cape, the uniform for music students, and carried a blue bag for his clothes and a brown backpack for his books. Fidelio, also in a blue cape, had saved a seat for Charlie, as usual. Behind them sat Gabriel Silk, a boy with a long face and floppy brown hair.
"Have you heard about the Pets' Cafe?" asked Gabriel, leaning over the back of Charlie's seat. "It's a disaster."
"Have they really closed it?" asked Charlie.106"Permanently," said Fidelio gloomily.
"It was Councillor Loom, Dorcas's dad," Gabriel told them. "He said there've been complaints about the noise."
The Pets' Cafe was a favorite meeting place for Charlie and his friends. He couldn't imagine what they would do without it. Or what poor Mr. and Mrs. Onimous, the owners, would do without customers.
When the blue bus drew into the square in front of Bloor's Academy, a green bus pulled up beside it, and art students in green capes began to climb out. Emma was among them.
Behind her came Tancred Torsson and Lysander Sage. Both fourteen and almost inseparable.
"Hey, Charlie," called Tancred. "How was your weekend?"
"Don't ask," said Fidelio.
Tancred walked up to them. His spiky blond hair was hidden by a denim baseball cap, and his green cape billowed out in a breeze that was all his own. "Did something happen?"107As they walked up the steps to the academy, Charlie began to tell Tancred about Runner Bean. He had hardly begun when he became aware that, on his other side, Lysander Sage, who had African ancestors, was bending his head in order to hear Charlie's low voice.
They passed between two towers, crossed a cob-blestoned courtyard, and ascended another set of steps up to huge oak doors studded with bronze figures. This morning the doors stood open, but once all the children were through, they would be closed and bolted until Friday afternoon.
Charlie came to the end of his account just before they stepped into the great hall.
Lysander patted Charlie's shoulder, saying, "We'll come and get him out of there, won't we, Tanc?"
"We'll try," said Tancred in an undertone.
They were now in the great flagstoned hall, where silence was the rule. Charlie, Fidelio, and Gabriel made their way to the blue coatroom, where a pair of crossed trumpets hung above the door. Tancred108and Lysander walked toward the crossed paintbrushes that denoted the green coatroom.