A bear walked into the glade; a black bear, on all fours. "A bear?" Billy whispered. "But there are no animals in Badlock." And then before he knew it, a tiger brushed past him, so close he could feel its warm breath. The glade was suddenly full of sound, and looking up into the trees, Billy could see monkeys playing in the branches, bright birds flying through the leaves, and a gleaming snake coiled around the trunk.
A herd of deer wandered into the glade. They began to crop the grass quite close to where the bear sat idly licking his paws. The tiger crouched beside Billy. Very slowly, he put out his hand and touched the striped head. The tiger began to purr. It was a warm, comforting sound and reminded Billy of the three Flames. He spoke to the tiger, using a language he hoped the animal would understand. The tiger361didn't reply. It continued to purr, but its purr made no sense.
Billy tried to talk to the bear, but the animal didn't respond. He spoke to the deer, the monkeys, the snake, and even the birds. They didn't understand him. Had he lost his endowment? Had the enchanter stolen it away?
"They have no hearts," said a voice. "They'll never speak to you." Rembrandt was peeking out of Billy's pocket. "I'll admit he's done a fine job," said the rat, "but it's quite obvious that they're just enchantments."
"Really?" Billy wondered if the enchanter could see him. "But they're warm and the tiger purrs, and the birds sing so beautifully."
"Don't be disappointed," said Rembrandt, "at least they won't eat you."
Billy walked farther into the glade. A gorilla lumbered out of the bushes, scratched itself, and plunged back into the undergrowth. Billy followed it362and saw an elephant moving through the distant trees.
"I've always wanted to see an elephant," breathed Billy.
"It isn't real. Let's go to bed," said Rembrandt.
Billy yawned. He felt very tired. But when he turned to leave the forest, he couldn't see the path that had brought him to the enchanted glade. As he stared at the undergrowth, a line of bushes began to sway, as though a large creature were moving through them.
Suddenly, Dorgo's head popped up through the sea of leaves.
"Master lost," said the little servant. "Bed this way."
Leaping toward Dorgo, Billy found that the path was still there, under the thick springy leaves. He was now so tired all he could think of was his cozy bed.
When they climbed the marble stairway, the giant's voice was lost in the patter of their feet, and363by the time Billy fell asleep, he had forgotten all about it.
The next morning Billy could think of nothing but the forest of enchanted animals. He wanted Matilda to see them and hoped that another spell wouldn't cause them to disappear. He didn't have to worry.
Matilda was delighted. She danced around among the animals, stroking their heads and listening to their chattering, singing, and purring. "How clever he is," she cried. "Oh, Billy, the enchanter never did anything like this for me or Edgar. My brother is already jealous of you. Wait till he sees this forest."
"Perhaps it wasn't meant for me," said Billy. "Perhaps it was meant for all of us."
"No, no. The count wanted to please you especially. He wants to keep you here."
Two days ago this would have worried Billy. Now he felt almost pleased. He wished that Lilith and Edgar wouldn't look at him with such resentment, though.364"Why is your brother jealous of me?" he asked.
Matilda blushed. "I said that I liked your white hair and berry-colored eyes, and the count told me I had excellent taste. Edgar was listening and he walked away, looking sulky."
It was a new sensation for Billy, being admired for his albino coloring. He grinned with pleasure.
Edgar refused to visit the enchanted glade. At dinner he complained that animals were dirty and dangerous.
"Not these animals, Edgar," said the count. "These are special. How do you like them, Billy?"
Billy answered that he liked them very much. Lilith threw him a pitying look and Edgar scowled.
Matilda had advised Billy what sort of food to ask for, and he now looked forward to every meal. At the end of one of the lavish dinners, Billy made a puzzling discovery. The candles on the table were burning low, and as everyone rose to leave the room, their long shadows moved across the walls.365The count was washing his hands in a bowl held by the tall servant. The servant's lofty shadow could clearly be seen on the tapestry behind the count, but where the count's shadow should have been, there was nothing. No shadow shook its fingers and wiped its hands, even though the bowl of water and the shadow droplets were visible on the lush colors of the tapestry.
"It is part of his enchantment," Billy told himself.
Every day Billy and Matilda would play in the forest, and Billy would listen to the false songs of the multicolored birds; he would enjoy stroking the tiger that purred but had no heart, and he would watch the monkeys playing in trees that had no names. At night he slept soundly and never heard the giant's voice. But Rembrandt, sitting alert at the foot of Billy's bed, would listen to the giant calling, "Amoret, oh, Amoret."
The black rat knew that Billy was falling under a spelclass="underline" a spell that was all the stronger for being so delicately done. He tried to remind Billy of the other366world where they belonged. But Billy wouldn't listen. "This is our home now," he told the rat.
One day Matilda took Billy exploring. While everyone thought they were with the animals, she led him along an unfamiliar hall, down a flight of steps, and on through rooms full of musical instruments, marvelous costumes, and sumptuous oriental furnishings. Now and again, Matilda would look at the walls and the ceiling and whisper,
"I used to think that the count could see everything, but there are days when he is occupied with magic and not so vigilant. Today is one of those days."
They came at last to a room full of paintings. There were rolls of cloth lying at one end of a long table; at the other end stood several boxes of colored powder. Brushes of every size and shape were scattered in groups about the floor, and paintings stood against the walls. Most showed landscapes or astounding cities with golden domes and pointed turrets, and then Billy saw a city he recognized and his heart gave a lurch.367"There's where I come from," he said.
Matilda clapped her hands. "I thought so." She looked around the room and lowered her voice. "My grandfather talks to it. One day I came down here and I heard voices. The count was standing close to that painting and listening. There was a woman's voice in the room, but I could see no one, so I knew her voice must be coming from your city. I believe she is the count's descendant." Matilda grinned. "Maybe she is my descendant, also. If not mine, then Edgar's."
Billy didn't find this funny. "Her name's Mrs. Tilpin, and she's a witch," he said.
"Oh!" Matilda's smile vanished. She sat on a bench and drew Billy down beside her. "I will tell you about the count," she said. "I know he is trying to get into your city; he makes no secret of it. There is a mirror that he can use for travel. He hid it in the grounds of the Red King's castle, and the woman now has it, but it is broken and she cannot help him to journey into the future."368"He's already halfway there," said Billy. "He's a shadow in the Red King's portrait and my friend Charlie says that's how he got into our world before, through his shadow."
"Ah, the shadow!" Matilda lowered her voice until it was almost a whisper. "He is monstrously clever, my grandfather. He cut himself away from his shadow and now it can travel while he stays at home, growing old. His shadow will live forever, he says."
Billy stared at her. "The count has no shadow. Of course, I noticed it. I thought it was just part of his enchantment."
"It is," said Matilda.