Charlie Bone and the Beast (The Children of the Red King, Book 6) Part 2 pot

"Ah!" Dr. Bloor rubbed his hands together.

"The dining room is just down the hallway.

This way, everyone."

As the two visitors followed Dr. Bloor a small

woman emerged from the dining room. Cook

was rounder than she had once been and her

dark hair was touched with gray, but her rosy

face still held traces of her former beauty.

When she saw Dr. Bloor and his guests ap￾proaching she stood aside to let them pass.

"Thank you, Cook," said Dr. Bloor.

Cook nodded and then gave a small involun￾tary shudder. She pressed a handkerchief to

her face and hastened away. Her heart was

pounding so fast that Blessed could hear it as

she ran down the stairs behind him.

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"Oh, grief. Oh, horrors. It's him. It's him. Oh,

Blessed, what am I to do? Why here? Why

now?"

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Cook burst into the blue cafeteria with

Blessed hard on her heels, the handkerchief

still pressed to her mouth as though the very

air she breathed was poisoned.

"Cook, what's the matter?"

Cook hadn't noticed the white-haired boy sit￾ting at a corner table.

"Oh, Billy, love. I've had a dreadful shock."

She pulled out a chair and sat beside him. "A

man is here. He... he..." She shook her head.

"Billy, I'll have to tell you. He drowned my

parents, swept away my home, and

murdered my fiance, all because I would not

marry him."

Billy's wine-colored eyes widened in alarm.

"Here? But why?"

"That I couldn't tell you. Something to do

with the boy he's brought, I imagine." Cook

blew her nose and tucked the handkerchief

into her sleeve. "Grimwald's

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36

his name. It was forty years ago, and I don't

know if he recognized me. But if he did ..."

She closed her eyes against unimaginable

horrors. "If he did, I'll have to leave."

"Leave? You can't leave, Cook!" Billy leaped

to his feet and flung his arms around Cook's

neck. "What will I do without you? You can't

leave. Please say you won't. Please, please."

Cook twisted her head from side to side. "I

just don't know, Billy. There've been some

pretty awful people in this place, but he's the

worst. And if the boy is anything like him,

then we're in for a rough ride, believe me."

Blessed suddenly put his paws on Cook's lap

and, throwing back his head, let out such a

mournful howl that Billy had to cover his

ears.

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"He knows," Billy whispered. "He wants to

tell me something, but I'm not sure that I

want to hear it."

37

DAGBERT ENDLESS

On Monday morning a new boy appeared at

Bloor's Academy. He wore the compulsory

blue cape of a music student. Charlie met

him for the first time in assembly. The music

students had their own orchestra, and today

Charlie's friend Fidelio was lead violin. He

waved his bow at Charlie just as the head of

music, Dr. Saltweather, came onto the stage.

"Who's that?" said a voice in Charlie's ear.

Charlie looked around to see a boy a few

inches taller than himself with long, wet￾looking hair and aquamarine eyes.

"Who's who?" asked Charlie.

"The boy with the violin."

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"He's called Fidelio Gunn," said Charlie.

"He's a friend of mine."

"Is he? And is he a good violinist?"

"Brilliant," said Charlie. "I'm Charlie, by the

way."

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Dr. Saltweather raised his hand for silence,

and the orchestra struck up.

Thirty minutes later the new boy caught up

with Charlie as he left assembly. He handed

Charlie a letter. Charlie didn't like the look of

it. He recognized the Bloors official station￾ery. Printed in large, ornate script were the

words:

CharlieBone has Been designated official

monitor to DagBert Endless. He will show

himall locations relevant to a music student

in the second year. He will also acquaint

DagBert with the rules and regulations of

thisacademy, and impart to him

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