Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors Read Online Free PDF Page B

way I've decided to take piano with Mr. Ebony I can't give it up, and he's quite good, actually"
    "I'd go to Miss Chrystal if I were you," Charlie advised Gabriel. "Mr. Ebony isn't — isn't what he seems. I think he's dangerous."
    The others looked at him questioningly but Charlie couldn't explain his feeling.
    After snack time, Charlie took his trumpet to Mr. Paltry's room. The elderly teacher was having a quiet cup of coffee. "I can't give you a lesson now,” he said irritably "Put your trumpet on the shelf and leave me in peace."
    "Yes, sir." Charlie placed his trumpet on the shelf with five others, hoping it wouldn't get lost or stolen again. "Excuse me, sir, but do you know where Manfred Bloor's office is?"
    "I don't know every single room in the building, do I?" Mr. Paltry fluttered a freckled hand. "Now, shoo."
    Children were advised to leave their capes indoors on sunny days. Believe it or not, it was colder inside the dark academy than it was outside. Leaving his cape in the coatroom, Charlie went into the garden and asked as many people as he could if they knew the whereabouts of Manfred's office. Nobody knew Charlie ran indoors again. As he put on his blue cape, he slipped his fingers into his pocket. The three pages had vanished.
    "No!" yelled Charlie, just as Gabriel walked in.
    "What's up?" asked Gabriel.
    Charlie told him, and for the next fifteen minutes Gabriel helped Charlie search the coatroom, but the three pages were nowhere to be found. Fidelio appeared and joined in the hunt. They looked in empty classrooms and even went down to the cafeteria. And then the horn sounded for dinner.
    "Someone's determined to get me into trouble," moaned Charlie. "I'm losing everything, my trumpet, my lines . . .. What's going on?"
    "Come and eat," said Fidelio. "Food helps the brain."
    "Huh!" Charlie grunted.
    The three boys made their way to the long, cavernous dining hall and took their places at the end of the music table.
    The academy's staff sat at a table on a raised platform at the end of the room, and Charlie noticed that Manfred was sitting next to his father. So he was now officially a member of the staff. At least he won't be doing his homework with as, thought Charlie.
    Dinner was almost over when Dr. Bloor stood up and clapped his hands. There was instant silence. The big man walked to the front of the platform and surveyed the lines of children below him. He was an impressive figure in his black cape, his shoulders wide, his gray hair neatly cropped, and his mustache as straight as a ruler. His eyes were almost hidden beneath thick folds of flesh, and it was difficult to tell what color they were. Now they looked black, yet Charlie knew they were gray
    It was some time before the headmaster spoke. The children looked up at him expectantly At last he said, "A word to those of the new children who are endowed. You know who you are, so I shall not mention you by name. You will do your homework in the King's room. Someone will show you the way Do you understand?"
    Charlie heard three thin voices utter the words, "Yes, sir." He couldn't tell where they had come from, but they certainly didn't belong to anyone at the music table.
    Dr. Bloor suddenly shouted, "DISPERSE!"
    Children sprang into action like clockwork. Benches squeaked on the tiled floor, plates were collected into piles, glasses clinked, cutlery clanged, and then everyone made for the doors. As Charlie climbed up to the first floor, he was joined by Gabriel and Billy Emma Tolly was ahead of him, and Tancred and Lysander could just be seen flying up another flight to the second floor.
    Emma waited for Charlie to catch up with her. "I found these on the floor of our coatroom," she said, holding out three crumpled sheets of paper. "I heard you were looking for them."
    "My lines," cried Charlie, grabbing the paper. "Thanks, Em. But how did they get in the art coatroom?"
    "Haven't a clue," said Emma.
    Charlie shoved the pages into his bag. The sound of