gave Richard and Clare.”
Hugo Algernon shook his head. “I gave them a charm that would wipe all knowledge of the book from their memories. They must’ve used it before they were caught. I should’ve taken better precautions with myself. As it was, all Rourke got from me was the name Malpesa.”
“You didn’t tell him about the sick man? Or the map?”
“No. I betrayed my friends, but the secret of the book, I buried deep. Even he couldn’t find it.”
“You shouldn’t have told him anything!” Emma cried, pounding the table with her small fist. “You should’ve said nothing!”
The man nodded and said, “You’re right, child. That’s what I’ve been thinking about for the past ten years.”
Dr. Algernon got up and walked to the fireplace. He pulled out a loose stone, then reached in and removed a folded moleskin packet.
“These are my original notes. I keep them hidden so the goats don’t eat them. I always knew you’d find me sooner or later.” He handed the packet to the wizard. “There may be a war coming,Stanislaus. But I’m no good to you. The magic’s left me.” Then he turned to face Michael and Emma. “If you find your father, tell him I’m sorry. Tell him that Hugo Algernon’s just an old fool.”
Dr. Pym stepped to the door and fit his ornate gold key into the lock. He turned it four times to the right, seven to the left; there was a
click
, and he pushed the door open. Sunlight flooded the cottage. Michael and Emma found themselves looking out over a vast expanse of blue water, with the sun poised in the distance. But only the doorway was illuminated; the cottage’s windows remained dark.
“This way, children.”
Michael took one last look at the Devil of Castel del Monte. He sat at the table, petting a small goat that had come up to nuzzle his leg. “Dr. Algernon—” The wild-haired man lifted his head, and sunlight intended for some other place in the world revealed his eyes for the first time. They were dark brown and very sad. Michael said, “We’re going to find them.” And he was about to step across the threshold when the man said, quietly, “Hold a second.”
Hugo Algernon went to the framed photo Michael had seen earlier and removed the backing. “Here.” He pushed the photo into Michael’s hands.
Michael looked down at his father, young, smiling, filled with hope. He pulled out his
Dwarf Omnibus
and slipped the photo between the pages. “Thank you.”
The man nodded and turned away; Michael stepped through the door.
They were on top of a cliff. Dr. Algernon’s door, now closed behind them, had become the door of a whitewashed house with red shutters. Flowers spilled from window boxes, filling the salty air with a sweet aroma. Michael looked out over the water, to where the sun hung upon the horizon. Was it sunrise or sunset?
“Dr. Pym—”
“We are in Galicia, in northwest Spain.” The wizard slid the golden key into the pocket of his jacket. “This house belongs to a friend of mine. He’s away, but we’ll spend the night here and tomorrow head to Malpesa.”
“Will Kate be there?” Emma asked. Michael could tell she was trying not to sound too hopeful, but hoping desperately all the same.
“We’ll see, my dear.”
And Dr. Pym placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and led her into the house.
The children sat at the kitchen table while Dr. Pym prepared glasses of warm milk and distracted them with stories of the strange things he had seen in his travels, stories that at any other time Michael would’ve been furiously copying into his journal. At one point, Dr. Pym switched on the light above the table, and Michael glanced out the window and saw that night had fallen; and the exhaustion of a day that had begun in Baltimore with him and Kate running before a storm settled upon him. He felt as if his head were made of stone; his arms and legs weighed thousands of pounds. However, once they’d drunk their milk and the glasses stood
Hugo Algernon shook his head. “I gave them a charm that would wipe all knowledge of the book from their memories. They must’ve used it before they were caught. I should’ve taken better precautions with myself. As it was, all Rourke got from me was the name Malpesa.”
“You didn’t tell him about the sick man? Or the map?”
“No. I betrayed my friends, but the secret of the book, I buried deep. Even he couldn’t find it.”
“You shouldn’t have told him anything!” Emma cried, pounding the table with her small fist. “You should’ve said nothing!”
The man nodded and said, “You’re right, child. That’s what I’ve been thinking about for the past ten years.”
Dr. Algernon got up and walked to the fireplace. He pulled out a loose stone, then reached in and removed a folded moleskin packet.
“These are my original notes. I keep them hidden so the goats don’t eat them. I always knew you’d find me sooner or later.” He handed the packet to the wizard. “There may be a war coming,Stanislaus. But I’m no good to you. The magic’s left me.” Then he turned to face Michael and Emma. “If you find your father, tell him I’m sorry. Tell him that Hugo Algernon’s just an old fool.”
Dr. Pym stepped to the door and fit his ornate gold key into the lock. He turned it four times to the right, seven to the left; there was a
click
, and he pushed the door open. Sunlight flooded the cottage. Michael and Emma found themselves looking out over a vast expanse of blue water, with the sun poised in the distance. But only the doorway was illuminated; the cottage’s windows remained dark.
“This way, children.”
Michael took one last look at the Devil of Castel del Monte. He sat at the table, petting a small goat that had come up to nuzzle his leg. “Dr. Algernon—” The wild-haired man lifted his head, and sunlight intended for some other place in the world revealed his eyes for the first time. They were dark brown and very sad. Michael said, “We’re going to find them.” And he was about to step across the threshold when the man said, quietly, “Hold a second.”
Hugo Algernon went to the framed photo Michael had seen earlier and removed the backing. “Here.” He pushed the photo into Michael’s hands.
Michael looked down at his father, young, smiling, filled with hope. He pulled out his
Dwarf Omnibus
and slipped the photo between the pages. “Thank you.”
The man nodded and turned away; Michael stepped through the door.
They were on top of a cliff. Dr. Algernon’s door, now closed behind them, had become the door of a whitewashed house with red shutters. Flowers spilled from window boxes, filling the salty air with a sweet aroma. Michael looked out over the water, to where the sun hung upon the horizon. Was it sunrise or sunset?
“Dr. Pym—”
“We are in Galicia, in northwest Spain.” The wizard slid the golden key into the pocket of his jacket. “This house belongs to a friend of mine. He’s away, but we’ll spend the night here and tomorrow head to Malpesa.”
“Will Kate be there?” Emma asked. Michael could tell she was trying not to sound too hopeful, but hoping desperately all the same.
“We’ll see, my dear.”
And Dr. Pym placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and led her into the house.
The children sat at the kitchen table while Dr. Pym prepared glasses of warm milk and distracted them with stories of the strange things he had seen in his travels, stories that at any other time Michael would’ve been furiously copying into his journal. At one point, Dr. Pym switched on the light above the table, and Michael glanced out the window and saw that night had fallen; and the exhaustion of a day that had begun in Baltimore with him and Kate running before a storm settled upon him. He felt as if his head were made of stone; his arms and legs weighed thousands of pounds. However, once they’d drunk their milk and the glasses stood
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