Free Charlie Bone and The Blue Boa (Children Of The Red King, Book 3) by Jenny Nimmo

called out. "We're not accusing you of anything. That rat's always escaping."
    Billy didn't stop. He kept on running until he was lost in a sea of bobbing figures. Out of that same sea, two girls came rushing toward the boys.
    "Something awful's happened," Emma panted.
    "What?" said the boys together.
    While Emma gulped for air, Olivia said, "Mr. Boldova's left the school."
    "He can't have," said Charlie. "He'd have told us."
    Emma got her breath back. "Exactly Something awful's happened to him. I just know it. And I've got a horrible feeling those two are responsible." She looked over at Dorcas and Belle, who were sitting on the grass, whispering to each other.
    Having missed the meeting in the Pets' Café, Fidelio hadn't a clue what they were talking about. So the four friends walked around the grounds while Charlie filled Fidelio in. They were soon joined by Gabriel, who announced that he'd just seen Billy Raven feeding bits of toast to a black rat. Could it be Rembrandt?
    "It could," said Charlie. "In fact it is. And now they say Mr. Boldova's left, but I think something terrible has happened to him."
    "Something to do with her?" said Gabriel, eyeing pretty blonde Belle, who was now combing her curls.
    Olivia suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. "If that girl's a shape-shifter, it's going to be hard to know where she is. She could look like anyone."
    "Or any thing," said Fidelio darkly
    This thought was so awful they all fell silent.
    On his way to homework that evening, Charlie caught up with Billy Raven, his arms full of books.
    "Have you got Rembrandt with you?" Charlie asked.
    "No. I put him in the dormitory closet," Billy said quietly
    "I think we'd better find a different place for him," said Charlie. "Matron'll hear him scratching, and who knows what she would do if she found a rat in the dorm."
    Billy shuddered. "He's going to be such a good friend. Already he's told me a lot of things I didn't know"
    "Has he told you why Mr. Boldova left?" asked Charlie.
    Billy's ruby eyes gazed over the top of his spectacle frames. He shrugged.
    It occurred to Charlie that Billy might have seen what happened to the art teacher. "You know something, Billy don't you?" he said.
    They had reached the tall black doors of the King's room and, ignoring Charlie, Billy pushed at the doors and rushed in. His books spilled out of his arms and tumbled to the floor.
    "Calm down, Billy Raven!" Manfred shouted. "What's the hurry?"
    From her seat between Asa and Dorcas, Belle smiled at the albino. "Don't be mean, Manfred. He's only small," she said.
    Manfred gave her a surprised look.
    As Charlie bent to help Billy retrieve his books, he noticed that the small boy's hands were trembling. He was very frightened.
    Once, twelve endowed children had sat evenly spaced at the round table. But gradually their positions had changed. Now there were two distinct groups. Manfred, Asa, Zelda, Belle, and Dorcas sat on one side of the circle while Lysander, Tancred, Gabriel, Emma, and Charlie sat on the other. Billy was the odd one out.
    "Sit next to me, Billy" Charlie said softly
    Billy gave him a grateful smile and piled his books next to Charlie's.
    After homework, Charlie kept close to Billy as they made their way to the dormitory Gabriel caught up with them and, always interested in animals, wanted to know what had become of Rembrandt. When he heard that the rat was shut in a closet, he suggested they take the rat to the art room, where Mr. Boldova had kept him in a large, airy cage.
    "But could I visit him?" Billy asked. "I don't belong in art."
    "Of course you can," Gabriel assured him. "Emma's always in the art room. Just ask her."
    "OK." Billy rushed off and by the time the others had reached the dormitory he was waiting for them with Rembrandt under his cape.
    The art room was on the same floor as the boys' dormitories. It was a vast space with a high ceiling and long windows facing north toward the castle ruin. Easels stood in various positions all