The Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick Read Free Book Online Page A

a week while he installed the camera obscura. It had taken Kepler the whole week to fit it into the Tower room. There was a lot of banging and sawing and swearing, until finally Kepler had thrown open the door.
    “Behold!” he cried dramatically, and Valerian, who had not been allowed into his own chamber during the construction, had entered. Boy had watched the door close behind them, and many months later he was still none the wiser about what the machine actually did. As the door had closed, however, he had heard Valerian exclaim, “You, Kepler, are the greatest Doctor of Natural Philosophies who has ever lived!”
    “What’s that?” asked Willow.
    Boy waved the music box at her and wound its handle a couple of times before putting it back in his pocket.
    “I… found it,” he said. “At the Trumpet. Listen to the music, because it may be the last we hear!”
    “Oh, Boy, don’t give up. It could be worse.”
    “How could it be worse?”
    Willow didn’t answer, because the figure lying in the straw suddenly rolled over and vomited across the floor.
    “Please get me out of here,” wailed Boy.
    The door rattled and opened, and Valerian entered the room.
    Before Boy could open his mouth, Valerian put his finger to his lips. Pink-plume followed him.
    “Two minutes,” he barked at Valerian, and then saw the mess on the floor. “Or less, if you prefer.” He pulled a face and locked them in again.
    “Valerian!” Boy cried. “How did-?”
    “How did I know you were here? You don’t think I’d trust you to get it right by yourself, do you? Something this important?”
    Boy wished Valerian wouldn’t talk like that, especially in front of Willow, but he was too relieved to care.
    “Well?” said Valerian.
    Boy said nothing. Then:
    “He wouldn’t tell me anything. I-”
    Valerian lurched forward toward Boy, who flinched backward. But did not hit him.
    “He’s dead,” Boy cried. “Someone murdered him. The Phantom!”
    “What?” roared Valerian, then seemed to remember where they were and made an effort to calm himself.
    “He’s dead. He-”
    “Not that! Did he tell you anything? What did he say before…?”
    “He wouldn’t,” Boy stammered. “He-”
    “Be quiet! So he told you nothing before he died? Kepler sent him with information for me-the name of a grave. You’re sure?”
    Boy nodded, and Valerian flung his arms out wide, failing to find words bad enough for Boy.
    “I do have something,” Boy said. He fished in his pocket and pulled out the music box.
    “Are you trying to be funny? I need a name, not trinkets!”
    “Valerian?” asked Willow.
    Only now did Valerian seem to notice her presence in the cell.
    “Hmm?” he said, still staring at the music box.
    “He said two minutes. Are you going to get us out of here?”
    Boy cringed. This was not a good way to go about getting anything from his master. In fact, there was no good way to get anything from him, but Willow didn’t know that.
    Valerian dragged his eyes away from the tiny mechanical object and shoved it in his pocket.
    “I may as well leave you here,” he snarled. “You are no use to me.”
    “Please, Valerian,” Boy begged. “It wasn’t my fault he wouldn’t talk to me.”
    Valerian considered them both.
    “All right then,” he said. “I suppose so.”
    He looked at Boy.
    “Well, Boy, it’s time you learnt the secret of the Fairyland Vanishing Illusion.”
    “But that’s just a trick,” said Boy.
    “Ah!” said Valerian. “No. In fact, the secret of the Fairyland Vanishing Illusion is that it is not an illusion at all.”
    Boy stared at him. Willow stared at Boy.
    Keys rattled in the lock again.
    “Quick!” commanded Valerian. “Hold close to me.”
    He grabbed them both and pressed them to his side.
    Boy heard him muttering in some unknown language, and saw him pull something from one of his many pockets.
    The door opened and Pink-plume stood in the doorway.
    Valerian’s arm swung through the air,