The Mask of Destiny by Richard Newsome Read Free Book Online Page A

‘What challenge?’
    Walter guided them back into the lift. ‘The challenge of spending tonight at the children’s table.’ He pushed the button for the third floor. The doors slid closed; his beaming face disappeared through the narrowing gap. ‘You have fun now.’
    The lift shunted upwards.
    Ruby turned to Gerald. ‘What’s he mean: “the children’s table”?’
    Gerald blushed. ‘Oh, didn’t I mention that,’ he mumbled. Then, keen to change the subject, ‘What did you think of Walter?’
    Sam held up his right hand. ‘I need to wash this as quickly as possible.’
    Gerald’s smile lasted until the lift juddered to a stop and the doors opened. ‘Come on,’ he said. ‘We may as well get this over.’
    He ignored Ruby’s and Sam’s questions until they got to a large set of double doors at the end of a corridor. He faced Ruby. ‘I want to apologise ahead of time and assure you this was not my idea.’
    â€˜What are you talking about?’ Ruby said. ‘Apologise for what?’
    Gerald didn’t answer. He turned the handles and pushed. The doors opened into an opulently decorated room set out for an evening of parlour games. Against the far wall, under a bank of tall windows, was a buffet covered with trays of food and drink. In the middle of the room stood a boy and a girl. The boy’s round head balanced on his stout shoulders—there was no evidence of a neck. The girl’s red hair was pulled back into stringy pigtails. She glared at Ruby.
    â€˜What’s the princess doing here?’ the girl said.
    Ruby’s eyes shot wide.
    Gerald cleared his throat with a nervous cough. ‘Uh, Sam and Ruby, you remember my cousins, Octavia and Zebedee?’
    It was going to be a long night.

Chapter 5

    G erald held his breath. And waited.
    Ruby scanned Octavia’s face. She was taking in every detail: the creases across the forehead, the narrowed eyes, the cluster of flyspeck freckles on the nose, the sharply upturned top lip.
    The silence seemed to suck all the air from the room. Ruby tilted her head. Then she plunged at Octavia and flung her arms around her neck.
    â€˜Octavia!’ Ruby cried, squeezing a sharp oomph from the girl. ‘How are you? It’s been too long. I haven’t seen you since…oh, when was it?’
    Octavia struggled to free herself from Ruby’s grip. ‘Since you locked me and Zeb behind the fireplace at Beaconsfield,’ she said, with venom in her voice.
    â€˜ Really ?’ Ruby said. She skipped over to a table piled high with board games and made as if she was inspecting them with rapt interest. ‘Has it been that long?’
    Octavia squared her shoulders, her eyes ablaze. ‘You snot-faced little—’
    Gerald coughed loudly and rushed across to put an arm around Ruby and steer her to the buffet at the far side of the room. ‘Sam, why don’t you and Zebedee see if there are any games worth playing in that pile,’ Gerald said. ‘I need a quick chat with Ruby.’
    Ruby allowed herself to be dragged over to the sideboard, but her eyes never left Octavia’s scowling face.
    â€˜Is there something the matter, Gerald?’ Ruby asked, all innocence.
    â€˜Don’t be a pain,’ he said. ‘You know what Octavia’s like. She doesn’t need any urging from you to turn this into a nightmare.’
    â€˜All I said was it had been a while since we’d seen each other.’ Ruby fluttered her eyelashes at him. ‘Is that such a bad thing?’
    Gerald gave her an ‘are you for real?’ look.
    â€˜What?’ Ruby said. ‘Can’t I have a bit of fun?’
    Gerald looked over to where Sam was sorting through the games. Octavia and Zebedee were muttering to each other in the corner.
    â€˜I don’t think tonight is about having fun,’ Gerald said.
    â€˜Why are