The Road to Nevermore by Christopher Lincoln Read Free Book Online

Shadewick, when you’re locked up thirteen levels below,” she heard Uncle Grim croak.
    Ah!
Millicent tucked the name away.
    “Not much chance of that, old thing. You see, I’m on the best of terms with the One below. Besides, no one will hear you when
     I put this jar over your head.” Millicent heard the ring of a glass bell. Shadewick must have tinged the glass with a fingertip.
     The shadow skeleton continued. “It’s quite soundproof. You won’t be able to call your nasty horse.”
    “Be glad I can’t. He’d splinter your body —”
    All Millicent could hear from Uncle Grim after that were muffled curses. She turned toward the farthest wall, but this whole
     walking business was like trying to get around on a lake bottom.
    Millicent heard Shadewick chuckle right behind her. She turned to see him pull a key from a shadowy sleeve. It had a scrollwork
     horse head for a handle and the shaft ended in a large crystal eyeball, filled with radiant black energy.
    Shadewick studied Millicent’s face. “You have a most familiar look.” He stroked the key with sharp fingertips. The sound raised
     her neck hairs. “Ah, yes … I know who you are. I shall station you next to your parents. That should be lovely, I’m sure.”

Chapter 10
Billy’s New Bones

    Slowly, with a few prods from Fleggs, Billy sat up. He still felt horrid as hag’s breath, but had to do something. Millicent
     would have. “Get your teacup out of its saucer and get busy!” he could imagine her saying.
    As Billy dragged himself up, Grim’s headless body bumped into him. It was holding a creased sheet of paper in one hand and
     swirling the other in a gesture of writing.
    He wants a pen!
    Billy grabbed the candle from Martha’s hand, the flame still frozen in mid-flicker. He searched the cottage, lighting up every
     dank corner until finally stumbling across a crumpled grocery list and a pen.
    He darted back to the bedroom, then, steering Grim’s body to the bed, he placed the writing instrument in its hands. It took
     a number of scribbling strokes before the body figured out how to produce something legible. Billy read the offered note,
     his knees shakier than the handwriting.

    Billy, not sure how long I can keep time stopped … still possible to save Millicent. Ride Fleggs to the Afterlife! If time
     restarts, Millicent will be lost forever in Shadewick Gloom’s hideaway, Nevermore!
    Go to the Boneyard. Get help. Can’t write more.
    He’s coming this way … I fear he’s going to —
    Grim’s pen clattered to the floor. His body twitched and bent over—hands contorted like claws, arms crossed and shaking.
    Billy felt horrible leaving Grim, but staying couldn’t help his uncle and would only put Millicent into more danger. He jammed
     the note in his raincoat pocket, and then, scraping a chair alongside Fleggs, he clambered aboard.
    On any normal day (if there was such a thing in this odd boy’s life), Billy would have banged off a stout little jig. Second
     to pirating, a ride on Fleggs was his favorite thing. Instead, Billy shouted and snapped the reins, “Come on Fleggs. Uncle
     Grim wants you to take me to the Boneyard!”
    Billy pulled the reins tight to his chest, leaned into the horse’s starry mane, and closed his eyes. He held on for dear life—Millicent’s
     dear life.

Chapter 11
By the Grace of Minnie’s Knuckles

    For a jaw-dropping moment, there was silence at the Boneyard table. Then the skeletons reacted.
    “Help you get to
Nevermore?
” Ned Lumbus blustered. “Pete, your brain’s a mile wide of its berth!”
    Roger only stared, but his eyes were cold as cod scales as they took the measure of the old pirate.
    “Look, Pete,” Ned said. “Most in the Afterlife have heard about the place, but no one knows where it is. I have grave doubts
     it’s even on the Dark Side.”
    Pete aimed his pipe stem at the burly skeleton. “It’s got to be.”
    “But it’s not.” Roger Jolly slipped his legs off the