This Dark Endeavour (with Bonus Material) by Kenneth Oppel Read Free Book Online Page A

the cure, Victor,” he said. “You’re almost as clever as Konrad.”
    “Almost
as clever?” I snapped. “And how would
you
know that, little boy?”
    His eyes widened in astonishment and hurt, and I instantly regretted my outburst. How could I fault him, after all, when it was abundantly obvious? Konrad had always been the better student, and my father took no pains to conceal it. Still, Ernest’s words smarted. Even to a nine-year-old it was clear that Konrad was the brighter star in our family’s constellation.
    Had I been just a year younger than Konrad—or even a
non-
identical twin—it would have been easier to bear. But he and I were supposed to be the same in every respect. So what excuse had I to be the weaker?
    Elizabeth appeared in the doorway. “Ernest, Justine is looking for you in the garden.”
    I gave Ernest an apologetic smile and clapped him on the shoulder, but his parting look to me was wary.
    “Still here?” Elizabeth said, coming in.
    “You have your prayers,” I said. “I cannot pray, but I must do something, or go mad.”
    Restlessly I looked back at my book, a huge tome written mostly in Latin. My Latin was poor, and every sentence was a struggle, but I refused to give up. I had been a lacklustre student, but I would remedy that with hard work.
    Elizabeth gently closed the cover. “You cannot expect to cure him on your own.”
    “Why not?” I demanded. “Someone has to.”
    My eyes strayed to the bookshelf that concealed the secret passage to the Dark Library.
    “You have been here all day,” she said. “You can’t simply abandon Henry.”
    I sighed. “I am sorry if Henry feels abandoned, but there are so many books here to understand …”
    “Go riding,” she suggested. “You will get gloomy if you spend any more time here. Take Henry up into the meadows for an hour or two.”
    I looked forlornly at my desk. “Just a short break,” I said.
    So Henry and I changed into our riding gear and took our horses out for several hours. And I did enjoy the sunlight and air on my face, even as I felt guilty leaving Konrad in his sickbed.
    As I neared home again, I dared to hope. When I saw Mother and Father, they would be smiling, and saying that Konrad’s fever had broken for good and he was on the mend and all would be well.
    But it was not so. He was the same.
    The very next day, a second physician accompanied Dr. Lesage to see Konrad. He was a handsome, fashionable-looking gentleman called Dr. Bartonne, who exuded confidence like an overpowering cologne. I disliked him on sight.
    He strode into the room, took one look at my brother, and said he had a disturbance of the blood. Therefore he needed to be bled.
    The physician placed slimy leeches all over my brother’s pale body and let them suck his blood until Konrad swooned. The fellow was greatly satisfied, and announced that he had purged Konrad of the poisons that had caused his fever, andthat when my brother woke in the morning he would feel weak but improved.
    It is true that he was cooler that night—who would not be cooler after having most of his blood sucked away? Nonetheless we all had great hope that this would speed Konrad on his recovery.
    Come morning, however, the fever returned. Dr. Bartonne was summoned yet again. After he left, I went to seek out Mother to ask what he’d said.
    Walking along the upper hallway, I overheard her talking to Maria in the west sitting room. I stopped before I reached the doorway, for I could tell from Maria’s hushed tones that they were talking about something terribly serious.
    “… might be of some help,” Maria was saying, “for many say there is great power in it.”
    “You love him, as we all do, Maria,” Mother replied. “But you know that Alphonse cannot bear talk of alchemy. He thinks it primitive nonsense, and I am inclined to agree with him. Please do not speak of this to him.”
    “Very well, ma’am,” said Maria.
    “I know you mean well, Maria. Do not