audi katia: Thanks! I wasn't that quick to update, but hearing compliments from you makes me happy! claps hands and jumps up and down I FINALLY got an idea!
Chaos-Fyre-Elf31: Yep. winks Their little fling will be a little later, though. After Charlie steals---oops, don't want to give anything away, now do we?
Aqua Mage: Thanks for your support! I promise that all your waiting will be worthwhile!
V. Kasz: Fidelio and Tancred are the GREATEST! Here's the update!
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It was a lovely Saturday morning that Charlie arrived at number nine, Filbert Street. But it was a very unfortunate morning, for his great-aunts Lucretia, Eustacia, and Venetia Yewbeam were there, ready to attack him with questions and warnings.
"Hello, Charlie," Grandma Bone said rather cheerfully, smiling brightly. This was very unusual, because Grizelda Bone was hardly ever smiled or even greeted Charlie with as much as a simple 'Hello'. "Anything new at school?"
"Of course not, Grandma," Charlie said casually, wanting to get to his Uncle Paton's room as soon as possible.
"Don't lie to us, boy," Aunt Lucretia snarled. She was the matron of Bloor's Academy, and knew everything that was going on. This, Charlie thought, was a disadvantage.
"Yes, Charlie," Aunt Venetia cooed. "We don't want anything to happen to you, that's all. We're all worried." Charlie snorted. The day his grandmother and great-aunts were going to be worried about his health was the day Manfred Bloor got married to Emma Tolly.
"Don't snort, Charlie," Aunt Eustacia snapped. "Very bad manners. We're telling the truth, darling, dear boy." She smiled in what she probably thought was a motherly, sweet way. To Charlie, she looked like an oversized bullfrog.
"We're wasting time, Eustacia," Grandma Bone barked.
"Charlie, tell us about the girl," Aunt Venetia said to him, smiling encouragingly.
"What girl?" Charlie asked, trying his best to look confused.
"You know perfectly what we mean, Charles," Grandma Bone said. "That drip Gabriel's little girlfriend. The Twirl girl. Nasty child."
"The one who used her endowment," Lucretia added.
"The one who got locked up," Eustacia said.
"The one who got hypnotized," Venetia said gleefully, her eyes unusually round and bright.
"You don't know how it feels!" Charlie burst against his will. "You don't know how it feels to be hypnotized! Stop making fun of Kristy!"
"So you are friends with her," Eustacia said triumphantly.
"A word of advice," Venetia said.
"Stay away from her," Lucretia said.
"Stay away from Kristina Twirl, Charlie," Grandma Bone warned, shaking a finger.
"Or you'll end up just like your dear, dead father, Charlie," Eustacia whispered, a smile tugging at her thin lips.
"He's not dead," Charlie said, his jaw tightening. "He's alive, and you know it! Manfred hypnotized him!"
"Don't lie, Charlie," Venetia said sweetly. "It can become a habit. Your father is dead. He's gone, and there's nothing you can do about it. About his being hypnotized, that's quite an imagination you have there."
Charlie restrained himself from trying to strangle his great-aunt. You have to get to Uncle Paton, remember? he thought. "I'm going," he said finally. He marched up the steps when he heard a cry.
"Charlie, no! We're not done yet!" Aunt Eustacia called in her loud, scratchy voice. "Come back!"
Charlie just ignored her and came to Paton's door. He didn't bother to knock, because Paton would probably know it was him, from all the screams of 'Charlie!' from the great-aunts. He opened the door and slammed it behind him.
"Lock it, Charlie," Paton grumbled. "I don't want my sisters marching up in here." Charlie obeyed. "Sit down...er, wherever there's space."
Charlie looked around. Paper, paper everywhere. After moments of searching, he found a chair that was not fully covered with stacks of paper.
"Now what is it?" Paton asked, looking up from his work. He turned his chair around to face Charlie. A ripping noise could be heard. Paton groaned.
"Well, Uncle Paton," Charlie began. "There's this girl."
Paton raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, a girl? Are you asking me advice on your love life?" he asked, trying to stifle a laugh.
"No! Of course not, Uncle!" Charlie exclaimed, going red.
"Then what?" Paton asked, more seriously this time.
"Well, her name's Kristy Twirl," Charlie went on. He told his great-uncle all about Kristy and what happened to her.
"Hmm..." Paton said, trying to remember something. The lightbulb clicked on. "Is Kristy short for Kristina? Kristina Twirl?"
Charlie was surprised. "Yes," he answered. "Why? Do you know her?"
Paton nodded slowly. "Yes. I remember her. Pretty little girl she was. Smart, too," he said, chuckling. "Her parents were good friends of your father. Your mother never really knew them, since she had to move away before she could get acquainted with the Twirls. Before you and Kristina could meet each other." Charlie opened his mouth to say something, but Paton raised his hand. "Don't interrupt, Charlie. Well, Thelxiepia and Kevin Twirl were there when it happened. You know, when Emma Tolly was kidnapped, and your father was, um, you know."
Charlie was flabbergasted. "Really?" he managed to choke out. Paton nodded.
"Kristina's mother told me that an organist had been attacked," Paton said. "I didn't know that it was your father then. When I asked her who it was, she said she didn't know."
"But you said that she was a good friend of Dad's," Charlie interrupted. "She should have recognized him." Paton shook his head solemnly.
"She was too far away," he said sadly. "She might have been able to stop it if she had turned around earlier. But," he sighed, "that's life."
"Now about Kristy," Charlie said a moment later.
"Kristina?" Paton asked. "The hypnotized girl?"
"Yes," Charlie replied. "Is there a cure for hypnotism?"
Paton thought. There was a silence. "Hmm..." he said. "I'll have to check on that. I know there's a cure, but I don't know what it is. Let's go to Ingledew's Bookshop tomorrow, Charlie. Something's bound to be there."
"And Kristy isn't the only reason you want to go there, is it, Uncle?" Charlie asked, grinning. Paton's ears grew pink.
"Never mind that," he said sheepishly. Charlie laughed.
"It's okay, Uncle," Charlie said. "It's a good excuse for visiting Miss Ingledew. It's a good idea, anyway. I might need Emma to help us save Kristy." Paton chuckled.
"Why don't we just go now?" Charlie asked. "The aunts are sure to be gone."
"Go check," Paton told him. "You never know."
"All right," Charlie said cheerfully. He opened the door carelessly and stomped down the steps. The coast was clear. "Uncle, it's---"
"Gotcha!" Aunt Venetia said triumphantly, grabbing hold of Charlie. She put a hand over his mouth and made a face. "Stop spitting, dear Charlie. You don't want anything to happen, now, do you?" Charlie stopped wriggling. "Good boy. Now if you'll---"Paton showed up at the steps.
"What's going on?" Paton asked when he got to the bottom. "Venetia, let go of Charlie. NOW!" Venetia obeyed reluctantly. "Are you okay, Charlie?" Charlie nodded, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.
Paton sent a death glare at his older sister. "Leave Charlie alone in the future, Venetia, or you never know what will happen," he warned, looking at the lightbulb above them. Venetia fidgeted, then moved out of the way. "Now if you don't mind, we're going out."
"Thanks, Uncle Paton," Charlie said as soon as they were outside. "I owe you one."
"You're welcome, Charlie," Paton said happily as they stepped onto Cathedral Close. "Ah...there's Ingledew's Bookshop. Come on." The two made their way into the bookshop.
"How may I help---"Julia Ingledew started to say, but smiled as she saw Paton and Charlie. "Hello, Charlie. Good morning, Paton. Come in."
"Hello, Julia," Paton said, smiling contently as Charlie said, "Good morning, Miss Ingledew."
"Charlie? Is that you?" a soft voice came from the back of the shop. A girl with wavy blonde hair and dreamy blue eyes appeared.
"Emma! Hi!" Charlie said, waving at his friend. Emma grinned at him.
"Hi," she said back. "Good to see you, Mr. Yewbeam."
"Miss Ingledew, we're looking for a cure for hypnotism," Charlie said. "Is there any book about that?"
"A cure for hypnotism?" Miss Ingledew asked. "Hmm...let me see." She went through a stack of papers. "Ah! You might find something in 1000 Magical Plant Cures. Most things are cured by plants, so I don't think hypnotism is any different."
"I'll go look," Charlie said hastily. "Uncle, you can stay here." Paton gave him a grateful smile.
"Want me to help, Charlie?" Emma asked.
"Sure. I'll explain why I need it while we're looking for the book," Charlie replied, smiling. "After all, you can fly, and that could come in handy." Emma beamed.
While the two searched for the book, Charlie told Emma all about Kristy, and his plan to cure her.
"Oh, poor Kristy," Emma said. "Imagine, they hypnotized her only because she used her endowment for one little tiny thing. It's horrible."
"I have a feeling the Bloors got her for something more than that," Charlie mumbled. "I've used my endowment loads of times, and they didn't lock me up or hypnotize me."
"You're probably right, Charlie," Emma said solemnly. "You always are."
"Th---aha! I found it!" Charlie exclaimed as he held up a thick book with a leather cover. "1000 Magical Plant Cures. Come on!" The two raced through the bookshop to Paton and Miss Ingledew.
"We found it, Uncle!" Charlie said. "Now for the cure." He flipped through the pages until he came to the section H. "For hypnotism." He went to the last page of the H section and looked up excitedly.
Emma took the book, smiling, and read, "Veritas Lily."
"The lily of truth," Miss Ingledew said. "The ancient flower. It's very rare." She took the book gently from her niece's hands and pointed a finger at the picture. "It's a pure white flower with a purple stem and blue leaves." She looked at Paton. "Do you know where it grows?"
"There's one place I know," Paton answered soberly. "And it's probably the only place in the world."
"Where is it?" Emma and Charlie asked in unison.
Paton hesitated, then sighed. "15 Darkly Wynd," he said. "My sisters' wretched neighbor Tristan Ghost lives there." He shivered. "She's a nasty piece of work. On the outside, she just looks like a normal thirty-year-old lady, but she's horrible. If she finds a trespasser on her property, she'll probably try to shoot him. Or her."
Charlie gulped, then regained his courage. "But we have to save Kristy," he said firmly. Emma nodded.
"It's your saving-people thing," she said, grinning. Charlie laughed.
"That's what Fidelio said," he said.
"Auntie, can we use the telephone?" Emma asked. "I think Charlie wants to make calls."
Miss Ingledew smiled. "All right," she said warmly. "Go on ahead."
"We'll watch," Paton added. "Go on, Charlie."
Charlie started dialing numbers.