Hey everybody! Glad to know that everyone enjoyed Ed getting hurt last chapter. Honestly, you guys are supposed to sad. And no, this chapter won't all be about worrying whether Ed will pull through because I don't have time to distract from the story. Nice idea though. This chapter you'll discover something absolutely shocking (at least in my mind) and Ed finds a few new clues as well.
Thanks to TimeMage955, Samantha, and Swanwhite (hurray, a new reviewer!) for reviewing! ;)
Chapter 8
Peter ran as hard as he could toward the scream with several other people in the castle who had also heard the noise following him. Where is Edmund? he wondered, Surely he would have been here by now? But suddenly Peter was distracted by something else. A cold sea wind blew, pushing back the clouds that covered the moon. The moonlight danced through the window on a figure that laid cold and still in the corridor...
Edmund woke to a comfortable feather bed with white sheets and a stiff bandage on the back of his head. It looked like it was early afternoon and the sun was streaming through the shaded windows cheerily against a vase of purple and yellow flowers that was beside him on the nightstand.
"About time you woke up," a voice said from a dark corner. Edmund figured it was Peter, but couldn't see him that well.
"How long have I been out?" Edmund asked but was clueless if Peter could actually make that out; his speech was slurred. Peter, however, got the meaning at once.
"Judging that I found you earlier this morning, about half a day," Peter said, coming in to the light and his voice dropped to a serious tone, "Edmund, Hylus is dead."
"What!" Edmund yelled, raising himself up, but Peter pushed him down again.
"Susan didn't want me to tell you because she said you'd get excited, so lay down and keep quiet before she hears," Peter whispered urgently and then said, "Yes, Hylus is dead and that makes the total deaths so far up to two. It was her scream we heard last night; the one that ended in a gurgle."
"How'd she die?" asked Edmund sinking back into his pillows and covering his eyes with his hand.
"Stabbed with that same bloody knife that we found in Orest's room."
Peter paused, allowing Edmund to take this all in. Edmund asked, "Did you get any clues?"
"No. That was the first thing I checked," said Peter, "The knife was wiped clean and everything else was too. But look here, Hylus was holding this."
Peter shoved a golden clasped book at Edmund. "What is it?" asked Edmund.
"Nestra's diary," Peter said, "Better hide it quick, here comes Susan!"
Edmund shoved it under the covers as Susan came in, fussing and exclaiming over his injury.
When Susan and Peter had left, Edmund dived for Nestra's diary. Maybe there would be clues and evidence to find X! He opened the book eagerly and read the first page. It began with Nestra's writing of what education Orest was getting, the goings-on in court, random bits of gossip and all the rest of the things that middle-aged women write in their diaries. But through all this, Edmund could sense a growing discord between Nestra and her husband, Agamem. On the day of Agamem's death, Nestra wrote: "Serves him right; the dishonorable man that he is. Hylus also knows that he--- but I'll not speak of that. It's bad enough as is. I sent away the woman as fast as I could. I think that----" but the words had been scratched out for some reason. Perhaps by X? Edmund was puzzled. What did Nestra's entry mean? Did it tie in with the murder?
Edmund kept reading and found more scribbles. They looked very fresh. No doubt about it, X had been there. But how did Hylus come by the diary? Did she know who X was? Slowly, a realization came to Edmund's mind. He recalled a certain situation that he had almost forgotten involving Hylus. Perhaps it might explain everything... Well, almost everything, he had to admit. A few more pieces needed to be put into place. The sun was beginning to set and just as he was deep in thought Lucy came bursting in.
"Edmund!" she exclaimed, "Are you all right? They only just let me in."
"I'm fine," Edmund said, "And no, I don't want my pillows fluffed or a cup of strawberry ice. Susan's already bothered. I say, it's been fun being hurt. What's gone on in Cair since I've been tucked away?"
"Didn't you hear the news?" Lucy asked while pulling up a chair next to him.
"Yes, Peter told me," Edmund replied, "It's a shame that Hylus should have died in Cair."
"No, no. Not that," said Lucy, "We'll be going for a trip to the Lone Islands to discuss treaties and other boring things next month. The Governor sent an invitation today." Lucy spotted the diary in Edmund's hands, "What's that?"
"Lady Nestra's diary," Edmund answered.
"Have you found a lot of clues?" Lucy asked.
"I'm almost there, but I need to check a few things first," Edmund said, "Do you have any ideas on how Hylus would have come by this diary? X has been scratching out things that might have condemned him and I don't know how Hylus would have got this diary if X had killed her."
Lucy thought hard for a moment, "I don't know. Not unless Hylus was X, but that doesn't account for her being killed by X." Lucy paused for a moment, "I have to go. Bedtime for me is strictly eight o'clock."
She said goodbye and left as soon as she had made sure he was all right for the night. Edmund sighed and read more of the diary until his candle blew out, but by that time Edmund was asleep.
How was it? As you can tell, once Ed starts piecing together clues, our story is almost at it's end. I included that bit of the Lone Islands because I've decided to make a few more books of Edmund Investigates. That is, if you think it's a good idea. Review and tell me what you think!
