Silver turned to look at Razor and Coral. Neither of them seemed to have understood what Finny had said either "The…Ixis Emeralds?" "That's right. You haven't heard of them? I'm not surprised. Very, very few wizards believe. Witness that knuckleheaded young man at your brother's wedding". He nodded at Razor before continuing "Who attacked me for sporting the symbol of a well-known Dark wizard! Such ignorance. There is nothing Dark about the symbol, at least, not in that crude sense. The symbol is only as evil as the wizard that uses it. One simply uses the symbol to reveal oneself to other believers, in the hope that they might help one with the quest for the Ixis Emeralds". He stirred several lumps of sugar into his drink that was apparently tea and drank some. To be polite, Silver took a sip from his cup too, and almost gagged "But what are the Ixis Emeralds?" he looked to Coral who had half an answer "Ixis is the name of Death in many Wizarding Cultures". Finny nodded "I assume that you are all familiar with The Tale of the Three Brothers'?".
Silver said "No" but Razor and Coral both said "Yes". Finny had a grave look "Well, well, Mr Silver, the whole thing starts with that story. I have a copy somewhere". He glanced vaguely around the room, at the piles of parchment and books, but Coral said "I've got a copy, Mr Finny, I've got it right here". And she pulled out the Book of Myths from the small, beaded bag "The original?" inquired Finny sharply. Coral nodded which made Finny smile "Well then, why don't you read it aloud? Much the best way to make sure we all understand" "Uh, all right" said Coral nervously. She opened the book, and Silver saw that the symbol they were investigating headed the top of the page as she gave a little cough, and began to read "'There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight'" "Midnight, our mum always told us" said Razor who had stretched out, arms behind his head, to listen. Coral shot him a look of annoyance. Razor finally noticed "Sorry, I just think it's a bit spookier if it's midnight!" "Would you like to read it?" "No, no. Twilight's fine".
Coral looked back to the book "'In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade through and too dangerous to swim across. However, these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply used their Talismans and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water. They were halfway across it when they found their path blocked by incomprehensible shape. It was Ixis and he felt cheated. Cheated because travellers usually drowned in the river. But Ixis was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever enough to evade him. He would give each of them an Emerald with the power to do anything the brothers asked for. So the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked for an Emerald to be used as a Talisman. A Talisman more powerful than any in existence, a Talisman that must always win duels for its owner, a Talisman worthy of a wizard who had conquered Ixis himself! So Ixis formed the Master Emerald and gave it to the oldest brother. Then the second brother, who was an arrogant man, decided that he wanted to humiliate Ixis still further, and asked for an Emerald with the power to recall others from Death. So, Ixis created the Sol Emerald and gave it to the second brother and told him that it would have the power to bring back the dead. And then Ixis asked the third and youngest brother what he would like. The youngest brother was the humblest and also the wisest, did not trust Ixis. So, he asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that place without being followed. And Ixis, most unwillingly, handed over his own Emerald, a Chaos Emerald'". "Death's got a Chaos Emerald?" Silver interrupted. Razor shrugged "So he can sneak up on people. Sometimes he gets bored of running at them, flapping his arms and shrieking…Sorry, Coral".
Coral gave them both an annoyed look before continuing "'Then Ixis stood aside and allowed the three brothers to continue on their way, and they did so, talking with wonder of the adventure they had had, and admiring Ixis' gifts. In due course the brothers separated, each for his own destination. The first brother travelled on for a week or more, and reaching a distant village, sought out a fellow wizard with whom he had a quarrel. Naturally, with the Master Emerald as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor, the oldest brother proceeded to an inn, where he boasted loudly of the powerful Emerald he had snatched from Ixis himself, and of how it made him invincible. That very night, another wizard crept upon the oldest brother as he lay, wine-sodden, upon his bed. The thief slit the brother's throat and extracted the Master Emerald from his body. And so Ixis took the first brother for his own. Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he lived alone. Here he took out the Sol Emerald that had the power to recall the dead, and turned it thrice in his hand. To his amazement and his delight, the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, before her untimely death, appeared at once before him. She was formed in a warm, comforting fire. Yet it took little time before she became sad. Her fire began to die and she became cold. She was separated from the brother by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered. Finally the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, hung himself so as truly to join her. And so Ixis took the second brother for his own. But though Ixis searched for the third brother for many years, he was never able to find him. It was only when he had attained a great age that the youngest brother finally released the Chaos Emerald from his grasp and gave it to his son. And then he greeted Ixis as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life'". Coral closed the book.
It was a moment or two before Finny seemed to realize that she had stopped reading, then he withdrew his gaze from the window and said "Well, there you are" "I'm sorry, sir, I still don't understand" Silver said politely. Finny picked up a quill from a packed table at his elbow, and pulled a torn piece of parchment from between more books. He drew a large diamond cut shape "The Master Emerald". He then drew an emerald cut shape within the first "The Sol Emerald". Then finally a smaller diamond cut within the previous shape The Chaos Emerald". It was now the symbol that interested Coral "Together, they make the Ixis Emeralds" "But there's no mention of that name in the story" Coral said. Finny shook his head "Well, of course not. That is a children's tale, told to amuse rather than to instruct. Those of us who understand these matters, however, recognize that the ancient story refers to three objects, which, if united, will make the possessor master of Ixis. The Master Emerald to give to Death. The Sol Emerald to take from Death. And the Chaos Emerald to protect from Death". There was a short silence then Coral said in a voice that was trying to hide the scepticism "Are…Are you saying that you believe these objects actually exist?". Finny raised his eyebrows again. "Well, of course" "But, Mr Finny, how can you possibly believe-" "Marine has told me all about you, young lady. You are, I gather, not unintelligent, but painfully limited. Narrow. Close-minded". Coral's insistence on being polite seemed to be fading fast "Mr Finny, we all know that there are such things as Chaos Emeralds. They are rare, but they exist. But-" "Ah, but the this is a true Chaos Emerald, Miss Coral! I mean to say, it is not a natural emerald imbued with a Disillusionment Charm, or carrying a Bedazzling Hex. Spells which will hide one initially but ware off after while. We are talking about an Emerald that really and truly renders the user completely invisible, and endures eternally, giving constant and impenetrable concealment, no matter what spells are cast at it. How many have you ever seen like that, Miss Coral?".
Coral opened her mouth to answer, then closed it again, looking more confused than ever. She, Silver, and Razor glanced at one another, and Silver knew that they were all thinking the same thing. It so happened that an Emerald exactly like the one Finny had just described was in the room with them at that very moment. Finny however took their expressions as a sign he had won the argument "Exactly. None of you have ever seen such a thing. The possessor would be immeasurably rich, would he not?". He glanced out of the window again. The sky was now tinged with the faintest trace of pink. Coral sighed "All right, say the Chaos Emerald existed. What about the Sol Emerald, Mr Finny?" "What of it?" "Well, how can that be real?" "Prove that it is not". Coral looked outraged "But that's-I'm sorry, but that's completely ridiculous! How can I possibly prove it doesn't exist? Do you expect me to get hold of all the Emeralds in the world and test them? I mean, you could claim that anything's real if the only basis for believing in it is that nobody's proved it doesn't exist!". Finny grinned "Yes, you could. I am glad to see that you are opening your mind a little". Before Coral could retort Silver stepped in "So the Master Emerald, you think that exists too?" "Oh, well, in that case there is endless evidence. The Master Emerald is the one that is most easily traced, because of the way in which it passes from hand to hand" "By killing the last owner, you mean?" asked Silver. Finny nodded "Yes. The bloody trail of the Master Emerald is splattered across the pages of Wizarding history". Silver glanced at Coral. She was frowning at Finny, but this time did not contradict him "So where do you think the Master Emerald is now?" "Alas, who knows? The last recorded use of it was in a duel between the previous user and two brothers. But it's unknown which brother defeated the Dark Wizard".
There was a pause. Finally, Coral asked stiffly "Mr Finny, does the name Galahad have any meaning to you?". Finny looked taken aback "But you have been misleading me, young woman! I thought you were new to the Ixis Quest! Many of us Questers believe that the Galahad has everything to do with the tale! The sign of the Ixis Emeralds on Galahad's grave is conclusive proof!" "Of what?" "Why, that one of the three in the tale was Galahad. Along with his brothers Aman and Maurice! They were the original owners of the Ixis Emeralds!". With another glance at the window he got to his feet, picked up the tray, and headed for the spiral staircase. "You will stay for dinner?" he called, as he vanished downstairs. Silver waited until they could hear Finny moving about in the kitchen downstairs before speaking "What do you think?" he asked Coral. She rolled her eyes "Oh, Silver, it's a pile of utter rubbish. This can't be what the sign really means. This must just be his weird take on it. What a waste of time" "I s'pose this is the man who brought us Junk Food Boogey Guy" said Razor. Silver was surprised "You don't believe it either?" "Nah, that story's just one of those things you tell kids to teach them lessons, isn't it? 'Don't go looking for trouble, don't pick fights, don't go messing around with stuff that's best left alone! Just keep your head down, mind your own business, and you'll be okay' Come to think of it, maybe that story's why Emeralds Talismans are supposed to be unlucky" "What are you talking about?" Coral asked. Razor shrugged "You know, one of those superstitions, isn't it? 'May-born witches will marry Muggles.' 'Jinx by twilight, undone by midnight.' Talismans in the skin, then you'll never win'. You must've heard them. My mum's full of them" "Silver and I were raised by Muggles. We were taught different superstitions" Coral said calmly.
Seemingly the one good thing about her exasperation with Finny was that it seemed to have made her forget that she was annoyed at Razor "I think you're right. It's just a morality tale, it's obvious which gift is best, which one you'd choose…". The three of them spoke at the same time; Coral said "The Chaos…". Razor said "The Master…". Silver said "The Sol…" "EMERALD!" they all said together. They looked at each other, half surprised, half amused "You wouldn't need the Chaos Emerald if you had an unbeatable Talisman" Razor said. Coral rolled her eyes "How many times has Silver's Emerald gotten us out of trouble. Whereas the Master Emerald would be bound to attract trouble" "Only if you shouted about it. Only if you were prat enough to go dancing around, waving it over your head, and singing 'I've got an unbeatable Talisman, come and have a go if you think you're hard enough.' As long as you kept your trap shut" "Yes, but could you keep your trap shut? You know, the only true thing he said to us was that there have been stories about extra-powerful Talismans for hundreds of years" "There have?" asked Silver. Coral looked exasperated. The expression was so endearingly familiar that Silver and Razor grinned at each other "We were taught about some of them in History but it's all nonsense. Talismans are only as powerful as the wizard who uses them. Some wizards just like to boast that theirs are bigger and better than other people's" "But how do you know, that those Talismans aren't the same, surfacing over the centuries under different names?" Silver asked. Silver at first didn't know why he was pushing that the objects could be real. Then as he thought about it he realised if he had the Sol Emerald he could bring people back. Striker, Locke, Elias, his parents.
Then it caused him a pain as he remembered they wouldn't want to be back. He pushed that thought aside "What about the Sol Emerald. Has there been anything like that?" "No, I don't think anyone except Mr Finny could kid themselves that's possible. They probably took the idea from the Chaos Drive; you know, instead of a crystal to make you immortal, a crystal to reverse death". Razor looked deep in thought "What about the Chaos Emerald, though? Cause he is right. I've got so used to Silver's Emerald and how good it is, I never stopped to think. I've never heard of one like Silver's. It's infallible. We've never been spotted under it, it's never been damaged and the spell's never worn off. Silver's was owned by his dad, so it's not exactly new, is it, but it's just…Perfect!" "Yes, all right, but Razor, but the Sol Emerald…". As they argued in whispers, Silver moved around the room, only half listening. Reaching the spiral stair, he raised his eyes absently to the next level and was distracted at once. His own face was looking back at him from the ceiling of the room above. After a moment's bewilderment, he realized that it was not a mirror, but a painting. Curious, he began to climb the stairs. "Silver, what are you doing? I don't think you should look around when he's not here!" Coral called after him. But Silver had already reached the next level. Marine had decorated her bedroom ceiling with five beautifully painted faces: Silver, Razor, Coral, Blaze and Antione. They were not moving as the portraits at Soleanna moved, but there was a certain magic about them all the same.
Silver thought they breathed. What appeared to be fine golden chains wove around the pictures, linking them together, but after examining them for a minute or so, Silver realized that the chains were actually one word, repeated a thousand times in golden ink "Friends". Silver felt a great rush of affection for Marine. He looked around the room. There was a large photograph beside the bed, of a young Marine and a woman who looked very like her. They were hugging. Marine looked rather better-groomed in this picture than Silver had ever seen her in life. The picture was dusty. This struck Silver as slightly odd. He stared around. Something was wrong. The pale blue carpet was also thick with dust. There were no clothes in the wardrobe, whose doors stood ajar. The bed had a cold, unfriendly look, as though it had not been slept in for weeks. A single cobweb stretched over the nearest window, across a bloodred sky. Silver ran back down the stairs just as Finny reappeared with another trey "Mr Finny. Where's Marine?" "Excuse me?" "Where's Marine?". Finny halted on the top step "I-I've already told you. She is down at the river" "So why have you only laid that tray for four?". Finny tried to speak, but no sound came out. The only noise was the continued chugging of the printing press, and a slight rattle from the tray as Finny's hands shook. Silver slowly approached him "I don't think Marine's been here for weeks. Her clothes are gone, her bed hasn't been slept in. Where is she? And why do you keep looking out of the window?". Finny dropped the tray, smashing all the dishes. Silver, Razor, and Coral drew their Talismans. Finny froze, his hand about to enter his pocket. At that moment the printing press gave a huge bang and numerous Lighthouse issues came streaming across the floor from underneath the tablecloth; the press fell silent at last. Coral stooped down and picked up one of the magazines "Silver, look at this".
He strode over to her as quickly as he could through all the clutter. The front of magazine carried his own picture, emblazoned with the words "Undesirable Number One" and captioned with the reward money. "The Lighthouse is going for a new angle, then?" Silver asked coldly. He then realised "Is that what you were doing when you went into the garden, Mr Finny? Sending a message to the Ministry? Come on, we're going" "NO, YOU CAN'T!". Finny blocked their way. His lip was quivering, and his eyes were red "They took my Marine. Because of what I've been writing. They took my Marine and I don't know where she is, what they've done to her. But they might give her back to me if I…if…" he stared at Silver. Razor pointed his dagger at the man's chest "Not happening. Get out of the way, we're leaving" "No. I must save Marine. I cannot lose Marine. You must not leave". He spread his arms in front of the staircase, and Silver had a sudden vision of his mother doing the same thing in front of his crib "Don't make us hurt you. Get out of the way, Mr Finny" "SILVER!" Coral screamed. Figures on Extreme Gear were flying past the windows. As the three of them looked away from him, Finny drew his sword. Silver realized their mistake just in time. He launched himself sideways, shoving Razor and Coral out of harm's way as Finny's Stunning Spell soared across the room and hit the capsule on the wall. There was a colossal explosion. The sound of it seemed to blow the room apart. Fragments of wood and paper and rubble flew in all directions, along with an impenetrable cloud of thick white dust. Silver flew through the air, then crashed to the floor, unable to see as debris rained upon him, his arms over his head. He heard Coral's scream, Razor's yell, and a series of sickening metallic thuds, which told him that Finny had been blasted off his feet and fallen backward down the spiral stairs. Half buried in rubble, Silver tried to raise himself.
He could barely breathe or see for dust. Half of the ceiling had fallen in, and the end of Marine's bed was hanging through the hole. Fragments of torn parchment were floating through the air, and most of the printing press lay on its side, blocking the top of the staircase to the kitchen. Then another white shape moved close by, and Coral, coated in dust like a second statue, pressed her finger to her lips. The door downstairs crashed open "Didn't I tell you there was no need to hurry, Agnus? Didn't I tell you this nutter was just raving as usual?". There was a bang and a scream of pain from Finny "No…No…He's upstairs…Silver!" "I told you last week, Finny, we weren't coming back for anything less than some solid information!" "Please…I beg you. It really is him! Really!" "And now it turns out you only called us here to try and blow us up, you lying piece of filth". Agnus Rhino laughed "You've never seen the Hedgehog in your life, have you? Thought you'd lure us here to kill us, did you? And you think you'll get your girl back like this? Homenum revelio" said the voice at the foot of the stairs. Silver heard Coral gasp, and he had the odd sensation that something was swooping low over him, immersing his body in its shadow. "There's someone up there all right, Sleuth" said Agnus. Silver could hear Finny sobbing "It's him, I tell you, it's Silver! Please…Just give me Marine back" "You can have your little girl, Finny, if you get up those stairs and bring me down Silver the Hedgehog. But if this is a plot, if it's a trick, if you've got an accomplice waiting up there to ambush us, we'll see if we can spare a bit of your daughter for you to bury". Finny gave a wail of fear and despair. There were scurrying and scraping. Finny was trying to get through the debris on the stairs. "Come on, we've got to get out of here" Silver whispered. He started to dig himself out under cover of all the noise Finny was making on the staircase. Razor was buried deepest.
Silver and Coral climbed, as quietly as they could, over all the wreckage to where he lay, trying to prise a heavy chest of drawers off his legs. While Finny's banging and scraping drew nearer and nearer, Coral managed to free Razor with the use of a Hover Charm "All right, Silver give me the Emerald" "What? Why?" "They can't see Razor. They'll go after the O'Hedges if they see him here". Razor got to his feet and Coral thrusted the Emerald into his hands "Grab my shoulder" she told him as she took Silver's hand. "Chaos Light" Razor whispered and he disappeared. The printing press blocking the stairs was vibrating, Finny was trying to shift it using a Hover Charm. Silver did not know what Coral was waiting for "Hold tight. Any second…". Finny's paper-white face appeared over the top of the sideboard "Stupefy!" Coral sang with her flute. She stunned Finny and then aimed at the floor "Deprimo!". She had blasted a hole in the sitting room floor. They fell like boulders, Silver still holding onto her hand for dear life; there was a scream from below, and he glimpsed two men trying to get out of the way as vast quantities of rubble and broken furniture rained all around them from the shattered ceiling. Coral twisted in midair, and the thundering of the collapsing house rang in Silver's ears as she dragged him once more into darkness.