Part 10 (2/2)

Sir Emerik could hardly believe what was happening. He was at once enraged at the audacity of the boy before him and overjoyed at the prospect of having found Edgar and the missing page. If only I'd stayed awake, I'd have them both in my grasp. There must be a way to bring things under my control.

”You've been to the Highlands, haven't you?”

Edgar only looked at Sir Emerik and waited.

”How else would you have gotten that page from Samuel?”

He paused, letting the boy think on what he'd said; then he turned very serious.

”There are very harsh consequences for climbing around on the cliffs-you know this. And there are even harsher punishments for having a page of writing in your possession. You're in quite a lot of trouble, aren't you, Edgar?”

Edgar reeled back slightly on his chair when he heard his name called out. Samuel must have told them.

”Oh, yes, we know all about young Edgar. We have our ways.” Sir Emerik leaned forward as much as the ropes would allow. Now, finish this miserable lad for good.

”If you're caught, they'll break your legs. They'll make sure you never go climbing around again. There's no place to hide, Edgar. Even if you escape the inn, we'll find you, and then you'll pay.” Sir Emerik was beginning to feel very confident-despite the fact that he was still tied up, and Edgar hadn't even flinched with discomfort at his words.

”I can help you, Edgar. I will help you. Just untie me and I'll get you out of the trouble you're in.”

Sir Emerik leaned back on his chair with a smug look on his face, certain that he was about to be untied.

Edgar moved the flame of the torch closer to Sir Emerik's head. Then, with a quick flick of his wrist, he set the man's hair on fire. Sir Emerik hadn't even thought to prepare himself for the attack. The hair flamed up orange on one side with a burst of black smoke and bright light. Sir Emerik started to scream.

Edgar tossed a bunny sack on Sir Emerik's head, putting the flame out as fast as he had started it. When he pulled the sack from Sir Emerik's head, a plume of smoke escaped, and Sir Emerik coughed and bellowed. The burnt hair smelled awful.

”You've gone mad!” Sir Emerik shouted. Most of the hair on the right side of his head was gone. What remained was a glob of black goo that stuck to his scalp.

”Read the page,” demanded Edgar. ”Quickly now-time is short and I must be getting on.”

”You're a little madman, that's what you are. A wee little madman!”

Edgar put the torch in his other hand and held it next to the opposite side of Sir Emerik's head.

”Please, just read the page. It's not that hard.”

Sir Emerik looked down. Though it was written in a sloppy hand, it was a short message, and he was able to read the few words written there without too much difficulty. Part of what he read was quite a shock. But when he had regained his composure, Sir Emerik realized he could tell the boy part of what he'd read, but not all. How would Edgar know the difference? Sir Emerik relished this moment of bliss as he looked up at Edgar.

”It won't do you any good, what that page says,” Sir Emerik said. ”It's useless.”

Edgar noticed that Sir Emerik's face seemed somehow askew with all of the missing hair on one side, and he had to stop himself from setting the other side on fire to even things up. The poor man looked terrible.

”I'll decide that for myself. What does the page say?”

Sir Emerik didn't like the fact that this child was bossing him around. Flame or no flame, he couldn't help looking at the boy with contempt. This was a mistake, for the moment he did so, Edgar set the other side of his head on fire.

When the bunny sack was again thrown over Sir Emerik's head and removed, and the acrid smoke had cleared, Sir Emerik looked symmetrical again, although there was a tuft of hair sticking up on top that Edgar was tempted to set ablaze.

Edgar held the flame under Sir Emerik's nose and asked once more if he would please just read the page. Exasperated and afraid, Sir Emerik finally relented.

”It says there is a second book of secret things in Atherton.”

Edgar wasn't sure how to take the news. It was awful knowing that even if such a book existed, he wouldn't be able to read it. He was forever having to rely on other people to get the information he needed.

”What else does it say? Does it say where the book is?”

”That's just it,” cried Sir Emerik with a sinister laugh, his fear overcome by a chance to dash the boy's hopes. ”The only way to find it is to go below, to the Flatlands. That's what the page says. How do you like that, Edgar?”

Sir Emerik was very pleased with himself because, to his knowledge, there was only one way to get down to the Flatlands: to climb. He could think of no better means to get rid of the boy than to send him on a quest that could end only in disaster. This foolhardy child would believe him and make a go of it, leaving only him-Sir Emerik-with the truth of what the page had actually revealed.

”I've told you what you wanted to know, however useless it may be. Now set me free, you little monster!”

But Edgar merely rose from his seat, took the page in his hand, and walked toward the door.

”You can't just leave me tied up like this, Edgar. You must let me go,” Sir Emerik insisted, still speaking in a condescending tone. It took all of Edgar's will not to return to the table and burn off the last of the man's hair. Instead, he dropped the torch into the fire, casually picked up the rest of the rabbit with the missing leg from the skiff, and departed without even a last glance at his captive.

He could hear Sir Emerik shouting with indignation when he got outside, where he was greeted by Maude and Briney.

”What did you do to that man? He sounds as though he's going to kill someone!”

”He's all right, just angry.” Edgar decided not to mention the burned hair. Instead, he held out the cooked rabbit. ”I know it's asking a lot, but could I have this to take with me?”

Briney waved his approval. ”Of course you can have the rabbit. But what did he tell you? Where are you going?”

There was no one else on Atherton who would even consider trying what he was about to do.

”I'm going down to the Flatlands.”

Maude and Briney both gasped at once.

”What in the world are you talking about?” said Maude. ”That's not possible!”

”I've already climbed up there,” said Edgar, pointing to the Highlands. ”Twice.”

”How could you have gotten all the way up there?”

Edgar shrugged. ”I'm a good climber. A very good climber.”

”Well, I should say so,” said Briney. He ran his fingers through his coa.r.s.e beard and gazed with stunned amazement at the cliffs and the boy before him.

”You've been very kind,” Edgar said with genuine grat.i.tude. ”But I really must go.”

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