Charlie Bone and the Time Twister (Children of the Red King, Book 2) by Jenny Nimmo
Authors: Jenny Nimmo
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Charlie, reaching for a slice of cake.
"This is a great meal, Mrs. Jones," Benjamin said quickly.
"It's all right," said Maisie. "My lips are sealed, certainly where your other grandma is concerned."
The two boys managed to finish their tea in peace, and then went up to Charlie's room. Runner Bean came bounding after them. Grandma Bone had been so angry she'd forgotten to remind Charlie that dogs weren't allowed in bedrooms.
When Benjamin had helped Charlie unpack his bag, the boys sat on the bed while Runner squeezed in behind them. Charlie told Benjamin of the plan to visit the Thunder House. He wondered if Benjamin's mom would take them up there.
Benjamin shook his head. "Mom's working on an important case at the moment. A really gruesome murder. She'll be out till late on Saturday So will Dad."
Benjamin's parents were private detectives. They worked very odd hours and Benjamin often had to cook his own meals.
"I thought your mom promised to stay home a bit more often," said Charlie.
"She has," said Benjamin. "She's been at home all week, but then yesterday this case came up and it was so interesting, she just couldn't refuse it."
" Hm. I'll have to think of someone else then," said Charlie. "There's always Uncle Paton."
"But he wouldn't take us till it was dark, would he?" said Benjamin. "I don't like going up to the Heights in the dark. Especially to a place where you might get struck by lightning or something."
Charlie had to agree. Still it was worth a chance. When Benjamin had gone home, Charlie knocked on his uncle's door.
There was no answer. Charlie wondered if his uncle had gone out. It was now very dark. At that moment, his mother came in and Charlie ran down to greet her. She'd brought a bag of moldy eggplants home with her.
Maisie was very pleased. "They're only half moldy,” she said, spreading the eggplants across the kitchen table. "We'll make a nice ratathingy."
Charlie hoped she didn't mean anything with rats in it. With Maisie anything was possible. He decided he'd rather not know "Have you seen Uncle Paton lately?" he asked.
"Very little," said his mom. "Poor Uncle Paton. He was getting very fond of Julia Ingledew ; and now she has no time for him at all. She spends the whole week preparing for Emma to come home, and then devotes her entire weekend to the girl. They visit museums and castles and talk a great deal about books, apparently. She's shut poor Paton out altogether."
"That's tough," said Charlie. "So he's in right now.”
Charlie went upstairs and tapped on his uncle's door again.
"What?" said an angry voice.
Charlie opened the door and looked in. The mess in his uncle's room was even worse than usual. There was also a very bad smell. Perhaps Paton had hidden a few unfinished meals under his bed.
"Can I talk to you?" asked Charlie meekly.
"If you must," murmured Paton. He was studying a book and didn't look up.
When he'd managed to reach Paton's desk without knocking anything over, Charlie said, "I've met that boy. The one in the photo. Your dad's brother."
"What?" Paton's head shot up. "Tell me more."
Charlie told him about the Time Twister and Henry's strange arrival. When he began to describe his part in the freezer experiment, however, Paton roared, "You did what?"
"He wanted to go back," said Charlie, "and I had to help him."
"You stupid, stupid boy" thundered his uncle. "People can't go back. You can't change history Think about it! When my father was five years old, he lost his brother. It changed his life. He became an only child, grew up as an only child. All his memories are of being an only one. You can't change that now can you?"
"No," Charlie said quickly "I'm sorry"
His uncle hadn't finished. "Henry's parents mourned him, just as they mourned poor little Daphne. James was their only child and, as a result, he was probably spoiled. His father died and his mother left everything to him, including her lovely cottage by the sea. You can't change that, can
"This is a great meal, Mrs. Jones," Benjamin said quickly.
"It's all right," said Maisie. "My lips are sealed, certainly where your other grandma is concerned."
The two boys managed to finish their tea in peace, and then went up to Charlie's room. Runner Bean came bounding after them. Grandma Bone had been so angry she'd forgotten to remind Charlie that dogs weren't allowed in bedrooms.
When Benjamin had helped Charlie unpack his bag, the boys sat on the bed while Runner squeezed in behind them. Charlie told Benjamin of the plan to visit the Thunder House. He wondered if Benjamin's mom would take them up there.
Benjamin shook his head. "Mom's working on an important case at the moment. A really gruesome murder. She'll be out till late on Saturday So will Dad."
Benjamin's parents were private detectives. They worked very odd hours and Benjamin often had to cook his own meals.
"I thought your mom promised to stay home a bit more often," said Charlie.
"She has," said Benjamin. "She's been at home all week, but then yesterday this case came up and it was so interesting, she just couldn't refuse it."
" Hm. I'll have to think of someone else then," said Charlie. "There's always Uncle Paton."
"But he wouldn't take us till it was dark, would he?" said Benjamin. "I don't like going up to the Heights in the dark. Especially to a place where you might get struck by lightning or something."
Charlie had to agree. Still it was worth a chance. When Benjamin had gone home, Charlie knocked on his uncle's door.
There was no answer. Charlie wondered if his uncle had gone out. It was now very dark. At that moment, his mother came in and Charlie ran down to greet her. She'd brought a bag of moldy eggplants home with her.
Maisie was very pleased. "They're only half moldy,” she said, spreading the eggplants across the kitchen table. "We'll make a nice ratathingy."
Charlie hoped she didn't mean anything with rats in it. With Maisie anything was possible. He decided he'd rather not know "Have you seen Uncle Paton lately?" he asked.
"Very little," said his mom. "Poor Uncle Paton. He was getting very fond of Julia Ingledew ; and now she has no time for him at all. She spends the whole week preparing for Emma to come home, and then devotes her entire weekend to the girl. They visit museums and castles and talk a great deal about books, apparently. She's shut poor Paton out altogether."
"That's tough," said Charlie. "So he's in right now.”
Charlie went upstairs and tapped on his uncle's door again.
"What?" said an angry voice.
Charlie opened the door and looked in. The mess in his uncle's room was even worse than usual. There was also a very bad smell. Perhaps Paton had hidden a few unfinished meals under his bed.
"Can I talk to you?" asked Charlie meekly.
"If you must," murmured Paton. He was studying a book and didn't look up.
When he'd managed to reach Paton's desk without knocking anything over, Charlie said, "I've met that boy. The one in the photo. Your dad's brother."
"What?" Paton's head shot up. "Tell me more."
Charlie told him about the Time Twister and Henry's strange arrival. When he began to describe his part in the freezer experiment, however, Paton roared, "You did what?"
"He wanted to go back," said Charlie, "and I had to help him."
"You stupid, stupid boy" thundered his uncle. "People can't go back. You can't change history Think about it! When my father was five years old, he lost his brother. It changed his life. He became an only child, grew up as an only child. All his memories are of being an only one. You can't change that now can you?"
"No," Charlie said quickly "I'm sorry"
His uncle hadn't finished. "Henry's parents mourned him, just as they mourned poor little Daphne. James was their only child and, as a result, he was probably spoiled. His father died and his mother left everything to him, including her lovely cottage by the sea. You can't change that, can
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