The missing mortals, p.2
The Missing Mortals, page 2
EMMA SAT QUIETLY in the back seat of the car that was taking her up the mountainside toward Dinswood Academy. It had been nearly three months since she’d seen it. As the car drew closer to the castle, Emma sat forward and stared out the window so she would see it the moment it came into view. As eager as she was to see the castle, she was even more excited at the thought of seeing her friends again. Over the summer, she had missed them even more than she’d thought she would. Doug’s dad, Dean Harwood, had sent Reverend and Mrs. Palmer down to the airport to pick her up. They had been waiting for her when her plane had landed and had greeted her with a warm hug, making her feel loved in a way she hadn’t felt in a long time. After loading her luggage in the silver SUV they were driving, Emma and the Palmers had begun the journey up to the school.
Reverend Palmer conducted services in the school’s chapel each week and served as the counselor. His wife, Judy Palmer, was one of the academy’s foreign language teachers. During the ride up, Reverend Palmer asked Emma about her summer and filled her in on all that had transpired at the academy in the months she’d been away. With the treasure Lord Dinswood had generously donated to the school, construction of a new gymnasium had begun. The foundation had been dug, and the walls would be going up very soon, Reverend Palmer informed her. Emma was anxious to see for herself. The gym, complete with a weight room and indoor Olympic-size pool, would make it possible for the school to have team sports. It was the hope that this would attract more students to the academy despite its rather rigorous academic requirements.
The academy was unusual, not only because of its high academic standards, but also because of its unique approach. Students at the academy were not allowed to watch television or play video games. Instead, they were encouraged to use any spare time they might have in the pursuit of hobbies or getting some fresh air and exercise outdoors. Each semester, students were given the opportunity to receive instruction in the hobby of their choosing. Last year, Emma had learned to crochet.
Computers were available to the students but were to be used strictly for educational purposes. The school had no Internet access, so research had to be accomplished the old-fashioned way using books. To that end, the school’s enormous library was well stocked with the latest and most up-to-date reference materials. Emma’s two favorite rooms in the castle were the library and the lounge. Both rooms boasted a fireplace with large comfortable chairs scattered around, giving them a warm cozy feel.
Emma was just thinking that they must be getting close when they rounded a curve and Dinswood Academy came into view. Even though she’d seen it many times, it still took her breath away. The castle, a three-story structure of gray stone, stood proudly in the afternoon sun. The fountain, which was located directly across from the main entrance, was in full operation. An arc of water rose several feet high only to return to the earth as a mist that sparkled in the sun like a million diamonds.
The car was just pulling up in front of the castle when the large twin oak doors of the main entrance were thrust open, and out rushed Martha with Doug and Sebastian close behind. Last year, Emma had learned what a special person Martha was, and she had become more like a sister to Emma than a friend. When the car finally came to a stop, Emma couldn’t get out fast enough. Overjoyed at seeing her best friend again, Emma met Martha halfway up the stairs and threw her arms around her. Martha did likewise, and they both laughed out loud as they nearly fell down. Regaining their balance and after another quick hug, the two girls let go of one another, and in their excitement at being reunited, they both started talking at once.
“I’ve missed you!” Emma exclaimed.
“I was afraid your parents wouldn’t let you come,” Martha said at the same time.
“They didn’t want me to, but they couldn’t refuse the offer of free airfare,” Emma replied with a wry smile. Then she turned to greet Sebastian who had come to stand next to Martha and froze in surprise. Sebastian was at least two inches taller than when she had seen him last, and he had thinned down considerably. The plump boy she remembered was gone, and if it weren’t for the red hair and freckles, she wouldn’t have recognized him.
Noticing her reaction, Sebastian said with a sheepish grin, “I know I look different, but it really is me. I had a bit of a growth spurt this summer.”
“I should say so,” Emma said and looked at Martha to see what she thought of the new Sebastian. Martha gave her a smile that indicated she rather liked the taller slimmer version. Sebastian was growing into a handsome young man. Emma still preferred the dark good looks of Doug, but she could see how a girl could be attracted to Sebastian. Thinking of Doug, Emma now turned to say hello to him. All of a sudden, she felt nervous. It had been three months since she had spoken to Doug. Shyly, she looked up at him and saw that he was watching her with a big smile on his face.
Emma was just as beautiful as he remembered, maybe even more so. It was good to see her again. He wanted to tell her these things, but he lacked the courage, especially with Martha and Sebastian present. Instead, he said, “Hi, Emma. Welcome back.”
“It’s good to be back,” Emma replied with a smile of her own. Doug had changed a bit too. He seemed to have grown as well and was even more handsome, if that was possible.
“The gang’s all back together again,” Sebastian said happily.
“Yep,” Martha agreed. “What trouble can we get into this year?”
Speaking of trouble reminded Emma of the reason for their early reunion and prompted her to ask, “Do you guys know what Lord Dinswood wants us to help him with?”
It was Doug who answered her question. “No, he hasn’t told us anything yet. He wants us all to meet with him in his suite after supper. He said he’d fill us in on everything then.”
Emma looked at her watch. It was only three in the afternoon, so they had some time to kill before supper. That would give her a chance to get settled in. She and Martha would be sharing the same dorm room they’d had last year along with Clarice and Susie once school started again. At the end of school, they’d been allowed to pick their roommates for the upcoming year. The four girls got along well and had decided to share a suite again. Clarice could be a bit of a snob, but Emma had learned that she really didn’t mean anything by it. Susie idolized Clarice, and although she could be a little dim-witted at times, she really was very sweet. At least with Clarice and Susie, she and Martha knew what they were getting.
Reverend and Mrs. Palmer had told her they would have someone from the school’s custodial staff take her luggage up to her room just before they had dropped her off. With any luck, her bags were already in her room. As if reading her mind, Doug suggested, “Emma, why don’t you get unpacked, and then we can meet together in the lounge around four o’clock. I want to show you the progress that’s been made on the new gym. Do you think an hour will give you enough time?”
“That should be plenty of time,” Emma agreed. In truth, she could probably get unpacked in half that time. She didn’t really have that much to put away, but the extra time would give her and Martha a chance to talk and catch up. Emma wanted to get Martha’s reaction to the new Sebastian, and Martha still hadn’t told her about her Paris adventure. Agreeing to meet again in an hour, the four separated.
The girls’ dorm, Brimley Hall, was in the west wing of the castle. As she and Martha walked down the hall leading to the girls’ dorm, Emma realized how much she had missed the drafty old castle. It really felt good to be back at Dinswood Academy; it was as if she had come home again. The castle seemed strangely quiet without the hustle and bustle of the other students, and Emma realized that the four of them would have the castle practically to themselves for three whole weeks. When they passed the lounge, Emma noticed that the doors were open. Peeking inside, she could see that the portrait of Lord Dinswood had been moved from the library, where it had been mistakenly hung after the original renovations, to the lounge where it rightfully belonged. Looking at the picture of Lord Dinswood, Emma wondered yet again what the academy’s founder wanted with the four of them. Whatever it was, she had a sneaking suspicion that they were in for another great adventure.
An hour later, Emma stood in the back of the castle with Martha, Doug, and Sebastian looking at the foundation of the new gymnasium. Judging from the size of the foundation, it looked like the entire structure would be at least as long as one of the wings when it was completed. The castle and its two wings, which were the boys’ and girls’ dorms, formed three sides of a square. When completed, the gymnasium complex would form the fourth side. The greenhouse, which now looked tiny in comparison, would sit in the center of the square.
“When will the gym be finished?” Emma asked Doug.
“It probably won’t be finished until next year.”
As this was their eighth-grade year, Emma realized that they would all be freshmen then. The gym would be completed just in time for them to take part in high school sports. Emma knew that Doug had played basketball before coming to the academy, so he would probably want to be on the school’s basketball team. Emma didn’t know if Sebastian had taken part in any sports before coming to Dinswood or not, but she was fairly certain that if Doug played basketball, Sebastian would too. Martha had expressed an interest in volleyball, and Emma was hoping that the school would have a gymnastics team. Although she’d never had any training, she’d been told by Martha that she had a gift for it. Her incredible sense of balance had come in handy last spring when they were looking for the treasure.
Emma was brought back to the present by a sudden gust of wind. The sun, which had been shining brightly when she had arrived earlier, was now partially obscured by large white puffy cumulus clouds. The clouds were moving quickly across the sky as if fleeing from the wind. Emma looked to the southwest and saw a thick line of dark blue. A front was moving in, and it looked like they were in for some stormy weather.
Seeing the direction of her gaze, Sebastian said, “I didn’t know it was supposed to rain today.”
“It wasn’t supposed to start until later this evening,” Doug replied. “I heard the weather report on the radio earlier. They were calling for some fairly strong thunderstorms tonight.”
They continued to wander around the construction area for a while longer with Doug explaining the general layout. He showed them where the gym and girls’ and boys’ locker rooms would be. Emma couldn’t wait to have a real wood floor under her feet and a regular locker room to change in. Currently, the girls had to change in one of the restrooms on the first floor, and PE classes were held in the ballroom. Emma loved the ballroom but felt its marble floor was more conducive to dancing than to calisthenics.
Next, Doug showed them where the weight room and swimming pool would be. He explained that there would be additional locker rooms, complete with showers, adjacent to the pool area. He surprised them all with his next statement. “We’re going to have another room with all kinds of exercise equipment too. It’s going to be great. It’ll have tread mills, elliptical machines, exercise bikes, rowing machines, and a big area for aerobics.”
“What a great idea!” Emma said, clapping her hands excitedly.
“Miss Krum was the one who suggested the room for aerobics. She said she could use it for her PE classes.”
“Well, it will certainly beat jumping up and down on the ballroom’s marble floor,” Martha said, stating what Emma had been thinking a moment ago.
Just as Martha finished speaking, the sun, which had been peeking out intermittently, disappeared altogether. The puffy white clouds had given way to a solid gray mass. The tree branches began to sway violently, and the leaves made a loud rustling sound as the front approached.
“It looks like it could start raining any minute,” Sebastian commented.
“Yeah, we’d better get inside,” Doug agreed. Then looking at his watch, he added, “It’s almost time for supper anyway.”
“What time are we supposed to meet with Lord Dinswood?” Emma asked Doug as they made their way back to the castle.
“Around seven o’clock. He really didn’t give a specific time,” Doug answered and then cocked his head to listen. “We better make a run for it.”
Emma stopped for a second and could hear the rain coming. Martha and Sebastian heard it as well. After exchanging a look of astonishment with each other, they began to run toward the castle with Sebastian in the lead. They made it to the castle entrance just as the first drops of rain began to fall.
“Wow, we made it just in time.” Sebastian panted, slightly out of breath.
With one last wary look at the sky, Sebastian pulled open one of the two heavy oak doors that guarded the castle’s main entrance. He held the door open for the others and then let it close behind him with a loud thud. They’d only taken a few steps before the heavens opened up, and it began to pour, the rain beating against the castle windows as if desperate to get inside. Emma shivered at the thought and retreated further into the castle. The others must have been spooked as well because without comment they followed.
LATER THAT EVENING, Dean Harwood escorted them up to Lord Dinswood’s suite. The faculty residences were on the third floor, so they all crowded into the school’s only elevator. On the way up, Doug looked over at Emma. She knew he was recalling the last time they’d ridden in the elevator. It had been installed to give handicapped students access to the classrooms on the second floor, and the faculty used it to get to their apartments. Generally, it was off limits to students. But last year, after a frightening encounter, Doug and Emma had ridden it up to Dean Harwood’s suite. Doug and Emma were both standing in the back of the elevator, so no one noticed the look they exchanged. Emma was just beginning to feel a little claustrophobic in the small confines when the elevator came to a stop. Breathing a sigh of relief, she quickly followed the others as they exited the elevator. Dean Harwood led the way down the hall, and soon they were all standing in front of the rather ornate dark cherry wood door of Lord Dinswood’s suite. Dean Harwood knocked loudly on the door and was promptly instructed to enter.
When they got inside, they could barely discern the shadowy figure of Lord Dinswood sitting in a brown leather recliner in the far-right corner of the room. Although it was still early evening, the storm clouds effectively obscured the sun, and the meager light coming in through the large latticed window did little to dispel the gloom.
As Dean Harwood closed the door behind him, Lord Dinswood switched on a lamp, and Emma was able to get a better look at the room and its furnishings. In addition to the recliner, there was a good-sized couch with an end table on each side and an armchair opposite the recliner. A hurricane lamp sat on each end table. The floor consisted of tiles, but the area beneath the furniture was covered with a large rectangular rug woven in varying shades of beige and brown. All of the living room furniture was arranged in a semicircle facing a large stone fireplace. On the opposite side of the room, Emma noticed a small square dining table made of oak and a kitchenette complete with a refrigerator, stove, and microwave. Next to the kitchenette was a short hallway, which Emma assumed led to Lord Dinswood’s bedroom. The suite was small but cozy, and Emma liked its simplicity.
As Emma moved further into the room, she could hear the rain beating a steady tattoo against the panes of glass. A flash of lightning briefly lit the sky, confirming that the storms weren’t over just yet. A chill ran down Emma’s spine as she recalled their first trip to the bookstore in Windland last year. It had been storming then too, and it was the first time they had met Lord Dinswood; only he had introduced himself as Cal Thrabek then. He had seemed a bit creepy in the beginning, but later that same day he had come to their aid.
Emma was brought back to the present when Lord Dinswood asked them to take a seat. Dean Harwood sat in the armchair, and the youngsters all found spots on the couch. Emma took the end closest to Lord Dinswood, and Martha sat beside her. Sebastian ended up next to Martha, with Doug on the couch’s other end. After everyone was settled, Emma looked up at Lord Dinswood and gasped in surprise. Thanks to the light coming from the lamp on the table next to him, she could see him more clearly now. Even though it had only been three months since she’d seen him last, he looked at least ten years older. Shocked, Emma looked at the others to gauge their reactions. They were all looking at Lord Dinswood expectantly and seemed unaware of her surprise. Emma realized that, unlike her, this was probably not the first time they had seen him since their return to school. At any rate, she made a mental note to inquire about Lord Dinswood’s health at the first opportunity.
Emma forgot her worry a moment later when he began to speak. Although his body seemed frail, his voice sounded strong and vibrant, and the story he had to tell was both poignant and compelling.
“I’m sure you are all very curious to know why I’ve brought you here and what it is I want you to do. To answer those questions, I’ll need to take you back in time and tell you a story. Of course, it goes without saying that what I’m about to tell you must remain between us.” Lord Dinswood paused and looked at them in that penetrating way of his. Apparently satisfied with what he saw, he continued, “As you discovered last year, I am a descendant of the infamous pirate Bart the Blackheart. What you may not remember is that Blackheart’s real name was Darius Bartholomew Dinswood. Darius was a very successful pirate, and after amassing a great fortune, he retired from pirate life and set about the business of finding a proper wife. He was fortunate enough to come across a beautiful young woman named Rebecca McFarland. Rebecca was from a wealthy family in Ireland and was a devout Catholic. Along with the red hair and hot temper the Irish are known for, Rebecca had an adventurous spirit that made her a perfect match for Darius. Knowing nothing about his days as a pirate, Rebecca agreed to marry Darius, and shortly after their marriage, they left Ireland. They spent some time traveling before finally settling here. Darius quickly set about seeing to the construction of a magnificent castle for his bride.”
