Isaac Newton’s parlor was spacious, with a grand fireplace, elaborate furnishings, and all manner of artwork. It was also full of people. Oliver and his friends had seemingly interrupted him in the middle of some kind of soiree.
The man himself looked just like he did in the history books. Long wavy white hair. Sharp pointed nose. A little dent in his chin. He was wearing a long silky brown jacket and white socks that came up to his knees. Oliver was in utter awe at the sight of him.
“Come in, come in,” Newton said. He gestured to a table where different types of teapots were laid out. “Teas from China. Please, let me pour you something.”
Oliver shook his head. “Oh no, we’re not here for tea, we—”
Newton interrupted. “Have you ever tried banana?” He offered them a silver platter upon which lay some small, bruised bananas, elegantly presented as if they were the most incredible things in the world. “They’ve started shipping them in from Asia. It has a rather sweet taste. Quite the treat.”
Oliver shook his head again. There wasn’t time for tea and bananas, not when the school was in danger!
But Newton seemed in no hurry at all. He was in an exuberant mood by the looks of things, dashing about the place, disappearing amongst the groups of men and clouds of smoke.
Oliver remembered how he’d read about Isaac Newton’s return to London after years back home writing his textbook. It was an exciting time for him, one where he was growing more and more distinguished, moving in greater circles, revered among some of the greatest minds in the world. This was his heyday, right before his breakdown. No wonder he seemed so skittish.
“Where’d he go?” Esther asked, drawing closer to Oliver.
“There, by the hearth,” Ralph said, pointing.
Newton waved, beckoning them over. “These are two of my closest friends.”
The men stood from the plush couch and shook hands with Oliver, Ralph, and Esther as Newton introduced them.
“John Locke, a fabulous philosopher. And this is Nicolas Fatio de Duillier. He’s come all the way from Switzerland. He’s a…”
“…mathematician,” Oliver finished in a stunned whisper.
He’d heard of the man from his inventors book and it was shocking to be standing in front of him. He was awestruck.
“You invented the mechanical watch,” Oliver said to Nicolas Fatio de Duillier. “Or at least, you will soon.”
Nicolas Fatio de Duillier seemed very surprised.
Newton frowned. “How would a young boy know that?” Then he clicked his fingers as if it had dawned on him. “Of course. You’re seers. Time travelers. You must know everything about us already.”
It was strange to hear Newton mention seers and time travel as if it were common knowledge. But he knew it was Professor Amethyst’s doing, that the headmaster only ever selected the most brilliant human minds to learn about seers; Armando, Oliver’s own guide, and clearly Newton. Most other humans’ minds would explode with such knowledge but not great inventors like them.
It was still strange to discover that Newton, a man he’d learned about at school, actually possessed knowledge about seers. Oliver exchanged a glance with his friends. This was just too surreal.
“Tell me…” Newton said. “Do I discover anything else groundbreaking in my lifetime?” Then he shook his head hurriedly. “No, no. Don’t spoil it! I ought not know.”
“Is he all right?” Esther said under her breath.
Oliver couldn’t blame her. Newton did seem a bit odd. But considering the things he’d discovered, he could be forgiven. It had to take a very unique mind to work out the things he had.
“Are you staying long?” Newton asked. “There’s a cockfight on tonight. We could go and watch it in the town square.”
“And bear-baiting!” Locke called out.
Oliver shook his head. “No. Um. I don’t think we have time for… sports.”
Fatio de Duillier spoke next, in a strong European accent. “A youth of finer tastes, perhaps. Maybe we should frequent the theatre tonight? There is a play on I’ve heard rumored is starring a female actor. Or should I say actor-ress? Either way, it is quite groundbreaking. I for one would like to see how the little darling gets along.”
Esther pulled a face. Oliver flashed her an apologetic look.
Ralph sniffed. “What is that smell?” he said under his breath.
“Deodorant doesn’t exist in the 1600s,” Oliver explained quietly.
Esther grimaced. “You mean to say they’ve invented a telescope that can see the stars but they haven’t realized the benefits of bathing?” she whispered.
Oliver shrugged.
“So Professor Amethyst sent you,” Newton said then. “I suppose it’s for some invention or other? He’s always sending students back in time to see me during times of mild peril.”
He chuckled.
“It’s more than mild peril,” Oliver tried to say, but Newton was already leaving the parlor, his back to Oliver. Oliver hop skipped to catch up with him. The others followed.
“Excuse me,” Oliver said. “Master Newton.”
But the inventor was striding through the corridor rather quickly, paying him no attention. The three exchanged a look and increased their pace to catch up to him.
He disappeared through a door. When they entered after him, Oliver gasped with surprise.
They’d entered a laboratory. On the shelves were several freshly printed copies of Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica, Newton’s infamous text that would go on to become the defining text on physics for centuries to come. There were also several blackboards at one end of the wall, covered in formulas, one of which, Oliver recognized, was Newton’s formula of gravitation.
But those were not the things that surprised Oliver. What surprised Oliver were the clearly magical elements of Newton’s laboratory.
On the large table in the middle was a series of beakers and tubes, with small flames beneath them. The machine chugged and whirred. Newton appeared to have set up some kind of experiment working with different metal alloys, heating them and cooling them. He’d never read anything about Newton working with metals.
“What is that for?” Oliver asked, shocked.
“Ah yes,” Newton said. “This is my newest pursuit. Alchemy.”
Oliver gasped. He knew that alchemy was akin to magic. Those who studied it were usually trying to change one metal into another—iron to gold, for example. He’d had no idea Newton was interested in it.
“I’m attempting to discover the elixir of life,” Newton said. “Of immortality. Most of the men here tonight are part of my Alchemists Guild. Say… you’ll know. Do I succeed or not?”
Oliver shrugged. “I’m not sure, to be honest. If you do succeed, it’s not something that’s ever talked about.”
Newton tapped him chin. “Interesting. Perhaps I keep my findings to myself. Or perhaps my theory of gravity is considered more important.”
He hurried onward, spinning globes that hung from the ceiling as he passed.
“I’ve recently concluded that the earth is an oblate spheroid,” he announced.
Esther raised her eyebrows. “You mean that the world is round?”
Newton’s eyes sparked. “Why yes! She’s rather clever for a pretty thing.”
Esther pulled her unimpressed expression again. She folded her arms. “I heard the church isn’t very happy with you.”
Newton seemed to deflate then. “My theories aren’t accepted by everyone. But all I am doing with my work is attempting to understand God’s creation. For now, I’m making some great headway with my alchemy. Here, this is the recipe for sophick mercury.”
Oliver looked over his shoulder at the stack of papers Newton was showing him. He was stunned. There must have been more than a million words there—words Oliver knew would never be published. He wondered why Newton’s extensive work on alchemy never saw the light of day. Because of what he’d discovered? Or because he’d discovered nothing?
“See, I’m studying these ancient texts,” Newton said, “in relation to exploring the nature of matter.” He indicated the experiment set up on the table. “By repeatedly distilling mercury and heating it with gold, I’ve created this alloy. Look at its delicate branches. Just like a tree. The metal comes alive.”
Oliver found this all very fascinating. Perhaps there was something here in this laboratory that Newton was studying that would help them in their search for the Orb? Something that bordered the realms of science and magic? There had to have been a specific reason why Professor Amethyst wanted them to find Newton in the first place. In fact, Ralph had paraphrased his words as, “There’s only one person in the universe who can help.”
“Sir, Professor Amethyst sent us here for your help,” Oliver explained. “The power source for our school has been stolen. If it’s not returned within twenty-four hours the school will collapse.”
Newton gasped. “And Professor Amethyst thought I could help?”
He looked troubled and paced over to the window, where strong shards of light came through. In front of it was a strange object; a long brass pole with piece of oddly shaped glass affixed to it. Absentmindedly, he spun the glass. Suddenly, the colors of the rainbow sprayed out in different directions across the room. It was beautiful. Everyone gasped.
“What’s that?” Ralph asked.
“My newest invention,” Newton explained. “I refer to it as optics. By using the concept of alchemy, of breaking down a material into its component parts, I’ve discovered that color is actually a property of light. I’ve made many of these things”—he pointed at the glass—“in different shapes and sizes to see whether there are differing properties depending on which. There, that prism on the table is one.”
Oliver went over and angled the glass prism so it picked up the light. At once more rainbow colors came from it, spraying across the table.
“Is this one too?” Esther asked.
She was holding up a spyglass.
“Yes.” Newton shook his head. “But that one never worked.”
Esther held it up to her eye. “It works for me.”
Newton’s eyes boggled. “What do you mean? What can you see?”
He was suddenly very animated and hurried toward her.
“Rainbows,” Esther said. “All over the place.”
She handed it to Newton. He looked through the glass. But his shoulders slumped with disappointment. “You’re mistaken. It still does not work. This one is a failure.”
“I’m not mistaken,” Esther contested. “I know what I saw. Here, give it to me.”
Newton passed it to her and she looked through again. “Yes. There are definitely rainbows.”
“Let me have a go,” Oliver said.
She handed it to him. He looked through. Sure enough, Newton’s laboratory was suddenly covered in rainbow lights.
“She’s right,” he said. “It works. For us, anyway.”
Ralph came over and looked through the spyglass. He nodded in confirmation. All three seers could see through the glass.
“I think you’ve invented a piece of seer technology, Master Newton,” Oliver said, grinning.
“Perhaps this was what Professor Amethyst sent us for?” Esther suggested. “Something through which only seers can see?”
Newton clicked his fingers suddenly, as if a moment of inspiration had come to him. “The shrouded school.”
Oliver frowned and exchanged a look with his friends. “The what?”
“The shrouded school!” Newton repeated. “A rumored place of magic, right here in London. I and the rest of the alchemy society have been trying to follow leads to find it, with no such luck. It is said to be hidden just out of sight of the human eye.”
Oliver’s eyes widened. “Do you think this might lead us to it? Perhaps we can see the school through it?”
Oliver ran to the window, suddenly excited. This could be it!
He held the glass up to the window and peered through. All manner of colors now bathed the streets. It was an amazing sight.
“There!” Oliver cried. “On the horizon! I see something shimmering.”
The others ran over. They each took it in turns to look through the glass, inspecting the strange glow in the distance.
“Whatever that is,” Ralph said, “it’s definitely magical.”
Hope blossomed in Oliver’s chest. “Do you think it might help us locate the Orb of Kandra?”
“Yes, perhaps,” Ralph agreed. “Or perhaps if we find the shrouded school there’ll be people there who can help.”
“We should investigate,” Esther suggested. “It’s our best lead so far.”
Oliver nodded his agreement.
“Take me with you,” Newton said. “If it is the shrouded school, I want to see it.”
Oliver chewed his lip, suddenly worried. If the school was shrouded from human eyes, then it must be for a good reason. And if Newton couldn’t even use the spyglass he’d invented, there had to be an even better reason!
“Let’s go first, just the three of us,” Oliver explained. “Then we can come back and tell you if we found the school or not. Besides, you’re busy entertaining, aren’t you?”
Newton pouted a little. “You’re right. But you will come back, won’t you? And tell me what you found?”
“Of course,” Oliver exclaimed. He held up the spyglass. “We have to anyway, to return this.”
Newton nodded, though he seemed disappointed he was not able to join them in locating the school. He led them out into the corridor, passing them to the care of his butler.
“It was wonderful to meet you all,” Newton said. “Do come back some time when you’re not on a perilous quest. You never got to try the banana.”
The group walked to the door.
“We will,” Oliver promised Newton. “You have my word. Just as soon as we’ve saved the school.”
“Good luck!” Newton said.