Chapter 30

Thursday, February 6, 1936

Royalton

 

The drive to Royalton had taken over three hours. Bao and Evvie had decided to ride inside the automobile, so they could chat with Grandmother and Mel.

They arrived at Twinings Square and the headquarters of the Royal Society of Etherists, or the RSE, a bit after noon. Grandmother intended to use this group to help in the hunt for Johnny and Nina. She informed Bao that she was a “past president” of the RSE, whatever that meant. Grandmother and Mel planned to spread the plea for help far and wide. Through the RSE, they could reach out to hundreds of specters, rather than just dozens.

But that meant that Grandmother and Mel would be busy for most of the afternoon. Evvie, who had come along expressly to go look at the house he had grown up in, asked Bao if she wanted to accompany him. Grandmother said yes, Bao could go. Just so long as they both were back by four o’clock in the afternoon.

Not having Grandmother or Mel along meant that if Evvie—whose actual name was Edward Arthur Fotheringay Samuel Hastings—should encounter any members of his family, well, there would be no communication. Not unless someone in the house could see ghosts.

Bao and Evvie floated out of the RSE headquarters and into Twinings Square, which contained a little park full of garden beds and some kind of statue of a warrior on a horse. It was a foggy day, and a light drizzle was coming down.

“All right now, old girl,” Evvie said, as they hovered over the busy street, “we go off this way.” And he pointed to the left. “Hope my sense of direction has survived after twenty-five years in the jungle.”

There was a time when Bao wondered why her friend called her “old girl.” She was, after all, just a little girl who hadn’t lived very long. But, as Evvie pointed out, she was also a girl who had lived, as far as they could tell, many, many centuries ago. And that would make her either a “very old young girl” or a “very young old girl.” In either case, “old girl” seemed perfectly proper. In fact, Bao had grown proud of the nickname.

They soared up this street and down that avenue, making a number of turns. Evvie seemed to know exactly where to go.

Bao had never seen more people—both living and dead—in one place in her life. The living were jammed together down on the street, bustling along on the sidewalks, through the fog and rain. All kinds of people, of all ages and all colors. Many of them carried umbrellas and huddled against the damp and cold.

The ghosts were equally diverse. Some were friendly and waved at the two visiting wraiths. Many along the way seemed gloomy and indifferent—a common condition for ghosts. A few were even hostile, making rude gestures and shouting curses.

Finally, after a half hour of zooming along over the tops of what Evvie called “double-decker omnibuses,” the two of them turned onto a short, dead-end street off a main road. Evvie said it was called Marcelline Place. There were several tall brick houses on it, sitting snugly next to each other.

Through the haze of the fog, Bao could see lights glowing warmly in many of the windows. The homes looked cozy and welcoming. The sight of them made her nostalgic for the fires of her home village. For the laughing and talking and joking that went on around those ancient flames. For her own family.

“These were our city digs,” Evvie said, pointing to the biggest of the houses. “We had two country homes, too. But we lived here mostly. Father had his duties in the House of Lords, you know.”

Bao nodded earnestly. She did indeed know. Evvie had told her many stories about his young years, and how he had become Lord Hurley at the tender age of fifteen. When he died, only one year later, his younger brother would have become Lord Hurley of Evansham.

Evvie hovered before the house, as if he hadn’t quite decided to enter it.

“What’s wrong, Evvie?” asked Bao.

“A little nervous is all. First time home in a quarter century.”

“But maybe no one will even be able to see us.”

Evvie nodded, but he still didn’t move. Finally, he spoke.

“I’m worried that everyone is going to be heartbroken about my nephew’s abduction. I’m not sure if I want to see them that way.”

Bao understood but didn’t know what to say.

At last, Evvie shrugged. “Well, nothing for it, old girl, but to pop in and have a look about. Come along, Bao.”

And in they flew through the front brick wall.

The place was much more modest than Wickenham—the furniture plainer, the artwork less striking. But it looked like people really lived there, with knitting left on a sofa and a book open on the arm of a chair.

All of a sudden, footsteps clattered in a hallway. A young woman in a black uniform appeared in the room where Evvie and Bao were hovering. Evvie waved and said hello, but the woman couldn’t see them.

“You know, Bao,” he said, “I’m not certain any of my family even lives here anymore. They could have sold the old place after I died.”

Bao noticed that Evvie’s face looked a bit forlorn when he said that. But then it brightened up again.

“Guess we might as well go upstairs and find my old room.”

They floated up the narrow staircase at the side of the front foyer. Bao followed Evvie to the third room down the hall on their left.

“Oh, look!” Evvie beamed as he saw the ragged sign on the door. “It says, ‘The Lair of Basil Hastings. Enter at Your Own Peril.’ So the family still does live here.”

“Is Basil your brother?” Bao asked.

“No. I think he’s my nephew. Perhaps the one who got himself abducted.”

They went into the room and looked around. There were books galore, sporting equipment, posters on the walls, tiny aeroboats hanging from the ceiling, and a glass box filled with water and populated by colorful little fishes.

“The bed’s neatly made up,” Evvie observed. “The place is unusually tidy for a boy’s room. Doesn’t look like anyone is in residence at the moment. Makes sense, since Basil is almost certainly off at school. But I wonder why no one else is around.”

He pondered briefly, then said, “Aha! It’s about teatime for the Hastings family, I’d guess. And anyone who’s home would be down in the conservatory.”

Evvie led Bao down the stairs and out to a room at the back of the house. It had glass windows all around. Green, luxuriant plants crowded it. The space reminded Bao of the jungle at the bottom of her mountain.

In the middle of the large room was a small, glass-topped table. Around it sat a man, a woman, and a very old, white-haired lady in a chair with wheels.

“Ahemmm.” Evvie cleared his throat loudly.

There was no reaction.

He floated down for a closer look, right into the middle of the table. He studied the man closely, from inches away.

“My good heavens,” Evvie finally said, shaking his head. “I don’t believe it. It’s Roger. My little brother Roger. Lord Hurley. But he’s gotten fat and bald and old. He used to be skinny as a stick and capered about like a monkey.”

He stared a moment more, then twisted round to look at the younger woman.

“Don’t know her, Bao,” he said. “His wife, I suppose.”

As Evvie turned his gaze to the old lady, she suddenly spoke.

“So we have no word at all of Basil,” she said, her voice fluttering with emotion and age. “Taken from St. Egbert’s over two weeks ago. No sign of him. When we lost your brother, our dear Edward…”

Evvie let out a choking sob and zoomed back up to Bao.

“I know that voice,” he panted. “It’s Mother. What’s happened to her? What’s happened to her?”

“She’s alive, Evvie,” Bao gently answered. “She got old. That’s what happened to her.”

Evvie nodded despondently.

Down below, Roger Hastings—the current Lord Hurley—glared at the old lady. “Just because Edward never came back from his dratted jungle expedition, it doesn’t mean Basil won’t be coming home. We’re not giving up hope.”

“The authorities are doing everything they can, Mother,” the younger woman said—her voice also trembling. “They’re searching high and low through MacFreithshire. All we can do is wait and pray. He’ll be safe, I’m sure of it.”

“This is terrible,” Evvie muttered. “My nephew has been abducted. My brother and my mother have become old. So old! And there’s nothing I can do for them.”

“But at least you got to see your mother again,” Bao replied sadly. “I wish I could be in the same room with my mother.”

Evvie gave her a sympathetic look. “You know, old girl, you’re quite right.”

And quick as a wink, he zoomed down close to his mother and gave her a kiss.

The old lady put her hand up to her cheek and gasped.

“What is it, Mother?” her younger son asked. “Are you all right?”

“The oddest thing, Roger,” she said with a look of bemusement. “It felt like a butterfly just kissed me.”