Jenny Nimmo - Charlie Bone and the Time Twister

For Ianto, who likes to travel, with love .

First published in Great Britain 2003 by Egmont UK Limited

This edition published 2010

by Egmont UK Limited

239 Kensington High Street

London W8 6SA

Text copyright © 2003 Jenny Nimmo

The moral rights of the author have been asserted

ISBN 978 1 4052 2544 1

eBook ISBN 978 1 7803 1203 3

10

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library

Printed and bound in Great Britain by the CPI Group

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher and copyright owner.

Egmont is passionate about helping to preserve the world’s remaining ancient forests. We only use paper from legal and sustainable forest sources, so we know where every single tree comes from that goes into every paper that makes up every book.

This book is made from paper certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC), an organisation dedicated to promoting responsible management of forest resources. For more information on the FSC, please visit www.fsc.org. To learn more about Egmont’s sustainable paper policy, please visit www.egmont.co.uk/ethical.

Contents

Cover

Books by Jenny Nimmo Books by Jenny Nimmo

Title page

Copyright For Ianto, who likes to travel, with love . First published in Great Britain 2003 by Egmont UK Limited This edition published 2010 by Egmont UK Limited 239 Kensington High Street London W8 6SA Text copyright © 2003 Jenny Nimmo The moral rights of the author have been asserted ISBN 978 1 4052 2544 1 eBook ISBN 978 1 7803 1203 3 10 A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library Printed and bound in Great Britain by the CPI Group All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher and copyright owner. Egmont is passionate about helping to preserve the world’s remaining ancient forests. We only use paper from legal and sustainable forest sources, so we know where every single tree comes from that goes into every paper that makes up every book. This book is made from paper certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC), an organisation dedicated to promoting responsible management of forest resources. For more information on the FSC, please visit www.fsc.org . To learn more about Egmont’s sustainable paper policy, please visit www.egmont.co.uk/ethical .

The endowed The endowed The endowed are all descended from the ten children of the Red King; a magician-king who left Africa in the twelfth century, accompanied by three leopards. The Red King had already lived for several centuries and he made a marvellous glass sphere, putting into it memories of his life and travels through the world. He used the sphere to twist through time, visiting the past and the future. In any other hands, the Time Twister is dangerous and unpredictable. The children of the Red King, called the Endowed. Manfred Bloor Head boy of Bloor’s Academy. A hypnotiser. He is descended from Borlath, eldest son of the Red King. Borlath was a brutal and sadistic tyrant. Asa Pike A were-beast. He is descended from a tribe who lived in the Northern forests and kept strange beasts. Asa can change shape at dusk. Billy Raven Billy can communicate with animals. One of his ancestors conversed with ravens that sat on a gibbet where dead men hung. For this talent he was banished from his village. Zelda Dobinski Descended from a long line of Polish magicians. Zelda is telekenetic. She can move objects with her mind. Beth Strong Beth is also telekenetic. She comes from a family of circus performers. Lysander Sage Descended from an African wise man. He can call up his spirit ancestors. Tancred Torsson A storm-bringer. His Scandinavian ancestor was named after the thunder god, Thor. Tancred can bring rain, wind, thunder and lightning. Gabriel Silk Gabriel can feel scenes and emotions through the clothes of others. He comes from a line of psychics. Emma Tolly Emma can fly. Her surname derives from the Spanish swordsman from Toledo, whose daughter married the Red King. He is therefore an ancestor to all the endowed children. Charlie Bone Charlie can hear the voices of people in photographs and paintings. He is descended from the Yewbeams, a family with many magical endowments. Bindi and Dorcas Two endowed girls whose gifts are, as yet, undeveloped.

1 A game of marbles

2 Grandma slams a door

3 A tree falls

4 Hiding Henry

5 Olivia makes a mess

6 Into the freezer

7 The black glove

8 You can’t go back!

9 Thunder House

10 Skarpo the sorcerer

11 The Pets’ Café

12 ‘Take him to the dungeons!’

13 Ezekiel’s visitors

14 Run over!

15 The tollroc

16 The wand

17 Tancred and the tree

18 Ambushed!

19 The Time Twister

20 A journey to the sea

21 Paton has a party

The endowed

The endowed are all descended from the ten children of the Red King; a magician-king who left Africa in the twelfth century, accompanied by three leopards.

The Red King had already lived for several centuries and he made a marvellous glass sphere, putting into it memories of his life and travels through the world. He used the sphere to twist through time, visiting the past and the future.

In any other hands, the Time Twister is dangerous and unpredictable.

The children of the Red King, called the Endowed.

A game of marbles