Darwen Arkwright and the Insidious Bleck by A. J. Hartley

Author:A. J. Hartley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2012-11-07T05:00:00+00:00

The next morning Rich still looked crestfallen and surly. Sumners had taken the night to think of a suitable punishment and had come up with something that hit Rich particularly hard. After breakfast, while the other students worked on their bows and arrows and then went on another jungle hike, Rich, Darwen, and Alex were to stay behind with Miss Martinez and help the cleaning staff.

“What’s the point of coming here if we’re not allowed to look around?” he sputtered to the others. When they didn’t respond, he added, with less anger and more sadness, “The hikes are the best part.”

Rich didn’t speak again until the rest of the students were in the motorboats, Nathan, Chip, and Barry waving and laughing as they pulled away. He didn’t even look up as a pair of white-faced capuchin monkeys started dropping half-eaten bits of fruit onto the roof of the tent.

“I hear you had a nocturnal visitor,” said Alex as Rich stomped off to start work.

“Mr. Jenkins,” said Darwen. “Or something like him.”

“Can’t have been,” said Alex. “We smashed the gate that led to their charming cottage. How could one of them be here?”

“Same way I was here, or hereabouts, weeks before ever getting on the plane,” said Darwen. “I came through a portal.”

They were sitting on the platform outside Alex’s tent.

“That particular monster finds a way through to this particular spot in the jungle and then finds your particular tent?” Alex replied. “It’s too much of a coincidence.”

“It’s not a coincidence at all,” said Darwen. “It’s all connected. The thing that once called itself Mr. Jenkins was looking for me. I’m sure of it.”

“I’m surprised it could fit in the tent with your giant ego.”

“I’m not saying I’m special,” said Darwen. “I’m just . . . I don’t know. Involved. Central to this whole Silbrica thing.”

“So long as you’re not saying you’re special,” said Alex wryly.

“It’s because of what I saw that we’re here at all,” said Darwen.

“So the rest of us are what? Your sidekicks? Your helpers?”

“You remember the Halloween Hop, Alex?” said Darwen, suddenly fierce. “I didn’t want to go. I wanted to sit in my room. You made me go because you thought I was important. I was the mirroculist. I still am. That makes me special. I didn’t ask to be. I’m not even sure I want to be. But I am. That’s all there is to it.”

Alex considered him for a long moment, then nodded seriously. “Okay,” she said, looking up toward the dining shelter. “Miss Martinez is coming. Better get your stuff together, Captain Special, you’ve got some scrubbing to do. Too bad being a mirroculist doesn’t get you out of cleaning.”

Darwen glowered at her, but she grinned, and eventually he did too.

“There you are,” said Miss Martinez. “Come on, there’s work to be done. Mr. Haggerty is helping Señor Torres bring the supplies up from the beach to the kitchen. Miss O’Connor, you can help Juanita replace the bed linens in the tents. Mr. Arkwright, you have to go to the village and apologize for the confusion you caused last night.

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