Mirrorscape by Mike Wilks

Author:Mike Wilks
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
Publisher: Egmont

In the morning the men of the Fifth Mystery had gone. Mel ventured from the clock, dressed and made his way up to the studio. Without anyone to tell them what to do, the apprentices stood around idle. All of them that is except for Mel, who was ordered to continue scrubbing, and Ludo, who said he was ill. He had taken to his bed and refused to talk to anyone.

Soon the skylarking began as balls of paper were flung about the studio. This quickly escalated into dollops of paint. When this paint fight was in full sway, and Mel’s hopes of ever getting the floor clean were rapidly disappearing into infinity, Minch entered the studio, receiving a large glob of cadmium yellow full in the face. He wiped this from his eyes and pointed a fat finger at Mel. ‘You. To the mistress. Now!’ he ordered.

Mel followed the angry, paint-stained servant up to the top of the mansion. It’s the monkey. I know it’s the monkey. I’m going to be punished for what happened to Albinus.

Minch knocked on the door to the master’s private studio.

‘Yes?’

Minch opened the door and ushered Mel in before departing. The mistress was sitting in a large upholstered chair with Albinus in her lap and her lady-in-waiting standing at her side. She was dressed in much more sober clothes than the last time he had seen her and she looked less frivolous and more noble, almost a different woman. Mel noticed that the master’s canvas had its face turned to the wall.

‘Mistress, if it’s about Albinus, I’m really sorry,’ gushed Mel.

‘What? No, it’s not about that. In fact, now that I’ve got used to him, I really rather like it. My husband made me a gift of some more. They’ve become quite the rage among my friends.’ Turning to her companion she said, ‘Thank you, Gerta. That will be all. You may leave us now.’

When they were alone, the mistress sat studying the apprentice before she spoke. ‘My husband and Dirk Tot have been watching you for some time, Womper. They tell me that there’s more to you than meets the eye. Is that true?’

Mel did not know what to answer.

‘They even think that you might know a secret. A secret that you shouldn’t know.’

‘I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mistress.’

‘Close-lipped, I like that. Your circumspection does you credit.’

Mel waited.

‘My husband has vanished and I think that both you and I know where he might be.’

No reaction.

‘Let’s stop beating around the bush, shall we? Do you or don’t you know about the Mirrorscape?’

The mention of the word caught Mel off guard.

‘Ah, that’s better. I can see from your face that you do. Who else in this household knows?’

There was no point in pretending any more. Mel told her.

‘Well, my husband has gone into the Mirrorscape and has not returned. I believe he is being held there against his will. It can be no coincidence that as soon as he’s out of Vlam Spute and his men ransack our mansion and arrest our steward.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.