Secret Breakers: The Power of Three by H. L. Dennis

Author:H. L. Dennis
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781444908381
Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books

Tusia leant back on her heels. ‘So, let me see if I’ve got this right,’ she said slowly. ‘We go back to the beginning, through all these books and texts, and this time we go looking for a scabbard, not a sword.’

Brodie tried to look encouraging.

‘And that will take us how long exactly?’ said Hunter, resting his elbow now on the statue’s head. ‘I hate to mention the old candle clock, but last time we looked there were only two sections left to burn.’

‘I know. I know,’ spluttered Brodie. ‘So we focus and we try to be systematic. And we take it one step at a time.’

‘But we should start with the Malory, though, don’t you think, as he was the one the world rejected and all that.’

Brodie nodded. ‘Yep. I think we start with Malory.’

Tusia leant down and scooped up the copy of the Morte d’Arthur by Thomas Malory which was beginning to look well thumbed around the edges.

Hunter reached forward and grabbed at the copy. ‘Let’s get looking.’ As he lifted his hand, a smudged, black, stamped design turned quickly from sight before the text of the story began.

Tusia looked aggrieved. ‘You do realise there are twenty-five chapters in Book One alone, and it’d be much better if we took about eight chapters each. For the sake of fairness, don’t you think?’ she added, as if aware she was being stared at.

‘Pardon?’

‘About eight each. An equal split.’

‘No. Not that. I mean, the twenty-five chapters. What d’you mean?’ Brodie said now, taking her turn to grab at the red leather volume and flick through the pages.

‘Didn’t you notice?’

‘Notice what?’ she said, the pages slapping the air.

‘Well, Malory’s work is arranged into what he calls “books”. Each book’s arranged into chapters and the first “book” of what Malory wrote’s got twenty-five chapters.’ She smiled. ‘Shape and space. My thing. Remember? How things are arranged.’

Brodie tried to take it in. As far as she was concerned Malory’s work was just a story. A long, complicated and wonderful story. It never seemed important to think about how it was set out. Suddenly, as if reading her mind, Hunter hurried forward. ‘Where’s the copy of the coded letter?’

Brodie scrabbled for the notes they’d made during Smithies’ session on the code. She knew her grin stretched from ear to ear. She jabbed the page with her finger. ‘You’re right, Hunter. You said the numbers weren’t dates, and they’re not. They’re references. Look.’

She traced her fingers across the capitalised words. ‘FIRST. TWENTY-FIFTH. First “book”. Twenty-fifth “chapter”. Well?’

Tusia had the copy of Malory and was turning the pages furiously. ‘Here. It’s here,’ she said, holding it out in front of her so the three of them could see more clearly. ‘Book One. Chapter Twenty-five.’

‘And?’ Brodie said, barely able to focus her eyes on the print in front of them. ‘What’s it about?’

Tusia read the title of the section slowly. ‘How Arthur by the mean of Merlin gat Excalibur his sword of the Lady of the Lake.’

‘And the scabbard.

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