The Strange Round Bird: Or the Poet, the King, and the Mysterious Men in Black by Eden Unger Bowditch

Author:Eden Unger Bowditch
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bancroft Press

Faye felt like screaming. They had been waiting for two hours on those stairs when an impossibly idiotic brother in black came back to say that Noah had left via a back door. His footprints, said the brother, were in the dust. That made her want to throttle Noah. He had left them sitting there, worried and waiting all this time, and went out the back door? He didn’t think to tell them?

Faye brushed away the disloyal tears that fell despite her demand that they stay put. Jasper took her tear-moistened hand.

“I’m worried, too, Faye,” he said, helping her up from the cold stairwell. They followed the brother in black down into the throngs of people. Noah could be anywhere, and no one was with him to keep him safe.

Faye looked around as they ran down one alley, then another. It was the middle of the night but the place was alive with people. How would they ever find Noah? she thought.

She and Jasper stopped to catch a breath. They looked around, hoping to catch Noah’s face in the crowd.

“Look!” Jasper was pointing.

She saw it, too. They were nearly standing right outside.

“Katuum EtHabib.” Faye felt a small tinge of relief as they entered the shop. It was something familiar in a sea of strange. “Sir Edward?”

“Yes?” said Sir Edward, looking decidedly anxious. He was wringing his hands when he shuffled out from behind the shelves. He looked somewhat relieved when he saw Faye. “You are here. But he’s already gone and I fear I’ve done something I shouldn’t have and didn’t get a chance to do something I must.”

Faye knew she was tired but now everyone seemed to be sounding like Lucy. “Sorry?”

“Noah,” said Sir Edward. “He ran off before I could tell him.”

“Tell him what?” asked Jasper.

“About the poet,” said Sir Edward, nervously adjusting his glasses.

“About the poet?” asked Faye. “Muhabi?”

“Yes, yes,” said Sir Edward, now patting his pockets and searching on his desk. “I fear that Noah doesn’t understand something important if he’s in search of understanding the Kanunî sultan and the poet…and I fear I’ve misplaced the note and now I cannot find another stylo to rewrite it.”

“What was the thing you shouldn’t have done?” Jasper asked.

But Sir Edward wasn’t listening. He pointed to the doorway and shook his head, terrified. Their heads snapping in the direction of the door, both Jasper and Faye felt a moment of relief.

“They’re with us,” said Faye. “They’re here to guard us, supposedly.”

“Are you sure?” asked Sir Edward, squinting as if to see the brothers better. “Because the one who came by earlier was not really one at all. He…he tricked me. He told me he was one of them and was helping Noah. I wanted to get some information to Noah, some translations, but also some information I realize he needed to understand. The man in black said he’d take it to Noah. When I said I really should give it to Noah, the man told me Noah had already left on the ship.

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